REDEMPTION WAY about heaven; salvation; eternal life; blessing; our course; judg-ments; the Lord's sacrifice, reign, kingdom, glory and pur-poses, etc.
An Introduction Note:This new edition of the new year continues to emphasize the urgency of coming to Christ, for we are in the end times. Grace may not last a full year before our Lord comes again. Are we all ready?
Your visit here is appreciated, and questions and comments are welcome and held confidential. This web site is www.BibleCounsel.homestead.com and is non-sectarian ministry to encourage the reading of God's Word, and for serious seek-ing after truth. It values God's work of revival in the early 1800's, with which it is associated, and urges readers to learn about it (see Church Truth page and Featurepages herein). It is always the desire and hope here to obey and honor our Lord, and encourage and seek the spiritual welfare of all people.
The concern for souls is that they be saved for eternal blessing in heaven, and obey and follow the Word of God here in this life to honor God. If readers desire to be saved from coming judgment, and/or are looking for a truly scriptural fellowship in the world, they are encouraged to write here for help and to find a sound assembly.
Papers and comments here are changed periodically, and are personal convic-
tions. There are many pages for help and encouragement. The manager may not
have answers for all questions, but is glad to share what he has and be of some
help. We need to prove it by the Word. He is not perfect and revisions and up-dates seem needed at times to clarify thoughts, so one might note the revision date on any papers they wish to copy (set your print margins at .25). Any copies made should not be altered or taken out of context when shared with others.
If readers find this site to be of some help, and each invite one
friend or acquaintance to visit here, it might prove good for others
too. It is hoped all will find some ministry to help, and perhaps a nice
challenge for their faith. Surely "the time is short", as God says, and
surely we need to also "be about (our) Father's business". See the
Many times a person will speak of God's love for all people everywhere, which is surely a truth, 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); and "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9), but the truth also is that not all will come, and God knows each one and He will not force them to come. Truly God loves mankind, yet He is not esteemed by the world. We need to keep in remembrance that man rebelled, was corrupted by sin and was lost, and thus separated from God; and therefore the Creator-God would be fully justified to destroy them all, but He desired to have a people to love and who will love Him. We can be a part of that mercy and grace if we repent and receive life in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus --the Christ (John 3:35-36).
Probably the greatest difficulty for many people in comprehending the Creator-God, is to understand holiness --the purity of God and His nature as the fully just One, completely righteous, who not only loves but is love, and who cannot allow sin in His presence nor will compromise His nature. Mankind is far short of that, and even far off from Godliness, "having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12; Psa.51:5).
The expression by God in 1 Peter 2:10 as to being a people of God is worthy of note. The Gentiles were not of the covenant of promise with Abraham and Israel, and not regarded for blessings after the fall of man; but are then brought nigh by the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, for mercy and the hope of blessings by faith. This sets forth essential truths to comprehend: Christ formed the church as His body and it will be a heavenly people ---His bride, and Israel will be an earthly people forever; and today since Israel is a scattered people, all souls must come on the ground of faith in God's Son, who is that Christ (Messiah) Israel had looked for but rejected when He appeared.
"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God"; "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"; "Jews and Gentiles...all under sin" (Rom. 3:9-12). That speaks of all mankind in the world. God says: "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek.18:4).
God tells us that all people are born in sin and practice sin by nature since the fall of man at the beginning of creation. He shows us in the flood of Noah's time that all mankind deserves to be destroyed for rebellion and self-indulgence, but He sets forth an example of His grace to come, in preserving Noah and his family, as well as representatives of animal life for a new beginning. Judgment will surely fall on all outside the holiness of God, for He cannot look upon sin, which must always be judged in the presence of a holy Creator. This is an immutable truth ---God is holy, which man needs to appreciate. This is hard for man who is so accustomed to his sinful condition that he cannot comprehend righteousness, justice, holiness, etc.
God speaks of Israel as "my people" in the past, and in the book of Hosea He speaks of them as both "my people" and "not my people" (ammi and lo-ammi). One should see that Israel of all people was brought into blessing by covenant with Abraham, and even exalted in type as a wife to God, but in her rebellion and adultery before God she was cast aside. In a day to come God tells us He will restore His adult-erous wife. They will become God's earthly people whom He will dwell with on the earth forever.
Such a scene for Israel must not be confused with the church, as a virgin bride espoused to Jesus, the Christ. The bride is made up of all those who are brought in as a people under a new state of mercy and grace (not a covenant). They are brought in by the favor of God on all who will appreciate His Son and receive Him as Savior and Lord. The bride is not the same as Israel of old. They have a different relationship with God; and we need to say that Israelites today can only come to God on the same ground as the Gentiles, until He raises up a new people out of Israel when the Christ establishes His kingdom in a coming day.
How blessed it is to be called a people of God, and one can be such by seeing their need of the Savior, and obeying the gospel message in the Holy Word.
- R. DeWitt, 6/09
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A Word Good For All Nations: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". - 2 Chron. 7:14.
