The Unleavened

 

 

 

 

I Corinthians 5:7

 

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us”

 

Christ Jesus our Passover is sacrificed for us and the referenced “us” are believers. Christ Jesus is sacrificed for believers and because Christ Jesus is sacrificed for those who are given faith in Christ to rest in Christ as the complete Savior of His people, those who believe are unleavened. That is they have no sin laid to their account viz. they have no sin imputed to them because all their sins were put away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9: 24-26) Someone may say: I know that I have sinned, and that I am a sinner in my own person, in thought, word and deed. How is it possible then that I am without sin in any way and accounted unleavened by a Thrice Holy God?

 

It is admitted that men are certainly sinners in their own proper persons, and that all who are sinners must die (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). But it is also true that all the elect people of God have already died vicariously in the Person of Jesus Christ. And those who are “dead with Christ” (Romans 6:8) have no sin because they are dead to the law by the body of Jesus Christ (Romans 7:4) and dead to sin because Christ Jesus bore their sins on the tree, as it is written: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Peter 2:24). Those who are dead to the law cannot sin against the law, to which they are already dead and they cannot transgress against the law because of their death in Christ, as it is written: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). Those who are dead to the law cannot transgress the law, as it is written: “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). Believers are freed from the law, as it is written: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Those who are dead to the law having died vicariously under the sentence of the law in the Surety of the New Testament, are without fault before the throne of God (Revelation 14:5) and are the mystical body of Jesus Christ who is their head (Colossians 1:18) in whom they are “one bread, and one body” (I Corinthians 10:17).

 

It is not suitable, fit, nor proper that those who are made the holy people of God by the blood of Jesus Christ, should walk in this lower world according to the manner of those who are of this world. Those who have been given the most holy faith of God’s elect and who God has separated unto Himself are not of this world, even as Messiah is not of the world, as it is written: “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16). Verse twenty of this seventeenth chapter of John makes it clear that the whole body of the elect are included as the objects of this prayer of our Great High Priest, as it is written: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). This prayer is not for the Apostles only; but it is for all believers of all ages. That is, it is for the elect of God of every age, as it is written: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). And again it is written: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). That is, the children of God have overcome the spirit of antichrists and that is made evident by how they speak and who they hear, as it is written: “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (I John 4:5-6).

 

“Purge out therefore the old leaven” What is the old leaven? The old leaven is the evil of this world in many and various forms, as it is written: “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Corinthians 5:8). Malice and wickedness are the modes of common life of the those who are of the world. Murder, theft, cheating, and swindling are the trades of many who are of the world. Others of the world are pleased with themselves through a sanctimonious self-righteousness, that is characteristic of the Pharisees who were instrumental in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord warned of the leaven of the Pharisees, as it is written: “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6). Our Lord made His disciples understand that He spoke of the evil of false doctrine, as it is written: “Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12). How are we to purge out the old leaven of the evil nature of the natural man?

 

Thus saith the Holy Ghost by the pen of the Apostle Paul: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:16-26).

 

The Apostle Paul experienced and the rest of the people of God do experience the internal conflicts of sin indwelling the flesh and the principles of the new spiritual life in them who are in Christ Jesus, as it is written: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:14-25).

 

The Apostle John saith: “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (I John 1:5-10). Christ Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the people of God of all nations, kindreds and tongues (I John 2:2; Revelation 5:9). Those who believe on Christ Jesus as the Christ of God are unleavened, being made the righteousness of God in Him, as it is written: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21). “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (I Corinthians 1:26-31).

 

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Someone may ask: is the fact that Christ Jesus is sacrificed for the children of the covenant the whole, entire and complete reason that the children of God are unleavened? Yes! Let us diligently hear the words of the Holy Ghost: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image 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” (Hebrews 1:3). Precious believing Reader, before you were born or even thought of (save in the mind of the Eternal One) Christ Jesus sat down on the right hand of God as your Mediator, Sponsor and Spokesman. He spoke for you in the everlasting covenant of grace before the world had been called into being. The whole and entire company of the election of grace (Romans 11:5), that is all the people of God of all ages were washed in the blood of Jesus Christ when He, our Passover was sacrificed for us.  His precious blood is the blood of the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20) and His unspeakably and incomprehensibly holy blood is called the “blood of the New Testament which is shed for many” as it is written: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).  And again: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

 

The blood of the New Testament being shed has washed the many who are “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29), being shed so that: “they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). Being washed in the blood made the heirs of promise every whit clean, as it is written: “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean” (John 13:10-11). The fact that the blood is shed for many and not for all men is unquestionably declared in the fact that our Lord Jesus said “Ye are not all clean”. The betrayer demonstrated the intent and purpose of his own heart by his actions. It is also clearly demonstrated that God had given him, (“the son of perdition” John 17:12), up unto his own purposes, as it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28).

 

In the times of their lives men demonstrate themselves to be what God knows that they are in themselves and in being given up to themselves they perish to all eternity. It is as one has said: “men will perish in hell to all eternity if God will allow it. But God has determined that a company of comparatively few (Matthew 7:13-14) of the sons of men “shall never perish” (John 10:28) because that “God hath from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and the believe of the truth, as it is written: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:7-14). How very precious is the love of the truth and the faith of God’s elect!

  

 AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com and hear the true Gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

He Shall Not Fail

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 42:4

 

“He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law”

 

He shall not fail nor be discouraged. Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. And being “made of a woman made under the law” (Galatians 4:4) He is also the Son of man (Luke 6:5). And as such He is our near kinsman and the Redeemer of His people, who are His mystical members (John 15:5; I Corinthians 12:12,13, 27; Colossians 1:18; Psalm 139:16). And although He is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:6; Mark 2:28), He submitted Himself to the law in order that He might fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18) on behalf of His members, because He is the Surety of the New Testament (Hebrews 7:22; Matthew 26:28).

 

It is He, the Christ of God, who shall never fail at any endeavor which He is pleased to undertake. Matthew gives His name as the Successful Savior of His people, as it is written: “But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all: and charged them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Matthew 12:15-21). John the Baptist has announced Messiah’s accomplishments as Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant, saying: “..Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This world is the world that God “so loved” as to give His only begotten Son for it (John 3:16; Romans 8:32).

 

 

The mighty God cannot fail, the Everlasting Father cannot be discouraged, the Prince of peace is the peace of His people (Isaiah 9:6; 53:5; Ephesians 2:14).  The purpose and grace of the King of glory (Psalm 24:7-10; II Timothy 1:9) cannot be extinguished by any difficulties that He should encounter in His work as the Mediator of the everlasting covenant, as it is written: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psalm 24:7-10).

 

The existence of this universe hangs on the arm of Him who is the brightness of the Glory of God, the express image of His Person and who upholds all things by the word of His power, who by Himself purged both the actual and original sins of His people (Hebrews 1:1-3). He alone is the Mediator of the everlasting covenant of grace, as it is written: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5).

 

In the Trinity of His Most Sacred Person the God of heaven and earth has charged the Son of God with the responsibility of bringing His many sons to glory, as it is written: “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). These many sons are those who are the adopted children of God, who He calls His people, as it is written: “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).

 

The King Of glory, Christ Jesus shall not fail in the task that the Father has imposed upon Him and the task that He delighted to fulfill, as it is written: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). And again our Lord Jesus said: “..My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). In His great high priestly prayer our Lord Jesus made this declaration: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). The declaration of the Father was: “He shall not fail” the declaration of the Son is: “I have finished the work thou gavest me to do” let believers rest in the accomplished salvation of the people of God, which is accomplished by the Savior of sinners our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 All that the Father has given Him are justified by His blood, as it is written: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9). Jesus Christ the Son of God justified His elect by dying in their stead and enduring in His flesh the wrath of God for them. He has redeemed the “children of promise” (Galatians 4:28) from the curse of the law, as it is written: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Christ Jesus has redeemed us to God by His precious blood. He has justified His chosen by His blood. He has said: “I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4) and He declared it to be finished, as it is written: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

 

We are said to be justified by faith (Romans 5:1), faith is the medium through which we understand the things of the Spirit of God, as it is written: “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). The worlds were framed by the power of God (Psalm 33:6; Romans 1:20). It is by faith that His creatures are made aware of the mode of their creation. And it is by faith that we understand that God has saved us by Jesus Christ. As it is written: “.. but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:8-9).

 

The Apostle did not say God hath called us and saved us; but that God hath saved us and called us. God has saved His elect in eternity past by His counsel and covenant (Isaiah 46:10; 14:24), consequentially in time, His elect are given grace unto known salvation (Romans 5:17; Acts 3:25; 13:39, 48).   It was necessary that we should be saved before we were called, that is we had to be redeemed and justified before we could be taught that we are children of the covenant being beloved children of God from everlasting and heirs of God in Christ Jesus (Jude 1:1; I Corinthians 1:2; Isaiah 54:13; Galatians 4:6; Hebrews 2:14; I Corinthians 2:12-13).

 

Till he have set judgment in the earth. Christ Jesus has established everlasting righteousness in the earth for those who are His people, as saith the Apostle Paul: “For 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: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). Those who are justified by the blood of Christ being children of the covenant, know that they live unto God because they are justified by Him who is their justifying righteousness. As it is written: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). Justice is satisfied and has no quarrel with the children of God because: “..he (that is God the Father: writer) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21). The Psalmist saith: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven” (Psalm 85:10-11). Those who are made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ have nothing to fear from God and the judgement because: “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14).

 

The children of God are made manifest by their faith which is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). As it is written: “Therefore it is of faith, (free justification: writer) that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). There is peace between heaven and the world of God’s elect whose sins the Lamb of God has taken away (John 1:29).

 

And the isles shall wait for his law. The children of God of every nation wait to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ (His law: writer). To them it is the gospel feast served in the mountain of God, which is His church, as it is written: “And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:6-9).

 

Our Lord Jesus saith: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum” (John 6:47-59). Let believers be thankful that they know the joyful sound (Psalm 89:15).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com and hear the true Gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trial of Your Faith

 

 

 

 

I Peter 1:7

 

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”

 

God knows our faith. He knows whether our faith is real or spurious. True faith is the gift of God. God given faith, is by the revelation of God unto the heart of His children, as it is written: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). And again it is written: “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). “..Faith cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:10). True faith does not come by hearing the traditions of religious professors but by the word of God, as it is written: “..Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).

 

God given faith is supernatural and it is a manifestation of eternal life. Those who possess the faith of God’s elect, are born from above, as our Lord told Nicodemus: “..Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (born from above: writer), he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Those who possess the “light of life” (John 1:4; 8:12) are enabled thereby to “see the kingdom of God”. Through the life that is in them (eternal life) they are enabled to see, hear and understand the things of the Spirit of God. As it is written: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Corinthians 2:11-12).

 

The things that happened to Israel of old were written for our instruction and admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, as it is written: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (I Corinthians 10:1-11).

 

The things that happened to Israel, being written for our instruction and admonition should teach us to put no confidence in ourselves as pertaining to the things of the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul was mindful of this principle, as it is written: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Those who know themselves have no confidence in themselves, that is they have no confidence in their flesh, no! nor any man other except for Christ Jesus. A mark of the flesh is distrust of God, a mark of the Spirit is distrust of self.

 

Regenerate men know that they themselves are sold under sin, as the Apostle Paul saith: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). Consider the actions of Israel at the Red Sea. Their distrust of God was made manifest by their murmurings against Moses and against God, as it is written: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 14:10-11)? Unbelief and distrust of God filled the hearts of the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them and they cried out against Moses and against God. Reader, do you and I not see ourselves in this situation? If we will be honest with ourself we will admit that all flesh is worthy of no confidence. How quickly does the natural man fall under fear in the face of adversity, when our faith is tried. Had Israel learned nothing by all that they had experienced? If they had learned anything about the faithfulness of God, why did they act as they did?

 

The flesh is weak. Even our Lord Jesus, the Christ of God said: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:4). “The Word was made flesh” (John 1:14) yet He remained Spirit (John 3:13; Romans 9:5). For God is a Spirit (John 4:24). The two distinct natures in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ show forth the properties of both. Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel is both God and Man in one unique Person. And He is the only Mediator between God and man, as it is written: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). As Man, Christ Jesus is the near kinsmen of His brethren (Leviticus 25;25). As God He ever liveth to make intercession for the people of God (Hebrews 7:25).

 

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire” True faith must be tried. Not that God tries our faith so that He can determine whether or not it is true, but that our faith may be exercised by difficulties, afflictions, distresses, frights and the like, as it is written: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:2-5).

 

“Might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. The children of God shall be received into the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing, as it is written: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13). The highest praise, honor and glory belongs to God who gave the most precious faith to undeserving sinners. Jesus Christ is both the author and the finisher of our faith, as it is written: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

 

The sin that doeth so easily beset the sons of men is the sin of unbelief. It is distrust of the Most High God as concerning His purpose, and means of achieving His purpose. God’s purpose in the trial of Israel’s faith at the Red Sea was to get honor (the respect that is due His name: writer) by the destruction of His enemies and the enemies of His people, as it is written: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them” (Exodus 14:1-7).

 

Pharaoh sought to destroy and enslave Israel; but God purposed to destroy Pharaoh and his entire army as an enduring testimony to the power of God. “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). And the Apostle Paul saith: “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth” (Romans 9:17). The pride, greed and arrogance of Pharaoh and His nation turned them to rebel against God, which to them was a token of perdition, as it is written: “And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God” (Philippians 1:28).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com and hear the true Gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.