Home | Newsletters | Books | Tracts | Guest Book | Links | Contact Us | Donate | Search   

 

Present Truth Articles Online

 

2 Peter 1:12


January 2002

Dear Readers,

“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” (2 John 1:3) Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, not only in truth but also in love. The love that God has for His only begotten Son is similar to, but far exceeds, the love that a man has for his child. Yet, God willingly gave His Son for us, proving that He loves us as much as He loves His Son. (John 17:23) There is rich meaning and deep love in understanding the relationship between God the Father and His only begotten Son.

I pray that the experiences of this new year will draw you closer to the Lord and enable you to remain faithful unto the end so that Christ can joyfully present you with a crown of life made especially for you.

In this Issue

The Everlasting Gospel

by Lynnford Beachy

Letters from our Readers

Missionary Report from Peru

by Aland Ashton

The Power of the Word

by Alonzo T. Jones

 


The Everlasting Gospel

by Lynnford Beachy

The term “everlasting gospel” is found only once in the Bible, in Revelation 14:6. In context of the crisis of the mark of the beast, an angel appears on the scene with the solution that will enable us to gain “the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.” (Revelation 15:2)

John described, “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” (Revelation 14:6) This angel represents God’s work through human agents to preach a message to “them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” This is the same message Jesus referred to when He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)

Just before the end comes the everlasting gospel will be preached in all the world. What is the everlasting gospel? The word gospel means “glad tidings” or “good news.” “As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15) So this message, that is to go to all the world at this time, is everlasting good news of good things. What good news could be everlasting good news? Someone might tell you, “I’ve got good news! You’ve just won a million dollars!” This might be good news, but it is not everlasting good news. Everlasting good news is good news that will be good news throughout all eternity.

Paul shed light on this question when he wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.” (Romans 1:16, 17) The gospel reveals the righteousness, or the goodness, of God. Truly this is everlasting good news; good news that will still be good news a million years from now, and for all eternity.

Paul stated something else in these verses, which we need to particularly notice. He said the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation.” When the goodness and love of God is revealed to you it becomes the motivating power that changes your life. Paul expressed it in another place in this way: “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” (Romans 2:4) Understanding the goodness of God, His love, compassion, gentleness, and mercy, leads us to repentance and motivates us to continue serving God. Love is the agent that God uses to remove sin from our lives.

Now that we have a good understanding of what the everlasting gospel is designed to do, we can look at what this angel with the everlasting gospel has to say to us. He cried “with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:7) Two more angels immediately follow this angel, with additional information to help us gain the victory over the mark of the beast, but this is the only one that directly instructs us to take action. There are three things we are instructed to do:

1) “Fear God”

2) “Give glory to Him”

3) “Worship Him that made heaven and earth”

We can see that the first angel’s message is calling people to the acknowledgment and worship of the true God of heaven. Based upon what we just learned about the everlasting gospel, we know that this message is designed to reveal the goodness and love of God. Let’s analyze each of these commands.

Fear God

To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him as someone would be afraid of an enemy who is seeking to harm them. In fact, those who “fear the LORD, trust in the LORD(Psalms 115:11) and love Him. “What doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deuteronomy 10:12)

When we fear God as He wishes us to, we will respect, reverence, love, and trust Him with all our heart. Fearing God means to respect Him for who He is, and be in awe of Him, realizing His greatness, power, and position. When we contemplate how great God is and realize that He tenderly loves us as a father pities his children, then we will love Him in return. This godly fear causes us to hate sin and turn from it. Solomon explained it in this way: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” (Proverbs 8:13) “By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)

Fearing and loving God will cause us to turn from our sins and keep God’s commandments. Again Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

The first part of this angel’s message is calling us to love, honor, respect, and fear the true God of heaven, which will cause us to turn from our evil ways.

Give glory to Him

Man was made to give glory to God. God said, “Every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:7) It is our highest privilege to give glory to God. But how can we do this? Is it accomplished by singing praises to God? That is part of it, but giving glory to God includes much more. In order to give glory to God we must first understand what glory is.

One day Moses pleaded with God to show him His glory. He said, “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” (Exodus 33:18) God, in His tender love and compassion, honored the request of Moses. He answered, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee.” (Exodus 33:19) Notice how this directly relates to what we have learned about the everlasting gospel being the good news about God’s goodness and love. God’s glory is primarily His goodness; His character of love.

God has given us a clear revelation of His glory through the life of His Son, Jesus Christ. John wrote, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The glory of God’s wonderful character of love was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ. When Jesus reached out His hand to lift a leper to His feet and give him healing; when He touched the eyes of the blind to give them sight; when He saw the multitude and was “moved with compassion,” it was merely a reflection of the what God the Father would do if He were in the same situation. For Jesus said, “The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10)

Paul wrote, “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) God has shined His light into our hearts for the purpose of giving us the knowledge of the goodness of God, which is revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ reflected God’s character perfectly. Of all the people who lived upon this earth, Jesus Christ gave glory to God more fully and perfectly than anyone else ever has. He is our example. His life is the one after which we are to mold our lives.

Paul explained to us how we can give glory to God when He wrote, “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) As we behold the goodness and love of God, we will naturally begin to reflect that goodness in our own lives. John put it this way, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” (1 John 3:1) The more we see the goodness and love of God, the more we will love, praise, and give glory to Him. The only way we can truly give glory to God is by first beholding His glory; His goodness and love.

The second part of this message is calling us to behold God’s character of love and reflect that character in our lives.

Worship Him

The first angel finally comes to the climax of his message: worship. Notice the order in which this message goes forth. First we are called to fear, respect, and honor the true God of heaven. Secondly, we are called to give glory to Him by beholding His goodness and love, which will produce a corresponding goodness and love in our own lives. Finally, we are called to worship the only true God who made heaven and earth. If we do not fear the only true God, and give Him glory, we cannot possibly worship Him correctly.

Notice how David said we are to worship: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalms 29:2) To worship God correctly we must give Him the glory He deserves, and worship Him in “the beauty of holiness”; with a holy life representative of the holy God we worship.

God commanded us, “There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.” (Psalms 81:9) A stranger is someone we don’t know. If God is a stranger to us, our worship is in vain. Paul said to the men on Mars’ hill, “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23)

Jesus encountered a similar situation when He met a woman in Samaria. He said to her, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:22-24) Jesus rebuked this woman for worshiping someone she didn’t know. In order to worship God correctly we must know Him, including who He is, and what He is like. Jesus said the true worshipers “worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” In spirit because their hearts have been softened and subdued by the transforming power of beholding God’s love, and in truth because they are worshiping the only true God (the Father) whom they have come to know in truth.

It is clear that the first angel’s message is calling us:

  • to recognize God’s greatness and supremacy, reverence Him, and turn from our sins,
  • to come to know the true God for who He really is by beholding His goodness and love, which will cause us to give glory to Him,
  • to worship Him in spirit and in truth after coming to truly know Him.

This message comes at a time when most of the world is worshiping strange gods. It comes at a time when soon “all that dwell upon the earth… whose names are not written in the book of life” “shall worship” the beast. (Revelation 13:8) Worship is the testing point upon which God’s true followers will be distinguished from the majority of the world who worship the beast.

My friends, please take the time to carefully search the Scriptures daily, for your success or failure in the coming crisis depends upon a proper knowledge of, and love for, the only true God.    ?


Letters from our Readers

(Each month we receive letters that help us to know how God’s work is progressing throughout the world. Because we think you are interested in this work as well we are printing some of them for you. If you would not like your letter to be printed, please let us know when you write.    Editor)

“We have received your e-mails of December 11, 2001. God is taking the work into His own hands. What a joy it is being in the service of the King. When we meet brothers who share the same visions and burdens for lost souls, it thrills our hearts.
    “After having a long Bible study with the Elders and Evangelists [of a local church] three of them accepted the message [of the truth about God], praise be to God.
    “As long as the almighty God is still giving us life, we will work hard to spread the message of God throughout Zambia and other parts of Africa. All we are asking from you is that you don’t forget us in prayers and financially because this is a continuation process.
    “Soon I will give you a report on how I will travel to Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
    “Lastly the biggest problem I’m facing is that most of the time I find it difficult when going to preach because I am no longer using a bicycle, I go on foot. It is taking long as compared to when I had a bicycle. I believe that God is going to give me another mountain bicycle.
    “Pass my greetings to all. May the almighty God continue to bless you.”

Zambia

(This brother, Benny Kayamba, recently lost his bicycle so he must now travel on foot. I pray the Lord will provide him another bicycle. If you would like to help this brother in his work, please let us know and we will supply you with the necessary information.    Editor)

“In late ‘99 I started to question the teaching on the trinity after reading a book called The Wondrous Love of God. Since then I have continued to search for a better understanding and God; praise Him, has [fulfilled my desires]. I’m learning much from your web site and would like to thank you.
    “After reading ‘Satan’s Deadliest Lie’ [I found that] more in-depth Bible studies are offered. These would be much appreciated. Please send them to me.”

E-mail

“Please send me 500 of the tracts ‘Shelter in the Storm.’ Enclosed is $20.”

Missouri

“I just received your reply to my letter including the book, America in Prophecy the book is really inspirational. I would like to receive the book Last Day Events including some back issues. God bless you all for the good work you are doing.

Ghana

(In many of our tracts we offer a free book on last day events. This book is entitled America in Prophecy, which deals with last day events. We do not offer a book entitled Last Day Events.    Editor)

“I have been away for a long time to visit and strengthen some of the brethren in the Visayas islands, and I was not able to respond immediately to your e-mails, and I am very sorry for such a delay…
    “As of this time we are preparing for our camp meeting in the Visayas. It will be from December 23-29, 2001. Please pray for us and the success of our camp meeting. I will be sending you some articles for the Present Truth after our camp-meeting.
    “I thank the Lord so much for the success of your efforts. I have read them in the newsletter. Thank you for the newsletters you are sending me. I am praying for the unity of all separated brethren in the Present Truth.”

Philippines

“I read a few of your tracts. One that was especially interesting was the one on the Doctrine of the Trinity. I believe you are right in your discussion of the origin of that doctrine. I also think the Greek language bears that out in John 1:1-18 et al. I believe the term ‘son of…’ in the Hebrew culture is a lot more complex than we think it is. I am not sure I believe the Trinity as it is taught, but on the other hand, I am not sure it is a matter of salvation. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and all that it entails, but I have yet to grasp everything that confession means! In other words, I am still on the journey!!
    “By the way, I do not think I have ever preached on the Trinity, probably due to my lack of understanding on this.”

Maryland

“We encourage you to continue to earnestly contend for the faith. Give the trumpet that certain sound. Let the people know that the Most High is our living source of strength and our wonderful Saviour is very soon to return!”

Nigeria


Missionary Report from Peru

by Aland Ashton

My dear brothers and sisters, grace, mercy and shalom be unto you from our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Messiah, and His face shine upon you. From the time you open your eyes in the morning hours and through the rest of your daily routines may the strength of Jesus Christ, charge your battery; heart, mind and soul.

I would like to share with you a report of my last trip to some northern border towns in Peru, bordering Ecuador. We took 4,000 tracts and in our plans, after prayers, we were to touch two main cities. According to God’s plans we went to the most forgotten towns near the border, one is called Catacaos. When we arrived we could see with our own eyes the most misery, poverty and ignorance of the Word of God, and His truth. According to our strategy of how to start giving out the tracts, we went to the most concentration of people; the market. People saw us, like they were waiting for us, approaching and extending their hands for food; the spiritual food God commanded us to take to those places. My eyes were watery for what we were doing. Praise the Lord Almighty and His mighty Son for their mercy, as we spread the truth, the good news of salvation.

We also blessed the native people of this land by buying fruit and some of their straw hats from them. Like fifteen mangoes for 25¢, soup made out of veggies for 25¢ , a decent main dish for also 25¢, and straw hats for $3- $5. We did this so they can eat for days from these sales. But the most sad part is that in so much misery, a big architectural Roman/pagan building stands in the center of the city, full of idols. These buildings were like fifteen pagan statues dominating the whole city. After walking around the city (which is not that big) we stayed in the main square, preaching and giving out tracts, inviting people to write us, giving addresses where to reach brothers and sisters for more studies and information. They asked for more literature. As one of my brothers said, they are starving for the truth, the Word of God. We gave out about a thousand tracts.

When we reached another ocean town, we did well and testified to almost everybody there; a town of fishermen. We could see many people coming back home in wood platforms, standing up rowing, coming back from their working day, while their wives, moms, and sisters were waiting for them. There were both men and women, sitting down at the shore, reading and waving as we were leaving the town.

We got back to a main city at night and went to the main square, where Sister Karina got chased by one of the people who came out from the big, pagan/Roman Catholic building. But by that time we were almost done, so we left. The next day we went to the other main city, almost to the border, but according to God’s plans and thoughts, and not ours, we stayed about 1 ½ hours from the border and started giving out tracts. It was night already, so the next day we went to the border, saving some tracts to go back to the city called Mancora, another city of fishermen, and we went door to door. As usual, we did not have enough tracts but, in the mercy and grace of the Lord, we expect and pray for those people to reproduce those tracts and share with other brothers in need of salvation as we, some day long ago, were lost but God delivered us by His beloved and begotten Son. And He promised He won’t lose any of us. In that promise we wait. Amen.

We promise to come back to the border town with more literature and more laborers, and also extend our next trip to Ecuador. We need to print more tracts.

Pray for all those who received the seed, that other laborers will water, and for others to fertilize; as we keep doing the commandment to take the Word of God to all places (Matthew 28), and speed up the return of our Messiah. Pray for grace to reach those people. Also, pray for the people that said they know the Lord, that they understand the period of grace, to obey the commandments, to develop the character of God and His begotten Son and to have faith in Him to surrender through obedience and live by the Word of God. Please pray also for me and the people who are with me. Psalm 119 is the ABCs of our lives. God bless you all and our Advocate, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bless you richly and abundantly as we grow in our faith. Shalom! “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)    ?

(Aland and Karina Ashton live in Lima, Peru, where they are busy spreading the truth about God and His Son, the Sabbath and the state of the dead. They have translated several of our tracts into Spanish for us. They work under difficult conditions and with limited funds to produce literature. If you would like to help them in their work, please let us know and we will supply you with the necessary information.    Editor)


The Power of the Word

by Alonzo T. Jones

“As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10, 11)

The earth can bring forth vegetation only because of the moisture that comes upon it by the rain or the snow from heaven. Without this, everything would fade and perish. So also is it with the life of man and the word of God. Without the word of God the life of man is as barren of power and of good as is the earth without rain. But only let the word of God fall upon the heart as the showers upon the earth; then the life will be fresh and beautiful in the joy and peace of the Lord, and fruitful with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ.

Notice, too, it is not you who are to do that which he pleases; but, “It shall accomplish that which I please,” You are not to read or hear the word of God, and say, I must do that, I will do that. You are to open the heart to that word, that it may accomplish the will of God in you. It is not you who are to do it, but it. “It,” the word of God itself, is to do it, and you are to let it. Let the word of Christ dwell in you.” (Colossians 3:16)

This is stated in another place thus: “When ye receive the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Thus it is the word of God that must work in you. You are not to work to do the word of God: the word of God is to work in you to cause you to do. “Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” (Colossians 1:29)

The word of God being living and full of power, when it is allowed to work in the life, there will be powerful work wrought in that individual. As this word is the word of God, the power, of which is full, is only the power of God; and when that word is allowed to work in the life, there will be the work of God manifested in the life—it is his power working mightily. And thus it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It shall accomplish that which I please.” Let it.

From these scriptures it is plain that we are expected to look upon the word of God only as self-fulfilling. The word of God is self-fulfilling. This is the great truth presented everywhere in the Bible This is the difference between the word of God and the word of men. And this is just the difference emphasized in the passage that says, “When ye received the word of God,… ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

The contrast of the word of men

There is no power in the word of a man to do what it says. Whatever may be the man’s ability to accomplish what he says, there is no power in the man’s word itself to accomplish what he says. A man’s word may express the easiest possible thing for him to accomplish, and you may thoroughly believe it, yet it is altogether dependent upon the man himself to accomplish it apart from his word. It is not his word that does it. It is he himself that must do it; and this just as really as though he had spoken no word at all. Such is the word of men.

It is not so with the word of God. When the word is spoken by the Lord, there is at that moment in that word the living power to accomplish what the word expresses. It is not needed that the Lord employ any shadow of any other means than that word itself to accomplish what the word says. The Bible is full of illustrations of this, and they are written to teach us this very thing,—that we shall look upon the word as the word of God, and not as the word of men; and that we may receive it thus as it is in truth, the word of God, that it may work effectually in us the will and good pleasure of God.

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.… For he spake, and it was.” (Psalm 33:6, 9) “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3) At first there were no worlds at all. More than this, there was none of the materials of which the worlds are made. There was nothing. Then God spoke, and all the worlds were in their places. From whence came the worlds, then? Before he spoke, there were none; after he spoke, there they were. Whence, then, did they come? What produced them? What produced the material of which they are composed? What caused them to exist? It was the word which was spoken that did it all. And this word did it all, because it was the word of God. There was in that word the divinity of life and spirit, the creative power, to do all that the word expressed. Such is the word of God.

“And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:25) The word of God in the Bible is the same,—the same in life, in spirit, in creative power,—precisely the same, as that word that made the heavens and all the host of them. It was Jesus Christ who spoke the word at creation; it is he who speaks the word in the Bible. At creation the word which he spoke made the worlds; in the Bible the word which he speaks saves and sanctifies the soul. In the beginning the word which he spoke created the heavens and the earth; in the Bible the word which he speaks creates in Christ Jesus the man who receives that word. In both places, and everywhere in the work of God, it is the word that does it.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Receive it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you. Then, “as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10, 11) “To you is the word of this salvation sent.” (Acts 13:26) “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able [literally, ‘full of power’] to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32)

The power of the Word to change us

We have seen that the power abiding in the word of God is sufficient, only upon the speaking of that word, to create worlds. It is likewise sufficient, now that it is spoken to men, to create anew, in Christ Jesus, every one who receives it.

In the eighth chapter of Matthew it is related that a centurion came to Jesus, “beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.… And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matthew 8:5-8, 13)

Now what was it that the centurion expected would heal His servant?—It was “the word only,” which Jesus would speak. And after the word was spoken, what did the centurion depend upon, to what did he look for the healing power?—It was “the word only.” He did not look for the Lord to do it in some ways apart from the word. No. He heard the word, “So be it done unto thee.” He accepted that word as it is in truth the word of God and expected it, depended upon it, to accomplish that which it said. And it was so. And that word is the word of God today as certainly as in the day that it was originally spoken. It has lost none of its power, for that word “liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

Again in John 4:46-52 it is related how a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum came to Jesus at Cana of Galilee and “besought him that he would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth.”

This is the power of the word of God to the man who receives it as it is in truth the word of God. This is the power that “effectually worketh also in you that believe.” This is the way that the word of God accomplishes that which He pleases, in those who will receive it and let it dwell in them. Notice that in both instances the thing was accomplished at the very time when the word was spoken. Notice also that the sick ones were not in the immediate presence of Jesus but some distance away—the latter was at least a day’s journey away from where Jesus was spoken to by the nobleman. Yet he was healed at once when the word was spoken. And that word is living and full of power today, as certainly as it was that day, to every one who receives it as was done that day. It is faith to accept that word as the word of God and to depend upon it to accomplish the thing that it says. For of the centurion when he said, “Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed,” Jesus said to them that stood around, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Let Him find it now everywhere in Israel.

Jesus says to every one of us, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3) It is through the word that this cleansing is wrought. The Lord does not propose to cleanse you in any way apart from His word, but through the word which He has spoken. There and there alone are you to look for the cleansing power, receiving it as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in you and accomplishes that which He pleases. He does not propose to make you pure except by the power and indwelling of His pure words.

A leper said to Jesus, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2) And Jesus answered Him, “I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3) Are you mourning under the leprosy of sin? Have you said or will you now say, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”? The answer is now to you, “I will; be thou clean.” And “immediately” you are cleansed as certainly as was that other leper. Believe the word, and praise the Lord for its cleansing power. Do not believe for that leper away back there; believe it for yourself here, now, immediately. For the word is to you now, “Be thou clean.” Accept it as did those of old and immediately it worketh effectually in you the good pleasure of the Father.

Let all who have named the name of Christ receive His word today as it is in truth the word of God, depending upon that word to do what the word says. Then as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish,” (Ephesians 5:26, 27) even so it will be now to the glory of God.    ?

(This article was first printed in two parts in the October 20 and 27, 1896, issues of The Review and Herald. It is also found on pages 107-113 of the book Lessons on Faith by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner.    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.

Top of page               Home

 

 


Home    E-mail    Contact Us