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2 Peter 1:12


April 2000

Dear Readers,

“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:2) I pray you are doing well. I hope you had a chance to check out our web site at http://www.present-truth.net. As we mentioned last month, we have started a Questions and Answers section where we will attempt to answer your questions using the Bible. We pray this feature will be a blessing to you.

Arizona Camp Meeting Notice: “The Church at Wilhoit” is having a camp meeting May 12-20 in Wilhoit, Arizona (about 2 hours Northwest of Phoenix). Camp meeting is a time when Christians get together from all over the country to fellowship and study together. You are invited to come. Camp meetings are some of the most enjoyable times of the year so we hope you will plan on being there. We are certain you will gain a rich blessing by attending with your family. Call (520) 442-3275 to receive detailed information. I’ll see you at camp meeting!


The Details of Salvation

by Lynnford Beachy

Salvation is an extremely important subject for all those who live upon the face of the earth. Having a correct understanding of this subject will determine your eternal destiny. All Christians should have a good understanding of this subject so they can explain clearly to unbelievers their necessity of a Saviour and the steps required for their salvation. Whatever views you have on this subject, I encourage you to take the time to examine this study. My prayer is that after reading it you will have a deeper understanding of God’s plan of salvation and a great desire to share this knowledge with others.

Let me start out by stating that God’s goodness and love is the only thing that ever melts the heart of a sinner. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” (Romans 2:4) “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world…” to die for us. (1 John 4:9) John said, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” (1 John 3:1) If we behold the Father’s love by looking at the immense sacrifice that was made for us at Calvary, it will touch our hearts like nothing else can. Please take the time to behold that wonderful love. [For a study tract focusing on God’s love, please contact us and request the tract entitled “The Love of God.”]

Important Facts to Realize

The first thing we must understand about ourselves is that all of us have sinned. Paul wrote, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Not some of us have sinned, but all of us have sinned and therefore we have come short of the glory of God. Let us make sure we are clear on this point. Every individual who has ever lived on this earth has sinned, with only one exception, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how good a person may have lived throughout his life, it is certain that everyone but Christ has sinned at least once. “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:12)

With this sad fact in mind, let us consider another important verse on this subject. Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God’s Word has made it clear that the wages of sin is death. If you sin, your penalty is death. This is not referring to physical death only. Certainly not! For everyone is subject to that type of death. The death referred to here is also called “the second death,” or “the lake of fire.” (See Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14; & 21:8.)

Since all of us have sinned, we all deserve to perish in the lake of fire. That is just and fair. If we plead for justice, we are pleading for death, for that would be just and fair. This is the penalty of sin. For many people this is not a pleasant thing to consider. It demonstrates our helplessness. It reveals our absolute need for a Saviour.

Can We Somehow Make Up For Our Sins?

Knowing that the penalty of sin hangs over our heads, is there any way that we can become free from paying that penalty? Is there anything we can do that can pardon us from our sins? If we change our lives and obey God perfectly from this day forward will that pardon us from sins that we have committed in the past? Paul wrote, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20) What a deplorable condition we are in. God has told us that we all have sinned, and that the penalty for that sin is death. Now we find that even if we never sin again, and keep the law of God perfectly from now on, we still could not be justified by doing it. In other words we would still have to pay the penalty of sin.

Let me use an example to illustrate. Suppose I were to visit a local store and make my purchases using credit. As the days go by, my debt keeps rising. I occasionally think of my increasing debt, but push the thought away without much consideration. Eventually I accumulate a debt of $500. One day I reconsider how I have been treating the storeowner and make a decision that from now on I will not make my purchases using credit—I will use cash only. I go into the store and inform the store owner of my intentions, letting him know that I have now amended my ways and will no longer make purchases using credit. I tell him that from now on I will only use cash to make all my purchases. Certainly the store owner would be happy that I made the change, yet there would be in his mind a wish to have some reconciliation for the debt that I had accumulated. In like manner deeds of the law in the future can never make up for even one transgression of the law in the past.

We are informed that salvation comes, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His [God’s] mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5) God does not save us because we have done a certain amount of righteousness, but because He is merciful. Righteousness is a free gift, and not something we can earn.

We must understand that God’s righteousness does not come to us by the law. “If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” (Galatians 3:21) Paul makes a very good point in Galatians 2:21. “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” If we could have become righteous by doing the deeds of the law, then there would have been no need for Christ to die for us. Surely Christ would have remained in heaven if there were no need for His death on the cross.

Forgiveness of Sins

Now that we know that we cannot be pardoned for past sins by keeping the law, how can we be pardoned? Although “the wages of sin is death,” praise God that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God knows that it would be perfectly just for Him to allow all of us to perish, yet He is “not willing that any should perish.” (2 Peter 3:9) God goes beyond justice and gives us mercy. He gives everyone better than they deserve. Even the wicked, who eventually perish in the lake of fire, God gives them less than their iniquities deserve. “Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.” (Job 11:6)

The penalty of sin, which is death, is sure and it cannot be changed or altered. However, God has made a way whereby we can be saved. The angel of the Lord spoke concerning Mary, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) God sent Jesus into this world to save His people from their sins. God is able to save us from the power of sin, the penalty of sin and the existence of sin. The power by giving us the power to overcome every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), the penalty by giving His Son do die in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21), and the existence by finally destroying sin completely (Revelation 21:4).

Peter wrote of this salvation when he said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) God has provided a way by which we all might be saved, and that way is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Come to Christ Just As You Are

Does there have to be a change made in me before I can come to Christ? Jesus answered this question when He said, “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) What if we are living in terrible sins? Wouldn’t that cause Jesus to reject us if we come to Him? Certainly not! He has promised that if we come to Him, He will, under no circumstance, cast us out. That is a precious promise. The key is if we come to Him. Not everyone will come to Him, but if they would, Jesus has promised that He will not cast them out.

Sadly, many people have the idea that they must cleanse themselves before coming to Christ. However, the Bible reveals that we cannot cleanse ourselves and that God cleanses us after we come to Christ. It is our duty to come to Him. We do this by acknowledging that we have sinned and that we deserve to die. Then we must believe that God gave His Son to die in our place so that we can be forgiven. We must be sorry for our sins and ask God to forgive us. Then we must turn away from our sins and forsake them. He has promised that if we do this, He will forgive us. Solomon wrote, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Dear friend, if you have not given your heart to Christ—if you have not come to Him asking for forgiveness of your sins, please do it now. He is full of love, urging you to come to Him and begin a relationship with Him right now. For you it is written, “now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

In the sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel there is a wonderful illustration of how God cleanses a sinner. God, speaking through his prophet, said, “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.” (Ezekiel 16:6)

Blood, in this context, is referring to sins. (See Isaiah 4:4. God is telling us that when He passed by us we were polluted in our own sin, and He then gave us eternal life (it could be none other because we already have physical life). After we are given this eternal life, then God cleanses us from our sins.

Continuing in Ezekiel, we read, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love… I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.” (Ezekiel 16:8) God considers us His and enters into a covenant with us, even when we are yet in our sins. After God calls us His very own people, then He proceeds to cleanse us. God continued, “Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood [sins] from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.” (Ezekiel 16:9)

God passes by us and sees that we are polluted in our own sins, and with perfect love He accepts us, even though we are in our sins. Then God washes away the filth that pollutes us. He chooses to wash us with His water, which is His Word. “Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” (Ephesians 5:25, 26)

Don’t Delay to Come to Christ

Don’t let yourself think that you have to be good before you come to God, because if you think this way you will always be trying to become “good” and the day will never come when you think you are good enough to come to Him. Jesus said, “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) Christ will not turn anyone away who comes to Him with sincerity, no matter what condition he is in, or how sinful he appears. For Christ “is able …to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Does God wish for you to stay in a filthy condition even after you come to Him? Certainly not! He cleanses you and makes you a new creature.

There was a man by the name of Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night to talk with Him. This man was very highly respected as a church leader. Many people thought that if anyone was going to heaven, certainly this man was. Yet Jesus spoke to Nicodemus very boldly informing him of his condition. This man should have known the way of salvation. He should have understood how a person is saved, and should have been able to explain it clearly to others. From his dialogue with Jesus it was plain that he was ignorant about many of these things.

Ye Must Be Born Again

Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (John 3:2) Jesus immediately replied, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Ye must be born again.” (John 3:3, 7) What a stern reply. Jesus made no attempt to address this man’s comment about His miracles, but immediately spoke to his need of being born again. Now Jesus was not speaking to just anyone off the street. He was speaking to a member of the church, and not just a member but a leader of that church, saying that he needed to be born again.

Jesus said that unless a man is born again he could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus explained what it means to be born again. He said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) So we must be born of water and of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. What does it mean to be born of water? In certain places the Bible uses water to represent the Word of God. (See Ephesians 5:25, 26; Isaiah 55:10, 11) Peter wrote, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

To be born of water is to be born by the Word of God—to allow God’s Word to become a part of you and guide your thoughts and actions. (See James 1:21.) But what does it mean to be born of the Spirit?

Paul described the born again experience in this way, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Paul wrote that a man must be in Christ for him to have the born again experience. What does it mean to be in Christ? Paul also wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1) Paul described those who are in Christ as those “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” This is a description of someone who is born of the Spirit. They no longer walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit. To walk after someone is to follow after that person. Those who are born of the Spirit follow the guidance of God’s Spirit rather than following their own earthly ambitions.

One who is born of the Spirit says, along with Christ, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) A person who is born of the Spirit has yielded their will to God. For such persons, the Bible declares, “there is… now no condemnation.”

What about those people who “walk after the flesh”? Paul wrote, “they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8) He also wrote, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) If we walk after the flesh and not after the Spirit we will perish. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:13, 14)

Obtaining God’s Forgiveness of Sins

Jesus made it clear that we must be born again in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. This new birth experience is a result of genuine repentance. An amazing thing happens when we repent of our sins. All of our life history, with all the sin and guilt, is accounted to Christ as if He had done it Himself. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

All of Christ’s life history, with His righteousness and love towards God, is accounted to us as truly as if we had done it ourselves. To the repentant and believing sinner full remission of sin is given. “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Romans 3:24, 25) Through the death of His Son God has made provision for the forgiveness of every sin of every sinner who ever lived or ever will live in this world. Through faith in the blood of Christ God gives us Christ’s righteousness in place of the sins that we have committed in the past. At this point we can stand before God as if we have never sinned. Praise the Lord for such a wonderful gift.

Does God Forgive Us of Future Sins
Before They Are Committed?

The Bible makes it plain that if we confess our sins God forgives us of sins that we have committed in the past. But does the Bible anywhere indicate that we can be forgiven of sins in the future—sins we have not yet committed? In other words, if I confess all my sins today will God forgive me today for sins that I may commit tomorrow or the next day? Can I ask God to forgive me for a sin that I am about to commit? This certainly sounds strange when we think about it. Is this what the Bible teaches?

The Old Testament sanctuary service gives an illustration of how God deals with sin. In the book of Numbers we read, “And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.” (Numbers 15:27, 28) In the earthly sanctuary service a person was not forgiven until he confessed his sin and brought a sin offering to the sanctuary. In reference to this God said, “the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 4:26)

For these faithful believers their sins were only forgiven after they repented of them and manifested their faith in the sacrifice of Christ by bringing an offering for their sin. Although Christ’s sacrifice was “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) the repentant sinner was required to confess his sin, and manifest his faith in the sacrifice of Christ by bringing a sin offering for each of his subsequent sins. If he sinned one day he was to bring a sin offering and confess his sins. If he sinned the next day he was to repeat the process in order to be forgiven. There was no provision made for the repentant sinner to confess his sins one time, which would release him from all his future sins. Furthermore, his confessions were for specific sins and it would be impossible to be specific in confession for sins that have not yet been committed—unless they had been planned beforehand.

Certain Christian writers in the past have commented on this subject. I do not cite these authors as proof of a point but rather as evidence that other Christians share the same conclusion on this subject. One Bible Commentary states, “Before sin is forgiven, it must be repented of.” (C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David on Psalm 32:1) One Baptist theologian wrote, “The blood of Christ is not applied to the sin until after the forgiveness is sought. This is only logical. If it were applied automatically, we would have no need to go before the Lord with our confessions.” (Stanley Derickson, Notes on Theology, page 874, Copyright 1992) If God were to forgive me today of every sin I might commit in the future there would be no need for me to confess any sin that I might commit in the future. Yet John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Forgiveness of our sins is conditional on whether we confess them or not.

This is logical and it agrees with the words of the New Testament. Paul wrote, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

We have been instructed to forgive others in the same way that God forgives us. How did Jesus say we are to forgive others? Jesus said, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” (Luke 17:3, 4) Jesus said that when a person repents we are to forgive him. If he comes to us seven times in a day and says, “I repent,” we are commanded to forgive him. Since we have been instructed to forgive others in the same way that God forgives us, it is only reasonable to conclude that when we sincerely come to God in repentance He forgives us in the same way.

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus gave us an example of how to pray. Jesus instructed us to ask the Father to, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) We are to ask God to forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. My friends, that is very serious. That means if I do not forgive others then God will not forgive me. This is precisely what Jesus said right after He gave us the Lord’s Prayer. He said, “if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14, 15) That is very serious, and it should make us seriously consider in what way we forgive others.

Jesus said to His 12 disciples, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25, 26) Notice that Jesus is speaking to Christians—Christians who have already begun their walk with God. Christ’s words here could not be true if God forgave us of all of our future sins at the time of our first confession of sins, for at any time, even after we have confessed our sins of the past, we could cherish bitterness toward someone and refuse to forgive that person. Jesus said if we do this God will not forgive us of our sins. But if God had already forgiven us of all future sins, how could it be true that He would refrain from forgiving us of our sins?

Once Saved, Always Saved?

If we believe God forgives us of all future sins at the point of conversion, we are saying that once a person is saved he will always be saved and cannot lose that salvation no matter what happens. However the sad history of Saul is an example proving that this is not true. Saul was truly converted. The Bible says that the Lord “gave him another heart,” and he was “turned into another man.” (1 Samuel 10:6, 9) Yet the Bible records that after a life that included rejecting God, “Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it.” (1 Chronicles 10:13)

Again I would like to cite a few Christian authors on this subject. One Bible commentary states, “A Christian looks upon Christ as one who has taken away his past sin (1 Peter 2:24), and who will forgive his present sin (1 John 1:9).” (J. W. Mcgarvey, LL.D., and Philip Y. Pendleton, A.B., The Four Fold Gospel Commentary on John 1:29, emphasis supplied) Another Bible Commentary states, “We may rely on God’s mercy for pardon as to the past, but not for indulgence to sin in future.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on Malachi 1:6) If God has already forgiven me of all my future sins as well as my past, then it would not matter what lifestyle I would choose to live. If this were true adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, would all be acceptable. But Paul said, “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

When we come to Christ He tells us, “sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14) Jesus says to you and me today, “go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11) John wrote, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” (1 John 2:1) Paul wrote, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” (1 Corinthians 7:19)

God’s Forgiveness of All Sins

Some use the following verses as proof of their assertion that future as well as past sins are forgiven at the time of initial repentance: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” (Psalms 103:2, 3) Some assume that the word “all” in this verse must include future as well as past sins. However even a superficial examination of the word “all” in the Bible will reveal that this is not necessarily the case. For example notice how this word is used in the following verses: “He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.” (Psalms 105:34, 35) Certainly nobody would assume that the locusts and caterpillars ate, not only all the herbs that existed at that time, but also all the herbs that ever existed in the land of Egypt in the future. It would not have been possible at one time for the locusts to eat all the herbs that ever would exist in the future.

God forgives us of all our sins, that is for sure. When we confess our sins God forgives us of all of our sins and we can stand before God as though we had never sinned. Notice what Thomas Watson wrote in 1692 addressing God’s complete forgiveness of our sins.

“When God pardons a sinner, he forgives all sins. ‘I will pardon all their iniquities.’ Jeremiah 33:8. ‘Having forgiven you all trespasses.’ Colossians 2:13. The mercy-seat, which was a type of forgiveness, covered the whole ark, to show that God covers all our transgressions. He does not leave one sin upon the score; he does not take his pen and for fourscore sins write down fifty, but blots out all sin. ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.’ Psalm 103:3. When I say, God forgives all sins, I understand it of sins past, for sins to come are not forgiven till they are repented of. Indeed God has decreed to pardon them; and when he forgives one sin, he will in time forgive all; but sins future are not actually pardoned till they are repented of. It is absurd to think sin should be forgiven before it is committed.

“If all sins past and to come are at once forgiven, then what need to pray for the pardon of sin? It is a vain thing to pray for the pardon of that which is already forgiven. The opinion that sins to come, as well as past, are forgiven, takes away and makes void Christ’s intercession. He is an advocate to intercede for daily sins. 1 John 2:1. But if sin be forgiven before it be committed, what need is there of his daily intercession? What need have I of an advocate, if sin be pardoned before it be committed? So that, though God forgives all sins past to a believer, yet sins to come are not forgiven till repentance be renewed.” (Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer, page 278, first published in 1692, emphasis supplied)

This brings up an excellent point. If a man’s future sins were forgiven at the time of his first confession of sins, then there would be no need for Christ to intercede for them. Let us take a few moments to examine some very interesting points that Paul made in his epistles regarding our need for Christ’s intercession.

The Importance of the Intercession of Christ

Paul wrote concerning Christ that He “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) This is very interesting. It says that Christ died for our sins and was raised again for our justification. The Greek word that was translated “justification” means to declare righteous or to render innocent. (See Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.) To be justified is to be pardoned or forgiven of sins in the past. A man who has been justified stands before God as if he had never sinned.

Paul is saying here that Christ died for our sins and He was raised again so that we could be forgiven of our sins. That is very interesting. It brings up a question that we will address shortly. If Christ had died, and was not raised from the dead, could we be forgiven of our sins? If not, why? Why was it necessary for Christ to be raised from the dead in order for us to be forgiven? I understand that Christ’s resurrection was important as an assurance that God will one day resurrect those who are asleep in Christ. But Paul was talking about something more here. Paul said that our forgiveness of sins is dependent upon Christ’s resurrection.

Notice what Paul says in the following verses: “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-14) These are strong words. Paul said that if Christ was not raised from the dead our faith would be in vain—it would be worthless. But Paul doesn’t stop here. He goes on, “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:15-17)

Paul said that if Christ was not raised from the dead not only is our faith in vain, but we are yet in our sins. Paul said that if Christ were not raised from the dead there would be no way that we could be forgiven of our sins. Why is this true? Didn’t everything happen at the cross? What more needed to happen after the death of Christ?

Let me clarify a point: Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifice on Calvary was a complete and perfect sacrifice—Christ, the sinless one, dying for the sinner. The death of Christ is an absolute necessity in the plan of God to redeem mankind. However the Bible teaches that there is more to the plan of salvation than just the death of Christ. This is not to in any way minimize that death. It is as essential to the plan of salvation as the heart is to the body. However, the heart alone, without support from other organs, is unable to give the body life.

A Work Done After the Death of the Sacrifice

If in the earthly sanctuary service the sinner brought the sacrifice and merely killed it, would that be of any benefit to the sinner? Certainly not! The sin that had been symbolically transferred to the sacrifice by confession had to be transferred by the priest to the sanctuary before the sinner could be forgiven. In like manner, we must have the ministration of our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary so that we can be forgiven. We need the ministration of Christ on our behalf as much as we needed the death of Christ for our sins. One without the other would be of no avail. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5) “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

His death on the cross was vitally important, for without that He would have nothing to offer on our behalf. Paul wrote, “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.” (Hebrews 8:1-3) At Christ’s resurrection He, for the first time, entered upon His work as our High Priest: a minister of the sanctuary in heaven. He could not have been our high priest until after He had something to offer—after His death on the cross.

The earthly high priest was ordained “to offer gifts and sacrifices.” To whom did he offer the gifts and sacrifices? To God! Christ has been ordained as our High Priest, and He must have something to offer—the merits of His perfect and complete sacrifice. Paul wrote, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) Paul said that we have forgiveness of sins through His blood. Yet we just read how Paul said that if Christ had only died than we could not be forgiven of our sins. The only way we could have forgiveness of our sins “through his blood” is by Christ offering the merits of his perfect sacrifice—His blood—as our High Priest.

The Work of our High Priest Today

This all seems new to many people. Many have never given much thought regarding the necessity of Christ being our High Priest, “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Notice what Paul said in the following verse: “Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Christ] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17) This verse sheds much light on this subject. It says that Christ had to become a man before He could be a merciful and faithful High Priest. The Greek word that was translated “behoved” means to be under obligation. (See Strong’s Greek Lexicon.) Before Christ could be our High Priest He had to become a man and die for our sins so that He would have something to offer as a minister in the heavenly sanctuary.

Notice what Paul said that Christ would do after He became our High Priest. He said that Christ had to be a High Priest “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Christ is our High Priest today making reconciliation for our sins. Paul did not say He made reconciliation [past tense] for the sins of the people but that He is making reconciliation [present tense] for the sins of the people. The Greek term to ilaskesqai that was translated “make reconciliation” is in the present tense in Greek. This agrees with Paul’s words in the book of Hebrews where he said Christ “ever liveth to make intercession” for us. (Hebrews 7:25) Praise the Lord that He has not only provided His Son as our perfect sacrifice, but also appointed Him to be our High Priest to minister for us, making reconciliation for our sins today. There is a work going on right now in heaven that we must not overlook.

Conclusion

Let us recap some of the things we have learned in this study.

  • We all have sinned and are worthy of eternal death.
  • Of ourselves we can do nothing to make up for even one sin we have committed in the past.
  • Keeping the law of God from this time forward will not pardon us from any sin that we have committed in the past.
  • God sent His Son to die for our sins so that we don’t have to.
  • If we trust in His sacrifice for us and confess and forsake our sins He will forgive us of sins we have committed in the past.
  • Future sins are not forgiven until after we have committed and confessed them.
  • Once we have confessed our sins God expects us not to sin in the future.
  • It is possible that a person can be truly born again, and then turn away from the Lord and be lost.
  • Christ’s death on the cross was extremely important, yet if Christ had not been raised again to be our High Priest we could not be forgiven of our sins.
  • Christ is now a minister of the heavenly sanctuary making reconciliation for our sins.

I pray that this study has been a blessing to you. It certainly has been a blessing to me. Most of all I pray that you will accept God’s merciful provision for your salvation. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” (Psalms 116:12, 13) Keep trusting in the Lord and follow Him to the end. Jesus said, “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) ?


@   Letters from our Readers /

We appreciate and encourage your comments and suggestions. The following are a few letters that we have received from the readers of Present Truth and some of our other literature.

“I am writing with great joy that God the Almighty has helped you to open such ministries so that you would proclaim the gospel in pamphlets, audio and video tapes as well as Bible studies. …then cometh the end.

“I deeply appreciate your work and thank God that the message reached me whilst I am alive [it is a great privilege to me]. Before reading your pamphlets or leaflets I was much troubled about this false doctrine of Trinity. In Zimbabwe many people including myself have been or are persecuted for believing not the doctrine. I read your leaflets ‘The Truth About God’ and ‘The Importance of Knowing the Truth About God.’ These leaflets were borrowed by one of the brethren and they motivated me to write to you asking for the book on last day events and Bible studies through audio tapes…

“This doctrine of trinity is not ‘according to the law and the testimony.’ (Isaiah 8:20)

“Please my wish is to receive a lot of literature to read that I may know God more and worship Him the way He wants me to worship Him. Please may you supply me with books that I may also proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. May God bless you and your work for all the saints in the four corners of the world.” 

 Zimbabwe

“I have just finished reading ‘Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake.’ Thank you for the time you spend in bringing us these dynamic messages. Truly the Lord is working through you by His Spirit.
    “What a message for us who live in this day! May the Lord bless you and your family. Thank you for the fliers. I am happy to know that it is your writing.”

Montana

“Greetings in the name of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. I am Pastor _____ a one time Baptist pastor of one of the largest churches in Nigeria, which post I held for 22 years. By the grace of God, I have endeared myself to evangelism.

“At one of the evangelistic meetings, a young man that attended one of my meetings approach me with a tract, and at the same time expressed his joy over my message, but wished I could be well versed with the truth. He left me with the tract. I hadn’t time to go through the tract not until 6 month later, I found the tract in my Bible. When I read through the tract, it was about the ‘7th Day’ as God’s holy day. The message became a big problem to my worship. I studied the tract. A serious debate ensued within me, the spirit and the Bible for several weeks. The greatest problem was this young man was not found again.

“A new evangelistic meeting was scheduled, I was to be the guest speaker. Something mysteriously happened. I lost my mind as I search my Bible for the message. Up to the time of the evangelism I could not adjust myself for the meeting. The meeting was shifted. It was surprising to many that I could stop from attending, as many were eager to hear my inspiring messages. I was convicted by the Holy Spirit, I became a partaker of Paul’s grace in bonds and in defense and confirmation of the gospel. Phil. 1:7. These verses appeared in my mind. 2 Cor. 13:5-8, 2 Timothy 2:15, Jer. 50:6 just to mention but few.

“Nasty experience. I was forced in one of the meetings to openly proclaim the Sabbath truth. I poured out references to back the truth according to the Bible. The news of my message reached the headquarters of my church. I was summoned to the council to denounce my faith, but the Lord Jesus strengthened me. Finally, I was rejected and I lost my job and all my entitlements.

“My problem now is where to belong. For one year now I don’t know where to fellowship. I have tried to come to a proper organization where the Bible truth are proclaimed with authority. There is no true Sabbath church in my country where I can worship except those that continue to perform rituals, putting on white apparels and burning candles and other things—drumming, dancing as if possessed by certain spirit. I hate it.

“Now, I am in my family church—worshiping God on the 7th day according to the 4th commandment. I am a father of 8. Four of my children were in the high school when this message came to me. For one year now, they have been suspended from school for lack of funds but I thank God they are fellow heirs, that they too can give up everything worldly in order to have Christ. All our concern is where to fellowship for the truth. Please direct us to the true church. A friend supplied us with your address, not even a believer but God use him as a channel to reach you for the truth. I am trying to raise up evangelical team beginning with my family to take the truth to the un-reached.

“Pray and encourage us for the truth by sending tracts and other literature.”

Nigeria

There is a group of Sabbath-keeping Christians in Nigeria near this brother. I have sent him addresses of several like believers to contact.    Editor


Questions and Answers

by Lynnford Beachy

Question:

“How do you explain that Jesus was not a created being, yet came after the Father and is God’s literal Son?”

Answer:

This is an excellent question for it deals with our perception of God’s character and therefore affects our relationship with Him. The Bible clearly proves that Christ was not created. Paul speaks of Christ stating that He “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” (Colossians 1:15, 16) John wrote, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3) Paul wrote, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:9)

This should be clear enough. The Scriptures testify that God created, through Christ, everything that was ever created and without Christ was not anything created that was created. This proves conclusively that Christ was not created, for it would have been impossible for Christ to create Himself.

The Bible speaks of Christ as “the Son of God,” “the Son of the Father,” “beloved Son,” “dear Son,” “the Son of the living God,” “the only begotten Son of God,” “Son of God most high,” “Son of the Highest,” “Son of the Blessed,” “Son of the most high God,” etc. I have a son, yet I would never claim that I created my son. This would not be accurate. There is a vast difference between something I create and my son.

As an example, I know it is impossible for humans to create life. However let us suppose I had the power to create life. Suppose I could create a cricket. I could put thousands of hours into the finest details of this small insect. The cricket would certainly be valuable to me. I could say I created that cricket. Yet I would value that cricket far less than my son. If I were asked to give up that cricket for the benefit of someone else, it would not be too difficult for me to part with it. That would be a sacrifice, but it would fall very short of equaling the sacrifice that would have to be made if I were asked to give up my own son for the benefit of someone else. If I were to give up my own son that would be a great sacrifice on my part—much more than giving up a created insect.

Certainly you can see the vast difference in giving up something I created, and giving up my own son.

I would like to provide an abundance of Bible evidence showing that Christ really is the Son of God; not an angel, not a created being, but “the only begotten Son” “of the most high God.” (John 3:16; Mark 5:7) Please take the time to examine the following Scripture evidence.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image [“a precise reproduction in every respect”—Thayer’s Greek Lexicon] of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:1-4).

The Son of God was appointed by His Father to be heir (“one who receives his allotted possession by right of sonship”—Thayer’s Greek Lexicon) of all things. And He has, by inheritance, obtained an excellent name. According to the Scriptures, Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God.

“For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God [The Father refers to His Son as God], is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God [The Father, referring to Himself as the God of His Son], hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows… But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?” (Hebrews 1:5-13).

The Bible speaks of Christ “Who is the image [likeness] of the invisible God, the firstborn [see note below] of every creature.” (Colossians 1:15)

The Greek word that was translated firstborn in this verse means, “born before all creation.” (Wigram’s Greek Lexicon) “Christ is called, firstborn of all creation, who came into being through God prior to the entire universe of created things.” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Jesus Christ is in reality the Son of God who was begotten by His Father before anything was ever created.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [origin] have been from of old, from everlasting [Hebrew: the days of eternity].” (Micah 5:2). “Whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” (Revised Standard Version).

This verse is talking about the Son of God, whose origin (beginning) was long before the beginning of this world; and time as we know it.

The terms Father and Son, by definition, indicate the existence of the one before the other. This was the understanding of the Israelites.

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is His name, and what is His son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4).

It does not take a wise man to figure out something that is so plain a child can understand it. Ask your child, “Who is older, you or me?” I am sure he will give you the right answer. There is an abundance of Bible testimony proving that Christ was begotten by His Father prior to coming into this world. Yet I have not seen any proof from the Bible that He was not. [If you would like a more thorough study on this subject please contact us and request the study entitled “The Truth About God.”]

This is an important issue, for it deals with whether Christ is in reality the Son of God or not. John wrote, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5) Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It was God the Father who loved us so much that He willingly allowed His only begotten Son to die for us.

Please examine the following verses carefully. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9) The greatest manifestation of God’s love is that He allowed His only begotten Son to die for us. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) By God yielding up that which was most dear to Him, His only begotten Son, He proved that there was nothing in the entire universe that He would not be willing to give up for us. This is the greatest love that anyone could manifest. It is much harder for a father to allow his own child to die than for him to offer up his own life. It was a struggle for the God of the universe to yield up His only begotten Son.

None of the above could be true if Jesus Christ was not in reality the Son of God. If He was a created being, or merely playing a role, acting as if He was the Son of God when in reality He was not, then there would be very little love manifested by the Father in allowing His Son to die. Friends, I am sure you can see that the idea that Jesus Christ is not in reality the Son of God severely distorts our perception of God’s love for us. With a false understanding of God’s love for us, our love for Him is severely hindered, and we will never love God to the extent that He requires of us. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37) We can never reach this point with a distorted view of God’s love, for “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

My dear friends, please consider this information very carefully for it is vital to our Christian experience. The only way a judge can make a just decision is after viewing and weighing all the evidence. I strongly encourage you to examine all the evidence before making a decision. “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” (Proverbs 18:13)

Question:

“I would like to know what denomination your publication is associated with.”

Answer:

Present Truth is a publication of Smyrna Gospel Ministries. We are a small ministry dedicated to providing truth-filled literature to the world. Our main goal is to more clearly reveal the character of God so that people will have a better understanding of God’s character enabling them to have a closer relationship with Him.

We do not have a large operation and we are not affiliated with any denomination.

We have a print shop where we write and print our own literature. Much of our literature is designed to present truth that has been hidden for many centuries, and to reveal truth that is “present truth” for our day. Our literature is sent to nearly every state in the United States, and many countries around the world.

Many like believers worship together around the world in small home churches or they meet in buildings they rent or they have built their own churches to worship in. There may be one of these home churches in your local area. If you are interested in being able to meet with other like believers in your area, contact us and we will try to get you in contact with someone close to you.

Question:

“When a Christian dies where does he go?”

Answer:

This is an excellent question. The Bible says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) The Bible says that after we die, we are asleep.

Where do we sleep after we die? “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2) “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” (Ecclesiastes 3:20) “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19) When we die we turn into dust again, and sleep until the Lord awakens us.

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit [Hebrew: Ruwach] shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7) When a man dies, there will be a time when he lives again, whether he is raised in the resurrection of the just, or of the unjust. His mind, which contains his life history, will be given to him again at his resurrection. He will come forth from the grave with the same character and manner of thinking that he had before death.

When the dead are raised God will give them back their spirit (mind, or breath), which was in them before. During their sleep in the grave they were not alive anywhere. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)

When God formed man out of the dust of the earth, He breathed into his nostrils the breath (spirit of man) of life. “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit [Ruwach] of [or from] God is in my nostrils.” (Job 27:3) The breath of life is that spirit that goes back to God who gave it. Even the wicked—when they die their spirit goes back to God who gave it. “Who knoweth the spirit [Ruwach] of man that goeth upward, and the spirit [Ruwach] of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:21)

The spirit of man goes upward to God who gave it. Whether the man was the vilest of criminals, or whether he was the most righteous saint, his spirit goes back to God who gave it. Man will live again, hence it is necessary for God to keep the record of what that man was like. A beast, on the other hand, will not live again, so his spirit goes down to the earth, never to be revived.

Are dead people conscious right now? The Bible says “the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5)

“But,” some may say, “don’t the righteous go straight to heaven when they die?” “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. … For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.” (Acts 2:34) David will be in heaven, but he has not yet ascended to heaven. Peter’s argument was “We know that David is not in heaven, because his sepulchre is still with us.” Peter knew that David’s bones were still in the grave.

Christ is risen from the dead. Are His bones still in the tomb where He was buried? No! Anyone who still has bones on this earth could not possibly be in heaven. This is the argument that was made on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two. When Christ was raised from the dead, the Bible tells us, many were raised at that time. Are their bones still in the grave? Certainly not!

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:52, 53) All those who are in heaven now do not have bones that remain on this earth.

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6) Moses died, and was buried, but no man could find his sepulchre because the Lord raised him from the dead.

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 9) The fact that Moses was raised from the dead is evident by his appearing with Elijah at the mount of transfiguration. Elijah was taken to heaven on a fiery chariot without seeing death. “And, behold, there talked with Him [Jesus] two men, which were Moses and Elias.” (Luke 9:30)

David, who has not yet ascended to heaven, said, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Psalm 17:15) David will be satisfied when he awakes from death, not during the time that he is dead.

“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” (Isaiah 26:19) The first thing we notice about this verse is that the dead men shall, at some time in the future, live again. These people are not living now, but they shall live at some time in the future. Right now they are those who dwell in the dust. We have already seen that when we die we return to dust, there to remain in unconscious sleep until the Lord raises us from the dead.

Question:

“How can I be sure that the Sabbath is the day of rest?”

Answer:

This is a good question. A few verses on this subject should settle the question. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

“Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.” (Exodus 31:15)

Question:

“How can I be sure that the Sabbath and the seventh day are the same?”

Answer:

The verses mentioned above should be sufficient to answer this question also. However there may still be some question about whether the day we know of as the seventh day of the week is in reality the same Sabbath day mentioned in the Bible.

There is no scientific reason for the weekly cycle. The second, minute, and hour are divisions of a day. A day is determined by the rotation of the earth. A month is determined by the cycle of the moon. A year is determined by the rotation of the earth around the sun, but there is no scientific reason for the weekly cycle. Yet in virtually every country and language there remains a seven-day week. There is no record that this seven-day weekly cycle has ever changed. The evidence from nearly every language under the sun substantiates this fact. If the weekly cycle had been changed by anyone there would be no way that every language and country would still maintain the same seven-day weekly cycle. In recent years there have been a few countries attempting to use a new calendar that makes it appear as if Sunday is the seventh-day of the week. However the evidence of many languages which still maintain a number as the name of the each day, instead of the Roman names, proves the falsehood of such an attempt. For example many African languages still call Sunday “day one.”

Many languages refer to the seventh day of the week as Sabbath rather than Saturday. In Spanish it is Sabado (Sabbath). There is no Spanish word that could be accurately translated Saturday [which actually means Saturn-day]. The same is true for Russian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Malayan, Malagassy spoken in Madagascar, Swahili, and many other languages. In Russian it is Subbota (Sabbath). In Polish it is Sobota (Sabbath). In French it is Samedi (Sabbath). In Portuguese it is Sabbado (Sabbath). In Italian it is Sabato or Sabbato (Sabbath). In Hungarian it is Szombat (Sabbath). In Turkish it is yom-es-sabt (day the Sabbath). In Arabic it is as-sabt (the Sabbath). In Malayan it is hari-sabtu (the Sabbath). In Malagassy spoken in Madagascar it is alsabotsy (the Sabbath). In Swahili it is as-sabt (the Sabbath).

If there had been a change in the seven-day weekly cycle it would be virtually impossible to have that change implemented in all these countries who speak many different languages. If there had been a change made in the first four thousand years of earth’s history, surely Jesus would have informed us of such a change. Yet it is clear that He made no mention of a change. In fact it was His custom to keep the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. “And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” (Luke 4:16)

From Christ’s day to our day there is no record of any change made in the seven-day weekly cycle. The day that is known alone in many languages as the Sabbath is the same day of the week that we often call Saturday in English. This should be sufficient proof that the seventh-day of the week, known as Saturday, or the Sabbath, is in reality the same Sabbath day that God instituted at the creation of this world.    ?

We pray this new feature has been a blessing to you. If you have any questions you would like us to address in this section, please send them to the address below.    Editor

 


To view or print this issue of Present Truth in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) click here.

Present Truth is published monthly by Present Truth Ministries. It is sent free upon request. Duplication of these papers is not only permitted but strongly encouraged, as long as our contact information is retained. Present Truth is available online at www.presenttruth.info.

Editor: Lynnford Beachy, PO Box 315, Kansas, OK 74347, USA. Phone: (304) 633-5411, E-mail: webnewsletters@presenttruth.info.

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