God was faced with two necessities in any effectual plan of salvation: first, the sending forth of a second Man who would fulfill His original intention in man’s creation; second, the providing of another Adam who would act representatively for the human race as the Head of a new order. The Man Christ Jesus…
Revelation in itself is not a sufficient reason for the incarnation. God was not manifest in the flesh to mock sinners by giving them an example of a perfect life that they had no power to imitate. The God-man is an example for the saint to follow but not for the sinner. Again, Jesus…
God gave that twofold revelation in Christ Jesus, the God-man. Only the Son could reveal accurately and authoritatively the Father because He alone had seen the Father. John 1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Matthew…
God, in His infinite love, has undertaken the restoration of mankind and the reconciliation of all things to Himself through the mediation of Christ Jesus. It is to be salvation through a Saviour. If man’s complete salvation is effectually accomplished, five things must be done. First: Man must be restored to such a relationship…
All that God is, Christ Jesus is. All that unfallen man was, He is. Nothing that belonged to Deity or to sinless humanity was lacking in Him. The divine and the human nature are each fully manifested in His unique personality. Both God and man are equally represented in the constituent elements of the…
That Christ Jesus was a divine-human Mediator is not only a fact of revelation but of history as well. Not only the words of Scripture but the A.D. on our desk calendar tells us that at some point in time, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” Luke 2:11-12 11 “For unto you…
In no book of the Bible is the person of Christ Jesus, the God-man, and His work as the divine-human Mediator more clearly set forth than in the Epistle to the Hebrews. In it, we can trace back to glory the unfolding of truth regarding His glorious person and follow from Heaven to earth…
But where could God find one who would qualify as the God-man? Most surely not among the sons of men on earth, nor among Heaven’s angelic hosts, for they are neither God nor man. One and only One, even in Heaven itself, could ever be thought of for such an exalted task — the…
God will redeem man through a Man. What, then, would be required in a Redeemer? Remember that sin has caused a terrible breach between God and man. God is morally unable to have fellowship with the sinner, and the sinner is morally unable to have access to God. If any real reconciliation is to…
A perfect reconciliation was brought about within God’s being by synthesizing His holiness and His love, by which each claim was satisfied. God’s holiness and righteousness compelled Him to pronounce the curse upon the serpent, the man, the woman, and even upon the earth. God had said, “For in the day that thou eatest…
The Bible is the Book of Redemption; it’s one theme from the beginning to the end is salvation through a Saviour. Luke 24:27 “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:44 “And He said unto them, “These are the words…
But just here we may ask — and reverently so — Did Adam’s and Eve’s sin take God by surprise, and did He have to think out a way of escape for man after his fall? Here we come to the very acme of the infinite grace of God. May the Holy Spirit grant…
There is a gospel of Satan and a Gospel of Christ; the one is the exact antithesis of the other. Satan’s gospel has no place for the grace of God. Satan’s gospel reverses God’s estimate of the natural man. It does not admit that in himself, he is hopelessly incurable and incorrigible, even though…
How does this gospel of the rationalist deal with sin? Sin is in the world. Sin is in man. How does the rationalist account for its origin, and what does he say of its end? He evades the issue altogether by calmly denying the necessity of anyone having such knowledge. I recently read a…
The revelation of this conflict is unfolded in a Book. The incarnate Word has gone home to His Father, but the written Word is still on earth. In it, the defeat of the devil and the victory of the Christ is recorded in large type. The way of salvation through the atoning death and…
Someone has said, “Man is incurably religious.” Another beautifully wrote, “God created man a deep and everlasting void. The soul in its highest sense is a vast capacity for God but emptiness without God.” It is most assuredly true that man was made for God, and his heart can never be fully satisfied until…
One man looks for salvation through character or what he is; another trust in education or what he knows; while a third seeks it in service or what he does. He believes he can be saved through good works. He comes to God with self-confidence and says, “What shall I do that I might…
Another bridge that men attempt to erect over the yawning sin-made chasm between God and man is that of education. Ignorance due to lack of opportunity is believed to be the cause of much of the world’s sorrow, suffering, and strife. The cry is, “Educate everyone, elevate standards, raise ideals, and change the environment….
“Character — homebrew” is the sign over the door of the self-righteous man’s life. He must admit weakness and failure, but he does not call sin sin or admit that he has any great need. There is nothing wrong with him that he cannot remedy himself if given time, a proper environment, and enlarged…
But there are those who, refusing to accept God’s estimate of the natural man, deny the necessity of any radical and revolutionary change in him. They delight in the exaltation of the flesh and reject the self-evident fact that human nature is in utter ruin though they are compelled to admit that it is…
God has taught one truth beyond all contradiction in His Word. It is that sin has created an awful chasm between Himself and man. Man may ignore or condone sin, treat it very lightly, and even be so foolish as to deny its reality, but that does not alter the unalterable fact that sin…
God’s eternal purpose in man’s redemption has been in the gradual process of fulfillment ever since it was formed, and each succeeding century has brought it nearer to its consummation. The heart of God’s plan of redemption was a Savior. This Savior was to come through the seed of a woman. God was to…
Although Satan has a cleverly thought-out plan, God has a divinely wrought-out purpose! God’s purpose antedated Satan’s plan. God’s purpose anticipated Satan’s plan. God’s purpose annulled Satan’s plan. God’s purpose was formed in the eternity of the past and reaches into the eternity of the future. “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto…
Man “Became” Flesh God says that this satanic system is inherently “evil,” hopelessly “corrupt,” thoroughly “polluted,” and irreconcilably hateful. This satanic system, “the world,” is like an enormous octopus that has sent forth myriad tentacles to lay hold upon every phase of human life and draw it unto itself. Galatians 1:4 “Who gave himself…
You may be surprised to learn that Satan has a purpose, a project, and a program. His purpose is to “be like the Most High.” His project is to set up a kingdom in opposition to the Kingdom of God. His program is to better the condition of the world and the circumstances of…
What has Satan been doing since he set up a kingdom of his own? He has been busy recruiting subjects and mobilizing his forces for warfare. Today, he has innumerable Satanic hosts in the aerial heavens, on earth, and in the underworld. The Bible speaks of “the devil and his angels.” It tells us…
Satan thought he had won the first step in God’s defeat and dethronement due to Adam’s defection. A horrendous conflict began. God did not minimize its sinister seriousness, but he triumphantly claimed victory over his enemy on the very threshold of the conflict. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the…
In Manaus, Brazil, a remarkable phenomenon can be seen between the Rio Negro and the Amazon Rivers. The meeting point of these two rivers is referred to as the Meeting of Waters. The coffee-colored water of the Amazon River joins together with the waters of the Rio Negro, which appear to be black. If…
The die has been cast. From this time forward, Satan will contest with God for the possession of the earth and all therein. He has set himself up as an opposing rival claimant to the world’s sovereignty and to man’s worship. He will establish a kingdom of his own. God, for a purpose, will…
“Satan” means opponent or adversary. This title is used 56 times, and it always reveals him as the opponent of God and the adversary of man. Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” 1 Peter 5:8…
None of us can deny that evil exists in the world. There are evil forces at work in numerous ways and through various channels. This evil power works intelligently everywhere for the disintegration of mankind and the defeat of God. There is a forceful opposition to God and His purpose in our world. Power…
God and sin are exact opposites. God and sin cannot stay in the same place at the same time for they are mutually exclusive. They cannot dwell together. Suppose you are sitting in a room that is full of light. After a few hours, darkness will fill the room. Where did the light go?…
Sin had its beginning at the core of Adam’s being, his human nature. This deadly work began in his core and it became sinful. Sin was now the governing and driving principle within. Sin became its intrinsic atmosphere. The source of his thoughts, emotions, attitudes, purposes, and instincts, was corrupted by sin. Today the…
Not only was the realm of the spirit and the soul invaded by sin, but the body, which was intended to be the spirit’s cordial home became its prison. That which was supposed to be spiritual tends to become sensual. God purposed the body to be the channel through which the spirit within man…
Man’s highest privilege is to will to do God’s will. It is his most godlike privilege. To live entirely within the will of God is to have the reigning of peace, righteousness, and harmony everywhere. This was God’s purpose in His universe. All of the angelic beings, as well as man, was made to…
In 2013 the word “selfie” was crowned Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries. In God’s studio, the Bible, a photograph can be found of each of His created beings. Our photograph is there. It has been taken by the Divine Photographer; therefore, it is accurate. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can…
Sin conquered the sphere of the soul and laid hold of man’s intellectual, emotional, and volitional life. Man’s mind was blinded. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,…
Since we have already studied the “three parts” of man, let’s look at the impact of sin and death on each of these parts. The first “part” of man to be touched by the devastating breath of death was the human spirit. Sin shut the windows of the spirit Godward and made it a…
Man, no longer under the loving rule of God, is now under the tyrannical rule of sin. Sin not only “entered” and “abounded,” but it also “reigned” in man. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans…
Adam’s sin brought innumerable suffering and grief to himself and his descendants. However, God was the One most wounded and wronged by sin. His purpose in the human race was not only defeated but He Himself was dethroned in his own universe. This was the twofold aim of Satan in the tragedy in Eden….
Before the tempter entered Eden, the social relationships were as God had intended for them to be. Not only were Adam and Eve perfect, but they were living in perfect adjustment with God; and between each other. Godliness and holiness were followed by righteousness and peace. Sin deadened the human spirit and broke its…
In the previous blog, we saw the devastating effect of Adam and Eve’s sin upon themselves. But did the impact of their sin affect anyone else? Can the sin in the human family today be traced back to the first sin in the first man? Let’s reason backward. Sin is a FactMan is a…
Upon Themselves After such an appeal, a response had to be made. The “will” must now either accept or reject this accusation against God. There is no neutral ground. Eve must decide either to be for or against God. “God said” and, “the serpent said,” and they said opposite things. Eve responded by listening…
Satan will now make his final and fatal appeal to Eve. Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eateth thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. With this statement, Satan implied that God was robbing man of knowledge which he…
In Genesis 1-2, the creation of Man is recorded. Genesis 2 reveals only three persons in the Garden of Eden. However, in Genesis 3, we find that Satan, God’s avowed enemy, is the fourth person in the garden disguised as a serpent. Revelation 12:9 tells us who the serpent was and how he ended…
God finished His creation work with His MASTERPIECE – MAN! We have been looking at the schematics relating to our design and function in the past few Blogs. God, as the Creator, did not leave us in the dark regarding His assessment of us. Genesis 1:31 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and…
Man can contact three worlds with the three parts of his being: body, soul, and spirit. The body is the lowest part of the three parts and takes the outermost place. It contacts with matter. Through the corporal (physical) body, man touches the physical world through the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and…
The heart consists of four parts: Mind, Will, Emotion, and Conscience. The heart is not a separate part in addition to the soul and the spirit. The heart is a composition of all the parts of the soul (Mind, Will, Emotion) plus the first part of the spirit (conscience). Man does not have more…
Man not only has three parts within his spirit, but his soul also consists of three components. These parts have three main functions: the Mind is the leading part, followed by the Will and the Emotions. The parts of the soul are the inward parts. Psalm 51:6 declares “Behold, You desire truth in the…
In the previous blog, we looked at the difference between the spirit and the soul. We will now consider the different parts of the spirit. We will not go into great details in this blog about their functions but give an overview. The human spirit is composed of three parts, with three main functions:…
God and God’s first man enjoyed sweet and intimate communion until they were separated by sin. How could this great, impassable chasm sin had made between God and man be bridged? From the very nature of the case, man could do nothing, even had he wanted to, for sin had closed all possible access…
Dear Lord Jesus, I want to thank You for keeping us through 2021. Lord, You know we are all in a time we have never seen or experienced before. Lord, so much suffering, sorrow, death, bitterness, and hatred towards one another. But Lord, thank You, it doesn’t change who You are. You are the…
So what’s the difference between the spirit and the soul? The previous blog showed that man is composed of three parts, spirit, soul, and body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis…
I always heard growing up the terms “spirit” and “soul” used as if they were synonymous. (Two different words that had the same meaning). But according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the spirit and the soul are two totally different things. This verse shows that man was created with three distinct parts: spirit, soul, and…
One aspect regarding the creation of man is related to the center of the gospel, which is the Kingdom of God. In Genesis 1:26-27, God revealed His purpose for creating man. Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the…
How Did He Become Satan? Isaiah 14:13-14 “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;…
Humans were not the first beings created by God. In 1 Corinthians 15:40, two bodies are mentioned, celestial (heavenly) and terrestrial (earthly). In eternity past, God created the celestial bodies first, then the terrestrial. 1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and…
Events of the past year and a half have caused me to consider life and all it means. Because of the “silence of COVID,” no one knows when it will come and visit “their” house. Our niece contracted it first, then my friend’s son, our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Unfortunately, six relatives have passed…
It has been over 1900 years since the death of the Apostle John. In writing about my experience in “Why Have I Started Blogging,” I stated that according to 1 John 5:20, we believers had received understanding so that we “might know Him who is true.” But did I know Him? After attending…
The Apostle John was the last living apostle and was the only apostle who was not martyred. Before his death, Jesus gave John the responsibility of taking care of His mother. John was exiled to the island Patmos (Greece) by the Roman government around 94 AD. There he received “the revelation of Jesus Christ.”…
In early 2020 while reading 1 John, I was touched by 1 John 5:20. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God…