NEWSLETTER: GALATIANS, PART 5

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Jews were looking for the Messiah to come with great expectations.  It was on all their lips.  They were encouraging each other with the hope and surety of His coming.

However, they misunderstood His coming to mean political and national conquest.  They wanted to be delivered from their enemies, not from their church or their sins.  The coming of the Messiah was bound up only in their church.  Basically, as far as they were concerned, it was their church that was “producing” the Messiah.  They had become very selfish in their outlook of the coming of the Messiah.

The churches of today are doing the very same thing.  Those churches that believe in the “coming of Jesus” believe it is in conjunction with their church.  They run around claiming you have to belong to their church, denomination or organization in order to be included in the “coming of Jesus”.  If you don’t belong to their particular church, denomination or religion, you won’t belong to the group Jesus will be taking back to Heaven.

Paul was preaching a “freedom” not from the law of God, the Ten Commandments, but from the church and its organizational structure, rites, rituals, traditions, ceremonies and sacrifices.  The freedom we have in Jesus is to believe in Jesus personally, not collectively.  A freedom to obey Jesus without worrying what a church, denomination or an organization thinks.

I was reading Hosea and began to put some pieces of the puzzle together.  The coming of Jesus imitated the birth of Israel as a nation.  Jacob’s family went to Egypt in order to be born a nation.  Jesus came to this planet to be born and deliver the nations.  Then, we are told that God called Jesus out of Egypt just as Israel was called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15).  Jesus was baptized just as the Bible says the nation of Israel was baptized by going through the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2.  As the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness preparing for their mission, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness preparing for His mission.

Galatians 5:1 to Galatians 6:26

The Messiah has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop putting yourselves under the yoke of slavery again. 

The “benefits of freedom” is to be free in Jesus from the burdens of church, denominations and religions.  We are to live as Jesus commands knowing that “His Commandments are not grievous”.  1 John 5:3.  It was, and is, church and other religious organizations that make following Jesus “grievous”.  They put upon their members grievous burdens that Jesus has not laid upon us.  All He wants us to do is keep the Ten Commandments for our eternal life.  Not difficult at all.

Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, the Messiah will be of no benefit to you. 

And that was the problem.  Keep in mind, Paul didn’t have time to lay out all the church rules, therefore, “circumcision” was a code word that meant everything related to church rules, regulations, rituals, traditions, rites, feast days, holy days and services.  You had to be circumcised before you could participate in temple rituals, traditions, services, feast days, holy days and rites.  They are “of no benefit to you”.

Churches don’t like that.  They need membership to keep money rolling into their coffers. They have huge salaries to pay.  Mansions to pay for.  Expensive cars to buy.  To have membership, you have to be different from others.  How do you accomplish that?  By picking texts out of context to make people believe that belonging to their church, denomination or organization, will give you a free ticket to Heaven.  None of that will be of any “benefit to you”.

Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised is obligated to obey the entire Law. 

Paul is reiterating in even stronger language that circumcision had to do with belonging to a church and being “obligated to obey the entire law” of the church rituals, traditions, ceremonies, rites, feast days, holy days and services.  But none of that had to do with keeping the Ten Commandments which Paul tells us to keep.  Paul understood this.  He belonged to that church organization that posted the Ten Commandments on their clothes, door frames and hung in their churches.  Yet, they violated every commandment by hating anyone who refused to accept and teach their church doctrine.  It is important to keep in mind that salvation is all about character building.  That is all we are taking to Heaven: our character.  That is only accomplished by keeping the Ten Commandments.  Keeping all the church rites, rituals, traditions, customs, holy days, feast days and services have nothing to do with character building for Heaven.

Those of you who are trying to be justified by the Law have been cut off from the Messiah. You have fallen away from grace. 

Justification is the crux of Paul’s letters with regards to the “law”.  The Jews believed that you were “justified” by belonging to the church.  Then you began the process of Sanctification through all the church works.  At no time can any of our “works” justify us.  We have all sinned and the wages of sin is death.  You can’t work off your death-debt.  You must die.

On the other hand, the Judge who has sentenced you to death for breaking the Law, has taken the penalty of that broken law if you accept His sacrifice in lieu of your sentence of death.  But if you refuse and want to make church and all of its rules your “justification”, you have been cut off from the Judge and His work for your justification and will die.

The Jews believed they kept the Ten Commandments, but because they refused to accept the One who could justify them, they were lost.  Only the Messiah, the one who is equal to the Law, can pardon us and provide us justification for our past sins.  By rejecting the work of the Messiah we fall away from the grace of justification offered so freely to us.

Through the Spirit by faith we confidently await the fulfillment of our righteous hope, . . .

Jesus said that His Word was Spirit.  Through His Word we have faith that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  As such, we do “confidently await the fulfillment of our righteous hope”.  We hope, believe, that Jesus has paid our penalty for past sins and that we will not have to face eternal destruction.  Salvation isn’t about a church, denomination or what you know, it is about who you know and obey.

. . . for in union with the Messiah Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. What matters is faith expressed through love. 

All those church rules, regulations, services, traditions, rites and rituals have nothing to do with justification.  They do not matter.  What matters is our faith, believing in the Messiah as our justification, expressed through obedience to the Messiah by keeping the Ten Commandments: Love.

You were running the race beautifully. Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth? 

There have been times while jogging around the property when one of my dogs would cut in front of me, tripping me and landing me face down in the sand.  We are never to allow others to trip us up and try to present other works for our justification.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you must belong to a church, denomination or organization for your eternal life.  That is not from God.

Before going any further, I must back up a bit and take you back to the time of Paul.  Christians today read the New Testament as if it was written for us.  It wasn’t.  It was written for the new converts to help them develop faith in Jesus as the Messiah who was to come and fulfil be our Lamb of God.  Faith in the lamb sacrificed at the temple would not justify you.  Only faith in Jesus as the Lamb of God would justify you.  Keep in mind, we are talking justification, not sanctification.

Such influence does not come from the one who calls you. 

No!  It comes from the one who loves to trip us up.

A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. 

How true that is.  Amazing how the influence of one confused and deceived church member can spread through a group of people.  Church members are out to see who can bring in more members.  They stand with pride when one they have converted is baptized.  But to stand with Jesus in obedience to His commands to stop sinning, be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life, no thanks!

I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view of this. However, the one who is troubling you will suffer God’s judgment, whoever he is. 

Yes he will.  Those who substitute church, traditions, rites, rituals, ceremonies and anything else for the work of Jesus in justifying you will be judged by God.  When one reads the Bible from cover to cover, one will find that at no time or place in the Bible was belonging to a church, denomination or organization required for eternal life.

As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching the necessity of circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 

For about the first 15 years since Paul’s Bar Mitzvah he preached the necessity of circumcision and belonging to “his” church.  Then he found Jesus.  Even today there are those who still preach the necessity of feast days, holy days, rituals, rites, traditions and church membership for eternal life.  If it were that easy we wouldn’t need the cross.  However, Jesus paid it all.  “It is finished”.  All we have to do is accept His sacrifice for justification and live in obedience to His commands for sanctification.  And nowhere in the Bible is there a command to build a church, go to church or set up a denomination or organization for our eternal life.

I wish that those who are upsetting you would castrate themselves! 

Paul was angry.  He grew up in the church.  He was being promoted before others of his own age.  He was zealous for his church.  He was “saved” in his church.  But when he found Jesus his life changed.  He was angry at the church for lying to him.  He was angry at the church for putting the church in place of Jesus.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another. 

You see, Paul understood that the church didn’t serve anyone but itself.  It was all about the church.  There was no freedom in the church.  It was all about control.  If you belonged, you were controlled by the leadership.  You were not allowed to think for yourself.  You could not search the Scriptures for yourself.  You had to believe what the church told you to believe.  Paul wanted Christians to understand that their freedom from church did not permit them to break the moral Law, the Ten Commandments.  Walk away from the church, but live in obedience to Jesus and His Ten Commandments.  We are to imitate the life of Jesus.  You don’t need a church for that.

For the whole Law is summarized in a single statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Here, Paul goes back to the Old Testament.  Remember, there was no “church” in the Old Testament.  “Church” came about because of the Babylonian Captivity.  To keep the Jewish identity, they copied the pagan system of “church”.  None of it was ordained by God.  So Paul takes his readers back to the Old Testament to remind them that the Ten Commandments taught us to “love your neighbor as yourself”.  Leviticus 19:18And why did he take his readers back to the Old Testament?  Because there was no “New Testament” as we have it today until 300 years after Christ.  Paul was writing to people who studied the Old Testament for their eternal life.  Paul told them to study the Old Testament for their eternal life.

But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other. 

It was church that taught people to “bite and devour one another”.  Once you belong to a church, organization or denomination, it is so easy to point fingers and look upon others with a superior attitude.  But when we belong to Jesus we accept His life as our own and live as He commands: perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping.  There is no room for biting and devouring one another in that life.  The life of Christ is a humble, self-sacrificing life.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. 

Remember, Jesus equated “Spirit” with the words of Scripture.  Why?  Because it was through the Spirit that Scripture was written.  Therefore, if we follow after the words the Spirit wrote in Scripture you will “never fulfill the desires of the flesh”.  Contention happens when we follow after man and man’s rules, laws, ceremonies, traditions and memberships.  Man’s organizations are built on pride and ego.  When Jesus declared that the temple was left unto them desolate, then, at that point, the church laws, ceremonies, traditions, feast days and holy days became “man’s”.  They were no longer God’s.

For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do. 

The flesh loves to be honored, put on a show and belong.  Belonging to a church is ego stroking.  We take pride in our church memberships.  But that is not what the Spirit of God wants.  The Spirit of God wants you to belong to Jesus.  Church and Jesus are opposed to each other.  One puts you under the yoke of slaver, the other sets you free in Jesus.

But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

The phrase, “under the law” confuses people.  When you belong to an organization, such as a church, you are under the laws of that organization.  You have placed yourself under their yoke.  But the Law of God, the Ten Commandments, gives freedom.  It works on a completely different set of principles than man-made laws.  Therefore, if you belong to the Spirit of God you are not under church laws or under the Ten Commandments.  Look at it this way.  If you are obedient to the speed limit, you are free.  You have no fear of the “law”.  But if you break the speed limit, there is a good chance you will become “under the law” and be given a ticket or hauled off to jail.

Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

When Paul belonged to the church, it didn’t stop him from the actions of the flesh.  He was still controlled by his fleshly desires.  However, when he became a Christian, he went to Jesus and by living the Ten Commandments he found himself free from the penalty of the Law and free from sin. All the “actions” mentioned above have to do with breaking the Ten Commandments, not the rites, rituals, traditions, feast days, holy days or services of the temple.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 

“Against” is the key here.  When we are obedient to the Ten Commandments we are living the righteous, Spirit-filled life.  There is no “law” against that.  The Law of condemnation only kicks in when we break the Ten Commandments.  Going to church won’t give you the power to live in obedience to God’s Law, only by faith in Jesus as our Justifier will you have the power to live the Law perfectly.

Now those who belong to the Messiah Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 

That is correct.  You cannot belong to anything earthly in order to crucify your fleshly desires and passions.  Only by belonging to Jesus as our Saviour, living in obedience to Him, will you be able to crucify your fleshly “passions and desires”.  God gives you that power!

Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided. 

Once you give your life to Jesus and live by the Spirit, don’t let man-made organizations, churches or denominations control you.  Don’t let them step between you and Jesus.  Let the Word of God be your guide.  That is where we get our power to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.

Let’s stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another. 

That is what church, rituals, rites, traditions and everything else that is invented by man produces.


INMATE LETTERS

Dear JCPM,

I just received your “Helping Inmates Change Their Lives” card in the mail.  I would like to check out your free Bible study.  As long as it is biblical, I’m all about it!  I’ve been a Christian for 20 years now and I love the bible and the God of the Bible.  I study my Bible a lot and I have found there are many churches who believe a different Jesus.  I don’t know what your ministry believes but if it is the One I know & read about in the Bible, then I would love to fellowship with you.

Aaron, WA

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To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to do your Bible study and any other thing you may have to offer to better myself.

Daniel, CA

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Dear Brother Ron,

I hope this letter finds you happy and well.  Sorry to overwhelm you with all my letters.  Its just in my nature.  I’ll try to tone it down a little to give you some time to reply to them.  I am so glad I found God.  I can’t stop being amazed of the peace in my life now that I have Him in my life.  I want to learn how to speak to people about God and Jesus so that I can start ministering to those in here and maybe save another lost soul like you saved mine.

Luis, KY

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Dear Ronald,

I’m from Iowa and I just turned 34 years old.  I have three in on a twelve year sentence.  I enjoyed reading your newsletter.  I am new to the Word of God and I want to know if you have any more newsletters.

Brandon, CO

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JCPM,

I got this pamphlet from the dayroom in our building and would like to take the course you have offered.

Joshua, CA

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Hi,

My name is Gabriel.  I want a copy of “Change Your Life Biblically.  Please and thank you.

Gabriel, CO

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Hello,

My name is Matthew and I would like to start your Bible study.  I’ve had a few deaths and a divorce so far this year.  It has caused me to have doubts and some unbelief.  I have completed many Bible studies and I’m still a little confused.

Matthew, FL

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Hello,

I got your postcard in the mail a few weeks back.  I would like to know how I could sign up for a pen-pal and some Bible studies.  I’m a Christian and would love to communicate with someone that could help me better my walk with God.

Michael, TX

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Hi,

I will be down a couple of more years.  Someone told me about this address and spoke really highly about you guys.  I like to read.  I would like to find out if you can send me books about God.

Jonathan, CA

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Hello,

I am requesting that you send me some Bible studies, if you would be oh so kind to do so.  I sure would appreciate it very much.

Robert, GA

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Dear Jesus Christ Prison Ministry,

I received this postcard through the mail about the free Bible study.  I’m currently taking the “Prisoner for Christ” course and I’ve been doing these lessons for about 2 years.  Thank you for your book, “Change Your Life Biblically” so I may become a stronger soldier for Christ.

Jaime, CA

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Hello,

I would like to request the free Bible study that my fellow friend, Anthony, suggested to me.  I very much appreciate all the time and resources you all provide for us.  Thank you and God bless.

Justin, OR

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Dear JCPM,

I have found my new beginning with the Lord.  I would like to study His Word and ways as a guide for my following.  With your studies I feel that this would help me very much.  Thank you for your Bible studies.

Charles, PA

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JCPM,

I am requesting a copy of “Change Your Life Biblically”.  Please and thank you.

Richard, MT

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Hi,

My name is Jacob and I just received a letter from the ministry.  It was talking about a career opportunity, free Bible study and a certificate.  First of all, I want to thank you for reaching out to me.  I am very interested in this opportunity coming my way and ask you to sign me up in this next step in my life.

Jacob, MI

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JCPM,

I would love a copy of the book, “Change Your Life Biblically”.  Thank you for this wonderful opportunity and free Bible study.

Joseph, OH


Testimony for God’s Children

My Dear Family in Christ,

“Growing Spiritually”.  I wonder if we are putting the time and effort into our spiritual lives as God requires.  I wonder if we are putting too much of our attention into church, what we eat, drink and wear, along with the things of the world, and not enough time into growing a character that Jesus can take to Heaven?  Let us listen and pay close attention to what God has to say.

A Divided Interest

Dear Brethren M,


In the vision given me last January I was shown some things in reference to you both. I was shown that you are not growing in spirituality as it is your duty and privilege to grow. The greatness of the work and the opening providences of God should stir your hearts. Christ designed that His believing children should be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. The holy life, the Christian example, of one good man in a community sheds a light that is reflected upon others. How great, then, would be the influence of a company of believers all walking in the commandments of God.


The preaching of the word is ordained of God to arouse and convict sinners. And when the living preacher exemplifies in his own life the self-denial and sacrifices of Christ, when his conversation and acts are in harmony with the divine Pattern, then his influence will be a powerful one upon those who listen to his voice. But all cannot be teachers of the word in the pulpit. The duties of different persons vary, and there is work for all to do. All can aid the cause by giving unselfishly of their means to help the various branches of the work, by furnishing means for the publication of tracts and periodicals to scatter among the people and disseminate the truth. Those who give money to promote the cause are bearing a part of the burden of the work; they are colaborers with Christ; for God has furnished men with means on trust, to be used for holy and wise purposes. They are the instrumentalities which Heaven has ordained for doing good, and men are to put these talents out to the exchangers.


Dear brethren, ever bear in mind that you are the stewards of God, and that He holds you accountable for the temporal talents He has lent you to use wisely for His glory. Will you not closely search your hearts and investigate the motives which prompt you to action? I was shown that your danger is in loving your possessions. Your ears are not quick to hear the Master’s call in the person of His saints and in the wants of His cause. You do not invest your treasure gladly in the enterprise of Christianity. If you desire a treasure in heaven you should be securing it while you have the opportunity. If you feel safer to apply your means toward the greater accumulation of earthly riches, and to invest sparingly in the cause of God, then you should feel satisfied to receive heavenly treasure according to your investment in heavenly stock.


You desire to see the cause of God progress, but you make little personal effort toward that end. If you, and others who profess our holy faith, could see your true position and realize your accountability to God you would become more earnest colaborers with Jesus. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” There can be no divided interest in this, for the whole heart and mind and strength comprise the entire man.


Says the apostle: “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price.” When the poor, condemned sinner was lying under the curse of the Father’s law, Jesus so loved him that He gave Himself for the transgressor. He redeemed him by the virtue of His blood. We cannot estimate the precious ransom paid to redeem fallen man. The heart’s best and holiest affections should be given in return for such wondrous love. The temporal gifts you enjoy are merely lent you to aid in the advancement of the kingdom of God.


I speak of the tithing system, yet how meager it looks to my mind! How small the estimate! How vain the endeavor to measure with mathematical rules, time, money, and love against a love and sacrifice that is measureless and incomputable! Tithes for Christ! Oh, meager pittance, shameful recompense for that which cost so much! From the cross of Calvary, Christ calls for an unconditional surrender. He promised the young ruler that if he sold all that he had and gave it to the poor, and lifted His cross and followed Him, he should have treasure in heaven. All we have should be consecrated to God. The Majesty of heaven came to the world to die a sacrifice for the sins of man. And how cold and selfish is the human heart that can turn away from such incomparable love and set itself upon the vain things of this world.


When selfishness is striving for the victory over you, bear in mind One who left the glorious courts of heaven and laid aside the robes of royalty for your sakes, becoming poor that through His poverty you might be made rich. Will you, then, disregard this great love and boundless mercy by refusing to be inconvenienced and to deny yourselves for His dear sake? Will you cling to the treasures of this life and neglect to aid in carrying forward the great work of truth?


The children of Israel were anciently commanded to make an offering for the entire congregation to purify them from ceremonial defilement. This sacrifice was a red heifer and represented the more perfect offering that should redeem from the pollution of sin. This was an occasional sacrifice for the purification of all those who had necessarily or accidentally touched the dead. All who came in contact with death in any way were considered ceremonially unclean. This was to forcibly impress the minds of the Hebrews with the fact that death came in consequence of sin and therefore is a representative of sin. The one heifer, the one ark, the one brazen serpent, impressively point to the one great offering, the sacrifice of Christ.


This heifer was to be red, which was a symbol of blood. It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law. The angels, as God’s intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for the guilt of fallen man. Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the redemption of the sinful race. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”


Yet this glorious Being loved the poor sinner and took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He might suffer and die in man’s behalf. Jesus might have remained at His Father’s right hand, wearing His kingly crown and royal robes. But He chose to exchange all the riches, honor, and glory of heaven for the poverty of humanity, and His station of high command for the horrors of Gethsemane and the humiliation and agony of Calvary. He became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, that by His baptism of suffering and blood He might purify and redeem a guilty world. “Lo, I come,” was the joyful assent, “to do Thy will, O My God.”


The sacrificial heifer was conducted without the camp and slain in the most imposing manner. Thus Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that Christ did not die for the Hebrews alone, but for all mankind. He proclaims to a fallen world that He has come to be their Redeemer and urges them to accept the salvation He offers them. The heifer having been slain in a most solemn manner, the priest, clothed in pure white garments, took the blood in his hands as it issued from the body of the victim and cast it toward the temple seven times. “And having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”


The body of the heifer was burned to ashes, which signified a whole and ample sacrifice. The ashes were then gathered up by a person uncontaminated by contact with the dead and placed in a vessel containing water from a running stream. This clean and pure person then took a cedar stick with scarlet cloth and a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled the contents of the vessel upon the tent and the people assembled. This ceremony was repeated several times in order to be thorough and was done as a purification from sin.


Thus Christ, in His own spotless righteousness, after shedding His precious blood, enters into the holy place to cleanse the sanctuary. And there the crimson current is brought into the service of reconciling God to man. Some may look upon this slaying of the heifer as a meaningless ceremony, but it was done by the command of God and bears a deep significance that has not lost its application to the present time.


The priest used cedar and hyssop, dipping them into the cleansing water and sprinkling the unclean. This symbolized the blood of Christ spilled to cleanse us from moral impurities. The repeated sprinklings illustrate the thoroughness of the work that must be accomplished for the repenting sinner. All that he has must be consecrated. Not only should his own soul be washed clean and pure, but he should strive to have his family, his domestic arrangements, his property, and his entire belongings consecrated to God.


After the tent had been sprinkled with hyssop, over the door of those cleansed was written: I am not my own; Lord, I am Thine. Thus should it be with those who profess to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. God is no less exacting now than He was in olden times. The psalmist, in his prayer, refers to this symbolic ceremony when he says: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.”


The blood of Christ is efficacious, but it needs to be applied continually. God not only wants His servants to use the means He has entrusted to them for His glory, but He desires them to make a consecration of themselves to His cause. If you, my brethren, have become selfish and are withholding from the Lord that which you should cheerfully give to His service, then you need the blood of sprinkling thoroughly applied, consecrating you and all your possessions to God.


My much-respected brethren, you have not that earnest and unselfish devotion to the work of God that He requires of you. You have given your attention to temporal matters. You have trained your minds for business in order to thereby benefit yourselves. But God calls for you to come into closer union with Him, that He may mold and train you for His work. A solemn statement was made to ancient Israel that the man who should remain unclean and refuse to purify himself should be cut off from among the congregation. This has a special meaning for us. If it was necessary in ancient times for the unclean to be purified by the blood of sprinkling, how essential for those living in the perils of the last days, and exposed to the temptations of Satan, to have the blood of Christ applied to their hearts daily. “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”


You should both do much more than you have done toward bearing the burdens of the work of the Lord. I adjure you to arouse from your lethargy, leave the vain idolatry of worldly things, and be in earnest to secure a title to your immortal inheritance. Work while it is day. Do not imperil your souls by forfeiting present opportunities. Do not make your eternal interests of secondary importance. Do not put the world before religion, and toil day after day to acquire its riches, while the peril of eternal bankruptcy threatens you. Every day is bringing you nearer to the final reckoning. Be ready to yield up the talents lent you, with the increase gained by their wise use.


You cannot afford to sacrifice heaven or to jeopardize your safety. Do not let the deceitfulness of riches lead you to neglect the immortal treasure. Satan is a wily foe, and he is ever on your track, striving to ensnare you and compass your ruin. We are in the waiting time; let your loins be girded about and your lights shining, that you may wait for the Lord when He returns from the wedding, that when He comes and knocks you may open unto Him immediately.

 

Watch, brethren, the first dimming of your light, the first neglect of prayer, the first symptom of spiritual slumber. “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” It is by the constant exercise of faith and love that believers are made to shine as lights in the world. You are making but poor preparation for the Master’s coming if you are serving mammon while professedly serving God. When He appears, you must then present to Him the talents that you have buried in the earth, talents neglected, abused, misused—a divided love.


Both of you have professed to be servants of Christ. How necessary that you should obey your Master’s directions and be faithful to your duties. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” This love is without a parallel, giving to men the relationship of sons to God. Therefore the Father expects obedience from His children; therefore He requires a right disposition of the property He has placed in their hands. It is not their own to use for their personal gratification; but it is the capital of the Lord, for which they are responsible to Him.


Children of the Lord, how precious is the promise! How full the atonement of the Saviour for our guilt! The Redeemer, with a heart of unalterable love, still pleads His sacred blood in the sinner’s behalf. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead eloquently for fallen man, whose redemption is purchased at such an infinite cost. Oh, matchless condescension! Neither time nor events can lessen the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice. As the fragrant cloud of incense rose acceptably to heaven, and Aaron sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat of ancient Israel and cleansed the people from guilt, so the merits of the slain Lamb are accepted by God today as a purifier from the defilement of sin.


“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” There are stern battles for you to fight. You should put on the whole armor of righteousness and prove yourselves strong and true in your Redeemer’s service. God wants no idlers in His field, but colaborers with Christ, vigilant sentinels at their posts, valiant soldiers of the cross, ready to do and dare all things for the cause in which they are enlisted.


It is not wealth or intellect that gives happiness; it is true moral worth and a sense of duty performed. You may have the overcomer’s reward and stand before the throne of Christ to sing His praises in the day when He assembles His saints; but your robes must be cleansed in the blood of the Lamb, and charity must cover you as a garment, and you be found spotless and without blemish.


John says: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” 4T 118-125.