FEW HAVE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE
The means for the blessing we see provided in Christ and His bride, the elect church of the Gospel age, but the guarantee of the whole is fixed beyond peradventure in the fact that “Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man,” or, as our text declares, became the Mediator between God and man by giving Himself a ransom for all.
A point we desire to emphasize here is that the giving of this ransom price and the acceptance of it by justice imply divine intention for the blessing of all mankind, in full accord with the various testimonies of the entire Scriptures.
Why should “a ransom for all” be given if it were not intended of God that all should benefit by it, or, at least, have an opportunity of benefiting by it, which would virtually be the same thing?
We hold that it is beyond dispute that the giving of the ransom for all and the divine acceptance of it, in harmony with the divine promise, are the sure guarantee that ultimately a blessing must come to every member of Adam’s race as a result.
The fact that this knowledge has not yet reached all mankind in the past, and is not reaching all mankind today, but, on the contrary, a small minority, and the fact that knowledge of God’s favor and an intelligent acceptance of it on faith and a reasonable obedience in harmony with that faith are the demands of the divine word, require no proof.
Proof could be given on almost every page of the Scriptures that faith, and endeavor to obedience in harmony with that faith, is necessary to salvation, but we will content ourselves by referring to a few citations.
The Apostle Paul says: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” (Rom. 10:14, 17.) “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6). “All that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God,” and “the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep.” (John 5:28; Isa 11:9)."All the blind eyes shall be opened and the deaf ears shall be unstopped." (Isa 35:5). “They shall no longer teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: `Know the Lord; ”for they shall know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord." (Jer 31:34).
Our text is in full accord with all these statements of the necessity for knowledge, declaring that the fact that our Lord Jesus gave himself a ransom for all is to be testified “in due time.” The present then is the due time for the church, the household of faith; to hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who now hear, pass from death unto life to newness of life, to a begetting to a new nature. By and by, when the present class of called “elect” ones shall have been glorified with their Lord, all the remainder of mankind shall hear, “All that are in their graves shall hear His voice and come forth” for this very purpose that they may hear, may understand, may appreciate and may be assisted to obey the voice of Him that speaks from heaven, the great ransomer, who in that day will be king over all the earth and will bind Satan and will put down every opposing influence, to the intent that all may be judged worthy or unworthy of everlasting life, by their appreciation of God and His righteous laws and their full obedience thereto.
This is the Apostle Peter’s declaration in Acts 3:22-23; he points us to the fact that Moses was a type of Christ Jesus the head and the church His body and that this anti-typical priest God is raising up from among His brethren raising Him up to the glory, honor and immortality of the divine nature and to the power and authority of the kingdom, to the intent that as the seed of Abraham this great Messiah shall bless all the families of the earth with knowledge and every opportunity for return to all that was lost in Eden of divine favor and blessing.
And what of those who will refuse to hear that great prophet, priest and king during the millennial age what of them?
The apostle answers, “It shall come to pass that the soul that will not hear (obey) that prophet shall be cut off from among His people” cut off in the second death, from which there will be no hope of recovery, no resurrection.
Continued with next post.
The means for the blessing we see provided in Christ and His bride, the elect church of the Gospel age, but the guarantee of the whole is fixed beyond peradventure in the fact that “Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man,” or, as our text declares, became the Mediator between God and man by giving Himself a ransom for all.
A point we desire to emphasize here is that the giving of this ransom price and the acceptance of it by justice imply divine intention for the blessing of all mankind, in full accord with the various testimonies of the entire Scriptures.
Why should “a ransom for all” be given if it were not intended of God that all should benefit by it, or, at least, have an opportunity of benefiting by it, which would virtually be the same thing?
We hold that it is beyond dispute that the giving of the ransom for all and the divine acceptance of it, in harmony with the divine promise, are the sure guarantee that ultimately a blessing must come to every member of Adam’s race as a result.
The fact that this knowledge has not yet reached all mankind in the past, and is not reaching all mankind today, but, on the contrary, a small minority, and the fact that knowledge of God’s favor and an intelligent acceptance of it on faith and a reasonable obedience in harmony with that faith are the demands of the divine word, require no proof.
Proof could be given on almost every page of the Scriptures that faith, and endeavor to obedience in harmony with that faith, is necessary to salvation, but we will content ourselves by referring to a few citations.
The Apostle Paul says: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” (Rom. 10:14, 17.) “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6). “All that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God,” and “the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep.” (John 5:28; Isa 11:9)."All the blind eyes shall be opened and the deaf ears shall be unstopped." (Isa 35:5). “They shall no longer teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: `Know the Lord; ”for they shall know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord." (Jer 31:34).
Our text is in full accord with all these statements of the necessity for knowledge, declaring that the fact that our Lord Jesus gave himself a ransom for all is to be testified “in due time.” The present then is the due time for the church, the household of faith; to hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who now hear, pass from death unto life to newness of life, to a begetting to a new nature. By and by, when the present class of called “elect” ones shall have been glorified with their Lord, all the remainder of mankind shall hear, “All that are in their graves shall hear His voice and come forth” for this very purpose that they may hear, may understand, may appreciate and may be assisted to obey the voice of Him that speaks from heaven, the great ransomer, who in that day will be king over all the earth and will bind Satan and will put down every opposing influence, to the intent that all may be judged worthy or unworthy of everlasting life, by their appreciation of God and His righteous laws and their full obedience thereto.
This is the Apostle Peter’s declaration in Acts 3:22-23; he points us to the fact that Moses was a type of Christ Jesus the head and the church His body and that this anti-typical priest God is raising up from among His brethren raising Him up to the glory, honor and immortality of the divine nature and to the power and authority of the kingdom, to the intent that as the seed of Abraham this great Messiah shall bless all the families of the earth with knowledge and every opportunity for return to all that was lost in Eden of divine favor and blessing.
And what of those who will refuse to hear that great prophet, priest and king during the millennial age what of them?
The apostle answers, “It shall come to pass that the soul that will not hear (obey) that prophet shall be cut off from among His people” cut off in the second death, from which there will be no hope of recovery, no resurrection.
Continued with next post.
