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Mid-Week Manna

  • The Law of God and the Cross of Christ Series – No 2 :THE WAYS OF ESCAPE PROVIDED FROM THE FALL

    MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
    March 13, 2024

    The Law of God and the Cross of Christ Series – No 2

    THE WAYS OF ESCAPE PROVIDED FROM THE FALL
        “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man [beginning with the first Adam to Christ, ‘the second Adam’] but God is faithful, who will not suffer [permit] you to be tempted above that which are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it [not yield, cave into, ensnared].” 1 Cor. 10: 13, KJV (all words in brackets mine).

        In divine love and wisdom, omniscient God Creator provided “ways to escape” sin, the transgression of His law and its “wages” which is eternal death, while preserving the everlasting nature and immutability of His law which is the transcript of His character, the foundation of His eternal throne, the rule of His kingdom.  The “Way of ways” of course is Jesus Christ the Creator, “the Word from the beginning” who was “made flesh and dwelt among us” in the “great mystery godliness” manifested to men and angels in His incarnation (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:16; 1 Tim. 3:16). Indeed, “He is THE WAY, the truth, and the life.”

         Thus, it is only in and through Christ that all the other “ways of escape” for the sinner are found, namely: the remedial plan of salvation/redemption in type and antitype: the former as 1) the gospel in symbols in  force during the Old Covenant, Mosaic, Jewish dispensation and its ceremonial systems of the Old Testament period. All surrounded and centered upon the earthly sanctuary and its services
    2) the antitypical Christian dispensation of the New Testament period. All center now upon the heavenly sanctuary made up of the holy and most holy places under the New Covenant, where Christ as merciful High Priest has been interceding since His ascension and is currently Judging His professed people on earth by the records of the books of heaven.

         Nevertheless, whether during the Mosaic Old Testament dispensation beginning with the fall in Eden or the present   Christian Era, the “way of escape” of the Gospel plan, being “everlasting,” is the same, stated as follows:
         “The gospel is a system of practical truths destined to work great changes in the human character. If it does not work the transformation in life, in habits, and practice, IT IS NO TRUTH to those who claim to believe it. Man must be sanctified through the truth. Said Jesus, ‘Thy word is truth’ (John 17:17). Unless the truth of God shall lift up man out of his depravity, his intemperate and profligate habits, and make him REFLECT THE IMAGE OF GOD, he is lost!” -E.G. White, Letter 14, Mar 13. 1885.

        “The central power of the earth is a demon [Satan himself]. His throne is in the MIDST of the world, where should have been seen the throne of God. He [Satan] has been patronized by the church, for the church has been conformed to the world, and is living IN TRANSGRESSION OF THE HOLY LAW OF GOD.

         “Christ gave Himself to RANSOM man from the POWER of the destroyer. By becoming the sin-Bearer HE BROKE the power of Satan. He says, ‘I will become the Center of the redeemed world. ‘All holy agencies,’ saith God, ‘will I set in operation to oppose the armies of the INVISIBLE foe, to destroy his power. The eternal agency of the Holy Spirit shall RESCUE man from the EFFECTS of sin, and RESTORE in him the image of God.’ . . . The Lord will not let His human treasure with Christ, its Head, go into the enemy’s ranks without EVERY EFFORT made in their behalf. [But] THEIR ONLY HOPE IS TO DO DO THE COMMANDMENTS. This is THE GOSPEL which has been sounding down along the lines TO OUR TIME.” Ibid, Letter 78, Jan. 20, 1900.

    Next MWM we will consider the very first “way of escape” given to Adam and Eve, God willing. Bless all, NMF,

  • THE LAW OF GOD AND THE CROSS OF CHRIST SERIES

    MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
    March 6, 2024

    THE LAW OF GOD AND THE CROSS OF CHRIST SERIES

    It was sin, the transgression of God’s immutable law, that necessitated the Cross of Christ the incarnated Creator and Lawgiver, whereby He would “magnify the law and make it honorable” (Isa. 8:20).

    We launch this series with an excerpt from the Introduction of “The Cross and Its Shadow” by Stephen Haskell, published 1914 (emphasis mine):

    “In the government of God, law is the basis upon which everything is made to rest. Law is the foundation of God’s throne, the stability of His government and character, and the expression of His love and wisdom. 
    
     “Disobedience of this law caused the fall of LUCIFER [into Satan, ‘the enemy of God and man’] and his host [one third of the angels in heaven]. Disobedience to God’s commands by ADAM and EVE opened the floodgates of woe upon the world, and plunged the whole human family into impenetrable [spiritual] darkness. 
    
    “But divine love has conceived a plan whereby man might be REDEEMED. This plan was revealed in [the first prophecy and] promise, ‘I will put ENMITY between thee [the serpent as the first disguise and medium of Satan] and the woman [Eve, then Mary, as a symbol of the true woman-church of the ages against which “the dragon makes war with,” and between thy seed [the children of disobedience] and her seed [Christ first, then the faithful of the seven churches during the Christian Era, then the end-time  “remnant of her Seed who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus,’ Rev. 12: 17; cf. 19:10]; It [the ‘Seed’ Christ Jesus] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” Gen. 3:15, KJV. 
    
    “Since the divine law is as sacred as Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement [or ‘propitiation’] for its transgression. Hence, the seed of the woman could refer to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In this promise to our first parents a GLEAM OF HOPE PENETRATED THE GLOOM that enveloped the minds of the [now] sinful pair, and when A SYSTEM OF SACRIFICE was made known to them that DEMANDED THE LIFE OF AN INNOCENT VICTIM, they could see more clearly the IMPORT of the promise [and prototypical prophecy],—-that it involved the DEATH OF GOD’S DEAR SON TO ATONE FOR THEIR SIN AND MEET THE CLAIMS OF THE BROKEN LAW. 
    
    “Through this system of sacrifices, THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS reached back to the beginning [of the first-ever lamb offered at Eden, its skin used by God to cover the naked bodies of Adam and Eve which they tried to cover in vain with literal fig leaves, representing their own works of a bloodless sacrifice]. 
    
    “It was the REFLECTION FROM THE CROSS that reached back to the [long-lived[ ANTEDILUVIAN AGE, and kept alive the hope of the FAITHFUL FEW in those years of weary waiting. It was faith in the CROSS [of Christ’s future sacrifice at Calvary] that sustained NOAH and his family during that terrible experience when God was punishing the world [with the Flood] for the TRANSGRESSION OF HIS HOLY LAW.
    
     “It was a knowledge of the CROSS and its significance that caused ABRAHAM to forsake his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, and sojourn with his sons in a land of strangers. It is written of him, ‘He believed in the Lord [and His promised sacrifice prefigured in the typical sacrificial offerings and animals, lambs in particular] and He accounted it to him for righteousness.’ 
    
    “In prophetic vision, MOSES was permitted to see the CROSS OF CHRIST, and understand more fully the significance of the BRAZEN SERPENT he lifted up in the wilderness for the healing of the people. It was this view that took away the STING of punishment of his own sin [of striking the rock twice in anger over Israel’s incessant murmuring and complaining,  instead of once as God instructed him], and reconciled him to the decree that, ‘he must die in the mount, and be gathered [buried] with his people.’ 
    
    “The simple system of sacrifices instituted by the Lord in the beginning to SYMBOLIZE, or PREFIGURE, CHRIST, was almost totally LOST SIGHT OF during the BONDAGE of the children of Israel in Egypt. Upon their return to Canaan [after the 40-year wilderness wandering] Moses, by divine direction, gave them a MORE ELABORATE SYSTEM, designated in the Scriptures as the ‘SANCTUARY AND ITS SERVICES.’ This earthly  sanctuary, with EVERY MINUTIA of its construction, equipment, and service, was to be built and operated in harmony with THE PATTERN OF THE HEAVENLY [Sanctuary] shown to him in Mount Sinai. 

    Every form, ceremony, and detail of this service had a significance, and was designed to give the WORSHIPPER a more complete understanding of the GREAT REMEDIAL SYSTEM [of the true and whole gospel of Jesus Christ!].” (end of excerpt)

    To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.

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