Text: "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." – (Hebrews 10:11,l2)

The magnificent light that God’s truth elicits has nearly ceased to shine in the churches of America. Pulpits that once echoed the sublime doctrines manifesting God in His glory are now silent. The result is an appalling, yet prevailing and ominous ignorance in nearly every congregation in the land. God said "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge," and it is a continuing reminder that the day is coming when men "shall wander from sea to sea, and from the west to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." --(Hosea 4:6; Amos 8:12)

There is scarcely one person in a thousand in our churches who can give a Biblical exegesis of the doctrines of salvation. For instance, our Lord Jesus Christ had to satisfy (2) criteria or His vicarious death would have been disallowed by God the Father. It was absolutely essential that the Lord Jesus satisfy both the law of God and the justice of God.

This is the mystery of salvation: that God can be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Yet most church members have never heard a sermon on the vital doctrine of the satisfaction of Jesus Christ.

Most people who are numbered among the household of faith have no real knowledge of what salvation is, or from what they must be saved. Most people who call themselves "Christians" believe that to be "saved" is to be rescued from everlasting torment, but this is only a fringe benefit. Real salvation delivers a person from the power of sin, as well as the pleasures of sin.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,

He sets the prisoner free.

The reason why so many church members still enjoy sin, and are still bound by its spell is because they have never been saved at all.

If a person does not know what constitutes real salvation, how can they be said to have experienced it? If they do not know what salvation looks like, it is little wonder they cannot recognize it.

Salvation cannot be understood apart from the doctrine of satisfaction; neither is it attainable apart from the satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ. Old Testament sacrifices were not capable of satisfying either the law of God or the justice of God. Had they been able to meet the requirements of the Holy Lord God, there would have been a cessation of them. Yet, every year, every day, the requirement for continued offerings attested to man’s continued guiltiness.

Not all the blood of beasts

On Jewish altars slain

Could give the guilty conscience peace,

Or wash away the stain.

But Christ the Heavenly Lamb,

Takes all our guilt away:

A sacrifice of nobler name,

And richer blood than they.

There are two primary reasons why animal sacrifices were ineffectual. First, is the superiority of men over animals, and second, is the exceeding sinfulness of sin. If man were only an educated animal whose ancestors as simple-celled protozoa had been stranded on the seashore, then animal sacrifices would have provided sufficient offering for sin. But unlike the beasts of the field, man was made in the image of God, "a little lower than the angels;" therefore he is superior to animals. It is no wonder then that because of his sins, man has sunk to levels of depravity unknown to the beasts of the field.

On account of His holy nature, God demands perfect obedience to His law. Nothing less than implicit and explicit obedience can satisfy a holy God. "Implicit obedience" is obedience with the mind; it issues from the heart. "Explicit obedience" involves obedience with the body. The Lord Jesus Christ therefore rejoiced that while the Father cared not for sacrifice and offering, He prepared a body for Him. The Son of God announces, "Lo, I come, (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, o God." The spotless "Lamb of God" learned obedience by the things which He suffered."

God sent forth His Son, "made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons." He did not take upon Him the nature of angels, but was "made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. -- Wherefore, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." --(Galatians 4:4,5; Philippians 2:7-11,4)

In life, He was "holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners." From the beginning of man’s creation, the Lord Jesus Christ has been the only one to satisfy the law of God by yielding perfect obedience. Therefore, only He could satisfy the justice of God.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered

Was all for sinners’ gain:

Mine, mine was the transgression,

But Thine the deadly pain;

LO, here I fall, my Saviour!

’Tis I deserve Thy place;

Look on me with Thy favor,

Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall borrow

To thank Thee, dearest Friend.

For this Thy dying sorrow,

Thy pity without end?

O make me Thine forever,

And should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never, never

Outlive my love to Thee.

Another has written,

The Son of God in tears,

The wondering angels see;

Be thou astonished, O my soul,

He shed those tears for thee.

By rendering perfect obedience, our blessed Lord satisfied the law of God. Therefore, it is by God’s ordination that we are sanctified through Christ offering Himself for us. Unlike animal sacrifices that had to be repeated again and again, this man, after He made one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of the Father. Only God clothing Himself with flesh in the womb of the virgin could finish so great a work.

"It is finished!" sinners hear it;

‘Tis the dying Victor’s cry;

"It is finished!" angels bear it,

Bear the joyful truth on high:

"It is finished! It is finished!"

Tell it through the earth and sky!

Justice, from her awful station,

Bars the sinner’s peace no more;

Justice views with approbation

What the Saviour did and bore:

Grace and mercy, grace and mercy

Now display their boundless store.

Hear the Lord Himself declaring

All performed He came to do;

Sinners, in yourselves despairing

This is joyful news to you.

Jesus speaks it, Jesus speaks it,

His are faithful words and true.

"It is finished!" all is over;

Yes, the cup of wrath is drained;

Such the truth these words discover;

Thus the victory was obtained;

‘Tis a victory, ‘Tis a victory,

None but Jesus could have gained.

Crown the mighty Conqueror, crown Him,

Who His people’s foes o’ercame!

In the highest Heaven enthrone Him!

Men and angels sound His fame!

Great His Glory! Great His Glory!

Jesus bears a matchless name!

COGITATIONS FOR DISCERNING HEARTS

1.) What is it to "believe?" Is it thinking positively, or convincing yourself your will is the will of God? Or, is it not rather acting a certain way because of a firm conviction what the will of the Lord is?

2.) What is "faith?" Is it commanding God or rebuking the Devil "in Jesus’ name?" If it is, then why not rebuke Death "in Jesus’ name?"

3.) If the "signs of an apostle" are for our generation, why has the "grand-daddy of the faith healers opened a hospital? Why did he have Barbara Mandrell sing at its dedication when she participates on such pornographic programs as "Solid Gold?" And, why has Mr. Roberts now opened a "Christian" amusement park to finance it? What has happened to his doctrinal invention that he calls "seed faith?"

4.) If these "signs" are still in use, then why is it such "healers" do not raise the dead? (See: Matthew 10:8) According to Mark 16:18, if "believers" drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. Why will no such professor be good enough to drink a glass of Clorox and demonstrate his faith?

5.) Why do so many modern-day Christians believe sorrow and grief is of the Devil? Was not our blessed Lord a "Man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief?"

6.) Why do such charismatic Christians declare blindness, deafness and dumbness is of the Devil when God says, "Who maketh the dumb, or deaf or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:11)

And, why do they consider poverty to be of the Devil when "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the Maker of them all?" (Proverbs 22:2) And, does not our Lord warn us against all who suppose that "gain is godliness?" (I Timothy 6:5)

And again, why do they believe evil that befalls them is of the Devil when the prophet asks, "shall there he evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it?" (Amos 3:6)

7.) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit?" is it not the same thing as to "walk in the Spirit?"

8.) What is it to be "spiritual?" Is a person "spiritual" because he reads the Bible or prays? Is not true spirituality a life lived in obedience to God’s will?

And, is it not a deception of the Devil when a child of God thinks he is more "spiritual" than other believers are? Is it not rather true that the closer one walks with the Lord the more unworthy they discern themselves to be?

9.) When a child of God is born of God, taught of God, and anointed of God, from what can he possibly need to be delivered?

10.) And, why is it so many people are seeking such "spiritual" experiences? Is it not because "by good words and fair speeches (they) deceive the hearts of the simple?" (Romans 16:18) And, did not Peter warn that "Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you?"

Text: "Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears." But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

"So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan..." --(I Samuel 13:19-22)

According to "The Consumer Product Safety Commission" firearms are less dangerous than bicycles, stairs, football, baseball, skates, lawnmowers, swimming pools, tables, chairs, sofas, floors nails, bathtubs, liquid fluids, bleaches and dyes, cookware, desks, ladders, batteries, saws, bottles, fences, fishing equipment, furnaces, sleds, and electric fixtures. Why then is there such a fuss made about the registration and licensure of firearms? If we will not learn from history, then woe be unto us.

Czechoslovakia mandated the registration of firearms. When the Communists seized power, they easily disarmed the people, Today only the Russian occupation forces are allowed to have guns.

In Hungary, the police confiscated people’s guns and when the Soviets invaded, the people had only rocks and bottles with which to fight against tanks.

England had no guns in civilian hands to repulse a Nazi invasion, so the United States sent them 20,000 guns after 1939!

It is interesting that of all the countries Hitler attacked, he did not attack Switzerland. Switzerland has a strong gun law: "Every draft age male is required to possess at least one gun in good working order."

Edward Davis, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department said, "To surrender the right to keep and bear arms is to become slaves."

Jim Smith, Attorney General of Florida said, "I can understand why so many people are buying guns for their protection. There simply aren’t enough police to protect them." Of the 719,000 calls for police assistance in the Miami area in 1980, only 200,000 were answered. Over 400,000 people had to protect their own lives.

Gordon M. Johnson, Chief of Police in Minneapolis said, "Police forces were never designed to provide general, personal security. That reliance has, of necessity, rested with the people to provide protection before the squad car arrives."

Three London police commissioners, Sir David McNee, Coling Greenwood and, Richard Chitty said, "Gun controls are not effective in controlling violent crimes. We blame the leniency of the legal system and the liberalized atmosphere of the times."

(Why then the talk of gun control? We believe traitors of our Republic have become a formidable force in Congress.)

-Gleaned from The Bible Believers Bulletin, (October, 1985) Box 7135, Pensacola, Florida-

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An opportunity is open for a godly couple to assume the ministry at Chapel Library in Venice, Florida. In addition to an extensive lending library, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson have a gospel tract ministry that extends to every state and nearly to every country.

Among the qualifications are first, that the couple are circumspect in their lives, and second, that they embrace the doctrines of grace.

All interested should write --

Chapel Library

% Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson

P.O. Box 1335

Venice, Florida 33595

Telephone: 488-2622 (Area Code 8137)

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The Angelus will be discontinued after 12 years of publication unless we receive immediate relief. Rising costs have made publication almost impossible for us even occasionally combining editions.

We are again asking each recipient of The Angelus to send one dollar. ($1) While this will not cover our costs, it will be of great help to us. We wish to express our appreciation to the 3 individuals who responded to last month’s request.