GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET~OUR ASSURANCES UNDER GRACE

*The Adoption of Sons*
*Part 1 of 2*
*A Primer on this Wonderful Truth *
*By Keith R. Blades*
*
In Romans 6-8 the apostle Paul teaches us about our sanctified position
in Christ and how God is dealing with us today under grace and not under
the law. As he does so he declares that in accordance with this God has
adopted us.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; BUT YE
HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, WHEREBY WE CRY, ABBA, FATHER.
(Romans 8:14-15)

In this dispensation of grace we are the adopted sons of God. And this
is a wonderful privilege of God's grace. However, unfortunately it is
often not understood and appreciated as it ought to be due primarily to
the restricted meaning given to the present usage of the word adoption.
Today, when we speak of adoption we refer to the issue of someone, who
is not the natural born child of a couple, being taken in by them and
constituted a member of their family. By natural birth the child is not
theirs, but by adoption the child legally becomes their own. This is the
common meaning of the term today, and it certainly is an adoption.
However, it is not what we should think of when we read about God
adopting us. In Romans 8:14-15 Paul is not simply referring to the fact
that we now belong to God being saved. He is not simply referring to the
fact that we are part of God 's family. Yet this is what is commonly
thought. To adopt a child not naturally your own is only one kind of
adoption. To adopt simply means to take something unto yourself and make
it your own. Hence, there are other kinds of adoptions, especially in
other cultures, one of which is the kind of adoption Paul refers to in
Romans 8. In Hebrew culture, and even among the Greeks of Paul's day,
parents adopted their own children. When they did this they recognized a
level of maturity that their child had reached and they no longer
treated him as a little child, but began treating him as an adult. By
this kind of adoption the child was declared to be no longer in a state
of childhood. He had now passed from childhood into adulthood. He was
now declared to be a son and no longer a child, and he was now going to
be treated as an adult by his parents. This is the kind of adoption Paul
is referring to in Romans 8. This is made perfectly clear in Galatians 4
where he deals with it in quite some detail.

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing
from a servant, though he be lord of all;

But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the
father. (Galatians 4:1-2)

Here Paul cites this unique cultural issue of adoption so common in his
day. As he says, a father's own offspring is his heir. But for as long
as he is a child, or is in the state of childhood, his father doesn't
treat him any different from a servant. He may be lord of all being his
father's heir, but he is not treated as such by his father for as long
as he is in the state of childhood. Rather, in accordance with childhood
and being a minor, the father deals with his offspring through the use
of tutors and governors. The relationship between the two, therefore, is
restricted and is on a puerile level. However, the father does not
intend to always be treating his child as a child. There is an appointed
time coming at which the father will no longer treat his child as a
child, but will in accordance with his growth begin to treat him as an
adult. This appointed time of the father is the time at which the father
adopts his own child. He declares his offspring to no longer be a child
in the state of childhood, but now he is an adult, a son. He has
attained unto sonship. Being so his father is going to begin to treat
him as such and deal with him accordingly. Again, this is the kind of
adoption Paul is talking about when he declares that we in this
dispensation of grace are now the adopted sons of God. Having adopted us
God has put us into the position of adult sons. We possess sonship. He
is not treating us like children. Instead, He is dealing with us as
adults, as sons. The Privilege of Sonship in time past God's heirs did
not possess the adoption of sons. Rather, as Paul points out in
Galatians 4:3, they were children and God dealt with them as such.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of
the world: (Galatians 4:3)

The Law contract with its elements of the world functioned like tutors
and governors and through it God dealt with Israel as the children that
they were. However, the appointed time was coming when God would make
provision so that He could adopt His heirs and begin dealing with them
as adult sons and no longer have to deal with them as children. When
Christ came, He came in accordance with the appointed time of the father.

But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

The provision to enable God to deal with His heirs as sons and no longer
have to deal with them as children was made by Christ on the cross. In
view of it, God could adopt His heirs and the glories of sonship could
begin to be enjoyed by them. God, however, suspended His program with
Israel and they have yet to receive the adoption of sons. We, the
members of the church the body of Christ, are the heirs of God in this
present dispensation of grace. In accordance with the provision God has
made through Christ for sonship to be a reality, and in view of the
riches of His grace unto us, God has wonderfully adopted us, putting us
in the position of adult sons and treating us as such. We are not being
treated by Him as children under the tutor and governor system of the
Law, but we are being treated as sons. (Israel will receive the adoption
when God resumes and fulfills His program with them upon the conclusion
of this present dispensation of Gentile grace. See Romans 9-11,
especially 9:1-5; 11:1-36.)

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging
Christians to believe what God says.

Message "CHRIST" Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:28
Material "All Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
Method "Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth, 2 Tim. 2:15
Mission "To Make All See" Eph. 3:9

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ." Eph.2:13.

**We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him,
and the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ:"

We are wiling to help you on this journey just give us a call, 1 623
546 8866, Paris
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*The Adoption of Sons*
*Part 2 of 2*
*A Primer on this Wonderful Truth *
*By Keith R. Blades*

*

The Glory of Sonship

There are many wonderful issues associated with sonship. There are also
a number of differences between the way God dealt with Israel in
treating them as children and the way He now deals with us as sons. One
outstanding issue is that of the intimacy and direct personal union that
now exists between God and us. Instead of tutors and governors, we
possess the Spirit of adoption. Instead of intermediaries, God deals
with us directly through the Holy Spirit.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;

but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. (Romans 8:14-15)

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)

As Paul says, the major mark of sonship, (and one of its most glorious
features), is the issue of being led by the Spirit of God. When a father
adopts his child the relationship becomes much more personal between the
two, and hence much more intimate. No longer does the father want tutors
and governors to come between him and his child. And no longer does the
child need them. No longer does the father want his child's education
limited to elementary and rudimentary things. Instead, having placed his
child in the position of an adult son, now the father himself personally
becomes his son's teacher and guide. The father now personally assumes
the remaining education of his son. This is something not only looked
forward to by the father, but it is also a wonderful liberty for the
son. Going from tutors and governors to being personally dealt with by
his father is an issue of great joy and relief to a son. The adoption
commences a glorious intimate relationship never experienced under the
tutors and governors. In full accordance with establishing this new
intimate relationship that sonship brings, Paul says God has sent forth
the Spirit of his Son into (our) hearts. Possessing the Spirit of God to
be led by Him is in direct contrast tooth tutor and governor system of
the Law. The restrictions of relationship associated with that system
are not being employed with us. The weak and beggarly elements of the
world associated with that childhood system are not the basis of God's
dealings with us today. Instead, nothing less than the personal
operation of the Spirit of God within is what we possess as sons. In
view of this, just as with any adopted son, our hearts ought to overflow
with joy and relief. Hence, Paul says that the Spirit cries Abba, Father.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, CRYING, ABBA, FATHER. (Galatians 4:6)

The doctrine of our sonship status is full of glory. Being adopted sons
is one of the jewels of the riches of God's grace unto us in Christ. Yet
it remains one of the most least appreciated aspects of God's grace that
we are possessors of today. And this is a shame. This has been nothing
more than a very short primer on this wonderful truth. Yet may this
brief introduction to sonship motivate us all to learn more about this
privilege of God's grace unto us, and most of all to live as the sons
God has made us to be.

*
**
*

Our Purpose and Mission

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging
Christians to believe what God says.

We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him, and
the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13 "Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ:"

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21Â Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea,
though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we
[him] no more. Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;Â To
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye
reconciled to God. 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.

GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*DEITY IN THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST *
*PART 4 OF 4*
*BY RUSSELL S. MILLER *
*

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST
JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS; of whom I am chief" (I Tim.1:15).

"By the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all."

"But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins FOR EVER, sat
down on the right hand of God" (Heb.10:10,12) .

And not only would Jesus Christ not sin, He CANNOT sin, for He is GOD!
See I John 3:9. Thus the perfect Man, the God Man Christ Jesus, offers a
propitiatory sacrifice that satisfies God's holy Law forever.

The work of redemption was finished in Christ's sacrifice for sin, God
was satisfied; salvation from sin was fully purchased, because Jesus
Christ is the spotless, sinless, Lamb of God.

Now here is something to consider in light of the fact that "we must all
appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; that every one may receive
the things done in His Body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad" (II Cor.5:10).

Will this Athenian doctrine (Acts 17:19,21) that is being espoused bring
others closer to the Lord? Or, are they being "carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph.4:14)?

Furthermore, in his Romans epistle the Apostle Paul states:

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple" (Rom.16:17,18) .

Don't join their camp, nor invite such teachers into your church no
matter how good of a speaker, but "reject" their teachings, and "avoid"
them. "For ... they shall turn away their [your] ears from the truth,
and [you] shall be turned unto fables" (II Tim. 4:3,4).

"A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition,
reject; "Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being
condemned of himself" (Tit. 3:10,1l)
*What do we have in this life *
*that is unfailing and inexhaustible? *
*Nothing except God's unfailing love.*
*Even when we disappoint, hurt, offend,*
*or rebel against him, he still loves us.*
*While we were sinners he sent*
*Jesus to redeem us from sin and death.*
*Why trust anything or anyone else with our future?*
*Let's lean on God's unfailing love!*
WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

*DEITY IN THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST *
*PART 3 OF 4*
*BY RUSSELL S. MILLER *

In the discourse, at the feast of tabernacles in John, Chapter 7, the
Jews "marvelled&quo t; that the Lord taught with such grace and truth.

"For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes"
(Matt.-7:29) . The Lord spoke very boldly to these Pharisees that His
"doctrine" ; was to do the will of God (John 7:16,17). And as they went
about accusing Him of having "a devil" (7:20; 8:48,52; 10:20), notice
His response to their wickedness in John 8:44:

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).

The Lord was compelled to answer their bitter unbelief with such strong
language because they, knowingly (John 15:22-24), would not accept Who
He was.

Thus these words are written of God: "Let no man say when he is tempted,
I am tempted of God: FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED WITH EVIL, NEITHER
tempteth He any man" (Jas.1:13).

In the Apostle Paul's struggles to do the will of God he utters these
words in Romans 8:3 concerning the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ, and
His Deity:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh."

*The Lord Jesus was in "the likeness of sinful flesh" but He did not
sin! There was no old Adamic nature in Him! It was on account of our
sins, your sin and mine, it was "for sin" that God "condemned SIN in the
flesh," and turned His back on His Son (Matt. 27:46) . The Lord Jesus
wasn't just "found in appearance as a man," He was wholly man, and at
the same time wholly
*
*God:*

*"And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8).

*Now blest in heavenly places *
*In Christ at God's right hand;*
*And filled with all His fulness *
*Complete in Him to stand. *
*Sing to the praise and glory *
*Of Him Who thus hath shown *
*Such gracious love and mercy, *
*To call us for His own. *

*--Wm Hallman*
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*DEITY IN THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST *
*PART 1 OF 4*
*BY RUSSELL S. MILLER *

Those who should know better are propagating a false doctrine that
places doubt on the Deity of Christ. They have now come to the erroneous
conclusion that our only Saviour, Jesus Christ, could have sinned! Mind
you, He didn't of course, but they say He could have! This doctrine is
not only erroneous, it is also heresy, and precious souls are being led
astray.

Furthermore those who propagate such teachings plainly reveal that they
do not believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ; nor do they know, or
understand, the purpose of God in entering the stream of humanity
through the Virgin Birth.

If Christ could have sinned then He was no different than the first
Adam, and His sacrifice was no better than the Mosaic system, and we are
yet in our sins! It is WE rather who inherited Adam's sin, and Adam's
sinful nature, and not the Lord Jesus. He was no sinner. Adam's sinful
nature was NOT transferred to Him. There was none of Adam's sinful blood
coursing through His veins. Thus the purpose in the Virgin Birth of
Christ is fulfilled. He lived the perfect sinless life before the world.
Consequently, at Calvary, He could take our sin-that Adamic nature-upon
Himself, and bear our sin on the cross. As Paul states in II Corinthians
5:21, Christ was "made sin for us" at Calvary, Christ, who "knew no sin;
THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM." But not only did
the Lord Jesus take our sin upon Himself, Paul further declares that
"CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS." He took our SINS upon Himself also, when He
died upon that cross. Thus in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians we read
these words concerning the Lord Jesus:

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.1:7).

Plus, His resurrection from the dead is a clear declaration that there
was not one fraction of a possibility that our Lord Jesus Christ could
have sinned.

In Hebrews 7:26 we read these words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ:
"For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and MADE HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS" (Heb.7:26).

It is therefore not a question of whether or not Christ could have
sinned-what a horrible thought! It is rather a fact that Jesus Christ
WOULD NOT sin. Lucifer rebelled, and sinned wickedly in departing from
God to do evil and became the Devil. Adam and Eve sinned, and plunged
the whole human race into sin (Rom.5:12). You and I sin! But Jesus
Christ WOULD NOT sin. He "set His face like a flint" to bear our sins on
Calvary' s cross (Isa. 50:7; Luke 9:51; Heb.10:5-7).

Merry Christmas! I hope as you celebrate you will celebrate the person
of Christmas - the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that He is real to you.

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

DEITY IN THE PERFECT HUMANITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST *
*PART 2 OF 4*
*BY RUSSELL S. MILLER *
*

In Isaiah 7:3 the prophet was told to go to Ahaz and to take his son
with him, and this is a clear declaration that Isaiah's wife was not
"the virgin" spoken of in Isaiah 7:14, for his son was already born and
named "Shearjashub&q uot; (Isa.7:3), NOT Immanuel! And in Matthew 1:23 we have
the quotation of Isaiah 7:14, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and
shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which
being interpreted is GOD with us" (Matt.1:23), speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Thus the angelic announcement in Luke 2:13,14:

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men."

It is concerning Immanuel' s birth, the birth of Jesus Christ, that the
Apostle Paul writes these words in Hebrews 1:6:

"And again, when He bringeth in the First begotten into the world, He
saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb.1:6).

It is because GOD "CANNOT LIE" (Tit.1:2) that the Apostle pens these
words, and in the same chapter, God the Father again speaks, showing
that Christ IS God!

"But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: a
sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom" (Heb.l:8).

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul ascribes the entire work of creation to
the Son of God. "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands"
(Heb.1:10).

In the first chapter of John's Gospel, and the first verse, are these
words:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. "The same was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1,2) .

"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).

*"It is impossible to righteously govern the world *
*without God and the Bible.*
* The Bible is the sheet-anchor of our liberties." *
*George Washington*
*First President of The United States*
*and Father of our country*

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*SIMPLICITY IN CHRIST *
*By John N. Baker*

Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 11:3

The word "simplicity&qu ot; as used in II Corinthians 11:3 can be interpreted
to mean singleness or single-minded. The gospel of grace is simple
indeed. Man has attempted to make it complex. Paul was single-minded in
the gospel he proclaimed. "But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with
joy and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to
testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). Here is singleness
of purpose and mind. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that
perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God"
(l Corinthinas l:l8). Note the simplicity of this gospel which confounds
the wise of this world. "For I determined not to know anything among
you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (l Corinthians 2:2). Once
again, Paul expresses his singleness of purpose and mind. "But God
forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
... " (Galatians 6:14).

The lesson in all of this for us is that we must be very careful to
maintain the simplicity of the gospel with singleness of mind to make it
known to a lost and dying world. It is very easy to get caught up in
trying to learn the deep things of God and lose sight of the simplicity
of the gospel of our salvation and our primary responsibility to make
this gospel known to the lost. We must take every care to keep the
gospel simple and proclaim it with singleness of mind. Our minds must
not be "corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

*The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but*
*that we will hear Him.*

*-- William McGill*

*THOUGHT FOR WEEK*

*Time is too swift for those who fear,*
*too long for those who grieve,*
*too short for those who rejoice,*
*but for those who love - time is eternity.*
*-----Henry Van Dyke*
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.Net

*Part 2 of 2*
*by Gregg Bing*

Jesus' coming into this world did not result in peace, but in division
(Luke 12:51-53). The people were divided over Him and who He was. A
small remnant, including the apostles, believed He was "the Christ, the
Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16), but the majority of Israel saw Him
only as a teacher or prophet. To those who believed, He was precious,
but to the rest, the Lord Jesus was offensive and they stumbled at Him,
"being disobedient to the Word" (I Pet. 2:7-8). They rejected the
"Prince of peace," declaring, "We will not have this Man to reign over
us" (Luke 19:14), and they delivered Him to the Romans to be crucified.

While those who put Jesus to death were certainly "wicked" or "lawless, "
we read in Acts 2:23 that all this was according to God's determined
purpose. This was exactly why the Son of God came into this world-to
give His life on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world (I Pet.
3:18, I John 2:2). He, "Himself, bore our sins in His own body on the
tree" (I Pet. 2:24). Isaiah prophesied of the great sacrifice that He
would make for us: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).

It was through His death that Jesus brought peace. Romans 3:23 tells us
that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Our sin
separates us from God, for He is holy, and we are under the penalty of
death (Rom. 6:23), but even in this terrible condition, God loved us; so
much that He was willing to send His only-begotten Son into the world to
become the propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:24-26, I John 2:2). Jesus'
death on the cross satisfied God's holy and righteous requirement. This
One, who knew no sin, become "sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21). When we simply believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, God justifies us; He declares us to
be righteous in His sight. The result of being justified is described in
Romans 5:1: ''Therefore , having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. " We, who once were enemies of
God, are reconciled to God through the death of His Son (Rom. 5:10).

Many today are longing for "peace on earth" between men and nations,
but, sadly, there is no peace. Wars and threats of wars continue with no
peace in sight. The Scriptures teach that there will be peace on earth
one day, but only when the Lord Jesus Christ, our risen and ascended
Savior, returns to earth to fulfill the promises made to the nation of
Israel. The Prince of peace will establish His kingdom on this earth
and-His people, Israel, will rule and reign with Him. This is a peace
that man can never hope to achieve through his own efforts.

Others are longing for peace in their own hearts and lives. This is a
peace that is possible, but, once again, not by our own efforts. This
peace only comes when we have "peace with God" through the Lord Jesus
Christ. When we trust in Christ as our Savior, not only do we have
"peace with God," we are also filled with "joy and peace in believing"
"by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:13, Gal. 5:22). This
wonderful "peace of God," which is beyond our understanding, then keeps
or guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

If you are longing for true peace in your own heart and life, you can
have it this very day, even this very moment, by simply believing in the
Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross of Calvary; that He
died for your sins and rose again the third day (Acts 16:31, I Cor.
15:3-4). It's not by any works of righteousness on your part (Tit. 3:5),
but all by God's grace---His gift of eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 6:23).

Won't you trust Him today and experience this wonderful peace? You can
have "peace with God" and the "peace of God" in your heart and life.
This is truly "good will toward men."
The End

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

We may not be able to give much but we can always give the joy that
springs in a heart that is in love with God.

*GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET*

*~PEACE ON EARTH~*
*Part One of Two*
*by Gregg Bing*

During the Christmas holidays, we often hear the expressions "peace on
earth" and "good will toward men." Many think of this holiday season as
a time of peace, but there is very little peace on earth. Politically,
we see nations, races, even religions at war with one another.
Economically, we see turmoil and uncertainty day after day. Even in our
personal lives, many have such hectic schedules that peace and rest is
only a dream for many. This is especially true during the holidays with
family gatherings, school and office parties, and the madness of
Christmas shopping at the malls.

When the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, some 2000 years ago,
the angels announced His birth to the shepherds. A multitude of the
heavenly host praised God saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2: 14).

Jesus' birth was the coming of Israel's long awaited Messiah; the One
whom God anointed to be Israel's King; the One whom Isaiah called the
"Prince of peace" (Isa. 9:6); the One whose government and peace would
be unending (Isa. 9:7).

Peace on earth was certainly what God's chosen people, Israel, longed
for. At the time of Jesus' birth, they had been under Gentile dominion
for over 600 years, beginning with the Babylonians, who destroyed the
city of Jerusalem and their temple, and continuing to that present day
with the cruel Romans (Luke 2:1). Israel longed to be free from Roman
taxes, Roman governors, Roman soldiers, and Roman laws-they longed for
peace.

When the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of Israel's Savior
and Deliverer, it must have seemed that peace was about to be a reality
in their lives. But the birth of Jesus did not bring peace on earth. We
read in John 1:11 that, "He came unto His own, but His own did not
receive Him." How could this have happened? The many Old Testament
prophecies of the Messiah' s coming were all fulfilled in the Lord Jesus
(Micah 5:2, Isa. 7:14, etc.), and the proofs of His identity and His
authority as their King were clearly demonstrated through His teaching
(Matt. 5-7) and His miracles (Matt. 8-9), yet the Jewish leaders
"plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him" (Matt. 12:14).

Israel's own expectations had blinded their minds to what God's Word
taught concerning. the Messiah (Christ). The problem began with Israel's
leaders. They had corrupted God's Word by their traditions and
interpretations of the law (Matt. 15), and when God spoke to them "in
His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2), they did not hear Him (John 8:47). These men
honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Matt.
15:8). They were "blind leaders of the blind" (Matt. 15:14), and so
Israel rejected the One who was their peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, He said of them, "If you had
known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for
your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42). The
prophet Isaiah said of Israel, "The way of peace they have not known"
(Isa. 59:8).

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

*Click enjoy ** http://www.godtube.com/watch/ ?v=FE9J2MNU

*"May God, Whose grace is irresistible and *
*all sufficient, be glorified!" *
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

THE WILFUL "SIN" OF HEBREWS 10:26
BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

It is asserted that the "wilful sin", here, does not apply to this
dispensation because, as members of the Body of Christ, God has already
given us eternal security in Christ as Paul declares in his epistle to
the Romans:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
... NAY, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
that loved us. For I am persuaded, that [nothing] shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Rom.8:35-39) .

Please note that the Hebrews also have "eternal salvation" (5:9),
"eternal redemption" (9:12), and "eternal inheritance" (9:15).

So today, those who trust in His finished work of redemption, whether
Hebrews or Gentiles, have "eternal salvation" , "eternal redemption" , and
"eternal inheritance" :

"FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US" (I Cor. 5: 7) .

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE
ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption
for us" (Heb.9:12).

Now, on the other hand, those who reject His all-sufficient sacrifice
for sins, whether Hebrews or Gentiles, reject "eternal salvation" ,
"eternal redemption" , and "eternal inheritance" , and do so, "wilfully" ;,
as those who rejected Christ on the day of Pentecost, for the simple
reason that there is "no more sacrifice for sins". There is no other
sacrifice in the sight of God. If you miss Christ, the only thing left
is "eternal judgment" (Heb.6:2), because God has made no other provision
for sin:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb.10:26,27) .

Therefore I implore you, do not tread "under foot the Son of God", nor
count "the blood of the covenant" an unholy thing, and do not despise
"the Spirit of grace" (Ver.29) .

"VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, SAITH THE LORD" (Rom. 12:19) .

If this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not
send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the
USA the Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our heart
at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

The beauty of grace.....
is that it meets us where we are
and gives us what we don't deserve.
Charles Swindoll

*Our Purpose and Mission

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging
Christians to believe what God says.

Message "CHRIST" Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:28
Material "All Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
Method "Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth, 2 Tim. 2:15
Mission "To Make All See" Eph. 3:9

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ." Eph.2:13.

**We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him,
and the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ:"

We are wiling to help you on this journey just give us a call, 1 623
546 8866, Paris

Would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other
person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL. This worldwide
ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE.
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

WORKMEN - APPROVED
Scripture Reading: II Timothy 2: 15-18

What will happen if we do not try hard to please God in correctly 
handling His Word? We will no doubt be disapproved. " ... the fire shall 
try every man's work ... " What we do is based upon what we believe the 
Bible teaches. If we have a careless or mistaken approach to Holy 
Scripture, it can ruin our works. This is why we must strive diligently 
In our study of the Word. Our careful study will give us the full 
knowledge of the right divisions of the Bible that will enable us to 
handle every detail properly. First, must be the overall approach, then 
will come the interpretation of the details. Surely we have known people 
who understood the exact particulars of the Old Testament sacrificial 
system, or the words of Christ in the Gospels, or the New Jerusalem, yet 
did not know where they fit in the overall program and purposes of God. 
Let us be better students than that!

Our text presents some possibilities of danger if we do not diligently 
study God's Word. First, profane and vain babblings can come in. Second, 
ungodly conduct can result. Third, the word of error can produce decay 
in someone' s life. Fourth, faith can be overthrown by mishandling the 
Bible.

Bad doctrine and its companion, evil conduct, combine to produce shame. 
The worker that produces this cannot be approved.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to 
be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." Will you he that 
workman? Are you that workman today? Can you say that you are correctly 
understanding and explaining God's Word? If so, you are a worker, 
approved now and hereafter.

The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to change the people of God.—ODB

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*CONTINUE THOU*
*by C. R. Stam *

*
"Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse...but continue thou" 
(II Tim. 3:13,14).

These were among the last words of the great Apostle Paul, written in 
view of his approaching martyrdom, to Timothy, his beloved son in the 
faith.

Circumstances, outwardly, were anything but encouraging. It seemed that 
the last days of the dispensation of grace were indeed at hand. The 
apostle had borne many "persecutions& quot; and "afflictions&q uot; and now 
"suffered trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds". There were those 
who, like Jannes and Jambres, had "resisted the truth" (Verse 8). 
"Alexander the coppersmith" had done him "much evil" and had "greatly 
withstood his words" (4:14,15). "Evil men and seducers" had risen on 
every hand and were to "wax worse and worse, deceiving and being 
deceived" (II Tim.3:13).

There was even defection among his own brethren in the faith, so that 
now, from his Roman prison, he had to report: "All they which are in 
Asia have turned away from me...Demas hath forsaken me...only Luke is 
with me" (II Tim.1:15; 4:10,11).

And what, now, is his parting advice to young Timothy? Does he say: 
"Perhaps I have been too intense. My methods have made many enemies. I 
advise you to be more diplomatic and tolerant than I have been". Hardly, 
for the records show Paul to have been of all men most tactful and 
considerate. His sufferings were not the result of a contentious spirit, 
but of his faithfulness in proclaiming that message which so embarrasses 
and enrages "our adversary, the devil", that message which is God's 
gracious response to man's need and His answer to Satan's slander --- 
"the gospel of the grace of God".

Thus it is that the Apostle urges Timothy: "Continue thou...be not 
ashamed...be strong" . He well knew that in this sin-cursed world the 
only hope for the individual is to be found in God's offer of salvation 
through faith in the redemption wrought by Christ at Calvary.


There are many dangerous trends pulling folks away from true Bible 
Christianity. Many of the newer philosophies of ministry employ methods 
that are wholly carnal. Some have adopted objectives that have not one 
line of Scripture to support them, and some employ conduct that differs 
little from the world.

*Please FEEL FREE TO Forward E-mails*
*But please Copy & Paste---Leaving off all addresses,*
*Thank -You God Bless! Paris
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*THE NAMES in the Book of Life *
*Part 4 of 4 *
*by Dee L. McCroskey *

*Seed of The Serpent *
*
In dealing with the status of unsaved human beings, we must recognize 
that there are two kinds of them. There are the multitudes who have not 
yet received Christ and are lost; they are the sons of Adam. And there 
are a few here and there who are cursed of God in a special way, and 
have become the seed of the Serpent, who is Satan. In Gen. 3:15 the seed 
of the woman is mentioned, who is Christ, and also the seed of the 
Serpent is mentioned. The seed of the Serpent, that is, wicked and 
Satan-inspired humans, are referred to here as those who would bruise 
our Lord's heel, a picture of the cross of Calvary. Cain was the first 
of this line of humans who became Satan's seed, as we find in I John 
3:12. The Pharisees were others, said in John 8:44 to be "of your father 
the devil." These men were not born in that cursed position, but they 
came into it the day they made their final decision and God removed 
their names from His Book.

Let us take the case of Cain as a sample. In Genesis 4:5 he brings the 
wrong offering and gets mad at God. In verses 6 and 7 the Lord 
graciously pleads with him, offering him once more the way of eternal 
life through the blood of a sin offering. A sin offering was there at 
Cain's door and he had only to lay hold upon it. But at this point Cain 
makes his fatal decision. He goes out from this scene of grace, murders 
his brother and becomes a fugitive from God. God heard Cain's final 
answer and blotted him out of the Book of Life. It was then that he 
became the seed of the serpent.

We have known many in our days who came to the meetings for a while, but 
never really surrendered to the Lord nor fully accepted Him. They hoped 
to "grow into" salvation. Some hoped that it might come to them through 
study of the Word. But this finally comes to an end and they go out from 
the presence of the Lord like Cain, having made their final decision.
*
*Names Eternally Written *
*
How different with a sinner who comes to the Lord just as he is and 
receives Him as the only hope, the only Saviour. Such a one gets his 
name traced over, as it were, with the blood of the Lamb, never to be 
erased from the Book of Life. The Lord says He knoweth His own sheep by 
name, and they shall never perish. (John 10:3, 28.) They are forever 
written in His Book of Life.

How amazingly wonderful is the perfection of God's Word from beginning 
to end! In the first book of the Bible, man's history begins with the 
tree of life. In the last book of the Bible, it is the book of life. 
(Rev. 22:19.) In Gen. 3:24 man is driven from the garden, banished from 
God's presence because of his rebellion, and a flaming sword turned 
every way, "to keep the way of the tree of life." Until then, man had a 
legal right to the tree of life by virtue of creation, But he forfeited 
that creative right to the tree of life, and it was then that his wise 
and loving God set about to purchase for him a legal right to the book 
of life by virtue of redemption. "0 the depth of the riches both of the 
wisdom and knowledge of God!"

Our Lord referred to this great work of redemption when He said: "My 
Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:17.) The Father had worked 
for four thousand years on His great plan of redemption. He had 
carefully guided human affairs so as to lay down type after type of 
Calvary' s cross, clothing Adam and Eve with blood-bought skins, 
displaying Abel's blood offering on the altar, Abraham and Isaac on the 
mountain top, the blood on the door posts in Egypt, and hundreds of 
other rehearsals of the cross-work of His Son. It was all worked out so 
plainly on the stage of time that no one in any age need be ignorant of 
His plan of redemption. All are without excuse. And the Son said He 
worked also. He finished the work, paying for our sins with His own 
blood, and shouted triumphantly: "It is finished." He had purchased for 
every human the right to have a "part" in the book of life forever.

But He will not force His salvation upon anyone. His invitation is: 
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely:" It is His 
gracious offer and He bids every sinner to come and accept it.


Dear Abba, Father, I thank You for washing away my sin. I praise You for 
bringing me close to You. I thank You that my name will never be blotted 
out of the Book of Life. Help us to see Your love more clearly, that I 
might respond in stronger love to You. Remind me to cry out to You 
consistently and to pour out my heart honestly, all by the blood of 
Christ, Amen.
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*THE NAMES in the Book of Life *
*Part 3 of 4 *
*by Dee L. McCroskey *

*When Are Names Blotted Out? *
*
From the many blood offerings in the Old Testament we learn that God 
dealt with humans on the basis of the price He was going to pay for 
their redemption. The blood of His Son was sufficient to put the name of 
every son of Adam in His Book of Life. He is said to be the Saviour of 
ALL men, but "especially of those that believe." (I Tim. 4:10.) That is, 
those who appropriate His redemption. That everyone has his name written 
in the Book to begin with, is the real reason that children who die in 
infancy, and imbeciles from birth, all go to heaven. But all normal, 
rational humans come to an age known as the age of accountability. They 
must then declare themselves, whether they will be a citizen of heaven 
or of the world, a subject of Christ by receiving Him, or a subject of 
fallen Adam, in whom all perish.

When does the unsaved man get his name blotted out? The answer to this 
question lies in what we might term "the final answer." Some men harden 
their hearts and give God a positive "No" early in life. Others linger 
in a state of indecision, keeping the door of negotiations open, until 
either they accept Him or they put it off and death finally closes the 
door and blots out their names. Most of us have seen people who were 
under conviction for a while, and then a cloud seemed to pass over their 
souls, and they became hard and unreachable. God had heard their final 
answer and blotted out their names, we believe. (John 12:39.) God had 
heard Amalek's final answer, also that of Esau and Pharaoh. They were 
blotted out of the Book of Life.
There are two scriptures which at first glance would appear to say that 
some have never had their names in the Book of Life since the foundation 
of the world. They are Rev. 13:8 and 17:8. The first one speaks of the 
worshipers of the beast in the Tribulation time, "whose names are not 
written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb 
slain." (Margin.) The other one speaks of these same beast worshipers, 
"whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of 
the world." There is a strong suggestion here that the Holy Spirit is 
trying to show us the origin of the Book of Life, that it was begun with 
the foundation of the world, or when the present creation was introduced 
upon this earth. In 13:8 it is the foundation of the kosmos, or present 
world-system, and not the earth proper. It was then that men's names 
began to be recorded, and it was then that man fell and God began to 
look upon His Son as if He were already slain for man's sins. This was 
the only basis upon which He could offer pardon, through the symbolic 
blood offerings.

But no matter how we take the term "foundation of the world," it does 
not actually say that these worshipers of the beast never at any time 
had their names in the Book of life. These scriptures do tell us, 
however, that their names are not to be found in the Book at the time 
they worship and wonder after the beast. These people will all have made 
their final choice by then. They will have rejected God's way and will 
have received the mark of the beast. Nowhere in the Book of Life, from 
the foundation of the world system on down, can their names be found.
*THOUGHT FOR TO PONDER*

*The God who commanded light to shine out of darkness.... has shown in 
our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the 
face of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*THE NAMES in the Book of Life *
*Part 2 of 4 *
*by Dee L. McCroskey *

*Names Not Blotted Out *
*
God refused to blot out Moses from the Book. The Tribulation saints 
shall be delivered, "everyone that shall be found written in the book." 
(Dan. 12:1.) The disciples were written in heaven. (Luke 10 :20.) 
Present-age saints, members of His body, all have their names in the 
Book. (Phil. 4:3 and Heb. 12: 23.) And in Rev. 3:5 God says He will not 
blot out their names.

These scriptures, together with the statement in Rev. 20:15, that 
"whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the 
lake of fire," show that the saved of all ages have their names written 
permanently in the Book of Life. There is not the slightest intimation 
anywhere that any truly saved person ever had his name blotted out.

*
*When Are The Names Written? *
*
All this raises a perplexing question, if we cling to the traditional 
teaching that our names were added the moment we were saved. In that 
case, how did wicked Amalek get his name in the Book? And how did the 
crucifyers of the Lord, "the wicked," and other unsaved men get their 
names written in? Their names were blotted out, and the fact is 
inescapable that they must first have been in the Book in order to be 
blotted out.

There appears to be only one reasonable answer, and we are of the 
earnest belief that it is the right one: that every human being has his 
name written in the Book of Life when he comes into the world! This is 
so completely revolutionary to our traditional thinking that it startles 
us at first. But as we examine the matter farther, we will see that this 
only magnifies the great work done by our Lord on the cross of Calvary. 
It involves two essential laws with both God and man, the law of legal 
right and the law of appropriation. To have his name in the Book of Life 
is the legal right of every human, a right that was purchased for him by 
the precious blood of Christ, and a right which is in no way dependent 
upon the human himself. But as to the appropriation of that blood-bought 
right---that is another thing. It is this appropriation that spells 
heaven or hell to the sinner.

It is right here that the Universalists make their most terrible error, 
in not recognizing the difference between the scope, or legal right, of 
Christ's redemptive work, and its application Strangely enough, "scope" 
is a favorite word in their literature, but they seem to miss the 
scriptures dealing with its conditional application. In its scope, the 
redemptive work of Christ does take in the whole fallen creation. This 
is seen in such scriptures as First John 2:2, "for the sins of the whole 
world," and John 3:17, "that the world through Him might be saved." Yes, 
He died for ALL. And so the Universalist jumps to the conclusion that 
ALL will be saved in the end, even the devil himself. Such a heaven, 
with saint and sinner, murderer and his victim, Hitler and Luther, Satan 
and Christ, all there together, is repulsive and unthinkable to both 
justice and reason.

It takes only one scripture to put all Universalism, Reconcilia-tionism, 
Annihilationism etc., to flight. That is John 3:36, about the rejector 
of Christ. "The wrath of God abideth on him!" We know from other 
scriptures that although Christ died for the sins of the whole world, 
most of the world is not saved, and will not be. It is because they 
refuse to appropriate the privilege that is legally open to them before 
God, and their names must be stricken from His Book.

For a simple illustration of the law of legal right, we have only to 
glance at the first paragraph of the American Declaration of 
Independence. Here we find three wonderful things: Life, Liberty, and 
the Pursuit of Happiness. They are legal rights, guaranteed to every 
citizen of the United States. But has every American possessed these 
wonderful things? No, thousands have had to forfeit their lives because 
of violence. Other thousands have had their liberty taken away, and 
millions have failed to pursue happiness. They failed to appropriate the 
legal right to life, liberty, and happiness. So it is with the 
redemption work of Christ. Those who appropriate their legal right to 
eternal life through Him are saved, and those who despise this legal 
right are eternally lost.

We realize in writing this, that the legal right to salvation, all 
purchased and paid for as it is by the blood of our blessed Saviour, and 
just waiting for applicants to come up and claim it, is a hard blow to 
professional emotionalists. It is a blow to those who teach that you 
must "pray through" to get saved, must agonize, tarry and all the other 
forms of pleading to God to get Him to relinquish His gift of eternal 
life to the sinner. An applicant for naturalization gets a notice that 
he has qualified to become a citizen of the United States. He goes to 
the proper office, takes the oath and signs the papers--and he is a 
citizen. There is no reason for pleading with Uncle Sam, for sentiment 
is ruled out. Either the applicant qualifies or he doesn't, and no 
amount of tears or pleading will change things. And a holy and just God 
could not base His dealings on so discriminating a thing as sentiment.

*This is the kind of relationship God wants with you! *
*The notion that God recreated you in Christ to get*
* more work out of you is such a low view of our Father.*
* God wants you to adopt Paul's life verse:*
* "that I may know Him [Christ]" (Philippians 3:10).*
* As you pursue that goal, spiritual fruit will begin*
* to drop off of you to the glory of Christ.*
* Men asked Jesus,*
* "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" *
*Jesus answered, *
*"This is the work of God,*
* that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28,29). *
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*THE NAMES in the Book of Life *
*Part 1 of 4 *
*by Dee L. McCroskey *
When Were They Written? Can They Be Blotted Out?

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, 
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which 
are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev. 21:27.)

THERE are two indisputable facts about the Lamb's Book of Life, which 
all believers know and understand: (1) that every saved person has his 
name written in the Book, and (2) that whosoever is not found written in 
the Book is to be cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15.) But beyond 
these two cardinal facts we find ourselves confronted with questions 
which often affect our joy, and sometimes even threaten to undermine our 
assurance of everlasting security in Christ.

The traditional teaching among informed believers has been that our 
names were written in the Book when we got saved, and that they can 
never be blotted out again. But there are at least two scriptures which 
plainly show that some names can be blotted out of the Book, and several 
others which show it by implication. We have often failed to find a 
satisfying explanation of such scriptures, until a few years ago when we 
began to see that there is a great deal more to this wonderful Book of 
Life than we ever suspected.

Names Blotted Out

The two scriptures referred to are Exodus 32:32-33 and Psalm 69:28. In 
the first one, Moses asked the Lord to either forgive Israel or blot him 
out of the Book. Moses and the Apostle Paul are two men who so loved the 
people of Israel that they were both willing to be eternally cursed if 
it would save Israel. (Rom. 9:3.) But no mere human, no matter how godly 
he might be, is able to make his soul an offering for the sins of 
another. And so the Lord replied to Moses: "Whosoever hath sinned 
against me, him will I blot out of my Book." In the other scripture, the 
69th Psalm, the inspired writer is describing the sufferings to be 
inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Referring to His 
persecutors, the 28th verse says: "Let them be blotted out of the book 
of the living, and not be written with the righteous."

In Rev. 3:5, the Lord says about the overcoming believer: "I will not 
blot out his name out of the book of life." The implication here is that 
some names can be blotted out.

Already we are beginning to see the possibility of names being blotted 
out. This information is further augmented when we come to some 
scriptures where the same truth is meant, although the exact words 
"blotted out of the book" are not given, For instance, in Deut. 9:14, 
the Lord is angry with Israel and says: "Let me alone, that I may 
destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven." This same 
blotting out is suggested in Ex. 17:14, where God says: "I will utterly 
put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." Also see Deut. 
25:19. Concerning the breaker of God's covenant in Deut. 29:20, "the 
Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." Also we find the wicked 
spoken of in Psalm 9:5, and it says, "thou hast put out their name for 
ever and ever."

Now let us notice the kind of people who get their names blotted out of 
the Book, or "out from under heaven." The list takes in those who have 
sinned against the Lord, those who persecuted Him and crucified Him, 
wicked Amalek and others called "the wicked," and if we turn to the last 
few verses in the last book of the Bible, we could add to the list the 
mutilators of the Word of God. Also there are the worshipers of the 
Beast in Rev. 13:8 and 17:8, whose names are not found in the Book. It 
becomes plain that these are all unsaved folks, whose names are either 
stricken out or at least not to be found in the Book when their final 
day comes.
Hold the world at bay. Live in many moments of rest. May the peace of 
God go before you, leading you into each day. For whenever we look up 
into the face of our Father, whenever we quiet our spirit to hear His 
voice, we have found divine peace this crazy world can never take away.
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

Disappointment*
*By Steve McVey*

Dr. Lenore Campbell wrote, “Early in my career as a doctor I went to see 
a patient who was coming out of anesthesia. Far off church chimes 
sounded and the patient murmured, ‘I must be in heaven.’ Then she saw 
me. ‘No, I can't be,’ she said. ‘There's Dr. Campbell.’"

Disappointment – we’ve all had to deal with it at times, haven’t we? 
Even people who have been known as successes in life have faced 
disappointment. Alexander the Great conquered Persia, but broke down and 
wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India. John 
Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S. wrote in his diary: "My life 
has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected 
prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to 
my species." Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight 
and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? "Here 
lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much."

Everybody faces disappointment, but how are Christians to deal with it? 
The answer boils down to trust in Jesus Christ. That means not just 
professing our trust, but practicing it. When we know that He is Life, 
the sting of disappointment finds a healing salve in the truth of His Word.

I have found a particular verse in the Bible to be a good antidote to 
disappointment in my circumstances. It is found in Philippians 1:6, 
where Paul wrote: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who 
began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.†
This verse is a reminder that the flow of our lives isn’t up to us, but 
rests on the shoulders of God Himself. This verse promises that He 
started His work in you and He will be the one to sustain it. At the 
risk of oversimplifying the matter, “God’s going to do what God’s going 
to do.â€

We get into trouble when we think that our agenda has to be fulfilled in 
life. It isn’t up to us to fulfill our plans. That’s God’s business. Our 
role is simply to trust Him in every circumstance.

Are there disappointments you face in your own life today? Place them 
into the hands of a sovereign God who loves you and already has the 
details of life worked out for you. It’s okay to feel disappointment. 
That’s normal, but don’t be dominated by it. Instead, acknowledge your 
feelings to the Lord and then lay your expectations at His feet. Then 
move forward, being assured that He has your best interest at heart and 
will work out all things for your ultimate good and His highest glory.

* "Always remember that you are Americans, *
*and it is your birthright to dream great dreams*
* in this sweet and blessed land,*
* truly the greatest, freest, strongest nation on Earth." *
*~ Ronald Reagan*

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

ASLEEP IN A STORM
by C. R. Stam
What a disappointing scene! A terrifying storm, souls in danger of 
death, but Jonah, the man of God, fast asleep.

Sailors are not soon frightened in a storm, but this time the fury of 
the gale was so great that "the ship was like to be broken" and even the 
sailors were driven to their knees "and cried every man unto his god" 
(Jonah 1:4,5).

Can it be that Jonah, the only man aboard who knew the true God, was 
sleeping? Sleeping while souls were perishing? This was the shameful 
truth, and not one of us would blame the terrified captain for rudely 
awakening him and crying: "What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call 
upon thy God!" (Verse 6).

But let us not be too ready to condemn Jonah, for we may be more guilty 
than he. Surely the world today is passing through a fearful storm and 
souls all about us are in peril of their lives. If they do not accept 
God's way of salvation; if they do not trust in Christ, they will 
perish. And what are we doing about it? Are we pleading for them in 
prayer? Are we doing what we can to reach them for Christ? Or are we 
fast asleep?

"What meanest thou O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!" And when you 
have cried to God in behalf of your unsaved relatives, friends, and 
business associates, He will send you to witness to them of Christ and 
His love. Not until you have talked to God about them will you be ready 
to talk to them about God.

Politically, morally, spiritually, the night is dark, the storm is 
raging and souls are perishing, but "God, who commanded the light to 
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" (II Cor.4:6). "...We 
are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do 
others" (IThess. 5:5,6).

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why 
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending 
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our 
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we 
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord 
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

As you travel life's weary road, let Jesus lift your heavy load.---ODB
Our Purpose and Mission

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging 
Christians to believe what God says.

We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him, and 
the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13 "Till 
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son 
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the 
fulness of Christ:"

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:

2Co 5:16-21 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, 
though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we 
[him] no more. Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new 
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 
new. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by 
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To 
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word 
of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God 
did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye 
reconciled to God. 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.

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

Paul's Two Roman Imprisonments
by Paul M. Sadler,

Scripture Reading:
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at 
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept 
the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, 
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not 
to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." -- II 
Timothy 4:6-8

Approximately two years after being delivered into the hands of Roman 
authorities things had apparently gone well for the apostle, therefore 
he anticipated his soon release from prison. Thus he writes to the 
church at Philippi: "For I know that this [their prayer for his release] 
shall turn to my salvation [deliverance from prison]" (Phil. 1:9).

We believe that Paul did in fact enjoy a short period of freedom which 
enabled him to continue his apostolic journeys. We know, for example, 
that according to the Acts record the apostle never visited Crete on any 
of his previous apostolic journeys. Paul did sail around the island on 
his way to Rome as a prisoner, but it was not until his release from his 
first Roman imprisonment that he actually visited Crete. The apostle' s 
brief stay on the island was long enough to see that the churches there 
were in a state of chaos (Titus 1:10-16). Consequently, Paul leaves 
Titus behind, his companion in travel, "to set in order the things that 
were wanting" (Titus 1:5).

Probably from Crete Paul made his way to Corinth where he writes to 
Titus to inform him that he planned to winter in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). 
It could well be that the apostle was apprehended at Nicopolis and taken 
again to Rome for preaching Christ. This time however, the sentence 
would go against him. So without hesitation he writes to Timothy, since 
it was nearing winter, to bring his cloak and also the Parchments (II 
Tim. 4:13).

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why 
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending 
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our 
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we 
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord 
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

Our Purpose and Mission
The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging 
Christians to believe what God says.
We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him, and 
the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13 "Till 
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son 
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the 
fulness of Christ:"

OUR COMMISSION IN THE AGE OF GRACE IS:
2Co 5:16-21 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, 
though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we 
[him] no more. Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new 
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become 
new. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by 
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To 
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word 
of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God 
did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye 
reconciled to God. 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.

*GraceNTheTruth@COX.NET*

The Breath of God
Part 2 of 2
by Pastor James R. Gray

* IN JUDGMENT

The third place that the Breath of God will meet man is in judgment. 
Scripture is clear. Isaiah 11:4 declares that God "shall smite the earth 
with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay 
the wicked." The very breath of God is the rod with which He will 
chastise and smite the wicked. The return of the our Lord Jesus Christ 
to set up His kingdom will be accompanied and accomplished by the 
outpouring of His breath of judgment.

The Apostle Paul uses this phrase regarding the judgment of the 
Antichrist. Notice II Thessalonians 2:8 where Paul declares that this 
one will be consumed "with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy 
with the brightness of His coming." Again the word pneuma in the King 
James Version is translated "spirit, " however, it can be equally and 
better translated "breath" as in the New King James Version. The 
Antichrist will be consumed "with the breath of His mouth."

A parallel to these events is seen in the book of Revelation. In 
Revelation 19 the breath of judgment is symbolized by the sword 
proceeding out of Christ's mouth, which shall consume the wicked (Rev. 
19:15, 20-21). At the second coming of our Lord, He will not return in a 
lowly procession upon a colt, but upon a white horse, as the great 
conqueror over the Antichrist and His forces. The manifestation of 
Christ at Armageddon will be a time of dire judgment, out of His mouth 
will come the breath of judgment, symbolized by the sword. The wicked 
will be judged.

Paul describes this outworking of God's judgment in 2 Thessalonians 
1:7-9. Even as Antichrist and His army are destroyed and consumed with 
the breath of the Lord's mouth, so also will two classes of people be 
punished in that judgment. Two groups or classes are clearly intended in 
the text by the repeated articles in the original Greek. They are those 
who "know not God" and those who "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." The first class, those who "know not God" are what we would 
refer to as heathen, those who have refused such knowledge of God to be 
had from the light of nature (Acts 10:34, Rom. 2: 1 0-15). The second 
class are those who have heard the gospel and rejected it. Their guilt 
is even greater. In disobedience they turned their back upon God and the 
gospel. Scripture indicates that those of this class, who have lived in 
this dispensation of grace, refuse the message of grace, and are alive 
after the rapture will still not believe. They will be duped by the 
Antichrist, "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 (II 
Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Do you have "God' s kindling breath within?" Have you been born from 
above, animated by the breath of God spiritually? If not, He who 
breathed life into man, will come with the breath of judgment. You are 
under that condemnation already, for "He that believeth not is condemned 
already" (John 3:18). You cannot escape the breath of God. But be 
assured, those who accept His provision of salvation by faith will pass 
from spiritual death into eternal life (John 5:24). The breath of God 
will quicken you spiritually, and you will be a new creation in Christ 
(II Corinthians 5:17

Whatever does not begin with God will end in failure.---ODB

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

"GOOD GROUND" *
*By Miles Stanford
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou 
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee" (John 1:48).

"And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit an 
hundred-fold" (Luke 8:8). The more fully and thoroughly hearts are 
cultivated before conversion the more healthy and fruitful they will be 
after conversion. Many Christians hurriedly seek to plant the seed in 
unprepared soil, and then wonder why it is so soon withered, choked, or 
snatched away. "Good ground are they who ... having heard the Word, keep 
it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).

"I believe that a work of God sometimes goes on behind a particular man 
or family, village or district before the knowledge of the truth ever 
reaches them. It is a silent, unsuspected work, not in mind and heart, 
but in the unseen realm behind these. Then, when the light of the Gospel 
is brought, there is no difficulty, no conflict. The battle has been won.

"It is, then, simply a case of 'stand still and see the salvation of 
God.' This should give us confidence in praying intelligently for those 
who are far from Gospel light. The longer the preparation, the deeper 
the work. The deeper the root, the firmer the plant when once it springs 
above the ground. I do not believe that any deep work of God takes root 
without long preparation somewhere." - J.O.F.

"Concentrate your prayers on behalf of some soul or souls and pray for 
such, night and day, until they come to Christ. Then continue to pray 
for them until Christ is formed in them!" (Phil. 4:19).

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before 
Me" (Mal. 3:1).

*THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK*

**What are you passing through at present?*
*Are you been persecuted?*
*Call unto God!*
*He is ready to answer you.*
*He has done it in past,*
*and He can still do it again.*
*Rely on Him,*
*and He will give you rest from all your trouble

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*WHAT PETER PREACHED AT JERUSALEM WHAT PAUL PREACHED AT ANTIOCH *
*By Pastor Robert Hanna*
*Scripture Reading: Acts 3:19-23; Acts 13:37-39 *
*

The Apostle Peter, preaching to the Jews, declared: "Ye men of Israel, 
hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by 
miracles and wonders and Signs ... which God did by Him in the midst of 
you, as ye yourselves know: Him, being delivered by the determinate 
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have 
crucified and slain ... Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that 
God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and 
Christ." Their desperate response to this indictment was to say to the 
apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto 
them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:22,23, 36-38) Peter's message was delivered only to 
Israelites.

How different was the Apostle Paul's sermon, delivered after He had been 
appointed to be the dispenser of grace. He too began with, "Men of 
Israel." (Acts 13:16) But he had a different message for them. Paul knew 
what Christ had accomplished on the cross: "Be it known unto you 
therefore ... that through this man [Jesus Christ] is preached unto you 
forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 
13:38,39) Thus when he was asked, "What must I do to be saved?" He could 
answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 16:30,31)
Glory be to God for fulfilling His promises in raising Jesus Christ from 
the dead. Nevertheless, does His resurrection have any meaning to you? 
Has it had any impact in your life? Have you experienced the work of 
salvation that Jesus Christ perfected in His resurrection?

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why 
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending 
the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world. It is our 
heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we 
possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord 
Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ
WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

The Breath of God
Part 1 of 2
by Pastor James R. Gray

Learn more reverence, not for rank and wealth that needs no learning, 
That comes quickly, quick as sin dies, aye and culminates in sin; But 
for Adam's seed, man, trust me 'this a clay above your scorning, With 
God's image stamped upon him, and God's kindling breath within.
--Elizabeth Barrett Browning

God's breath! What a concept! One that is completely Biblical. The Bible 
clearly speaks of the breath of God. God's breath is an indispensable 
part of man. We cannot escape it. The Bible reveals there are distinct 
times that the breath of God is related to man:

* IN CREATION
When God created man, we are expressly told that He "formed man of the 
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 
and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). This verse is revealing about 
the creation of man. We see man was "formed" by God. The Hebrew is 
yatsar. It is an artisan word. It means to mold or form, and describes 
the activity of a potter forming or molding the clay on the potters' 
wheel. It carries the idea of molding the day with particular care and 
personal attention. Here God is seen as the potter. He fashioned us out 
of the clay of the earth with minute and precise detail. Interestingly, 
the word for dust here is not a clot of dirt, but the finest part of the 
material of the earth. No wonder the writer of the Psalms declares that 
he was "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).

Not only was man made by the artistic hands of God, but God "breathed 
into his nostrils the breath of life." The word translated "breathed" ; is 
interesting. It is the Hebrew word napah, the root meaning of which is 
to puff, as one puffs to forcefully ventilate a fire, thus to blow, to 
exhale. It is used of the giving up of life (Job 31:39, Jer. 15:9), as 
well as giving of life. In this passage the meaning of giving of life is 
dear, God exhaled or blew life into man. God formed man from the dust of 
the earth after His own likeness, and into this mold of dust, breathed 
or exhaled into it His own immortal breath. Of all creation, God did 
this only to man. As Leupold in his comments on Genesis notes; "A 
personal, vitalizing act of the Creator imparts life to man-- an honor 
bestowed upon none of the lesser creatures" (Exposition of Genesis, 116).

The result of this act was that "man became a living soul," The student 
of the word should be careful here.

While the act of imparting life to man was unique, the result does not 
seem to be. The phrase does not seen to point to a distinguishing aspect 
of man. In Genesis 1:24, we see that the same Hebrew word, here 
translated soul, is translated "living creature" and it refers to animal 
life. The Scofield Bible notes that the Hebrew word nephesh (soul), 
"implies self-conscious life, as distinguished from plants, which have 
unconscious life" (p. 5). A study of the phrase "living soul" shows it 
refers to both man and animals (Gen. 1 :24; 2:7; I Cor.15:45; Rev. 
16:3). By the act of God exhaling into man the breath of life, man 
became animated, a living soul.

Because both man and animals are living souls, that does not mean that 
this event was not unique. God's breath animating man does have a 
special significance. It does place man on a higher plane, and a special 
place in relationship to God that is higher than the beasts of the 
field. It directly links man with God, a link formed by God Himself at 
the time of creation, a link that was marred and corrupted by an act of 
sin. Man will not be able to escape the responsibility before God for 
breaking that link.

* IN CONVERSION
The breath of God is active not only in creation, but conversion. Not 
unlike the work of creation, is the miracle of regeneration where the 
breath of God is a quickening breath. It quickens and converts dead 
sinners into living saints. This quickening is the work of the Holy 
Spirit. It is significant that the New Testament word translated spirit 
is pneuma, like its Hebrew counterpart ruach, means both "breath" and 
"spirit. " It is a form of the Greek word, pneo, which means a current of 
air, to blow upon.

The word pneuma is translated both "wind" and "spirit" in John 3:8. 
Christ is making a comparison here between wind and the Spirit. Both are 
sovereign in their activities and mysterious in their operations. Both 
are sovereign in their actions, beyond all human control. Both are 
irresistible in their power and invisible, for who has seen the wind or 
the Spirit? Both are invigorating, refreshing us from the heat of the 
day and life.

There are those, however, who would argue that this verse needs to be 
better translated. As we have already pointed out, the word wind and 
spirit are the Greek word pneuma. This is the only verse were the word 
is translated wind. Some suggest that a better translation would be: 
"The Spirit breatheth where He willeth, and His voice thou hearest; but 
thou knowest not whence He cometh and whither He goeth. Thus it is 
(with) everyone who has been begotten by the Spirit. " Their points for 
this are well taken. They point out that if wind was meant, that the 
normal word would have been used (anemos). In fact, John uses the word 
anemos to express wind in John 6:18. It is also pointed out that it is 
not correct to say that the wind cannot be traced. Scripture itself 
affirms that comings and goings of the wind can be known and traced 
(Eccles. 1:6). It seems that this view deserves consideration by the 
student of the Word.

There can be little doubt that breath is the emblem of the Holy Spirit. 
To become a child of God one must be "born from above" which is 
accomplished by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It is He who 
breathes life into those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and 
sins. Just as God breathed into man at creation to animate physical 
life, so the breath of God, the Holy Spirit, animates man's spiritual 
life, and the sinner becomes a new creation in Christ. The Apostle Paul 
reminds us that "if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead 
dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken 
your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11). 
Quicken means to be made alive. Thus, we are born again from above "not 
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God" (John 1:13), the breath of God, the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit 
that gives life eternal (II Cor. 3:6)
WEB SITE
Grace And The Truth
www.graceandthetruth.com

CROSS CONTINUITY
By Miles Stanford

"That I may know Him ... being made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 
3:10).

The wondrous depths of the finished work of the Cross will always be 
adequate to deal with the terrible depths of the unfinished work of the 
old man. As we glory in the Cross, the flesh is denied.

"When we have apprehended our death-position with the Lord Jesus (Rom. 
6:6; Gal. 2:20, etc.), we may have failed to see the on-going conformity 
to His death (2 Cor. 4:11; Phil 3:10, etc.). The absence of this brings 
the anomaly of the Cross being preached with little or no marks of the 
Calvary spirit.

"This is the problem of teaching the 'identification ' truths without the 
consequent conformity of death which brings forth life. We may rely upon 
the fact that we 'died' with the Lord Jesus, and assume that it is 
entirely wrought in us at once, not realizing that 'the fellowship of 
His sufferings&# 39; follows the apprehension of identification. That 
'delivery unto death' must become deeper and deeper, until the 
'conformity to His death' in the path of the Cross becomes a very real 
characteristic of the life."

"We are not to think that our exalted position in the Lord Jesus, seated 
with Him in heavenly places, frees us from the need of further 
application of the Cross. We never reach a point where we can leave the 
Cross. We are invincible, more than conquerors through Him who loved us, 
only as we are brought into ever deeper conformity to the Lord Jesus' 
death unto sin. Otherwise the flesh reinstates itself and we once more 
fall prey to the old man's reign. There are always remaining, however 
much we have advanced, hidden strongholds of the old man which must be 
rendered inoperative by the finished work of the Cross." -F.J.H.

"Let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily" (Lu. 9:23).

Dear Lord, I thank You and praise You for Your great grace toward me. 
Just to think that you chose me be for the foundation of the world, and 
are so gracious even beyond that to allow me to walk in the good works 
that you did on the cross, your burial, your resurrection, and to know 
that you have seated me at the right hand of God the Father as you have 
placed me in Christ. May I become an instrument of Your grace in the 
lives of others, all for Your glory and honor, in Jesus name, Amen.

*Our Purpose and Mission

The ministry of "Grace and The Truth" has the purpose of encouraging 
Christians to believe what God says.

Message "CHRIST" Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:28
Material "All Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
Method "Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth, 2 Tim. 2:15
Mission "To Make All See" Eph. 3:9

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by 
the blood of Christ." Eph.2:13.

**We are dedicated to helping Christians to a fuller knowledge of Him, 
and the Grace of God. Until we all come into the Unity, Ephesians 4:13 
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the 
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the 
fullness of Christ:"

We are wiling to help you on this journey just give us a call, 1 623 
546 8866, Paris

Would you like to help this ministry? Consider trying to get one other 
person to subscribe to the GRACE DAILY INSPIRATIONAL. This worldwide 
ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and 
Savior, Jesus Christ, AND TO HELP YOU TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE.
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET

*The Middle Wall of Partition *
*Part 4 of 4*

*"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, *
*and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." --Eph.2:14 *

*BY RICHARD JORDAN *
*

Some thoughtful reader will ask, "But didn't we just read where Paul 
said the middle wall has been broken down? Didn't he declare that the 
law has been 'abolished&# 39; and that Christ had made 'peace&# 39;?" Ah, yes 
indeed, Paul does say this and much more. But remember: It is not until 
we come to Paul and his message that we learn all this.

The "But Now"of Eph. 2:13 is the same as the "But Now" in passages like:

"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of 
God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;

"Even THE MYSTERY WHICH HATH BEEN HID FROM AGES AND FROM 
GENERATIONS, BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST TO HIS SAINTS" (Col. 1:25,26)

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my 
gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation 
of THE MYSTERY, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN,

"BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST, and by the scriptures of the prophets, 
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all 
nations for the obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:25,26).

It is Paul who declares: "But now the righteousness of God without the 
law is manifested" (Rom. 3:21); that there is "no difference between the 
Jew and the Greek" (Rom. 10:12; 3:22); that in Christ Jesus "there is 
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither 
male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus"( Gal. 3:28). It is 
Paul who gives us this message, declaring that in the Body of Christ 
"there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, 
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all" (Col. 
3:11). It is to Paul that this blessed message of "the mystery" was 
revealed--and through him to us!

Thus it is Paul who writes:

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down 
the middle wall of partition between us;

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of 
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain 
one new man, so making peace;

"And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the 
cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

"And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to 
them that were nigh.

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the 
Father" (Eph. 2:14-18).

This is the heart of his special message and why it is so dear to us 
today. No longer must we belong to a special family, follow a certain 
religion, perform prescribed exercises in ceremonial correctness. No 
longer must we fear being "too far gone," too far off, too deeply sin 
stained. Now, even the simplest believers who know that Christ died for 
them and that He is their peace and life can know for sure they are 
saved and have personal access to God and are fellow citizens of His 
household.

All we need today to go to God is simple faith in Christ:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ:
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we 
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:1, 2).

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*The Middle Wall of Partition *
*Part 3 of 4*

*"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, *
*and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." --Eph.2:14 *

*BY RICHARD JORDAN *
Sometime later the Law was "added" (Gal. 3:19) and the distinctions were 
strengthened and fortified. We are plainly told that the Gentiles "have 
not the law" (Rom. 2:14). The Covenant of the Law was made just with 
Israel and that covenant and those laws made Israel a distinct and 
different people in the earth. Moses reminded them of this as they 
prepared to enter the promised land:

"Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the 
LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go 
to possess it.

"Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your 
understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these 
statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding 
people.

"For WHAT NATION IS THERE SO GREAT, WHO HATH GOD SO NIGH UNTO 
THEM, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

"And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and 
judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this 
day?" (Deut. 4:5-8).

This priority given to Israel in the purposes of God explains much that 
otherwise is baffling about our Lord's earthly ministry. Many a preacher 
and personal worker, for example, have quoted Luke 19:10 --but few there 
are who know or quote the whole statement made by Christ:

"And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this 
house, FORSOMUCH AS HE ALSO IS A SON OF ABRAHAM.
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was 
lost" (Luke 19:9,10).

And how are we to explain our Lord's refusal even to answer the Gentile 
woman of Matt. 15:22-24, while Himself pleading the case of the woman in 
Luke 13:16 because she was "a daughter of Abraham?" How is this to be 
explained except to recognize that the Gentiles were on the "wrong side" 
of the middle wall of partition?

An often overlooked verse in the Book of John is nonetheless clear:

"..... we know what we worship: FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS" 
(John 4:22).

And what were Gentiles to do? God had covenanted with Abraham: "In thy 
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). 
Gentile blessing, then, could only be had through their submission to 
Israel and her privileged position. Go back and read Matt. 15:22·28 
again and see that this is exactly the order ultimately followed by this 
Gentile lady--and which Christ sovereignly honored.

That this order was no less true after the cross is clear from the 
record of the Book of Acts. At Pentecost, three times Peter identified 
his intended audience:
" ... Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this 
known unto you, and hearken to my words:"
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words ...."
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly ...." (Acts 
2:14, 22, 36).

Standing on Solomon' s porch, Peter cries to his nation:

"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which 
God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall 
all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
"Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to 
bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 
3:25,26).

In fact, as late as Acts 11:19 we are told:

"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that 
arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, 
preaching the word TO NONE BUT UNTO THE JEWS ONLY."

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

The Middle Wall of Partition *
*Part 2 of 4*
*"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, *
*and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." --Eph.2:14 *

*BY RICHARD JORDAN *
According to the lnternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia, a century 
ago excavations at the temple site unearthed portions of this wall and 
discovered this inscription: "No man of another nation is to enter 
within the fence and enclosure round the Temple. Whoever is caught will 
have himself to blame that his death ensues."

This wall, of course, only stood as testimony to the divinely ordained 
barrier that separated Jew and Gentile. ''In the flesh" there was bitter 
hatred and enmity such as could never be excused. But before God there 
was a distinction too, for it was God Himself who had erected the real 
"middle wall of partition" that separated Jew and Gentile.

Romans 1 succinctly proves that the Gentile' s alienation was their own 
doing. There Paul presents the sad history of rebellion , evil thinking 
and self-will that resulted in the three·fold declaration:

"Wherefore God gave them up ... " (v.24).
"For this cause God gave them up ... " (v.26).
"God gave them over ... " (v. 28).

As a wise old preacher once said, "Light rejected becomes lightning!" 
Thus God cast away the nations of the earth and turned to one solitary 
figure:

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from 
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make 
thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: 
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3).

Abram obeyed God and when he was 99 years old, God changed his name to 
Abraham and erected His "middle wall of partition." Gen. 17:4-14 records 
the event:

"As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a 
father of many nations.
"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name 
shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
"And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations 
of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed 
after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God 
unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land 
wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting 
possession; and I will be their God.
"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant 
therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
"This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and 
thy seed after thee; EVERY MAN CHILD AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED.
"AND YE SHALL CIRCUMCISE THE FLESH OF YOUR FORESKIN; AND IT SHALL 
BE A TOKEN OF THE COVENANT BETWIXT ME AND YOU.
*
* "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, 
every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or 
bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. *
* "He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy 
money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh 
for an everlasting covenant.
"And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is 
not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath 
broken my covenant."

Now there were to be two peoples in the world: the Circumcision and the 
Uncircumcision.

*Rom 1:24 " Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness *
*through the lusts of their own hearts,*
* to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: *

*BUT NOW*

*Rom 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, *
*we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,*
* much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." *
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*The Middle Wall of Partition *
*Part 1 of 4*

*"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, *
*and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." --Eph.2:14 *

*BY RICHARD JORDAN *
*
Disunity can occur in many ways. The "middle wall of partition. "which 
stood around Israel's temple and to which the Apostle Paul here alludes, 
illustrates the tremendous distinction and division that existed in 
"time past" between the nation Israel and the Gentile nations.

Paul identifies this division as two·fold. First there was the fleshly 
distinction where racial and social division was obvious:

"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, 
who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision 
in the flesh made by hands" (Eph. 2:11).

No doubt the emphasis of Paul's pen was on "called" --"called 
Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision. " That the Jews 
often used the term "uncircumcisio n" as an insult aimed at the despised 
and outcast Gentiles cannot be doubted. It was so thoroughly established 
in Jewish thinking as a term of derision that even young David is heard 
exclaiming about Goliath: "who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he 
should defy the armies of the living God?" (I Sam. 17:26b).

If Israel was guilty of "name calling" surely the Gentiles were no 
better. Notice that Paul identified Israel as those who are "called the 
circumcision. " Clearly Gentiles returned the reproach with equal 
disdain. Who can miss the sting of mocking accusation at "being Jews" in 
Acts 16:20, John 18:35 and else where?

There was, however, something far more important to Paul than this 
racial and social division. In "time past" God Himself had made a far 
more critical distinction between the Circumcision and Uncircumcision, 
between Israel and the Gentiles. Eph. 2:12 records this:

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the 
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise. 
having no hope, and without God in the world."

Israel had a clear advantage while the Gentiles were at an equally 
distinct disadvantage. The religious and spiritual disadvantage of the 
Gentiles is simply unmistakable.

Place Rom. 9:4,5 along side Eph. 2:11, 12 and this is set in bold relief:

ISRAEL'S ADVANTAGE (Rom. 9:4,5)

1. "Who are Israelites" (v4)
2. "The adoption" (v4)
3. To whom Christ came (v.5)
4. "Whose are the fathers" (v.5)
5. The Covenants and the law (v4)
6. The service of God" (v.4)
7. "The promises" (v4)

GENTilES' DISADVANTAGE (Eph.2:11,12)

1. "Gentiles" ; (v.11)
2. "Uncircumcised " (v.11)
3. "Without Christ" (v.12)
4. "Aliens from Commonwealth of Israel" (v.12)
5. "Strangers from the Covenants" (v.12).
6. "Without God" (v.12).
7. "Having no hope" (v.12).

In "Time Past" God Himself had made a difference between Jews and 
Gentiles; "But Now!"

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by 
the blood of Christ.
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the 
middle wall of partition between us;
"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments 
contained in ordinances; for to make
in himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Eph. 2:13-15).

The Jews had enclosed the inner portions of their temple with a "middle 
wall of partition" and they jealously guarded it. Paul was all too 
familiar with this fact for it explains the reaction he received in Acts 
21:28-30. Luke records that when the Jews saw Paul in their temple, 
"they laid hands on him" and:

"Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men 
every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further 
brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

"(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, 
whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

"And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took 
Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

*We are not here by chance.*
*God put us here for a purpose,*
*and our lives are never fulfilled and complete*
*until His purpose becomes the foundations*
*and center of our lives.*

*Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why 
not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one. The Word of God is 
so needed in our troubled USA. We are loosing a great many of our 
privileges the founding fathers of our great county have protected us by 
the Constitution of America, there is no country in the world as great 
as America. Let's stand up and take back our roots.

*A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is strong enough to take everything you have.*
*-Thomas Jefferson *

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

GOD'S**PLAN AND SOUL WINNING***
By Pastor P. Hume**
Scripture Reading: Eph. 2: 1-3; 3:6-9

The truth which God desires for "all" to see today is "what is the 
dispensation (or, economy) of the mystery (secret)" (Eph. 3:9). The 
heart of this mystery is stated in Ephesians 3:6 "That the Gentiles 
should be fellow heirs and of the same body (joint-body) , and partakers 
of His promise in Christ by the gospel." Did you notice that last 
phrase? It is by means of the gospel (Paul's Gospel: "my gospel" ) that 
sinners are to share in the promise of God in Christ! What is this 
"promise? " It is "the promise of Life which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 
1:1). The earnest of this promise is the impartation of the New Man and 
the indwelling Holy Spirit (see Eph. 1:13-14). We see then, that the 
present purpose of God in forming the "one new man," and building " an 
holy temple (sanctuary) in the, Lord," and bringing about the 
completion) of "the church" which is His body" all hinges upon "the 
gospel."

Our "great commission" --- binding upon preachers and people alike--is to 
proclaim "Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery." 
This is to be done on a public preaching basis, but especially is it to 
be done on a person-to-person basis. In other words, you as well as I 
are responsible to deliberately, under the leadership of the blessed 
"Lord of the harvest" --the Holy Spirit ---seek to win precious children, 
young people, and adults to the Lord Jesus Christ.

'"Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should 
say. God has been calling loudly ever since He spoke your sins 
forgiven---if you are forgiven at all--entreating and beseeching you to 
be His ambassador. Put your ear down to the Bible and hear Him bid you 
go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the 
burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for 
help. Go and stand by the gates of Hell, and hear the damned entreat you 
to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and 
servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the 
face, Whose mercy you have professed to have received ... and tell Him 
whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstance, in this 
march to publish His mercy to the world." (Gen. William Booth)


*"KNOWN UNTO GOD ARE ALL HIS WAYS" *
*He knows from the beginning! *
*He moves forward to a purposed point and a glorious goal.*
* Man often fails to finish what he begins,*
* but God never begins what He does not finish *

*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*

*GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY & SOUL WINNING *
* By Pastor P. Hume
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 9:16-23; 2 Cor. 5:14-6:2

Much of the time, sad to say, when a person treats the subject of the 
sovereignty of God, the truth concerning genuine soul winning is either 
left out or ruled out. On the other hand, oftentimes those who major on 
soul winning almost totally circumventor rule out the sovereignty of 
God. Again, as in any Divine truth, there needs to be balance and 
proportion. The Old Testament declares--long before this present 
Dispensation of the preaching of the Grace of God---" He that winneth 
souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30). The word "winneth" is actually a military 
word denoting taking captive the enemy. In the Gospels we hear our Lord 
telling His disciples: "Come ye after, Me, and I will make you to become 
fishers of men" (Mark 1:17). His intent was that as these disciples had 
been used to catching fish, now they were to learn how to "catch men 
alive" for Christ. Paul brings out the same truth when he states: "that 
ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in 
the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as 
lights in the world; holding forth the word of life." (Phil. 2:15-16). 
The idea here is that just as the blackness of the night is punctuated 
by the shining forth of the heavenly luminaries, so the darkness of this 
present evil age under the power of darkness is to be punctuated by 
believers holding out to the members of their generation the Life-giving 
light of the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God (See 2 Cor. 4:4-6 
and I Tim. 1:11).

Where does soul winning, then, fit in the plan of God? If God 
sovereignly has elected a certain number unto Life in Christ, and if God 
is the One who must woo them, draw them, convict them, and then 
regenerate them, where does witnessing and leading people to Christ fit 
in? God has ordained that through "the foolishness of preaching (lit. 
the thing preached ---that is, the preaching of the word of the cross) 
to save them that believe." This "preaching&quo t; is not only that which the 
God-called pastor or Evangelist or Missionary does. It is the giving 
forth by word of mouth the truth of the Gospel so that those who hunger 
after salvation might be saved.

*Dear Lord, I thank You and praise You for*
* Your great grace toward me.*
* May I increasingly know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,*
* through a growing relationship with Him.*
* May I become an instrument of*
* Your grace in the lives of others,*
* all for Your glory and honor, in Jesus name, Amen.*
*GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*