God's Character:

The Best News in

the

Universe

by Dr. Elliot O. Douglin

Author of The New World Economic Order, The Hour of His Judgment is Come,

Ministration of Holy Angels, Absolute Rest and Principles of Sabbath Rest,

The True Church Prepares For Her Final Conflict, The Mystery Of Three Choices,

The Gathering Of The Nations, The Sealing Work, Abiding In Christ,

The Power of God's Word in the Science of Faith...

Copyright © 2001 by

Truth For The Final Generation

Contents

Chapter Twenty
Redemptive Rest And The Character of God

Chapter Twenty-One
The Wrath Of God - Part 2 - Absolute Principles

Chapter Twenty-Two
In Christ God Has Given Us His Own Life

Chapter Twenty
Redemptive Rest And The Character of God

When Adam sinned, corporate humanity in Adam ceased to possess the life of God in the Holy Spirit. The life of God in the Holy Spirit had indwelt Adam's mind but by choosing Satan's government and rejecting God's government, Adam expelled the life of God from the spirit of his mind. Corporate humanity in Adam became "darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God …" Ephesians 4:18.

In addition, physical human life was separated from God's government and would survive temporarily only by virtue of God's mercy exercised through the plan of redemption. In other words physical life became a dying life.

Sin presented a massive problem; it emptied man's mind of the life of God, it separated his physical life from God's government of glory and it stripped him of all righteousness of character.

We have already studied how God has given back His very own righteousness to corporate humanity in Christ. Without any conditions attached God has already redeemed corporate humanity by the faith of Jesus. The individual human being, experiences this proffered gift by believing in Jesus! Thus genuine faith works by love to bring the righteousness of Christ into the believer's soul thereby producing love-motivated obedience to all the commandments of God. This love-motivated obedience is the fruit of the gospel and qualifies the believer for fitness for heaven.

Both our title to heaven and our fitness for heaven are found only in the righteousness of God in Christ. God has already entitled and fitted corporate humanity for heaven in Christ. This title and fitness are received by and experienced in the individual believer by the surrender of faith and by the continual abiding in Christ.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

Rest And Redemption

We have already seen that the number seven (7) represents completeness. At the end of creation week the seventh-day Sabbath became the memorial of the eternal principle that all created powers must be completely covered and filled with righteousness even as God's eternal power is always covered with His eternal righteousness by His eternal wisdom through His eternal love.

Sin stripped humanity of the righteousness with which man was endowed at creation. In redemption God has again given His righteousness to corporate humanity in Christ. In Christ corporate humanity is completely covered with God's righteousness. And since seven (7) is God's number of completeness, it means that the seventh-day Sabbath is the memorial of both creation and redemption.

In the beginning of our world the Son of God rested on the seventh-day after six days of creative work.

In the plan of redemption Jesus rested in the tomb on the 7^th day after successfully completing the work of redemption as He had rested from labour after successfully completing the work of creation. Then He arose on the first day of the week to begin a new work; the work of His High Priestly ministry for us. (John 14:1-3; Hebrews 8:9).

Therefore both in creation and redemption the Son of God rested on the seventh day after the completion of perfect works.

Righteousness is the basis of rest.

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." Isaiah 32:17.

Jesus is our righteousness and Jesus is the Righteousness of God. Jesus is therefore the Source of rest hence He is Lord of Rest, Lord of the Sabbath.

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Corinthian 1:30.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Mat. 11:28, 29.

"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

Rest And Justification By Faith

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:4,5.

The term "worketh not" is equivalent to "rest." The person who rests his case entirely on the fact that God has accomplished a complete redemption in Christ for all men and who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, is both counted and made righteous by that faith which rests entirely in Christ.

Thus the Seventh Day Sabbath rest is the sign of justification by faith.

"For we which have believed do enter into rest…" Hebrews 4: 3 (first Part).

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works." Hebrews 4:9,10,11, 4.

Rest And Sanctification By Faith

The seventh-day Sabbath is always the memorial and sign of God's complete righteousness both in creation and redemption.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 20:12.

The believer experiences sanctification by appropriating the righteousness of Christ by faith, i.e. by daily, momently yielding his life in living faith to Christ and accepting His power to keep him and His righteousness to fill him.

God wants us to be completely covered with His righteousness in Christ so that the shame of our nakedness does not appear.

"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Revelation 3:18.

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Revelation 16:15.

Rest And The Government Of God

Rest is the end-result of the righteous use of power, likewise the end product of unrighteousness is unrest.

When God's government finishes any work, that work is completely righteous and the result, the effect, is rest, peace, order and life.

On the contrary any work, which Satan does, is unrighteous and produces unrest, confusion, disorder, destruction and death.

So whereas there is always rest when God finishes a work, there is always unrest and distress when Satan finishes his. The only rest Satan can attempt is a pseudo- or false rest before he works because when he finishes work there is unrest and disaster! Satan is the only being in the whole universe who gives his devotees rest before they work.

Therefore whereas God's true rest is always celebrated on the seventh-day, at the end of the week, Satan's counterfeit or pseudo rest must come on the first day or at the start of the week.

The seventh-day first-day controversy is not merely a matter of which day, but rather a matter of the principles and issues involved in the spiritual warfare between God's government of righteousness and rest and Satan's government of unrighteousness and unrest.

In the end-time the Gospel will produce a remnant who will be sanctified to the level of Christian character maturity and perfection. God's end-time remnant will keep the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God and will be completely victorious over all sin. They will also have the patience of Jesus Christ in the face of tremendous odds and threats to their earthly lives. This will be the glorious and fully ripened fruit of the Gospel of which the seventh-day Sabbath is the peculiar sign of the rest found in Christ, the sign of righteousness by faith!

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17.

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." 1 John 3:6.

Satan's end-time followers will reject God's righteousness in Christ and therefore will not keep the commandments of God or the faith of Jesus. Church-state legislative enforcement of Sunday-sacredness will be the ultimate manifestation of unrighteousness by works.

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:9-12.

Absolute Principles

Since complete rest is the end-result of righteousness, it is easy to understand why the seventh-day Sabbath must be God's peculiar sign of God's peculiar end-time people called the remnant in Revelation 12:17.

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17

"For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works." Hebrews 4:3,9,10,4.

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." Isaiah 32:17.

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165.

And since total unrest is the end-result of unrighteousness, the first-day pseudo rest must be the sign of Satan's government of sin and chaos.

"But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Isaiah 57:20,21.

Therefore the final conflict of history will be the controversy over which day is the day of rest and worship for Christians.

The True Sabbath Established By The Faith And Obedience Of Christ

The faith of Jesus and the obedience of Jesus are of the utmost importance to us. The Bible gives us many reasons why the obedience of Christ is so important, let us consider threeof them.

1. The obedience of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, justifies the believer in Christ and makes the believer righteous. We are told so in Romans 5:18,19.

"Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so BY THE OBEDIENCE OF ONE (CHRIST) SHALL MANY BE MADE RIGHTEOUS." Romans 5:18,19.

2. The obedience of Christ is the PERFECT EXAMPLE which the believer MUST follow if he or she wishes to practice THE TRUE Christianity. We are told so in 1 Peter 2:21.

"For even here unto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS." 1 Peter 2:21.

3. The obedience of Christ is lived out in the believer's life by the indwelling Christ through the Holy Spirit. We are told so in Ephesians 3:17 and Galatians 2:20.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19.

"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." Galatians 2:20.

All this brings us to a very important conclusion, and it is this: ANY RELIGIOUS PRACTICE, POPULAR THOUGH IT BE, WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, CANNOT BE ANY PART OF THE TRUE CHRISTIANITY. Look around at the various denominations of Christianity in the world today and compare their religious practices with the life of Christ and His teachings. You will be surprised at the many popular religious practices which are not part of the obedience of Christ and therefore cannot be any part of the true Christianity.

Consider the matter of baptism. Christ and His disciples practiced baptism by immersion of believers who were old enough to understand, believe and choose the way of salvation through Christ. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find the slightest hint of baptism of babies by sprinkling or pouring. The practice of infant baptism, (by sprinkling or pouring or putting a little water on the infant's forehead), came from paganism and infiltrated Christianity in the period after the death of the Apostles.

The Apostle Paul had predicted a "falling away" of the early Christian church; read 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. This "falling away" from the purity of New Testament truth occurred gradually at first, and then more rapidly, eventually resulting in the formation of the Roman Christianity which controlled Europe during the Middle Ages.

The churches which teach non-scriptural practices usually claim that they were included into the New Covenant by the EARLY CHURCH FATHERS, after the death of the Apostles. Such a claim is utterly false.

Jesus Christ established and confirmed the New Covenant or New Testament by His life and death. By His perfect obedience and His sacrificial death He became the author of eternal salvation for the lost race.

The Old Covenant was based upon the people's promises to obey by self-effort. The New Covenant was established upon better promises, the promises of God to forgive, cleanse, and make the believing sinner righteous. (Hebrews 8:6-13).

The prophet Daniel had prophesied that Messiah would confirm the covenant for one prophetic week or seven years. (Daniel 9:27).

In establishing the New Covenant, Jesus put into it all that was necessary for the salvation of mankind. During the 3½ years after His death the Apostles accepted, taught and practiced what Christ had given them.

The Apostle Paul explained to the Galatians in Galatians 3:15 that after a covenant has been confirmed nothing can be added to, or, subtracted from it!

Furthermore, Paul told the Hebrews, in Hebrews 9:15-17, that the death of the Testator enforces the Covenant or Testament. And so we understand that the death of Christ confirmed, ratified and enforced the New Covenant. THEREFORE NOTHING COULD BE ADDED AFTER HIS DEATH! The very first thing Jesus did upon commencing His ministry was to be baptized by immersion in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. He therefore established baptism by immersion as the only true and right type of baptism for the Christian in the New Covenant.

In a similar way we can examine the question of the day of worship for Christians. Sunday keeping was progressively incorporated into Christian practice long after

the death of Christ and His disciples. Christ kept the seventh-day Sabbath (Luke 4:16, Mark 2:27,28). The disciples, after the death of Christ, kept the seventh-day Sabbath, read Luke 23:52 to 56 and Luke 24:1; read also Acts 13:42-44; Acts 16:13; Hebrews 4:4,9,10; Matthew 24:20.

Since it is the obedience of Christ which justifies the sinner and establishes the New Covenant; and since Sunday sacredness was NOT part of the obedience of Christ THEN SUNDAY KEEPING CANNOT BE PART OF THE NEW COVENANT. AND IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN RIGHTFULLY ADDED AFTER CHRIST'S DEATH BECAUSE NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO THE COVENANT AFTER THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR!

Sunday keeping is therefore a clever piece of Satanic deception, it is a counterfeit of the real Sabbath. Sunday sacredness is, in fact, pagan in origin and dates back to the days of pagan sun worship. It entered the church during the falling away when Christians compromised with pagans in order to more easily convert them.

Many Christians believe that Sunday is a sign of righteousness by faith. But, in actual fact, it is neither a sign of righteousness nor faith. It was no part of the obedience of Christ and so it is no part of the righteousness of the New Covenant. And secondly the evolution of Sunday worship depended upon the works of politicians and Popes. The first Sunday Law was passed politically by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 321 A.D., since then Sunday worship has had to be propped up by religious-political legislation. Sunday worship is most assuredly a sign of unrighteousness by human works based on unbelief of the clear word of God.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a time would come when the breach made in God's law would be repaired. And Revelation describes God's final generation of living saints as those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Read Isaiah 58:12-14 and Revelation 14:12.

How Will The Power Of Tradition Be Broken?

Many honest and sincere Christians are so blinded by tradition that it will take something special to open their eyes.

When the Sunday law is passed and when it is enforced by civil penalties, including the death threat, then the light of God's character will penetrate the darkness and the words of Jesus in John 16:1-3 will come ringing down the ages.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." John 16:1-3.

The mere fact that the Sunday Movement will resort to force will mean that it cannot be of God because He does not use force neither does He threaten to kill those who oppose Him.

What Jesus is saying in John 16:3 is that the true knowledge of God will be critically important in deciding which side of the end-time Sabbath-Sunday controversy is God's side!

Chapter Twenty-One
The Wrath Of God; Part 2 - Absolute Principles

Our God, YAHWEH or JEHOVAH, has made it abundantly clear that He is the One and only true God and His way is the only way of perfect life. The Godhead (The Father, His Son and their Holy Spirit) is infinite in power, wisdom, righteousness, truth and Agapé love.

"I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me." Isaiah 45:5.

For any being to be God that being must be absolutely eternal (beginningless and endless), self-existent and completely independent of anyone or anything for life.

Now remember, YAHWEH God tells us there are no other Gods, He knows of none.

"Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:8.

Satan claims that creatures can have their own way, in opposition to God's way, and NOT die. In fact he claims that such persons will be as gods.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Gen. 3:4,5.

Whoever claims to be a god must (ultimately) be able to maintain himself and his government without outside aid, must be able to have his own way, must be able to maintain his freedom to assert his godhood and to prove his godhood.

Satan contends that each creature can have his own way, the way of self, and it will work.

When the creature's self becomes a god, the attitude is to reject the true God. Job 22:15-18 (Notice verse 17).

Sin is putting one's own way before God's way, it is putting self before God. Sin is the transgression of God's law, of God's way, 1 John 3:4; Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:15.

God has a very simple foolproof way of dealing with those who claim to be gods, those who want their own way. Yes, He has a very simple way of testing any so-called better way than His way. All He has to do is to leave the person alone to his/her own way, and if they continue to exist on their own, then that person would have to be a real god with a right way, but if the person and the person's way collapse to destruction it would prove after all, that the person was only a creature who needed God and God's way for survival.

Since finite creatures are absolutely dependent on the Infinite Creator for existence, then the Infinite Creator would have to do everything necessary to maintain the life and well-being of finite creatures. If the Infinite Creator leaves His creatures alone they will perish; they must perish.

To think that God must use some other method than withdrawal to get rid of sin is to insult His power, wisdom and love; it is because He is infinite and creatures are finite that His creatures need Him and cannot survive without Him.

So when people say that God must do something, other than withdraw, to get rid of Satan, sinners and sin, they are insulting God and showing their ignorance of the issues in the Great Conflict between right and wrong.

If God has to do anything at all to destroy the sinner other than leave the sinner alone then His power is less than infinite, He is less than God. The proof that He is God, and no one else, is that just by His doing nothing everything else would perish!

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." Hebrews 1:10-12.

"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." Psalm 102:25-27.

The proof of the Infinite God is that He has to do everything to keep finite creatures alive. If God should do nothing, i.e. withdraw his maintaining, upholding power, creatures will perish, Colossians 1:17. Since all things hold together in Him when He lets go things fall apart. (Psalm 121).

To suggest that sinful creatures can survive when fully and ultimately separated from God or that God has to do something else to destroy the sinner other than complete separation is to suggest that creatures can survive without God and that sin is harmless. This is a heresy as old as the Devil!

On the contrary God says:

"But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Proverbs 8:36.

"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." Jeremiah 17:13.

"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." Hosea 13:9.

Since God is without beginning or end, then His way must be the only absolute way of life; the only absolutely right way. When creatures reject God's way they are rejecting God's righteousness and therefore rejecting life. God has made us free to choose and He will respect our choice. Ultimately those who reject God will be left alone to the gods of their choosing -"ownwayness" is death!

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:5,6.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

To reject God's righteousness in any area or detail of our lives is to tell God that we can handle that area of our lives without Him. It is to tell Him to leave us alone in that area. It is to tell Him that we are gods in that area of our lives. (James 2:8-12). Full surrender to God's will is eternal life. (John 5:30). To sow the wind will be to reap the whirlwind. Hosea 8:7.

In mercy God pleads with us to change our minds, to accept all of His righteousness in Christ. Since God's righteousness is a whole unit, to reject any small part is to eventually reject all. James 2:10. If we persist in having our own way God will eventually have to say "Ephraim is joined to His idols leave him alone." Hosea 4:17.

Any sin which we do not overcome will eventually overcome us and work our own ruin by separating us from God.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:7-9.

When men choose their own way, they place themselves in controversy with God. They will have no place in the kingdom of heaven, for they are at war with the very principles of heaven. In disregarding the will of God, they are placing themselves on the side of Satan, the enemy of God and man. Not by one word, not by many words, but by every word that God has spoken, shall man live. We cannot disregard one word, however trifling it may seem to us, and be safe. There is not a commandment of the law that is not for the good and happiness of man, both in this life and in the life to come. In obedience to God's law, man is surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. He who breaks down this divinely erected barrier at any point has destroyed its power to protect him; for he has opened a way by which the enemy can enter to waste and ruin.

And remember, only in Christ is the righteousness of the law fulfilled in the believer's character through faith which works by love.

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Galatians 5:6.

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.

The Basis And Threefold Function Of Grace Or Mercy

Because of what God has accomplished for, and given to, humanity in Christ, there is an atmosphere of grace or mercy surrounding our world as real as the atmosphere of air which we breathe! This atmosphere of grace is the omnipresence and work of the Holy Spirit and it also includes the holy angels of God through whom the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit also works through those human beings who abide in Christ. This atmosphere of grace is therefore one vast protective hedge of angels with the Holy Spirit working in and through each angel to perform a threefold function.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit sustains life on this sinful planet.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit channels blessings through the angels to our world while at the same time He restrains the forces of evil including human passion and the sin-spoilt forces of nature.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit through angels and through the church invites, draws, woos all men to receive Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord.

These three functions though distinct are intricately inter-related and are fundamentally inseparable.

We should at this stage review the Biblical proof for everything we have said so far.

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." Lam. 3:22-24.

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Psalm 34:7.

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1:14.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." John 16:7,8,13,14.

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom 8:26-27.

The Three Final Stages Of Separation Or Wrath

Separation from God's mercy occurs in the reverse order to the functions of mercy or grace.

Firstly, there is separation from the drawing, convicting, inviting and pleading work of the Holy Spirit upon the human spirit, soul, mind and heart. So the Spirit's third function is the first to be cut off by persistent sin.

Secondly there is sin's separation from the Spirit's protecting, restraining work and thirdly, there is separation from the Spirit's life sustaining function which is His first work.

Let us examine these three stages of wrath in some detail.

Stage One Of Final Wrath

The persistent indulgence in sin, unbelief of truth, or belief in error is at first met with increasing appeals and a deeper conviction of truth and righteousness by the Holy Spirit. But if these appeals are resisted there is a gradual and progressive hardening of the sinner's heart against the Spirit's work of drawing the soul to Christ and His truth and righteousness. And the heart is left to the consequences of its hardness. Eventually the sinner's thinking process or thought pattern becomes fixed in error and sin and therefore becomes separated from the Spirit's work of truth and righteousness. This is the sin against the Holy Spirit also called the unpardonable sin.

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30.

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." Matthew 12:31,32.

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6.

"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man." Genesis 6:3 (first part).

This sin was committed by individuals, families and nations in the past. Some outstanding examples mentioned in scripture would be: Cain, King Saul, Baalam, Ananias and Sapphira, Sodom and Gomorrah, Jerusalem in A.D. 70; and the antediluvian world.

And, of course, this sin against, and separation from the Spirit's convicting and convincing work will climax at the close of general human probation after the great final warning would have gone forth to all the world.

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:11,12.

Stage Two Of Final Wrath

This stage of separation or wrath follows stage one. In this stage there is sin's separation from the Spirit's protecting and restraining work. The Spirit's work, of blessing and protecting humans and restraining the forces of evil, is withdrawn. This produces physical destruction and death (the first death).

The antediluvian world suffered this second stage of wrath after the first stage, similarly Sodom and Gomorrah and Jerusalem in A.D.70. This stage was also the basis of the fall of nations, which had previously risen to supremacy.

In the end-time this stage will occur after the close of probation and will result in the loosening of the global angelic hedge thereby allowing the forces of evil to collapse progressively in the development or "pouring out" of the seven-last plagues.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Revelation 7:1-3.

"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." Revelation 15:1.

Stage Three Of Final Wrath

This final stage of wrath will occur at the end of the 1000 years of Revelation 20 when there will be complete withdrawal of, or separation from, the Spirit's life-sustaining function. This will result in the second death.

In this third stage of wrath the previous two stages are included i.e. there is ultimate and total separation from God by sin.

Whereas, in the past, individuals and nations would have suffered the first two stages of wrath and are awaiting stage three which will occur after the second resurrection; only one man, the Man Christ Jesus has suffered the full and complete separation from God by our sins.

No one needs to die the second death, Jesus has already suffered that death for all men. But those who reject Christ will suffer that death and sadly they will be the majority.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

Other Considerations

In order to show His ancient people the terrible and inevitable results of sin, many a time God withdrew partially and allowed their enemies to defeat them or some other calamity to befall them to arouse them to repentance. Yet they continued downhill until their final national destruction in A.D. 70.

In the case of Job, God handed Job over to the enemy to prove his loyalty and therefore to defeat Satan in his false charges against God.

Absolute Freedom

God made His intelligent creatures free moral agents to choose His way or their own way. God is truly a God of absolute freedom and He has given His intelligent creatures genuine, absolute freedom of choice.

Genuine freedom of choice means that there are at least two options. Each option must carry its intrinsic consequences. God's way is the only way of life because it is the only right way. Life, not death, is in the way of righteousness.

"In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." Proverbs 12:28.

Satan's way of selfishness is the way which opposes and separates from the way of life. It is the way of death.

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7,8.

God could not claim to have made us free if He kills us for exercising our freedom of choice. Such a claim would be a farce.

But He has made us free. Free to accept His life in Christ or free to reject it. And if a man rejects life can he survive? Would anyone have to kill him?

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11,12.

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6.

Chapter Twenty-Two
In Christ God Has Given Us His Own Life

When the Son of God took on our human flesh he took on our body and brain with the natural biochemical and biophysical mechanism of the thinking-process. And yet through the natural human mind-structure (brain chemistry), He produced sinless, divine or spiritual mind-function (motives, thoughts, character)!

In producing perfect sinless character Jesus had to continuously and constantly overcome the law of sin and death in the flesh of both His body and brain. Paul makes this clear in Romans 8:3 when he says that Jesus condemned sin in the flesh.

Since Jesus had a human brain and mind-structure He therefore had the mind-structure of a human self-will always struggling for expression through His mind-function. But He surrendered constantly to His Father in full faith and thereby performed not His human will but the will of His Father. (John 5:30; 6:38; Matthew 26:39). In other words He allowed the mind-function of God to be manifested through the mind-structure of human nature. And this was the essence of the "mind of Christ."

The Bible speaks of the "spirit of the mind" (Ephesians 4:23). All ordinary descendants of Adam have been conceived and born with a spiritually dead human spirit (Ephesians 2:1-5; 4:18) and therefore all stand in need of conversion, of the renewing of the spirit of the mind (Ephesians 4:23).

But the man Christ Jesus was not born spiritually dead in the spirit of His mind. In the incarnation the Word or Wisdom of YAHWEH became flesh. The Divine Nature, Life and Personality of the Second Person of the Godhead became mysteriously (and incomprehensibly) blended with the human spirit of the human being, Jesus, at conception in the Virgin's womb. Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthian 15:45-47 where he says that the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The first man was of the earth, earthly: the second is the Lord from heaven!

Because the Second Person of the Godhead was fused to the spirit of the man Christ Jesus, He received the Holy Spirit without measure and the Father indwelt in Him by the Holy Spirit. (John 3:34: 14:10).

Throughout His earthly life He constantly and continuously submitted the human mind-structure to the will of the Father through the Holy Spirit. In other words every tempting thought suggested by the law of sin and death in body and brain was repulsed and expelled with the thoughts of God. Herein were the sufferings by which Jesus learnt obedience. He submitted the human mind (soul) to the will of God and in Him we have this victorious sanctification of the mind (soul).

In Gethsemane the human self-will exerted its last desperate struggle to control His mind-function but with an incomprehensible agony Jesus again submitted Himself fully to the will of His Father. And by the time He died on Calvary He had fully united the Divine mind with the human mind - the redemption of the human soul was accomplished.

When he died on the cross the human life was given up to the second death (Romans 6:23) and in the resurrection the life of His Spirit, which was the life of God, became the life of the new body - the redemption of the human body was accomplished! (Romans 8:10,11).

What a glorious redemption of spirit, soul and body!

Christ the Son of God became the Son of man; He who was one with the Father became One with us; He who was Spirit was manifested in the flesh: He who was the likeness of God was made in the likeness of men; the Righteousness of God was made to be sin; The Source of all blessing was made a curse: higher than all the universe, yet made lower than the angels; The One in whom is all wisdom, knowledge and understanding was made to learn obedience; The King of glory taking the place of a Servant to sinful man. The Source of all life was made a dependent receiver. All this for man! Oh what Love! Behold such amazing love! Such love is beyond the realm of man: This is the unique, self-sacrificing, agape Love of God! Praise the LORD!

In His incarnation, The Son of God condescended to the lowest level in order to reconcile man to God. Man was at the lowest level and unless Christ had gone there He could not have reached those He came to save. It would have been an almost infinite sacrifice if Christ had come as man before Adam had fallen. Yet Christ went beyond and partook of humanity, not only after the fall but when the human race had experienced four thousand years of degeneration. Still this was not all. Christ exercised His love toward us in that He went to our death, even the death of the cross. At the cross there was such a sundering of the Divine Powers that all heaven quaked. However, in death, Christ won the victory: Christ vanquished the power of the enemy. The Father's government stands secure, His character vindicated and salvation for the human race assured.

Christ was nailed to the cross, but He gained the victory. The whole force of evil gathered itself together in an effort to destroy Him who was the Light of the world, the Truth that makes men wise unto salvation. But no advantage was gained by this confederacy. With every advance move, Satan was bringing nearer his eternal ruin. Christ was indeed enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself. But every pang of suffering that He bore helped tear away the foundation of the enemy's kingdom.

Satan bruised Christ's heel, but Christ bruised Satan's head. Through death the Saviour destroyed him that had the power of death. In the very act of grasping its prey, death was vanquished; for by dying, Christ brought life and immortality to light thus establishing the gospel.

An Infinite Sacrifice

Jesus Christ made an infinite sacrifice for our redemption. Jesus took two natures and two lives to the cross: the Divine Nature and Life, and the human nature and physical human life.

At the cross the human nature with its physical life died whereas the Divine Nature with its Eternal Life did not die. Yet all of Christ remained in the grave. The Divine Nature and Life could not have functioned as a person because His humanity had died. There was therefore an interruption in the communication between the Father and Son producing infinite pain to the Father's heart of love.

The life, which died, was the physical human life. The life, which He laid down, was His Divine Eternal Life. (John 10:15; 1 John 3:16).

And the life by which He came forth from the grave was the Divine Eternal Life (John 10:17,18). This means that the new body possessed the very life of God as verily as the old body possessed the human physical life. Therefore in the same way as the physical human nature and life formed the natural infrastructure of the old body, so the Divine Nature and Life formed the spiritual infrastructure of the resurrected new body of our Lord.

O what infinite love!

Sin had written off human life.

And wonder of wonders! God has given to us His own life in Jesus Christ. In the resurrection - translation event at the Second Coming of Christ, the redeemed will receive new, real, spiritual, glorified bodies, eternally alive, incorruptible and immortal with the very life of God!

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11, 12.

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Philippians 3:20, 21.

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthian 15:42-49, 53,54.

What an infinite gift! What infinite Love! God's eternal self-sacrificing love has given His own life in His Son to us. Such knowledge gives the believer the motive power to endure all the attacks of the enemy for the Lord's sake.

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16, 17, 18.

God's Eternal Purpose - A Synopsis

From all eternity past God foresaw the development of the sin problem and from all eternity past He had devised the plan of redemption. God's eternal purpose is all-embracing and has been so from all eternity past. It included creation and redemption as well as all the glorious accomplishments of redemption.

From all eternity past God foreknew the choices of each and all of His creatures and therefore His eternal purpose included the progressive revelation of His love in order to effectively deal with the choices of His creatures.

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3:9-11.

"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." Ephesians 1:9-12.

"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:26,27.

God can successfully solve any problem and overcome any opposition to His government. And he does so only in righteousness and love without interfering with the freedom of choice of his intelligent creatures, and without force (Zechariah 4:6).

God's eternal purpose is conceived in infinite Wisdom, is filled with infinite Righteousness and Truth; is motivated by infinite love and is backed up by infinite power used harmlessly and righteously without by-passing the principles of freedom of choice.

Such a plan cannot fail - 1 Corinthians 13:8; 2 Corinthians 13:8; Romans 8:31,28; Romans 4:20,21; Ephesians 1:11.

And yet God leaves His creatures absolutely free to choose for or against His eternal purpose.

THOSE WHO REJECT HIM AND HIS PLAN: WRITE THEMSELVES OFF. Jeremiah 17:13.

FOR THOSE WHO SURRENDER TO HIM AND HIS PLAN: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

One of the most glorious mysteries about God is that opposition enhances the ultimate victory of His plan, even though the process of overcoming the opposition must necessarily include self-sacrificial suffering. John 12:24.

In the great controversy God employs His eternal self-sacrificing love to solve problems by His eternal wisdom. He does not use violent compulsory force. He employs His power righteously, by His love, without invading even to a hair's breadth, His creatures' freedom. (To selfish man this method seems foolish and weak; 1 Corinthian 1:25-28).

The greater the opposition and the evil, the more love and wisdom God applies to the problem. When God applies greater love and wisdom, the result is that MORE is achieved than if the problem had never occurred! Therefore 2 Corinthians 13:8 is an absolute principle of the Divine Nature.

Examples of this glorious truth are found in Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20; and also Ruth.

Similarly, the challenge of the sin problem has been turned by God into an overwhelming victory for His government; redemptive exaltation of the redeemed; and eternal security of the Universe in the eternity to come.

The redemptive results of God's eternal purpose will be an eternal testimony to God's mercy, eternal proof of His infinite wisdom and the eternal manifestation of His infinitely self-sacrificing love and suffering for the good of His creatures.

Indeed sin can never again arise in the universe (Nahum 1:9). Love's self sacrifice has produced eternal immunity against sin ever developing in the eternity to come.

Moreover God will have a generic family all of His own because redeemed humanity will possess the life of God in mind and body and will share His throne!

Indeed the redeemed will be more closely connected to God than if sin had never occurred! Hallelujah!