Having seen the necessity for the Virgin Birth, it will be our purpose now to show the necessity and the proof for the Deity of Jesus Christ. The Modernist speaks of the divinity of Christ, but he also speaks of the divinity of all men; so that Jesus was no different in nature from other men: He merely realized more of the Divine in Himself than others have done, and there is the possibility that others will yet arise who will utilize the divine in themselves more than Jesus did. Such teaching exalts man but debases God. By ascribing Deity to Jesus Christ we mean just the opposite: Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator, who, though He became man, yet was different in essence from every created being in the universe.

The one great necessity for the Deity of Jesus Christ is seen in the scriptural doctrine of salvation. Because the Modernist denies the former, he must denounce the latter. He argues that salvation based upon the substitutionary death of an innocent man is unethical. It would be unjust for God to demand the death of a good man in order that a bad man might be saved. We absolutely agree with this, if that good man be not God Himself manifested in human flesh. It would not be right for God to take any good or innocent created being and cause that one to die for a bad one; neither could there be any virtue or value in such a death. Surely no man could ever redeem his brother (Psalm 49:7), neither could any angel redeem man. Jesus was not merely a third party who stepped forward to pay our fine. He was the very God against whom we have sinned and to whom we are responsible. Let us illustrate. Suppose you owe me a debt of five hundred dollars, but you haven’t a cent with which to pay (see Luke 7:41 to 50). Now if a third party gives you, that amount and you pay it to me it can in no sense be said that I forgave you the debt; for I received my money in full. But suppose the debt was so large that no one could pay it for you. This is the intended meaning in the story of Matthew 18:21 to 35, where the debt of 10,- 000 talents (over 300 million dollars) represents our debt to God because of sin, and that of 100 pence (15 dollars) represents our debt to our fellow man. You owe me this enormous debt, but you have not a cent to pay, neither can any one else pay it for you. Now suppose I freely forgave you that debt. Who paid it? Did not I? for I suffered the loss in forgiving you. Just so in all true forgiveness, the one who forgives suffers the loss of that which is forgiven. This is also true in the case of God. The debt of man’s sin was too great for man ever to pay; so God in His mercy and grace paid the debt Himself by becoming a Man in order that He might die the death which sin demanded. Thus Jesus Christ is either God and the scriptural doctrine of salvation is perfectly ethical, or else Jesus was a mere man and the scriptural salvation is extremely unethical.

Scriptural proofs of Christ’s Deity are so abounding as to be beyond the scope of this brief message. Suffice it to say that He is called God (Hebrews 1:8; Matthew 22:44); He claimed to be God (I AM or Jehovah—John 8:24, 56 58, 59; equal with the Father—Matthew 28:19; Mark 14:62; John 10:30, 31, 32; John 14:8, 9; John 17:5; exercised God’s prerogative—Mark 2:5 to 7; Luke 7:48 to 50; omnipresent—Matthew 18:20, omniscient—John 11:11 to 14; Mark 11:6 to 8 omnipotent—Matthew 28:18; Luke 7:14; John 5:21 to 23; John 6:19; divine power over nature—Luke 9:16, 17; John 2:9; John 21:6; Luke 8:24; received human worship due only to God—Matthew 14:33; Matthew 28:9; John 9:38; Matthew 20:28, 29; arose from the dead— Romans 1:4); all of the Bible writers ascribe Deity to Him—Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 2:2 to 9; Psalm 45:6, 7; Psalm 110:1, 4; John 1:1, 3, 10; John 20:31; Acts 20:28; Acts 2:36; Romans 9:5; I Corinthians 15:47; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15 to 19; I Timothy 6:15, 16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 7:3; James 2:1; II Peter 1:17; Revelation 1:8, 17, 18; Revelation 19:16.

Some who claim to believe the Bible teach that because Jesus is called the “only begotten Son” or the “first begotten” that He was born or created of God as the first of His creation and then all else was created by Christ. If Christ be but the greatest of creatures, then all of the above scriptures are in error. Such passages as John 1:14, 18; John 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5 I John 4:9; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 1:25; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18 do not teach that the Son of God came into existence at some point in time, but refer to His position in the Godhead, His humanity, and His resurrection, cf. Hebrews 1:5 and Acts 13:33. The fact that “all things were created by Him” (Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3), excludes the thought that He Himself was created. We bow our knees at the name of Jesus, and confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father; as every one must some day bow and confess Him either as Saviour or Judge (Philippians 2:10, 11).

“No one hath ascended into heaven, but (except) he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven” (John 3:13). The entire New Testament bears record to the fact that the Son of God found it necessary to come out of heaven in order to become the Saviour of the world. “The second man is the Lord out of heaven” (I Corinthians 15:47). The preposition “ek” meaning “out of”, often translated “of, from”, proves conclusively that Christ came out of heaven once to die a redeeming death, and although now in heaven, will come out of heaven again. Most Christians profess to believe in His first coming out of heaven, but are ignorant of or deny the fact that He will come again, although the entire New Testament with the exception of three books, Philemon, 2nd and 3rd John, bears witness to the fact and in the same language which describes His first coming. No doubt fanatical date-setters have spoiled this glorious truth for most Christians, but such cannot alter the infallible Word of God. The whole philosophy of Christianity is hopeless and pessimistic apart from it; for the Bible no where holds out hope of immortality and resurrection apart from it, and if it will never occur, then Christians are of all men most to be pitied (I Corinthians 15:23, 19). A failing and powerless Christendom surely presents to the world a defeated God, when it throws away the hope of Christ’s coming with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

Every true Christian has been made conformable with Christ’s death (Philippians 3:10), i. e., has been crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:3) for the penalty of sin, and has been given the hope of having his body of humiliation made conformable with Christ’s body of glory Philippians 3:21). This redemption of the body (Romans 8:23) is to be realized when Christ next comes out of heaven. We have already received everlasting life, the salvation of our souls, but we await the salvation of our bodies. Those who spiritualize or misplace this resurrection err and overthrow the faith of some (II Timothy 2:18). This will not be a general resurrection; for it is called an “ek (out) resurrection ek (out of) dead ones” (Philippians 3:11), signifying that some of the dead will remain in the grave after this takes place. It would seem to include only the Body of Christ. Paul had the hope of attaining to this out resurrection, not by meritorious effort; for the word “attain” here merely means to come to or arrive at, as is seen from its usage in Acts 26:7 “come”; Acts 25:13 “came unto”; I Corinthians 10:11 “come”; towards which he pressed (Philippians 3:12, 14).

Some teach that the Body of Christ began after God set Israel aside in Acts 28:28, and therefore the hope of resurrection in I Corinthians 15:51, 52; I Thessalonians 4:13 to 17 (given before Acts 28) is not for the Body of Christ. They say our hope is found in Philippians 3:11, 14, 20, 21 and Colossians 3 :4, and claim that these passages teach that our Lord is not coming out of heaven as in I Thessalonians 4, but that we will be called up on high, to meet Christ, not in the air, but in heaven. This theory seems to be contradicted, however, by the very scripture they use. Philippians 3:20 reads: “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence (ek ou—out of which, i. e., out of heaven) also we look for (or eagerly await—same word used in Romans 8:19, 23, 25; I Corinthians 1:7; Hebrews 9:28) the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is exactly what the Thessalonians were doing: they were “waiting, for His Son from (ek—out of) heaven” (I Thessalonians 1:10). Christ is now in heaven; we are to wait for Him out of heaven He must descend from heaven as in I Thessalonians 4:16 before Philippians 3:20, 21 can be realized. The day in which the Corinthians and Thessalonian event is to be realized is called “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:8), and the one in which the Philippian hope is to be realized is called “the day of Jesus Christ” and the “day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:16). If these are two separate events, then language seems useless in making the distinction. We must, of course, recognize the distinction between His two comings or parousias; for there will first be a parousia or coming “for His saints” (I Thessalonians 4:15; II Thessalonians 2:1) in which the Church takes part; and then there will be the parousia “with His saints” (I Thessalonians 3:13). The former is called a Mystery (I Corinthians 15:51); the latter is the subject of prophecy and not a mystery, being the Second Coming of Christ back to the earth. Our hope is not to die and go to be with Christ in heaven, but to be caught up with Him when He next comes out of heaven, and to ever be with Him where ever He is.

WHEN DID CHRIST REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF COLOSSIANS 1:26?

The word “NOW” of Colossians 1:26 most assuredly suggests a very definite dispensational change. Now the question is, when did the change, indicated by that NOW, take place? It is taught by some “dispensationalists” that this change did not take place until after Paul reached Rome, about 62 A.D. It is generally agreed among Bible students that Colossians was written about 64 or 65 A.D. We quote Colossians 1:25 and 26:

“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 made manifest to his saints.”

Again the question, does the “NOW” of Colossians 1:26 prove that the day of the revelation of the mystery was about the time in Paul’s life and ministry when he wrote Colossians from the Roman prison? Careful students of the Word must acknowledge that there was no Divine written record, in which the mystery was clearly defined, until Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians and II Timothy were written, several years after Paul pronounced God’s judgment upon Israel, as recorded in Acts 28:25 to 28. Neither should any such student deny that the mystery was mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 2:7 and 8 and Romans 16:25 and 26, both written before the date of Acts 28:28. In God’s infallible Records of the teachings of Paul, before he reached Rome, we have a very small part of his ministry. As to just what he taught orally, concerning the mystery, in addition to the record in the Book of Acts and in his epistles written during the “Acts” period, we cannot even guess with any degree of accuracy. Moreover, no spiritual believer will accept guessing and speculating, rather than sound Scriptural exegesis, as proof of Scriptural facts and Divine truth.

Inasmuch as some “guessing” Bible teachers have imagined that they have supported their speculations by some Scriptural exegesis with the use of the word “NOW” to prove that the Apostle Paul received the revelation of the Mystery after the close of the period covered by the Book of Acts, we want to use some other “NOWS” to disprove their theory. We quote several: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, NOW to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:24.

“But NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13.

“NOW therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but, fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but NOW are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of ‘light.” Ephesians 5:8.

“For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until NOW.” Philippians 1:5. “And NOW abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” I Corinthians 13:13.

In the first verse quoted, “NOW to appear in the presence of God for us.” The Epistle to the Hebrews was written at least twenty years after Christ sat down in heaven, in accordance with Hebrews 1:3—Hebrews 10:10 to 14—Hebrews 12:1 to 3. Christ had been interceding for saints, in accordance with Hebrews 7:25, for more than twenty years after He sat down. Christ had been appearing in heaven itself in God’s presence since, the day of Pentecost when Paul (or some other apostle) wrote Hebrews 9:24. Therefore the “NOW” of Hebrews. 9:24 did not begin with the day Hebrews was written, but years before.

“But NOW in Christ Jesus”. Ephesians 2:13. But when? But “NOW”? Certainly not the date when Paul wrote Ephesians, which was more than thirty years after Christ died on the cross and was seated in the heavenlies. What is proved by the immediate context? “Ye are (were) saved by grace”. Ephesians 2:8. What Gentile was not saved by grace in Paul’s ministry beginning with Acts 13:39? “By Him all that believe are justified by all things.” Where is the grace message more clearly presented than in Galatians 1:11 to 17 and Galatians 2:21, and especially in Romans 3:26 to Romans 5:20? It was grace all the way. It was about 47 A.D. when Paul returned to Antioch with the report and result recorded in Acts 14:27; “And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had OPENED THE DOOR OF FAITH UNTO THE GENTILES.” Most, if not all, of the believers to whom Paul addressed his Epistle to the Ephesians were brought nigh to God by the blood of Christ, not later than 58 A.D. So the “NOW” of Ephesians 2:13 did not refer to the “NOW” date of the Epistle.

This same argument holds good for Ephesians 5:8, quoted above. When were they sometimes darkness? When did they become light in the Lord? Certainly this transformation had taken place before Acts 28. Now note Ephesians 2:19—“NOW” therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” When did they enter the household of God? When they were saved. The Galatians were in. Galatians 3:26 to Galatians 4:4. When was the middle-wall of partition broken down? Some teachers seem to think that the breaking-down of the middlewall of partition did not occur until God set Israel aside with Acts 28:25 to 28. But let us read Romans 3:22, “there is no difference”; Galatians 3:28, “there is neither Jew nor Greek”; II Corinthians 3:13, “that which is abolished (the law)”; and Galatians 2:18 and 19. The middle-wall of partition was known to be out of the way before Paul reached Rome. To be sure the revelation and knowledge of all that Christ accomplished, for the Gentiles, on the cross came gradually and much of the truth of Ephesians and Colossians was wholly unknown to Peter and the Eleven at the time Cornelius was saved. Read Acts 5:31 and you will wonder where the Gentiles get in. But the “NOW” of Ephesians 2:19 was before Paul said to the saints at Ephesus “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27). However, let us not speculate with other “dispensationalists” who try to prove that there was nothing new in Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and II Timothy because of the statement in Acts 20:27 concerning the whole counsel of God. There are glorious truths and phases of the dispensation of the mystery revealed in Paul’s prison epistles, not before recorded; and we must, at least, see something of God’s purpose in withholding these written records until after Israel was set aside with Acts 28:25 to 28. No one can prove that some of the glorious truths of Ephesians were made known by Paul before he wrote Ephesians.

Nearly all diligent students of God’s Word have learned the fallacy of setting Israel aside at the time of Christ’s words in Matthew 23:33 to 39. Most of them have moved, at least, to the message of Stephen recorded in Acts 7:41 to 58. But the pronouncement of the doom of Israel is in Acts 28:25 to 28. After that pronouncement God’s spiritual program for the Body changed. Signs, miracles, tongues and religious things ceased. Certainly God’s order was no longer, “to the Jew first.” But there was neither the beginning of a new and different Body nor the first intimation of the mystery after Paul be-came the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ with the grace message of Ephesians 3:1 to 9.

It is quite interesting, and significant to note that the Book of Acts closed before Paul’s acts ceased: for he lived and acted for several years after the Book of Acts closed. Only stupidity, prejudice, or indifference will keep any student of the Scriptures from observing the Lord’s changed attitude toward Israel in the epistles written by Paul after the close of the “Acts of the Apostles”. The words, “signs”, “miracles”, “healings”, “tongues”, etc. are not once found in those last epistles. And even Peter remarked that in Paul’s epistles there “are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest.” II Peter 3:16.

We do not want to be unlearned and unstable, and God forbid that we should wrest the things of Paul which are hard to be understood. If you belong to a denomination and your church creed prohibits you from obeying Ephesians 3:9 and Ephesians 4:3 to 7, just acknowledge that your denominational creed comes first and God’s Word second. If you have read the Epistle to the Ephesians even several hundred times, and have spent many hours in prayerful study, you are still of the opinion that in it there are many things hard to be understood; so different from Galatians, Corinthians and Romans.

Paul’s last written message is II Timothy. In the original text we read of “my deposit” in II Timothy 1:12 and “that good deposit” in II Timothy 1:14. Paul had his own special “good deposit” from the risen Christ. There are many different phases of that mystery. No man knows when Paul received that deposit and whether or not he received the full revelation of the mystery all at one time. Undoubtedly the “before-the-world-began” grace and purpose given members of the Body in Christ Jesus is a part of Paul’s deposit. II Timothy 1:9. But read the “NOW” of the verse that follows:” NOW made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour. Most assuredly that “NOW” does not fix the Saviour’s appearing, 67 A.D., the year when Paul wrote II Timothy. Christ died years before. Read II Timothy 1:7 and let’s be of a sound mind.

Therefore, it is unwise to endeavor to prove by the “NOW’ of Colossians 1:26 that the Body of Colossians 1:25 began after Paul’s Roman imprisonment, especially since the “NOW” of Philippians 1:5 proves the very opposite. “For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until NOW.” Paul was in Philippi about 52 A.D. Acts 16:11 to 32. He wrote to “all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi”. (Philippians 1:1) Paul preached Christ Jesus unto all the saints who had enjoyed fellowship with him from the first day. The “NOW” of Philippians 1:5 is proof positive that the saints in 64 or 65 A.D. had not changed from an “Acts” Church to a “Body” Church which began after Acts closed. Therefore the “NOW” of Philippians 1:5, (64 or 65 A.D.) proves that the “NOW” of Colossians 1:26 and Ephesians 3:5 began years before Colossians and Ephesians were written.

Also the “NOW” of Colossians 1:26 proves that the “AS” of Ephesians 3:5 has no suggestion of the relative degree in which the Gentiles’ place in the “same Body” (Sussomos) of Ephesians 3:5 and 6 was made known before and after Christ revealed the Body truth to Paul. We quote Ephesians 3:5 and 6:

“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, AS it is NOW revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same Body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel.”

It is taught by some unlearned and unstable teachers that the mystery of Ephesians 3:6 was made known to the sons of men in other ages, but not AS it is NOW revealed. But Colossians 1:25 and 26 is the Holy Spirit’s refutation of this statement. Therefore it is but folly to say that Peter in his housetop vision received a revelation of the mystery or that the “dispensation of the mystery” began on the day of Pentecost. Acts 10:5 to 28, Ephesians 3:9.

Paul, in Ephesians and Colossians, is setting forth some truths made known before Acts 28:28; but Ephesians 3:8 is his own testimony that he was to make known among the Gentiles the unsearchable (not-to-be-traced) riches of Christ. Such riches could not be included in the confirmation message which Christ began to speak and gave to the Twelve to confirm. Romans 15:8 and Hebrews 2:1 to 4. Neither could the truth have been searched in the Scriptures by the Bereans. Acts 17:11.

Most Bible teachers oppose the glorious truth of the mystery of Ephesians 1:17 to 22 and Ephesians 3:14 to Ephesians 4:14, and totally ignore Ephesians 3:9, because they are zealous for their denominational program. But undoubtedly many of them are discouraged and restrained because of the fantastic speculations of a few extremists who seem to think that they are making all men to see the mystery by trying to rob the believer of one blessed truth of God after the other. Such a negative procedure is unscriptural, unspiritual and unprofitable and most detrimental to God’s truth and to God’s children who are deceived by them.

Let us acknowledge that the believer’s position and possessions in Christ, in connection with the mystery, are never clearly set forth in Paul’s pre-prison epistles, and that in no written message before Acts 28 can we find the glorious truth as to the One New Man and the relationship of Head and Body-members as it is revealed in Ephesians. But let us not be stubbornly dogmatic in our assertion that the revelation did not come to Paul from Christ until after Acts 28, and show the weakness of our dogmatism in an attempt to prove it by the “NOWS” of Colossians 1:26 and Ephesians 2:5.

In closing, let us be instructed by the “NOW” of I Corinthians 13:13: “Faith, hope, and love abideth”. In I Corinthians 13:8 there are things (signs) which were to be done away. These are absent after Acts 28:28, in Paul’s prison epistles. These last epistles are filled with “faith”, “hope” and love. The “NOW” of I Corinthians 13:13 proves that the “Post Acts” Body was to be a continuation of the “Acts” Body with a different spiritual program.

It seems rather a foolish question to ask anyone, “Where will you be in a thousand years from today?” And yet, if it is considered seriously, it may not be so foolish as it seems. We are told in the Bible, which is God’s Word, that “godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” The sum total of the wisdom of this world, with all of its philosophies, sciences and religions, has to do with the life that now is. And even then, it is admitted by all the worldly wise men that the present life is an unsolved and unsolvable mystery. In all of their literature they have no satisfactory answer to the question, more than 4000 years old, “if a man die shall he live again?” Job 14:14.

The Bible claims for itself Divine inspiration. It claims to be God’s eternal Truth; and therefore, this claim for the Bible is made by every true Christian. We say, true Christian, because there are many religious people today who claim to be Christians but who are not Bible Christians; because they question the Divine authority of God’s Book.

Without apology or defense, the Bible claims to express Divine Truth as to the whence and whither of the human race, “the life that now is and the life which is to come.” Therefore, if we want information about “right now” and “bye and bye”, let us turn to the inspired Word of the God in Whom we live and move and have our being. In this Book we are told that not only our reward in the “bye and bye”, but our very destiny, is determined by our decisions and our activities “right now”. Here is a wonderful verse of Divine truth

“BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS.” I John 3:2.

Surely this is not only a glorious message but it is a blessed fact: “now”, “right now”, here on this earth; we are the children of God. But let each one examine himself to know whether or not he is included in the “we”. If you would know positively, read and believe Galatians 3:26, which we quote “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus”; and John 1:12, which we quote: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” Surely no one, how, ever simple, should stumble over these clear statements of truth. Perhaps it is the one who is wise in his own conceit who is apt to stumble.

Regardless of man’s attitude towards God’s Truth, that Truth remains Truth. God declares there will be a day of judgment and hearers of this Truth will be judged by this Truth. How much better it is to hear the Truth and hear right now, and “the Truth shall make you free.” You will pass out of death into life. John 5:24. Now we quote for your information, and we trust for your edification and comfort some of the blessed “nows” of God’s Word:

“There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit”. Romans 8:1.

“Much more then, being NOW justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Romans 5:9. “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have NOW obtained mercy through their unbelief.” Romans 11:30. “But NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13. “NOW therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but NOW are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8.

After we have read these and pondered over them, and receive them into our hearts, we shall know something of the meaning of Ephesians 1:3, which we quote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” In Christ we are spiritually multimillionaires, To be justified right now means to be glorified bye and bye. We read in I John 3:2, “Now are we the children of God; and when Christ shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” While we are waiting for this glorious climax, we are told, in Romans 8:22 that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”. And in I Peter 1:6 we find these words which tell us something of the heaviness even in the soul of the believer “right now” “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Faith is the victory that overcometh the world. Therefore, every believer should be able to say with a real head knowledge and heart experience what Paul said in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When the children of God shall come into the realization of glory, when Christ shall appear, they shall know the full meaning of I Corinthians 13:12: “For now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

As believers, waiting for the appearing of Christ, we should obey Romans 13:11, which we quote: “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”, and should walk day by day in accordance with Romans 6:22: “Now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” The coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ will mean great blessing for the redeemed child of God. What a time of awful judgment for the child of wrath; and such are all by nature. Ephesians 2:1 to 3.

This world belongs to the crucified and glorified Christ, by creation and redemption. Until He comes we must all join in the words expressed in Hebrews 2:8: “Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see—not yet all things put under Him.” Some glorious day another message will ring out, the message of Revelation 12:10: “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” In the meantime, the high and holy place of our living Christ, the sinner’s Redeemer and Friend, is recorded in Hebrews 9:24. “In heaven itself, NOW to appear in the presence of God for us”.

Our closing word we give first to the child, in the language of Ecclesiastes 12:1. “Remember now, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Then; to all in the language of Isaiah 1:18 “Come NOW, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Hear these words of God:

“COME FOR ALL THINGS ARE NOW READY.” Luke 14:17. You have nothing to add to the Great Supper. God’s Gospel is His own perfect work and Christ has finished the work: Supper tickets are not for sale. A place at the table means eternal redemption. Come. It is without cost so far as man’s pay is concerned.