BOAST IN GOD

Photo taken by B Smith from Kitchen Patio

     277 – BOAST IN GOD

     August 16, 1964

     Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 5: 6 - 11 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 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. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Notice the 8^th vs. But God commendeth, or proves His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The important point that I want you to see this morning, the most outstanding thing that I have to bring to your attention is in this next statement. The whole sermon will hinge upon it. ALL GOD’S WORK FOR US WAS DONE WHEN WE WERE HIS ENEMIES. So, that means it is impossible—totally impossible for us to do anything at this present time. God’s work was done when we were enemies. This does away with all human endeavor.

1/  Now you will notice that man must have a motive for his love outside of himself. God loves because He is love. Man can possibly die for someone he loves, but for him to love this person, this person must be a good person, or in his own eyes, a righteous person. In other words, someone who is lovable, someone who is lovely. Those two words tell us very clearly this is the object of our love. We call someone lovable, or lovely—but God died for us when we were unlovely and unlovable—when we were helpless, ungodly sinners.

2/  Notice, God did this when we were enemies, for this is what the 10^th verse brings out. 

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

The word, enemy, is a cold, hard word. It brings a chill to our hearts. Every soldier knows what it means—an enemy—you want to kill them if you can. An enemy is someone you despise, someone you hate. For the Latin word, enemy, means, not a friend, and from this Latin word we get the word, hostile. The common German noun for enemy has given us the word, fiend.

3/  But is man hostile to God? Does man hate God? Of course, he does, there is no room for doubt. You might say, do we wish God ill? We would like to kill God? We would like to injure God? Of course. There may be those who deny such feeling, but it is true—it is in every human heart. 

This is shown to us clearly in Isaiah 53: 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned ever one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

When it says, all we like sheep have gone astray—we have turned everyone to his own way. So, in the simplest terms, man is hostile to God, man is an enemy to God because he wants his own way instead of God’s way.

4/  Since man wants his own way and not God’s way, man hates God and would do away with Him if he could. For instance, if you want to see this in action, why did Cain kill Abel? Here is a murderer at the very outset of the history of the human race.

Genesis 4: 5 - 8 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Here you will notice that Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell. Why? Because the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering and not to him and his offering. He wanted his way, not God’s way. He knew what God expected, the death of a lamb, but he rejected it. He wanted his own way, and he had hatred in his heart for God, he could do away with God. He shows right here that he is an enemy of God, for this reason, Cain slew Abel, his brother.

5/  Here it is in the Word of God, John 15: 18. Now, notice, If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 

Here is Jesus Christ saying the world hates Me, and He is God. This is evident. They said, Away with Him, we’ll take a murderer, we will take a thief, but we don’t want this Christ. The world hates God.

6/  In some parts of the earth human hatred towards God is publicly manifested. That is true in Russia. It is impossible to belong to the Russian Communist party without accepting atheism. God has been declared non-existent. Elsewhere the hatred of man toward the true God has been manifested by substituting another God for Jesus Christ. This is proven to us by Mahatma Gandhi—the name of Ram was on the lips of Gandhi as he died, but this is certainly not the name of God. If you substitute another god for the true God, you are showing your hatred for the true God, and this Gandhi did. Do you realize that every religion is proof of man’s hatred of God, and the proof of this hatred is how they treat the Bible-believing, Christ-receiving individuals.

7/  As time comes to an end, this hatred will break out in an open sore. 

Psalms 2: 1-3 and here we read Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of earth set themselves and the rulers take council together against Jehovah and against His Anointed—that’s Jesus Christ—saying—let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.

Here is Isaiah 53: 10 in action. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Here is proof that man is an enemy of the true God.

8/  Now notice when we were enemies we were reconciled to God. The word, reconcile, is never used of God, the word, reconcile is only used of men. The whole thought here is that God takes the initiative. God did not have to be reconciled to man, because God is love, but man had to be reconciled to God, because man was a helpless, ungodly sinner, hating God.

9/  Now we have a great portion of Scripture that gives us the doctrine of reconciliation. 

II Corinthians. 5: 17 - 19 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 unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

Notice, all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself. Notice, it does not say that He reconciled Himself to us. Notice, what it says here…we were reconciled by God to God. Never in the Bible is it said to reconcile God, but it twice states in this passage, God reconciled us. The agent is always God; the objects are always men. Notice the ministry that has been committed to us—the word of reconciliation, and we are to call to the world, be ye reconciled to God—not God to man, but man to God.

10/  Now this message of reconciliation which we are supposed to preach has almost disappeared from Christian pulpits. You would be surprised how many expressions are used in so-called Christian pulpits that are not true. Take, first of all, the common invitation for sinners to give their hearts to God. As James McHendrick, the great Scotch evangelist said, “What would God do with the dirty thing, anyway?” 

Here in II Corinthians. 5: 17 He says, If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. God makes him a new creation. He doesn’t take the old, dirty heart, not at all. Notice, what we have. 

Jeremiah 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, that means incurable. Do you want to give this to God? No, this is not a correct statement. Then secondly, you often hear people say, if you do not receive Christ as your Saviour, you will be lost, and at first glance, this seems to be pretty good—but it is not true at all. The statement should be, if you do not receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you will remain lost. You have always been lost, you were born lost, you are living in a lost condition. You must be saved before you can pass out of this lost condition. But if you don’t receive the Lord, you just remain in your lost condition.

11/  There is still another error that many evangelists and preachers make when they do not understand the doctrine of reconciliation, and that is the doctrine of repentance. 

There is a Bible repentance, there is also another un-Bible repentance. The false doctrine is something of a penitence—if you tell God you are sorry…man to be sorry for his sins, it is like asking a corpse to give itself a blood transfusion. Repentance which is in the Bible is called godly sorrow can only be experienced by a godly person. 

II Corinthians 7: 10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

How can an ungodly man experience godly sorrow? He can’t do it.

12/  Now as to the ministry of reconciliation. How are we reconciled? We come to God just as we are. If you want to be saved this morning, you are not to wash your face, you are not to brush your clothes. He will cleanse you and give you new garments. But, He will not do so until you step inside the door with all your filth and ungodliness. Then, after He has bathed you, you can keep yourself washed, after He gives you new garments, you may keep them brushed, leave all your baggage outside and come with empty hands. He will give you new luggage. God will not tolerate you bringing anything with you.

13/  Notice, Romans 5: 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

When we were yet enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. 

Mr. Moody tells a story that is about the best I have ever heard, I think it illustrates this point very splendidly. Mr. Moody always gave this story to illustrate our reconciliation. 

A boy quarreled with his father, but it was all the boy’s fault. It wasn’t the father’s fault the father didn’t want conditions to be as they were with the son, but the son got angry with the father, he wouldn’t speak to him, he wouldn’t have anything to do with him. The father had nothing against the son, but the boy was the one who was angry—would not talk to the father, would have no fellowship with the father. So, he left home in anger. While he was away from home, he corresponded with his mother. He loved his mother, but not his father. And his mother used to write to the boy and say, come home and be reconciled to your father, but the boy would not do it. 

Then one day he got a letter which said his mother was sick, and then another letter came and said his mother was very sick. And then finally a telegram said to come at once for his mother was dying. The boy took the fastest means of travel. He got on an airplane from the city, flew into the airport, and there got a taxi, came back into his home town, back into his home street. And there was his home, and he knew his mother was inside the house. He hurried in off the street into the house and up the stairs into the room where he knew his mother was, and she was near death. There on the opposite side of the bed stood his father, the boy just wouldn’t look at the father, he hated his father. He despised his father. His mother pled with him to be reconciled, and he still wouldn’t look at his father. Finally, the mother took the right hand of the boy in her right hand, and the right hand of the father in her left hand, she put the two hands together over herself, pled with them to be reconciled, and fell back on the pillow, dead. Then the boy looked up and said, “Father, I’m sorry”. Now they were reconciled by the death of the mother. 

That is exactly what happened on the cross of Calvary. Look at this—reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Calvary is the place of reconciliation. There is God the Father, there is the Son, and when the sinner comes, Jesus Christ brings them together. It is all done beneath the cross. What is needed today is the preaching of the cross. A lot of people mention the cross, but they don’t preach it. A lot of preachers mention the blood, but they don’t preach it. What is needed today is the preaching of the cross, for there is the place of reconciliation for all men. For the verse says, reconciled to God by the death of His Son.

14/  Now look at the rest of this verse. Romans 5: 10 …being reconciled we shall be saved by His life. 

Now, you will say, see—it is not just the death of Christ, it is the life of Christ that saves the sinner, and I admit that is true. But there is something we must recognize, the life of Christ is made known to us in different phases, and we must be careful to see what phase of the life of Christ is mentioned here. Christ eternally existed with the Father, in eternity past—then, in the fullness of Time, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under law, and for some 33 years, He lived the second phase of His life, here on earth. 

Then, third, He went to the cross during six hours of light and darkness, He poured out His life for us, thus satisfying God. 

Then the forth phase of Christ’s life, followed His resurrection and for six weeks He manifested Himself upon earth, establishing that He was raised from the dead in a physical body. He invited Thomas to touch His hands and His side, He appeared in the upper room, ate boiled fish with His disciples. 

Then in the fifth phase, He ascended into Heaven, into the clouds of Glory, and He sat down on the right hand of God the Father. 

Now in the sixth phase, He will come forth to judge, to put down all sin and unrighteousness, and He will sit upon the throne of His father, David, upon this earth for a thousand years, and then the seventh is eternity future. 

As I set forth these seven phases of the Life of Christ—which one is the one that is mentioned here that will save us? It is the fifth phase—but He ascended into Heaven in resurrected glory and is now seated on the right hand of God the Father, so that means His life after death—That’s resurrection life. So, when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, know that He has paid the price of our sin, we get this resurrection life. God the Son actually gives us His life. That is what Christianity actually is. God doesn’t make the old life any better—He gives us His resurrection life.

15/   Colossians. 3: 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Now notice, if ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, not the things around you, where Christ sitteth upon the right hand of God.

Set you affections on things above, not on things on the earth—for ye are dead—there it is—your own life died with Jesus Christ at the cross. Now we are to live unto God, for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

What a wonderful place to be in—your life is hid in Christ with God. I don’t know why folks who believe in Jesus Christ, or say they do, can ever think a saved person could be lost when they read a verse like that. I just can’t understand it. Our life is hid with Christ in God. How can Satan, the world, and the flesh get at our life when it is in God. 

I heard of some bandits who had set up a plan to rob a man, and somehow or other he received word that they were coming. He had some very valuable things, and of course, they knew about this. But before they came, he put his valuables in the bank in a vault. When they came and asked for them, he said, I don’t have them. They tortured him, but they could not get his wealth. There is no use for the devil to try to destroy our life for it is not here. My life is there, in God, in the Heavenlies, for this verse says your life is hid with Christ in God. It is perfectly safe in God’s eternal vault. This is God’s plan of  salvation.

16/  Of course, it is necessary for us to recognize that all of this is doctrinal, this is salvation. But now God, in a short while in the Book of Romans will get to the practical side. We are saved by grace, but we are saved to live for the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have here in Colossians 3: 1 - 4 

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Boast in God…He is Our Blessed Hope!

AMEN

Ref: 08/16/1964 / 277 - BOAST IN GOD / May 6, 2020

GOD IS NEVER LATE

San Diego Pier

     276 – DOC – GOD IS NEVER LATE

     July 19, 1964

     Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 5: 6 – 11 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 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. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

As we study the fifth chapter of Romans, we can’t help but get the feeling that we are constantly mounting a golden stairway of truth, reaching higher and higher in the realms of the Grace of God. This stairway of truth has a solid foundation of having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. So, the first great effect of having believed in Jesus Christ is to have the sensation of peace. This comes by a new relationship with God. Notice, in Vs. 6 He calls us a very ugly name—ungodly, and then in vs. 10 an astounding statement is made—we were enemies—Ungodly, and enemies of God. The normal relationship with God, is not peace, but war. It is not friendship, but enmity.

1/  You have heard, well—meaning, people ask, have you made your peace with God? Peace is not a reward; it is a gift. Peace is not made by us, but it was made once for all by Christ Who made peace by the blood of His Cross.

2/  Many people do not understand peace. The world cannot understand peace, because it never has it. Peace is not pleasure, peace is not amusement, peace is not fun. Peace is spiritual life, received from Jesus Christ the moment we trust Him as our sin-sacrifice. All of this is ours by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3/  But does not this give us a license to go and live anyway we want? How many people bring this up. No of course not. We do not say we are saved by faith and then live any way we want. This is ridiculous. Let me show you something that may bring out the difference. There has always been a truth about the child of God in every dispensation. None of us live without sin, but this is not an excuse to go out the grovel in sin. 

II Peter 2: 22 “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 

Here we have the dog and the sow. The dog will get rid of the thing that made him sick, but when he feels better, he’ll go back to it again. This is what a true child of God should not do. Then the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. The sow was only washed. If the sow had been made a sheep, it would never have gone back in the mire. That is the real difference here. A sow and a sheep can walk together in the pasture side by side, and they both may fall into a mud hole or a ditch. The difference is how they act when they get into this ditch or mud-hole. The sow will enjoy wallowing in the same mire. And this is the element the sow likes. It loves to get into mud, dig and root around. But the sheep, if it falls into a ditch or a mud hole will try to get out, because it doesn’t like the mud. The sheep likes the pasture. That is the difference, the sow wants the mud, but the sheep wants the pasture. If you get a hold of a man who says, I believe in Jesus Christ, and he just loves the mud and mire and muck of sin, and he revels in it, and he just is happy in it—I doubt if that man has ever been saved. He is not one of the Lord’s. Salvation is by faith, and when you are saved, you have peace with God, and you have a new nature. You can fall into sin, you can fall into the mud hole, but you will not really be happy there—you will be tormented there, you will be in agony there—you will want God’s pasture. Sure, I’ve fallen into sin, I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve never been happy in them, I’ve always been miserable.

4/  Now, let us notice the 6^th vs., “for when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly” Notice that mankind is without strength. Being without strength doesn’t mean weak, it means you haven’t any strength at all, it means you are helpless, it means you cannot lift a finger to save yourself.

5/  Now notice, in due time. In due time means the appointed time, or the right historical moment. Did you ever notice that God has a plan? He has a plan in everything He is doing. Nothing just happens by chance. That is why the believer’s life, the word, lucky, does not find an appropriate place. We are not lucky under any circumstance. So, I believe the best translation of this should be, Christ died at the appointed time. Christ died at the set time.

6/  I wonder, if as you study Scripture, you have ever noticed, that Christ’s death is according to the plan and it has a time element in it? 

Revelations 13: 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain form the foundation of the world. 

Here we read that Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In other words, in ages past, it was decided that Christ would die. Long before man was created and put into the Garden of Eden. Long before this earth was created, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit devised this wonderful plan of salvation and a time was set for His crucifixion. 

Then notice Galatians 4: 4, 5 “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.” Here you have a plan and here you have a time element. 

Acts 2: 22, 23. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: ²³ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” 

Here we read that Christ being delivered by the determined council and foreknowledge of God—that means the definite plan of God. In ages past God had a plan, His Son was to die, and of course, there was a special time set.

7/  Let me show you something about this plan, and about the set time. Let us notice the day and the time that Jesus Christ was crucified. 

John 19: 30, 31 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. ³¹ The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” 

For that Sabbath Day was a high day. High day? What does that mean? It wasn’t the Saturday Sabbath at all, it was another Sabbath. Notice, the day when Jesus Christ was crucified, we are told, was the preparation that is the day of preparation for the Passover Feast. It was the 14^th day of Nisan. (Nigh-san) which is the first month of the Jewish calendar. On this day of this month every family in the nation had to kill a Passover Lamb and prepare it for eating in the evening. 

The story is told to us in Exodus 12: 18 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.” 

When Jesus Christ died, the Jewish nation had been observing this annual Passover feast for over 1,500 years. Every year on the 14^th day of this month each family would kill its Passover Lamb in mid-afternoon. Then the Lamb would be roasted whole with fire and eaten that night with bitter herbs in memory of that night when the children of Israel came out of Egypt. Remember, the Jewish Day began at sundown. At sun-down would begin the 15^th day of this month, and then the Passover Lamb would be eaten, so they were on the 14^th day of this month, approaching the 15^th day which is a high Sabbath. This was a prophecy concerning the death of Jesus Christ. He was to die at the very appointed time for the slaying of the Passover Lambs throughout the nation. He could not die on the wrong day, but at the right day at the very minute. Remember, they tried to kill him at other times, but it didn’t work, because this was not according to God’s plan. It was not the appointed day. When Jesus Christ first preached at Galilee, after having been filled with the Spirit, the people were filled with wrath, and they rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereupon their city was built that they might cast Him headlong over the hill. 

Luke 4: 28, 29 “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.” 

If they had succeeded, if Christ had died there, He would not have been the Saviour, God’s program would have been of no value, because this was not the day for Him to die.

8/  Then the wicked Pharisees and Sadducees sought to stone Him to death, as they did stone Stephen a little later on. In fact, they wanted to stone Jesus nothing would have pleased them better than if they could have accused Him of blasphemy and crushed Him under the weight of cruel stones. John 8: 59. “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” If one stone here had fractured His skull, or broken a rib, or any bones, then Jesus Christ would not have been the Son of God. He would not have been suffering under the right program. But it says that Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them and so passed by. They were not successful. But when the appointed time came, on this 14^th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, the preparation day, He died even as the children of Israel were killing the lambs for the Passover. He died at the right time, and the right place.

9/  But let us go back and read the plan God had. We have a revealing of this plan in the first Passover. 

Exodus 12: 8, 9. “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.” 

Tonight, they were to eat the flesh of that lamb, and it was with the purtenance, and that means the organs were to be left in, the whole thing was to be roasted with fire, the entire lamb. Notice, God says, you are not to eat it raw. Do you think there was any danger that they would eat the lamb raw? Of course, they had been for many years, slaves down in Egypt. They were nothing more than heathen--they knew nothing about the Lord. They probably knew about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, but they had no written word, they had no prophet, they had no history. They were probably not much removed from a heathen nation, and the Lord said, eat not of it raw. But there is a deeper meaning than that in it. I think it is this. I think it is this. Remember this Lamb is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God says, eat it not raw, but roast it with fire. Fire is a picture of judgement. And the Lord Jesus Christ passed through the fires of judgement for us when He was on the cross. It was on the cross where the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for our sins, and punished with the fore of God’s wrath, and here He is a type of the Lamb, roasted with fire. God said, eat not of it before the fire is applied. That means that Christ before He suffered on the cross was not able to save. The Christ of the four Gospels, who healed, and helped and raised the dead, was not able to save, because He had not suffered the wrath, the fire of God’s judgement.

10/  Exodus 12: 10 “And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.” 

Let us notice something else here, and ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, that which remaineth of it until the morning, ye shall burn with fire. That is remarkable, that the Lord said, this Passover Lamb is to die, and ye are to take the blood from it, and sprinkle it for your safety on the door lintel and eat it for your strength and sustenance, but do not leave of it until the morning, it must disappear entirely. Did you ever notice how quickly they buried the Lord Jesus Christ after He died? Most people have a little bit of service of some kind at death—even the Jews of those days did—they had some kind of a funeral service, but not for the Lord Jesus Christ. They took Him off the cross, and put Him in the brave as soon as possible, it was all over. Let nothing of it remain until the morning. Perhaps within an hour they went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus, and Pilate said, yes. They took Him down and wrapped Him in linen. They took Him to the tomb and rolled the stone. All was according to plan as it was prophesied and given to the nation Israel.

11/  There is a very definite time schedule in Daniel. 

Daniel 9: 24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” 

Daniel had some knowledge of the plan of god, and he prayed and asked for more. God sent the angel Gabriel who gave him a divine revelation, and this divine revelation is very interesting. 70 weeks are determined upon they people. The word, here translated weeks, is a time word, and it refers to a period of seven years. We use decade for a period of ten years. But here it is a period of seven years. First of all, notice the word, determined. These weeks are determined, they are set and fixed, nothing can change it. Israel used to speak of seven years as a week. 

Genesis 29: 26, 27. “And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.” 

You will recall here that Jacob, who had been working for Laban, his uncle, falls in love with Rachel the daughter of Laban. He made a bargain with Laban that he was to work seven years, and at the end of seven years he would receive Rachel as his wife. But the scheming Laban had other plans, so when the wedding day came, he gave Leah, the sister of Rachel to be the wife of Jacob instead of Rachel for whom he had been laboring, and so he comes to Jacob and he makes another bargain. He says why don’t you continuing working another seven years for me here, and I’ll give you Rachel immediately to be your wife, because he said, in our country, you cannot give the younger before the firstborn. Now notice the 27^th vs. fulfill her week—seven years and here is a striking example that a period of seven years is called a week. Now he says, first of all 70 weeks, that is 490 years, and then it is to finish the transgression and make the end of sins. That means when Christ died on Calvary.

12/  Then notice, the total of 70 X 7 years is divided into three periods. Two of these periods are 7 X 7’s, or 49 years, and 62 X 7, or 434. These figures together make 69 X 7 or 483 years. But this leaves 7 years to be accounted for—if we look at the list of things to be accomplished before the 490 years are finished, we immediately see that some prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, but God said to Daniel, start counting years from the issuance of the degree to rebuild Jerusalem, and after 490 years of trouble the street and the wall will be rebuilt—then continue counting, after 483 years the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. What a statement! Here is the clear declaration of God that the Messiah would die and His death would be for others, not for Himself. It was to be vicarious, it was to be a substitutionary atonement. Evidence shows that this decree was issued in Babylon one spring time, and proof is given to us very clearly that Jesus Christ died on the cross 483 years later, to the very time marked down by the decree. The prophecy was fulfilled to the last detail. In the fullness of time, at the appointed time, at this special time in history, Jesus Christ died. 

Oh, how wonderful the Word of God is down to its last detail…God is never late!

AMEN

Ref: 07/19/1964/ KULP – 276 – GOD IS NEVER LATE / June 5, 2020

PEACE WITH GOD

Musisi Kahuzi in D. R. Congo

     273 – PEACE WITH GOD

     May 24, 1964

     Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 5: 1 – 7 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. 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. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Notice, God says “therefore being justified by faith.” The King James version is not the best translation here. It should be, “having been justified therefore by faith.”—instead of being justified by faith. There is a very great difference between being justified and having been justified. Being justified indicates a state or condition in which the believer might find himself. Having been justified points back to a point in the believer’s life where he was justified. When one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is not in the state of being justified at that time, but he is counted as being justified the moment he believes.

1/  But now let us go back to Romans 4: 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[a] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

Here God says, “And calleth those things which be not as though they were.” That is just what salvation is. God calls you something that you are not. God calls you as being righteous, and you do not have one atom of righteousness in yourself, yet God says you are righteous. How can that be? Because He gives you His righteousness, His justification that moment that you believe. If people would understand this word, justification, there would not be so much evil teaching abut today. But people do not really understand justification. 

I’d like you to turn to Romans 8: 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

And here we read, “Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called, He also justified, and Whom He justified, them He also glorified.” 

Here in Romans 5: 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

He says, “by faith,” by believing in Jesus Christ we are justified, and I want you to see there is nothing between justification and glorification. In the plan of God there is nothing between.

2/  I would like you to notice, Romans 5: 9. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. That is the price of justification. That is why Jesus Christ shed His blood, that He might justify us. All those who believe that it is possible to be saved at one time, and then fall away from salvation, and be ultimately lost, have no idea whatsoever of the meaning of justification. To understand what justification mans is righteousness, and justification has been paid for by the blood of Christ. Not by something that we can do.

3/  Then notice something else about justification. Here we read, Romans 8: 33. That it is God Who justifies us. In one of the most magnificent passages in the Bible, we read these words, or rather we hear the shout— “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect, and the answer comes back, it is God that justifieth.” So, this passage teaches us that the source of our justification is God. In other words, it is a work that is done by Him.

Ecclesiastes 3: 14 “ I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” 

Here Solomon says, I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it, and God doeth it. These words are clear, are they not? 

4/  Then notice, Romans 3: 24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” We are justified by grace—that means everything for nothing—and the word, freely, justified freely, is to say it is gratis. For gratis, for nothing, without a cause in us.

5/  Romans 4: 25 “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”  

6/  In the fourth place, our justification is linked with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof of our justification. If ever I am tempted to doubt my complete salvation—in other words, my eternal position in Christ, guiltless, righteous, forgiven, saved, joined to Him, a member of His body, I need only to look away from myself, and see Him at the right hand of God, and then I know that the wonderful things which God hath declared about those who believe in Jesus Christ is certainly true.

7/  THIS SHOULD BE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MESSAGE. In Isaiah 5: 23 “Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” 

We have a very solemn woe pronounced on those who justify the wicked. It is a very wrong thing for a judge to justify a wicked person. We have just so many complaints, we read about them in our newspapers of our great cities, because public enemies, racketeers, and hoodlums of all times, have been arrested by the police, and they have gone up before corrupt judges and they have been allowed to go free and prey once more upon the community, and people are rightly indignant about it. It is completely wicked for a judge to declare a criminal righteous. Yet, that is the very thing that God does. God justifies not the righteous, not good people, not holy people, but the ungodly. 

Romans 4: 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

8/  Remember, justification is not patching up the old man—making it better. It is an act whereby God makes you completely righteous. The story is told of an old man who owned a little narrow lot with a miserable house to dwell in—it was nothing more than a lean-to, with a lot of boards, some metal signs that had been discarded—it was a filthy place. Lots in his neighborhood had been selling for fabulous prices, and he felt that someday his place would make him his fortune. And after a while a millionaire came along and seeing the possibilities on that block—said I want the whole thing. He sent his agent to go and buy up the block. And when he came to the old man, he said, what will you sell your place for? This was what he had been waiting for, an opportunity just like this, so he put up what he thought was a tremendous, large figure. Very well, said the agent, I will take it. When do you want it, the old man asked? Oh, in about two weeks, I will be around with the deed and you can be ready to sign it. Here is $1,000 to bind the sale, replied the agent. The Old man was simply delighted. And then he thought, if someone has bought this place who is able to pay all that money, I ought to fix it up a bit. So, he went and bought some paint, and he went to work painting the old place. He bought some glass and replaced some of the broken window panes, and in about two weeks he had the place sparkling clean—all the trash had been picked up and everything looked 1,000 percent better than it did before, and when the millionaire came with his agent—brought the papers for him to sign, this old man was so nervous he could hardly hold the pen. He was surprised that the millionaire didn’t say anything about the shack, and so he said to you See how beautifully I have painted it up, put in some of the windows, cleaned up the yard—it is going to be a nice place, I hope you will be very comfortable in it. Oh, said the millionaire, I didn’t buy this place for what’s on it, but for what I’m going to put on it. So, God when He justifies an unholy sinner, it is not because of what He finds in men, but rather what He is going to make them—righteous in Jesus Christ.

 

I John 4: 17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

9/  Now, the next thing—justified by faith, we have peace with God. This is not the peace of God; this is the peace with God. When the Lord Jesus Christ had finished His work, then God held nothing against the human race. Jesus Christ died for every man and God is not a great task master over the race, waiting to use a whip on men—God has His arms outstretched and He says, Come to Me in the Name of Jesus Christ. There is peace with God. Notice, another Scripture that helps us to understand this. Colossians 1: 19, 20 “And having made peace by the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself.” Notice the phrase, and especially the tense of the verb. “Having made peace.” We hear people say that folks should make their peace with God. So far, if I can ascertain Thomas Fuller, only 300 years ago first spoke of making one’s peace with God. But the phrase is incorrect, l and certainly it is not taught by the Bible. If you read obituaries, you will notice that quite often they say, having made his peace with God, he departed this life—or words like that—but that is not the case at all—for it says, “Christ having made peace.” What would General McArthur have said to the Japanese if they had brought their own peace terms? No, they came to General McArthur—he was the victor, they were the vanquished, and they had to accept the peace terms that he set forth—unconditional surrender. And God will have no other peace with man, then that which was made at the cross. If man rejects the peace of God that He has provided through Jesus Christ, man remains at enmity with God.

10/  Now notice, Romans 5: 2 “By Whom also we have access.” You see, by Christ we have access. We have access to the Father by the Lord Jesus Christ, and only by Him. Among men, they have secret societies, you enter you must give a sign, and sometimes it is just a word, and sometimes they have a secret entrance, and you have to know how to get in. You have to know how to have access to God, and there is only one way that there is access by Jesus Christ. Christ is everything.

11/  I wonder if you appreciate this wonderful privilege of having access to God? Did you ever read in your Bible and study how access was to God under the old covenant, under the law? And then compare it to what you and I have in Christ today? When God prepared Israel for the coming of the law, He revealed to them that He was holy and could be approached in only one way. Read the books of Moses and see how carefully God revealed that access to Him was to be in only one way. Exodus 19: 12, 13. When God came down on Mt. Sinai, He warned Moses that the people must be barred from the mountain— “and ye shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, take heed that you do not go up into the mountain nor touch the border of it. Whosoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.” No hand shall touch it, but he shall be stoned or, shot, whether beast or man, he shall not live. So, you notice, the only one who had access to God at that time was Moses. The people were down at the base of the mountain, and this evidently did not satisfy them, for when Moses didn’t come down in a reasonable time as far as they were concerned, they went to Aaron and said, make us gods that they may lead us. They were not satisfied with this access at this time.

12/  Then, under law, have you ever thought about access then? Did you ever realize that of the Levitis, only the descendants of Aaron could touch the sacrifice. Their cousins supplied music and other parts of the priestly service. Then at the hour of sacrifice, the priest slew the lamb brought by the sinner, while the sinner leaned over the gate, his hand on the animals’ head, and confessed his sins before God. After confessing his sins, the sinner watched the priest offer the sacrifice for him. First the priest went to the altar, offered the sacrifice, and then walked a few steps to the laver, where he washed his feet. Returning to the altar, he took the blood of the animal in a bowl and placed it on the North side of the altar, toward the tabernacle itself. Taking the censer with sweet-smelling incense, he walked into the tabernacle, but only into the first room, the holy place. And there he offered the incense at its special altar. This altar stood just in front of the great veil—the one that was torn in two when Christ died on the cross. At this point the priest could proceed no further. Then, finally, once a year, one man could go beyond the veil of the temple, on the great day of Atonement, and the High Priest over Israel went in with the blood. Here was the climax of their access to God. All this pageantry taught that man cannot come to God in his own way. He must come to God in His revealed, divine way, and today it is the same thing—only in Jesus Christ do you have access to God. Do not think you can come to Him in any way you feel is right—God has set down the conditions under which you may have access to Him.

13/  Now, let us notice this matter of access a little more clearly. In Ephesians 2: 18 “For through Him we both—Jew and Gentile—have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” 

And because we have access now to the Father, in the 19^th vs., He says, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints, and it should be in the holiest of all. The Greek is TONE—HOG—GEE’—OWN, and what does Tonehogeeown mean? We have the answer in Hebrews 9: 8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Here it is translated holiest of all, or the most holy place. Where is the holiest of all? It is heaven. So, we can see by this access that we have because we have peace, we are now fellow citizens of the holiest of all. This should not mean that we do not live for the Lord, because we are saved by grace, justified by faith and have access unto the holiest of all, that we can live anyway we want. There is a portion of Scripture I particularly like. It is I Corinthians 16: 15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

Here Paul talks about the house of Stephanus, and that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. That word addicted, I like. We don’t often hear it, and when we do hear it, it is not in a good way. We say a man is addicted to drink—we mean he must have it—he cannot do without it. He is aggressive in getting it. Or, we say a man is a dope addict—that means again that he is aggressive. He must have the dope. But Paul uses it in a different way, this is a good way. The folks there in the house of Stephanus, were addicted to the ministry of the saints. They went after it—they had to have it, they were not going to be thwarted in this matter, and this should be true of all who are saved by the Grace of God.

AMEN

Ref: 05/24/1964/ KULP - 273 - PEACE WITH GOD / June 4, 2020