Grow In Grace And In The Knowledge Of Our Lord And Saviour Jesus Christ; To Him Be Glory Both Now And Forever - Part 1770

"Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us, and sent His Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby, know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit ... and we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world." (I John 4:10-14)

His Spirit? The Holy Ghost. The Comforter which will lead and guide us into all truth. (John 14:26; Acts 1:2-3; John 15:26) The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him. (John 14:17) The same Spirit of God which moved upon the face of the waters in the very beginning. (Genesis 1:1-2) The same Holy Ghost which overshadowed Mary so that she could bring forth a son. (Matthew 1:18-23) The same Holy Ghost wherein Jesus, after He was taken up, through the Holy Ghost gave commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen. (Acts 1:2-3) The same God -- the Word of life who was manifest for you and I so that we might have eternal life in Him.

"For the life was manifested and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us -- that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and [with] His Son Jesus Christ." (I John 1:1-3)

What is important here is that these things have been written unto us so that "our joy may be full." (I John 1:4)

How can our joy be full? Scripture which cannot lie provides us with the answer. That is, when we grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ, He takes the veil from our hearts, so that we can recognize Him as our Lord God and Saviour. (Titus 2:13-14) Both our Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36) The first man earthy, but the second, the Lord from heaven. The Lord having come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6)

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us ... and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

In understanding then who the Great Shepherd is, our understanding of the doctrine of Christ must unfold, offering further clarity to the statement --"Lo, behold, the volume of the book is written of Me." Unlike a modern day religious culture that does not know in whom they worship, the Lord God Almighty has taken the scales off the eyes of those who seek Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And He does not hide His glory from those who desire in their hearts to be His friends. (John 15:15)

Indeed, "greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends." (John 15:13) As we know, Jesus laid down His life for you and I whilst we were still His enemies. The greatest love story ever told, when we realize that the same He who made the world paid the ultimate price for our sins on a cross designed only for criminals. And even though He was without sin, He Himself willingly became the perfect sacrifice. For this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament. (Hebrews 9:15-18)

But this only came to be after the Holy Ghost signified that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. (Hebrews 9:8) Thus, the first covenant with its ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary, which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation -- the time of Christ -- had to end.

Then, after that, the second veil -- the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all. (Hebrews 9:3; Exodus 26:31-35; Exodus 40:3) No longer would the veil divide between the holy place and the most holy, because He taketh away the first, that He might establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9) "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10)

"For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)

How are we sanctified? Through His Word. Thy Word is truth. (John 17:17) When we understand that the Lord now puts the laws into our hearts, and in our minds He writes them, "and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more," we know too that we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, THROUGH THE VEIL, that is to say, HIS FLESH. (Hebrews 10:16-20; John 14:6-14; Ephesians 2:18; Jeremiah 31:33-34)

When we understand that there can be no other way of salvation, we will come into the fullness of the knowledge of God, that He who willingly took upon Himself the sins of the world is similarly, the Great I AM. As Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:59) By this time, Jesus has already told the Pharisees, "Ye neither know Me, nor My Father; if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also." (John 8:19)

"If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth, ye know Him, and have seen Him." (John 14:7; John 16:2-3)

The Same God who builded the house, and made all things, has told us, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)

Because He builded the house, the same He who builded all things -- whose house are we "if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, "Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted Me, and saw My works forty years. Wherefore, I was grieved with that generation ..." (Hebrews 3:7-11)

Yes, in the old, the first commandment begins with -- "Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is One Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4) This same commandment is confirmed in the new when Jesus speaks to the scribe on the new testament side. (Mark 12:29-31)

The good news gospel message of the Kingdom of God is nigh. The Word which was with God in the beginning, and WAS GOD, according to John 1, was manifest in the flesh and dwelt among us, so that we could behold His glory. (I Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-4, 14, 18) "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. (John 1:10-11)

The kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. (Titus 3:4-7)

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses among them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." (II Corinthians 5:17-19)

Don't let the traditions of men sway you from the truth. Instead, look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God ... for consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Stand in the offering plate.