Present Truth
August 2014

Dear Readers,
“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:2). I pray that daily you are “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).
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Update: Thank you for all your prayers for my recovery after my nearly fatal accident. The Lord has blessed, and I have regained almost all of my abilities.
In This Issue:
What is Unity?
Lynnford Beachy
The Just Shall Live by Faith
Jason Edwards
The Christian Life
Ellet J. Waggoner
Something for the Young at Heart

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What is Unity?
by Lynnford Beachy

Unity is only mentioned three times in the Bible. The first time it is found in the book of Psalms, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1). It is definitely a good thing to dwell together with brethren in unity, but what is unity and how do we get it?
The book of Psalms was originally written in Hebrew, and the word translated “unity” in this verse is yachad, which was used a total of 142 times in the Old Testament. It was translated in the King James Version as follows: “together” 120 times, “altogether” 5 times, “alike” 5 times, “likewise” 2 times, “withal” 2 times, and miscellaneously 8 times. The word is defined as “union, unitedness, together, altogether, all together, alike” (Brown-Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Lexicon).
The next time unity is mentioned is in Ephesians where Paul says, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:3-6).
Ephesians was originally written in Greek, and the word translated “unity” in this verse is henotes, which was only used twice in the New Testament, both in Ephesians chapter four. The word is defined as “unity, unanimity, agreement” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).
The Bible tells us that we should endeavor to keep “the unity of the Spirit.” This unity is given to us by the Spirit. It is a unity that we are to strive to keep. If you have been given the Spirit of Christ, then you are automatically joined to everyone else who has been given the Spirit of Christ. “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5). We actually belong to one another because we are part of the same body. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17).
Christ’s Prayer for Unity
Just before His death, Jesus prayed to His Father, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Here Jesus explained what it means to be one with Him and His Father. We must have Jesus living in our hearts, and then we will have both the Father and the Son. It is this connection to divinity alone that produces unity among Christians. This is “the unity of the Spirit” that we are to strive to maintain. This is so prominent in the mind of Christ that even when He was about to die He was thinking about you and me and the unity that we can share with Him and one another. Let us keep prominent in our minds that this unity can only be accomplished through being united with Christ.
The Bond of Peace
We are to strive to keep “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The Bible says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). My mom used to tell me, “It takes two to fight.” There is a lot of truth to that. It is hard to fight with just one person involved. Even though you are just one person, you have the power to avoid a lot of fighting by being kind. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39).
Peter wrote, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8, 9). The Weymouth Translation says, “In conclusion, all of you should be of one mind, quick to sympathize, kind to the brethren, tenderhearted, lowly-minded, not requiting evil with evil nor abuse with abuse, but, on the contrary, giving a blessing in return, because a blessing is what you have been called by God to inherit.” (1 Peter 3:8, 9 - Weymouth Translation).
Bottom line, be nice to each other. We are to strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This can only be accomplished if we have the Spirit of Christ in our hearts. When this happens the result will be as Paul described, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23). When you have the Spirit of Christ in your heart, He will change the way you treat others. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9).
If we claim to have the Spirit of Christ and treat each other like dirt, then our profession is a mockery. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20).
Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Men often seek to have unity by conformity to a list of rules and doctrines, while they treat others, especially those who do not agree with them, like they are the scum of the earth. If we do this, it is a sign that we are not disciples of Christ.
Samaritans
To the Jews of Christ’s day the Samaritans were considered lower-class citizens. It was almost a dirty word to call someone a Samaritan. One time when Jesus was contending with the Jews, “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (John 8:48). Why did they throw in the word “Samaritan” here? They already were claiming that He had a devil, the word “Samaritan,” in their minds, just made it worse.
Notice the following story that illustrates the friction between the Samaritans and the Jews. Jesus was planning to bless a Samaritan village with His presence: “And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village” (Luke 9:52-56).
Jesus had healed many people, and his fame was widespread. The Samaritans knew that Jesus would have healed their sick, but because of their animosity toward the Jews they would not receive the blessing. The only reason they would not receive Him was “because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.” What a sad prejudice! Jesus wanted to heal them but their pride and jealousy prevented them from receiving Christ. It was not a fault alone with the Samaritans, for the disciples asked, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” Jesus rebuked them by telling them they were being led by a satanic spirit. Sadly, this spirit is still very active in the churches today, yet it is no less satanic.
Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well, and startled her by talking to her. She asked, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Just the fact that a Jew was talking to a Samaritan was cause for alarm in those days. Their hatred for each other ran very deep. After the shock wore off, this lady explained why there was so much dislike of each other. She said, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). The reason the Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along was because they differed in doctrine.
Jesus explained, “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24). Jesus was about to break down the system of rituals that tied worship to a specific location. The true worshippers could worship the Father in spirit and in truth wherever they happened to be.
In Jesus’ discussion with this Samaritan, he did not downplay the importance of true doctrines, but he did reject the unkind attitude manifested between the two opposing sides.
Jesus told a story to help alleviate this senseless hatred. “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:25-37).
Jesus gladly healed and preached among the Jews and the Samaritans. He did not hesitate to cross barriers to show God’s love wherever He went. Shouldn’t we do likewise? We have many brothers and sisters who differ from us doctrinally, but is that an excuse to treat them unkindly? In fact, most of us disagree doctrinally with ourselves five years ago. God instructed the Israelites, “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). We should be kind to one another also, and remember where we came from.
The Bridge
I ran across a hypothetical story that illustrates the sadness of people using doctrines as an excuse to mistreat others. The story goes like this:
I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!” “Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well, are you religious or atheist?” He said, “Religious.” I said, “Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?” He said, “Christian.” I said, “Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist? He said, “Baptist!” I said, “Wow! Me too! Are you from Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord? He said, “Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you from Original Baptist Church of God or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?” He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?” He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915!” I said, “Die, heretic scum!” and pushed him off.
This story could be replaced with any denomination to illustrate it in your own experience. Few people would take the last step of this story, but many are willing to put up barriers to keep from communicating or mingling with those who see things differently. Are these separations healthy, or biblical?
One Body
The Bible says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:13- 26).
The Bible presents God’s people as all belonging to each other, even with their differences. This unity is caused by the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts.
An Illustration
A few years ago I smashed a finger on my left hand with a hammer that my right hand was carelessly wielding. Fortunately, my left hand did not retaliate against my right hand for hurting it. Imagine if it had the ability to say, “Just you wait until I get the hammer and I will show you what it feels like to get smashed.” Unfortunately, members of the body of Christ treat each other as ridiculously as that.
When my left hand was hurt, I had to be careful with it because it got to the point where my fingernail was about to fall off, and I didn’t want it to rip all the way off. It hurt every time it moved just a little bit, so I was careful with it. Sometimes my right hand put a Band-aid on it, not to stop the bleeding (for there was none), but to keep it from catching on something and being pulled off. I was careful to protect this part of my body that was hurting. I had to watch over it, and that is the way we should be as a church, as part of the body of Christ. If you see some part that is hurting, or struggling, you should take more care to help strengthen that part, to protect it. God says that we should have the same care one for another.
In fact, Jesus spoke about how we treat others and said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). He also said, “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45). However we treat other parts of the body of Christ, we are doing it to Jesus Himself. Remember this the next time you communicate with people.
When I was hurt, my right hand pitched in and did things for my left hand to help out because it couldn’t do the same things it used to be able to do. I found myself using my right hand sometimes when I would normally have used my left. When part of your body is suffering the rest of the body needs to help out. That’s the way we should operate as a church, as part of the body of Christ. Not just as a local church in your local area. The body of Christ is not only the small group you fellowship with. It is all over the world, such as orphanages in Africa and refugee camps. There are some of the members who are being attacked in Iraq. Some are in accidents and you meet them on the streets. The body of Christ is all over, and we just cannot think that we are it—that this is all there is—because God has His people everywhere. These others are just as important to the body of Christ as we are. We need to recognize that.
The Bible says we should have the same care one for another. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1, 2). Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
Have you ever been somewhere alone, with no support, or no help from anywhere, while you were going through a difficult time? It’s hard to be alone, isn’t it? We need each other to help us. “Woe to him,” the Bible says, “that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” Two are better than one, because when one of us is in trouble or one of us falls, we need others to help us up. We need to be there for each other, we need to do our part for the body of Christ.
Have you ever tried to put a bandage on a finger on your left hand by only using your left hand? That’s pretty hard to do. You need your right hand to pitch in and bear that burden. That is the way we need to be with one another. We need to bear each others’ burdens.
An excellent Proverb says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). If you want people to be friendly to you, you have to be friendly to them. If you want people to bear your burdens you must bear their burdens. If you want people to encourage and strengthen you, you must encourage and strengthen them. Jesus said, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).
The Source of Unity
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:14-18).
True biblical unity can only be accomplished by being united with the great source of unity, God Himself. When that happens, kindness is a natural result. You will treat others with love and compassion. There is too much manmade unity that leaves out the essential ingredient of unity: Christ abiding in the heart. With Christ being left out, men resort to manmade rules and doctrines to bring an apparent unity by conformity. Jesus quoted Scripture saying, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8, 9).
Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). There is an interesting fact about this verse. To catch it we must first understand the difference between the parts of speech called “active” and “passive.” In the sentence, “The boy was hit by the ball,” the passive voice is being used because the subject is the one receiving the action of being hit. In the sentence, “The boy hit the ball,” the active voice is being used because the boy is the one performing the action. In the Greek language, the active or passive voice is expressed in the verb itself regardless of the position of the nouns in the sentence. The words “gathered together” in Matthew 18:20 are in the passive voice, indicating that the two or three who are gathered together are not the ones initiating the gathering together. Instead, they are on the receiving end of being gathered. God is the one who gathers us together.
Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). Here, the word “draw” is in the active voice. God, the Father, is actively drawing men to Jesus Christ so they can be saved. Speaking of the early Christian church, the Bible says, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:46, 47).
God is the one adding to the church, drawing us to Christ, and gathering us together. If He is not doing this, and we gather ourselves together, then Jesus’ promise, “…there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20), does not apply. Manmade unity is not true unity. It may look unified but, with Christ left out of the equation, it has to fail. During the Dark Ages the papacy strove to unify its kingdom by killing all who disagreed with it. We see the same type of thing happening today in the Middle East. Today, most Christians would not be willing to kill those who differ from them, but they often will resort to slander, hatred, criticism, etc. Jesus explained that if we are angry with our brother without a cause it is equivalent to committing murder. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21, 22).
Paul wrote, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1-5).
We are instructed to be “likeminded” and to be “of one accord, of one mind.” Then, to explain how this is accomplished, we are told, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is true unity. When the body of Christ is surrendered to the head, we will be unified with one another. God is going to take the reigns into His own hands and do a mighty work in the last days. It will be clear that man is not in control. I pray that each of us will be united to God so that we can be part of that work.
Unity of the Faith
Shortly after Paul told us about “the unity of the Spirit,” he explained, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). God is doing a work to bring us into “the unity of the faith.” This has not been completed yet, but that is what He is working towards. As His body, we should cooperate with Him in this work. The first step in this work is having “the unity of the Spirit.” If this is not a reality in our lives, then regardless of what WE do, we will never come into the unity of the faith.
The unity of the faith is reaching the maturity of the “knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” A newborn Christian does not automatically have all knowledge. Therefore, his thoughts and actions will not perfectly reflect the complete will of God for a mature Christian. Because of this, there will naturally be differences in the body of Christ. Two people may be in the body of Christ, but differ in the way they think or act. This does not mean that one of them is not a Christian, but just that they are in different parts of the body. All the water in rivers and streams is connected to the ocean. Follow a stream long enough and it will lead to a river. Follow the river long enough and it will lead to the ocean. A stream in the mountains of China is just as much connected to the ocean as the Mississippi River. Just because you meet someone who is in a different part of the channel of water, does not mean that he is not connected to the source, Jesus Christ. Water in these channels is constantly moving toward the ocean. As long as we stay in the channel, we will come closer and closer to Christ, which will naturally bring us closer to one another.
Jesus is the vine we are the branches (John 15:5). He is leading us into the unity of the faith, unto a perfect man. This process requires learning and growing. Right after Paul told us about the unity of the faith he wrote, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:14, 15).
It is important for us to speak the truth, but it must only be done in love. The Bible says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). There is a unity of the faith where we speak the same thing; where all divisions will be removed. I want to be part of that unity. As the water of a stream continually travels closer and closer to the ocean, so we must “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” Sadly, some will set up their own stagnant pool, thinking that they are connected to the source. When they see others in the water who do not meet their criteria, they cast them out of their “pool” (church).
John wrote, “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church” (3 John 1:9, 10). Diotrephes cast people out of the church for receiving the apostle John. Did he really cast them out of the true church? No, he cast them out of his own manmade church. They were still just as much part of the body of Christ after they were cast out as they were before. In reality, Diotrephes was setting up his own stagnant pool and choosing who he would allow to stay in that pool. But the pool was not moving toward Christ. It is that kind of pool that God’s people want to be out of anyway, so he did no harm to those he cast out.
There will be men “who love to have the preeminence” who will continually strive to set up their own stagnant pools, and then try to convince others that theirs is the only true “pool” (church). God’s church is a moving church, growing closer and closer to Christ. In this process we will have many things to learn, and many, many things to unlearn. Let us not get stuck in a stagnant pool, but move ever closer to our head, and “grow up into him in all things” (Ephesians 4:15).
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The Just Shall Live by Faith
by Jason Edwards

The questions I want to answer in this study are:
1) How do we live?
2) What shall we do?
3) How do we do it?
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). We want to find our answers in the Bible.
Love
The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). By what faith does one live? I have a great deal of faith in love, that through love is every good work possible. Jesus said, “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). This is everlasting love.
Good works are a natural result of repentance, and conversion which is caused by beholding God’s love. The Bible says, “…the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the goodness of God, of His grace, mercy and love. Through Him we have strength and everything we need. Because God loves us, He leads us to Christ so we can be saved. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).
The works of God are revealed in Jesus. The words that Jesus spoke are the words His Father commanded Him to speak. He said, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49). The obedience of Jesus to His Father gives us an example of how we are to live. Jesus said, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
The Law
“For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Romans 2:13). There is only one way to be a doer of the law and it is by Jesus Christ. “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:10, 11).
The Bible talks about “the law of sin and death” and “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2). When we walk by the faith of Jesus Christ, we walk in the Spirit and thus we “shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). When we walk in the Spirit, our actions are prompted by God’s love. When someone does everything in love, they fulfill “the whole law,” for “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
The Ten Commandments are a reflection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the measure of what man cannot achieve on his own. But in Christ we are made whole and can do all things (Philippians 4:13).
I live by the Spirit and not by the letter of the Law. I look not for the praise of man, but of God. The truth is further explained by Paul when he prayed that he would, “be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:9). The Bible says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). The just shall live by faith, and can only be justified through the blood of Jesus.
Prayer, Prayer, Prayer! The Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Pray always for spiritual guidance in the name of Jesus Christ, Who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Judgment
The judgment of God is according to truth. God is a just God and He is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). No man, regardless of his position, is to be the judge of our motives. That job belongs to God. We should beware, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:2).
God gave us His goodness so we can know the path to repentance. For God “…will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Romans 2:6, 7).
God wants us all to be saved. “For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)” (Romans 2:11-15).
Jesus is able “…to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
The Son of God
Look at what Jesus said through Solomon, “When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth” (Proverbs 8:24-27). Literally, before there was dust, the thing that man was made of, Jesus was born of God. Before God put a compass upon the ocean, Jesus was there.
The Bible continues, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors” (Proverbs 8:33-34). Each day there is a door, each day there is a window of opportunity. Usually when I am looking for an answer to something, it is important for me to know who is giving me that answer. I tend to have more faith in the person who is giving me such answers when that person is older than me; someone who has a few years of wisdom. I will keep my faith in God, to Whom my only door is through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He is my Saviour from a world of evil destruction.
Just as there is a law of gravity, so there is “the law of faith” (Romans 3:27). The more I read and understand in chapter three of Romans, it is not about being a Jew that I can gain any advantage. It is not about where I am from, or how closely I follow the letter of the law. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
If I am to have any confidence in anything as I am looking for justification, I have to have the Justifier, the Son of God, who is my salvation. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:24, 25).
The NKJV says, “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25, 26 NKJV).
I have faith in Jesus. He is my Lord. He is my joy, the salvation of what was left of me after forty-four years of hell. My life is now more abundant in ways that are soberly full of drunkenness, drunk with Jesus on my mind, in my heart as a joyful song.
The just shall live by faith is for me a meaning of bounty because it represents a strength that is given that I could never achieve on my own. And that is the strength to be righteous in the eyes of God. In my eyes I see a man who has been changed. I see where I have been, and some of the places I have been are not very pretty, but by the blood of Jesus I am cleansed.
Justified, justified, I love that word, but it should never be misinterpreted. Let’s consider a justifiable action and what it means. Is it when someone hurts another by putting them in harm’s way? Absolutely not! Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Then there are those who plot out and scheme against others knowing full-well what they are doing. We do not find it justifiable to pay evil for evil, yet, rather pray for their very lives to be found in true repentance and turning towards the Lord who is able to set a wretched man on the path of righteousness.
The Work of God
What is the work of God? The answer is, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). When you believe in a person it is normal to lean towards the advice they give. It is common to have a long-standing relationship with them. I know that when one of my friends invites me over for dinner, I always get a little bit excited and, of course, that excitement level can get pretty high in just the course of wanting to know what we are going to eat.
In the same way, I get joyful about inviting someone over, or even just out for a tasty meal, because I enjoy the complements of relationships. My heart has seen a great deal in its ever so short forty-four years. I love to love more than I do anything else in the world. Jesus said, “If any man serve me, let him follow me;…” (John 12:26). Then He goes on to explain something that is in store for those who follow Him. He continued, “…and where I am, there shall also my servant be:…” (John 12:26). Sounds like an invitation to me, and I love invitations.
I also like it when someone says, “Hey, would you do me a favor?” because I like to be called upon. Banquets. I love banquets because they are exciting and the atmosphere always gives me a boost: people called out by name to be honorably noticed for things of integrity, special achievements, and that is why the last part of this verse really hits me. “…if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26).
Abraham believed in God and showed himself approved by God when he held back nothing from God. Whatever God said, Abraham did. It is important to recognize the promises God gave to Abraham. This gives us building blocks to know how to live by faith. The Bible says that reading Scripture builds our faith. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Our faith is built when we hear the words and then become a doer of the word by faith. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This leads to fulfilled promises as one watches the glorious works of God unfold in their life.
Transformation
Romans chapter five starts out very nicely. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1, 2). The glory of God is, to me, the power of His love, which is life, yet not only life today, but life everlasting equaling everlasting love.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3-5).
For me, I can see faith by this verse’s main course, which is, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.” How can I see it? By the difference of what my life produces. Faith in God produces love in my heart, produced by Jesus Christ living in my heart, which gives great hope to me. Learning to glory in tribulations makes for a certain type of patience. What do I mean? The only kind of patience worth having is Christ-centered living. This is the same as God-centered, for to know God is to know Jesus. “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). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:8, 9).
Living Christ-centered is laying aside all fears and overcoming circumstances in a humble yet contrite, heartfelt manner.
In the book of Luke it talks about John the Baptist going about speaking of Jesus, which is the same thing Jesus said for us to do with others. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
Obedience
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). “The just shall live by faith.” I believe that through Him my sins are cleared from the books; all my sins are gone away. It is by the blood that He shed on the cross that I am covered. This justifies me. “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21). “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11).
To serve something is to be a slave to it. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to God. For me, I choose God. I choose the one Who has in His arm all power over every difficulty that could come my way. Jehovah is the Alpha and the Omega of every detail in my life.
Chapter six of Romans speaks of a newness to take place by those who are made alive in Christ. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:6-14).
In order to be made alive, first I must be dead. I cannot be alive in Christ if I am still living the life of Jason. To live in Christ Jesus is a destination. I pray that you reach that destination by faith.
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The Christian Life
by Ellet J. Waggoner

Someone says: “The little boy or girl, at school, looks at the copy in the writing-book, and imitates it, trying to write each following line better. That is the Christian life, and that is all of it.”
Not by any means. If it were all of it, there would be no hope for anybody; for the pattern is Jesus Christ, in whom dwelleth “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), and no human being could ever successfully copy that life. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8, 9). He who would copy the life of Christ as the schoolboy copies his lesson, and do it successfully, must have power equal to that of God.
If the boy whose hand the master holds and guides in imitating the copy, were used as an illustration of the Christian life, it would be a step nearer the truth; but even that would not be the truth. That is mechanical. The boy may yield his hand willingly to the master, that it may be guided, but the writing is after all not his own. God does not use men as dead instruments to be operated upon, although men are to yield themselves as instruments of righteousness unto Him.
The Christian life is simply the life of Christ. If the master who sets the copy for the schoolboy, could put all his own skill and power into that boy, so that what he writes will not be merely an imitation of the master’s copy, but the master’s own writing, and still the free act of the boy, we should have an illustration of the Christian life. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12, 13). “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life that 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). “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). And how was it that He walked? Christ Himself said, “The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works” (John 14:10). Christ has set us the copy, but instead of standing off and watching us try to imitate Him, He gladly comes in to our hearts, becoming one with us, so that His life is our life, and His act is ours. This is life-the Christian life.
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Something for the Young at Heart
This month we are continuing a series of studies written by my children. In order to maintain the flow of the study, this crossword puzzle is not split into Across and Down sections—Across or Down is indicated at the end of each line. (The KJV is required.)

To complete this crossword, please download the PDF version of this newsletter.
Greatness – by Zachariah Beachy
› “Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast ____.” Exodus 15:16—9 Down
› “Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy ____, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Numbers 14:19—5 Down
› “O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty ____: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?” Deuteronomy 3:24—2 Down
› “And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his ____ and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.” Deuteronomy 5:24—13 Down
› “I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy ____, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” Deuteronomy 9:26—6 Down
› “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the ____, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11—12 Down
› “And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the ____ day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.” Nehemiah 13:22—4 Down
› “Thou shalt increase my greatness, and ____ me on every side.” Psalms 71:21—8 Down
› “Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy ____ preserve thou those that are appointed to die.” Psalms 79:11—11 Down
› “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is ____.” Psalms 145:3—1 Across
› “And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will ____ thy greatness.” Psalms 145:6—7 Across
› “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his ____ greatness.” Psalms 150:2—14 Across
› “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his ____, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26—5 Across
› “It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy ____ to the end of the earth.” Daniel 4:22—3 Across
› “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the ____ of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Daniel 7:27—15 Across
› “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who ____, according to the working of his mighty power.” Ephesians 1:19—10 Down

Note: If you or your children would like to participate in preparing Crossword Bible studies, send us a Bible study in the format above, with one word missing and replaced with a blank ____. Put the missing word at the beginning of the paragraph followed by a colon: (Make sure that you do not use the same word twice). Make sure each verse is relevant to the study and provide approximately 20 verses). If you send this to us we may be able to include it in an upcoming issue of Present Truth.
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