THE REVIVAL OF A FORGOTTEN TRUTH

Photo by B Smith from the patio

 

154 - THE REVIVAL OF A FORGOTTEN TRUTH

MAY 15, 1963

PASTOR HENRY F. KULP

 

I Thessalonians 4: 13 - 18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Here, Paul speaks about the Rapture of the Church or the translation of the Church into Heaven. He tells us that at any time, God could descend with a shout, the voice of the Archangel, the trump of God, and the Church will be caught up to be with Jesus Christ. Now it is necessary for us to see three things before we get into the heart and study of this passage. 

1/ The first of the three things I want you to see is that truth was forgotten for a long, long time. During the Dark Ages, when the professing church was anything but Christian—this truth, along with salvation by grace through faith without works was completely forgotten. The church put tradition in the place of the Bible, and, of course tradition does not center upon Godly things, but upon fleshly things. And then the church had the glorious awakening in the Reformation and salvation by grace plus nothing was presented. They failed to see this truth about the Rapture of the Church. It has only been at the turn of the century that this truth has again been proclaimed. For all those hundreds of years this truth was hidden. It is necessary to see when you have a recovery of truth, it is always progressive, and many new things are found out as people turn back to the truth. 

2/ The second thing to see is that this is not the Second Coming of Christ. Many folks, as the truth was recovered from the Dark Ages, mixed up the Second Coming of Christ, and the Rapture of the Church. But they are two entirely different events. Then the third thing to see is that this truth is Pauline. This is a special doctrine that God gave Paul to reveal to just the Church, which is His Body. 

3/ The companion passage to I Thessalonians 4 is I Corinthians 15: 51, 52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

You will notice here it says, I shew you a mystery. A mystery is something that has been hid in ages past and is now being revealed. It is not that this is too hard to understand, it is not that it takes a lot of intelligence to comprehend it, but the fact that it has been hid before and now it is being revealed, and Paul is now revealing, a brand new fact, that a day is coming when those who are members of the Church which is His Body, shall be caught up into Heaven. 

4/ In the Old Testament and the Gospels we have much about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but we have nothing concerning the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ. For example, as I read about David as he draws his finger across the golden harp strings, we can hear him sing as he lifts his voice, Psalms 96: 13 where he sings, He cometh, He cometh to judge the earth. This is the Second Coming. This is not the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ. 

5/ Then as the Old Testament comes to a close, the very last chapter, we have the Lord’s Second Coming, not His Appearing for the Church. 

Malachi 4: 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Then we go ahead to the ministry of Jesus Christ, and he does not mention the Rapture. He does not talk about it. 

John 11: 23, 24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

We have Martha answering Jesus Christ by saying, I know my brother shall rise again in the resurrection in the last day. That is all she knew about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, she knew nothing about the Rapture. Then notice what Christ taught when He was upon earth. 

Matthew 25: 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

When He says, The Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, and then shall He sit upon on the throne of His glory, and before Him shall He gather all nations. This is the Second Coming of Christ. 

Luke 21: 25 - 28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

When He talks about signs in the sun and the moon and in the stars and on the earth distress of nations, and then He says, then shall they see the Son of Man coming in power and great glory. This is the Second coming of Christ. 

6/ I Thessalonians 4: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Here we read the dead in Christ shall be raised first. Last week we spent some time talking to you about this—that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and the dead will be resurrected before the living are changed and caught up to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

But this morning I am primarily interested in the dead in Christ. What does that phrase include? What does it mean to be in Christ, and who are the dead in Christ? Obviously, the dead in Christ are those who in life were in Christ and died a physical death. This expression, in Christ, occurs about 40 times in the New Testament, and in most of these instances refers to our position in Christ. When a person receives Jesus Christ as Saviour and trusts Him as the Son of God, he is in Christ. 

Lewis Sperry Chafer in his book “Salvation” lists 33 things that occur, instantaneously, the very moment a person puts his trust in Jesus Christ. One of the things that occurs is that we are placed in Christ, we are baptized into one body, we are baptized into Christ, and this occurs the instant we put our trust in Christ. 

7/ THIS IS A SELECTIVE RESURRECTION, IT IS NOT WHEN ALL DEAD WILL BE RAISED. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE UNSAVED WILL NOT BE RAISED. THE UNSAVED WILL NOT BE RESURRECTED UNTIL MANY YEARS AFTER THE TRIBULATION AND THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST IS ALL OVER. 

8/ Now does this dead in Christ, mean all the saints who have died up to this time? Does it include all the saints from Adam on through? 

Dr. C. I. Scofield who proved to be a blessing to many people, notices in Thessalonians 4 tells us that the dead in Christ includes all saints—that means the Old Testament and the New Testament saints. 

Lewis Sperry Chafer, who for nearly two decades Scofield’s associate, he came to a different conclusion. He said the dead in Christ refers to only those in this present dispensation, and then John Valwoord, who is now president and the head of the same school that Chafer founded, Dallas Theological Seminary, says the very same thing—it cannot possible include the Old Testament saints, and to this I heartily agree. The dead in Christ refers to only the Church which is a Body of Church. 

9/ You will always find that the resurrection of the Old Testament saints has to do with the Second Coming of Christ. And this is not the Rapture of the Church which is His Body. 

10/ Isaiah 26: 16 - 18 Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

Here we have Israel in trouble, receiving the chastening of the Lord, and they are speaking of their conflict during the tribulation and deliverance. And in Verse 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

We have shown that after the tribulation, the time of chastening, at the last day, the dead shall live. If you eliminate the supplied words that the translators put in, the word, men, and together with, then recognize that the word, body, is in the plural and it should be bodies, we have Verse 19 reading this way. Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies will live. This means the dead bodies of Jehovah’s people. So here you have the resurrection of the Old Testament saints, it is after the tribulation, but we are going to be resurrected before the tribulation. But they shall be resurrected just at the beginning of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. 

11/ Ezekiel 37: 1 - 5 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

What are these bones that are to live? The explanation is given to us in Ezekiel 37: 11 

Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

Here it is the whole house of Israel. That means the dead as well as the living saints. That means the Old Testaments saints as well as those who are living at the time of this portion of Scripture. The Old Testament saints will be resurrected along with those who are living at that time, and the whole nation, Israel, shall be back in the land. This has to be the resurrection of Israel at the start of the tribulation. 

12/ Daniel 12: 1 - 3 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Danial tells us of the tribulation. For Michael shall stand up with the Jews in that great time of trouble, and he says at that time when they are in this great time of trouble, they shall be delivered. Then in Verse 2 many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, and again we have the Jewish resurrection, but it is after the tribulation—Not before the tribulation as is the Rapture. So you can see the resurrection is different from the Rapture. 

Then if you turn to Daniel 12: 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

We have brought it out that after the resurrection there will be rewards for the nation of Israel, rewards, such as ruling over ten cities, or whatever it might be. This is exactly what Jesus Christ told the nation Israel. He did not tell it to the Church, He told it to the nation. 

13/ Luke 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Here Jesus Christ says they shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. You will notice that Jesus Christ is definitely talking to the Jewish nation. He is talking to Israel not to the Church here. And the resurrection of the just is not the Rapture – it is not the mystery, it is the Jewish nation being raised from the dead, and then being rewarded. 

14/ Hosea 13: 9 - 14  O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Here again we have it brought out that Israel will have God as its helper and as its King, and God will save them. In verse 14 He tells them, I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death. Here again, the millennial hope and physical resurrection are associated one with the other. 

15/ We know the Old Testament saints will have to be resurrected before the Millennium, and not at the Rapture of the Church, for take the Twelve—They are to take part in the earthly Kingdom. 

Matthew 19: 27, 28 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Here Peter says, we have forsaken of all to follow Thee, what are we going to have? This was a natural question, this comes out of the flesh, it can’t help it. They had just heard the rich young ruler turn down our Lord’s offer for He told him—sell all that you have. 

In Verse 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Peter says, Lord, we’ve done that. What are we going to get out of it? The rich young ruler wasn’t willing to do it—he has his riches now. So Peter is saying, Maybe we had better do the same thing. 

What is it going to profit us if we do not do it? He says, they are to sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel during the Millennium. They are to be rewarded by sitting upon thrones, so they will be rewarded right after the resurrection from the dead. 

16/ All the faithful Jews will be rewarded just prior to the setting up of the Millennial Reign of Christ and the finish of the Tribulation. 

Luke 19: 11 - 19 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

Here you will have to admit this has to do all about the Second Coming of Christ. About Jesus Christ, a certain nobleman, who went into a far country, Heaven, for to receive Himself a Kingdom and to return. He had to return to have this Kingdom and so here it is. Those who are faithful prior to the setting up the Kingdom, will be rewarded when the Lord comes. Some will receive the award of ruling over five cities, some over ten cities. So this has nothing to do with the Church, but with the nation Israel. 

17/ Now let’s notice, Isaiah 40: 10  Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Here again, we have the faithful Jews who will be rewarded when he comes back to earth to set up His Kingdom. This is in harmony with Luke 4: 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

18/ Matthew 25: 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Here it tells us the very same thing, for the good and the faithful servant will be made a ruler over many things. But, of course, this is the Old Testament saints who were faithful, and the faithful Jews during the tribulation just prior to the setting up of His Millennial Reign.

19/ It is true that when Jesus Christ catches us up into Heaven that we will be at the Judgement Seat of Christ and we will be rewarded. But our rewards are heavenly rewards, not earthly rewards. We are not told that we are going to rule over five cities, we are not going to sit upon any thrones. We are going to be given a heavenly reward, or award. 

I Corinthians 9: 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

We find that Paul tells us about rewards we can gain. It is an incorruptible crown for those who gain mastery over the old man. In other words learn how to control the old nature, and not have the old nature control them. 

And then, I Thessalonians 2: 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

A crown for soul-winning, and actually it is brought out here as we told you before that the believer who wins another person, that person is his crown. 

Then II Timothy 4: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

A crown of righteousness for Loving the Lord’s Appearing. So you can see that we will be rewarded, but all those rewards are heavenly. They are not earthly like they are with Israel. 

20/ We read, I Thessalonians 4: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We shall be caught up together. Here is the true ecumenical movement. There will be no ecumenical movement of God until this point when His Body will be united. The believing Jew and Gentile—dead and living shall be united, caught up together. No more separation—not even by physical distance.

What a glorious, wonderful truth this is! We will be united in Jesus Christ with all those loved ones and friends who have gone before us. Never to be separated again.

Complete victory over death.

AMEN

Ref: 05/19/1963 / 154 - THE REVIVAL OF A FORGOTTEN TRUTH / 10/19/2021

THE DEVIL’S HOPELESS JOB

Photo by B Smith from the kitchen window

 

30 - THE DEVIL’S HOPELESS JOB

July 4, 1965

Henry F. Kulp 

 

Romans 8: 28 - 34 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 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. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

We have come to the portion of our study where Paul asks the question—What shall we then say to these things? And he gives us seven things we can say. If God is for us, who can be against us? And then he says, because He delivered up His Son for us all, He will freely give us all things. 

Last week we finished by studying that He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all—God the Father, delivered up Jesus Christ, and He delivered Him up to the powers of darkness—the powers of evil, and there he was made sin for us. Yet you must understand more about this doctrine of God the Father delivering up God the Son for us all. 

Let us go to Galatians 2: 20 where we are told—I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 

The word, up, ought to be in there. We should have it—He gave Himself up for me. It is the same expression, the same word in the original that is translated delivered up in Romans 8: 32 God delivered Him up. After He got through the Garden of Gethsemane He was willing. He said, Father, and He said it three times—Thy will be done. Then He 

went out and delivered Himself up to His tormenters. He did that for us. No one could describe what the Son of God went through—it was an awful experience as He gave Himself up for you and me. 

1/ Now let us turn to Hebrews 9: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God?

Blood is mentioned 12 times in this chapter. It is called the blood chapter in the Bible—it tells us just what the blood does and its importance. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. In our day men are trying to put aside the blood of Christ, but you can’t do it and believe the Bible and its message. Blood is the foundation of our salvation, and you must fully trust in the blood. 

2/ I have no hesitation in saying that salvation is God’s greatest work. There is no work in creation anywhere that we know about that cost God anything. God could at this very moment create a new universe, and it wouldn’t cost Him anything—but there was something that made God poor because God the Son was delivered up by the Father and He willingly gave Himself. 

3/ Now notice the rest of this verse—who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God. You have the same word here that you have in Romans 8: 32 and Galatians 2: 20 It should read, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself up without spot to God. The word, up, was left out by the translators. And so the teaching here is that Jesus Christ had to have the help of the Holy Spirit to offer Himself up as a sacrifice, and right away you see God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all working together in order that Jesus Christ might be offered up for our sins. 

4/ Romans 8: 32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Notice the last part of this verse—how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things. When God delivered up His Son, He gave everything that He had when He gave His Son. I noticed in looking it up in the original that the expression, freely give, is translated by the words, free grant, or without a cause, or without a wage. Let’s understand right at the very start. God is not selling anything. God is not bargaining with man to get something from Him. God is giving something away. God has a gift for mankind—so the best translation I can get for freely give is a free grant. If you go back to the early days for our nation, when the government gave free grants of land, and all one had to do was go into that land, and possess it—that was all. There was nothing to pay—there were no strings attached—you got a free grant from the federal government—a certain piece of ground. That is the word used here—freely give all things. God has made us a free grant of everything that He possesses with the giving of His Son. That is why it is written that all things are ours. If you say Christ Jesus is mine, and you have the right to say that—then you say the creator of the universe is mine. He belongs to me—and, of course, you have to see that you belong to Him. And this is true. When God gave the Lord Jesus Christ, He made a free grant of everything in the universe to those that trust Jesus Christ. But, and this is important, you must trust Jesus Christ. 

5/ There is a story I like to tell. I have told it before, but don’t think it will hurt to tell it again. The story is about a man who was very wealthy. His wife died and left a little son. The son was the whole life of the man. He had a housekeeper come and take charge of the home and see to the rearing of the boy. She got to love that boy very much. The boy became like her own son, and, of course, this would be quite natural. The boy grew to nearly 20 years of age, and then suddenly died. The man was left brokenhearted. He felt he had nothing left and he didn’t live long after that. No one could find out what he did with his money. They searched through papers and they could not find any trace of a will, and they were about to have the government take it over, for there were no heirs and there was no will. So they had a sale—they sold the house furnishings. The housekeeper came. She stood in the back, she didn’t have much money. She couldn’t buy the expensive furniture, but there was a picture of that boy hanging on the wall, and she looked at it, longing for it. It was a very good likeness of the boy and she loved the boy. When it was offered for sale, no one wanted it—she bought it for just a few cents. She took it home and took it apart to clean it, it had been hanging on the wall for years, and when she opened the back of the picture, some papers fell out, and it looked to her like they were very important papers. She took them to a lawyer. The lawyer said to her, Madam, this time you have fallen on your feet, for this man left everything he possessed to the one that loved his son enough to buy that picture. He gave everything. God gives you everything if you love His Son, and you must love His Son, He gives you everything freely, as a free grant. 

6/ Romans 8: 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

At this point you must remember how this chapter begins and it is used right here. In Verse 1, it says, There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, and right here in Verse 33 He has given you a confirmation of that, for He says, if you don’t believe you are in the place of condemnation. I want to ask you a question. Who is it that will condemn us? Who can possibly condemn us? If God justifies us, who is there that can condemn us? God is the judge of all—God is the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court has passed on your case, I guess it is settled. The Supreme Court has acted, for God is Supreme, and it says, it is God who justifieth. That means to clear you of everything, and if the Judge has cleared us, who is left to condemn us? 

7/ Let us look at a very wonderful verse. 

Acts 13: 39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

And by Him—that is by Christ—by Him all that believe. 

That is not the folks that do the very best they can—or the folks who join the church, but all who believe, and we have to hold it down to that. Nine out of ten folks that you ask if they are saved will say, “I am doing the best I can.” God doesn’t save that kind. All that believe are justified, from how many things? All things. If you are justified from all things—who can find anything with which to condemn you? 

8/ Now let us turn to the chapter that everybody likes to use.

Revelations 12: 10 I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

Here in the tribulation, Satan is accusing those who are preaching the Gospel—the 144,000. Here he is the accuser, and he will be cast out of Heaven, out of his domain in the end of the tribulation. But actually, I believe he is doing the very same thing today. You remember what he did to job. 

Job 1: 8 -11 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Here, Satan accuses Job to God. He didn’t do it until God mentioned Job—the devil wouldn’t dare to do that, but God said, have you seen Job? The devil replied, yes, but you have put a hedge about Job and I cannot touch him. Then the devil said, if thou wilt let me touch Job and take away all that belongs to him, he will curse Thee to Thy face, Verse 11 God said, go and do it, but don’t touch his body. He took everything he had in the world, Job said, Job 1: 21 Naked came I out of my mother’s womb and 

naked shall I return thither. 

Don’t you see, the devil was proved a liar? He said, he will curse thee to Thy face, but Job didn’t do it—so one of the main things we learn about Satan in the book of Job is that he is a liar, and when he accuses people, he lies. 

9/ Then again, God asked him if he had seen Job, and he said, yes, Job 2: 4 - 6 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

But you touch Job’s body and he will curse thee—skin for skin. Let me touch his body, Satan said. God said, yes, but don’t take his life. Then he left Job scraping himself for a little comfort on an ash heap with boils all over his body. I suppose he thought at the time that a boil was the worst thing in the world. So he left Job there a wreck—a physical wreck. Yet in all that, Job did not condemn nor blaspheme the Lord. Again Satan was found to be a liar. When he accuses the child of God of certain things before the Father, he is a liar. 

10/ What if Satan does accuse us before the Father. What if he turns and says, just look at some of the things that Christians have done down there. It is not only the fact that Jesus Christ died for us, but the fact that He is now seated in Heavenly places interceding for us. What happens if Satan comes to God the Father, and says, look at that person—Mary Smith or John Jones down there on earth. They are Christians, they are folks who have believed in Jesus Christ, and look what they are doing—look how terrible they are—look how filthy they are, But Jesus Christ says, I know all about it—they are mine, I am here to intercede for them. I died for them—I have paid the price for that sin. It was put upon Me. Satan tries to bring things up but God says, He has cleared us of all these things. Do you know the devil can’t prove that you are guilty. Oh, I believe he knows he has a hopeless job. He knows what the Bible says, that our sins have been put away. That God has cleared us of every charge. You say, surely the devil can prove that I am guilty of some things—no, the devil can’t prove that because the Lord Jesus Christ took your guilt. Was He not made sin? Again I can’t get away from this verse.

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.

And of course, Colossians 2: 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11/ In the Greek, WHO DARES ACCUSE US NOW? THE JUDGE HIMSELF HAS DECLARED US FREE FROM SIN. If anyone wants to point at your sin, they have to point at Him—and who would dares to do that? 

I Peter 2: 24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Who dares to accuse Him? Yet, He is the one to accuse. He took our sin. He suffered for it. 

12/ Hebrews 10: 11, 12 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 contrasts the work of Jesus Christ with the work of the priest in the Old Testament, and every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin—but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God. 

Notice, when Jesus Christ went to Heaven, He sat down because the work was done. Did you ever do a hard day’s labor, then you came home, you were able to sit down and rest—it felt so good. Jesus Christ was made sin for us, He was crucified, resurrected from the dead, and He ascended into Heaven, and He went home—He sat down, because the work is done. And to accuse any believer of something that he has done, is saying first of all that the work of Jesus was not done—it is not sufficient. But His work is done, so if you want to accuse anyone, you must point the finger at Jesus Christ, you must accuse Him. Never accuse one of His children. 

13/ Then notice, He is interceding for us, but He is seated as He intercedes. He doesn’t have to work up a lather—He doesn’t have to get all steamed up when accusations are made against us, because the work is done. He just keeps saying—I died for that person, I died and paid the price for that sin.

We are free, yes, free indeed!

AMEN

Ref:  07/04/1965 / 30 - THE DEVIL’S HOPELESS JOB / 10/19/2021

WHY CHRIST HAD TO DIE

Photo by B Smith from the patio

 

255 – WHY CHRIST HAD TO DIE 

DECEMBER 16, 1962

HENRY F KULP


 

Romans 8: 26 - 32 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 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. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Out of this glorious 8th chapter, we have talked about the doctrine of glorification, we will be glorified with the uncreated glory of Christ. We shall be manifested, revealed as the sons of God, and then, we know by the foreknowledge of God that we will one day be predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son—we shall be like Jesus Christ.

1/ Now, we found out last week that predestination is founded upon the foreknowledge of God—the fact that God knows everything. He knows what is going to happen before it happens. But the foreknowledge of God does not determine our actions. What it does determine is what is going to happen to those who are saved—they will be like the Lord Jesus Christ.

2/ Now, let us go back to Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

We have skipped over this to this point, because I think you will better understand what I want to tell you about it at this time. Notice the Spirit hearest our infirmities—He knows how infirm you are, how infirm I am, and He does not trust us. I want you to notice that— He does not trust us. Whatever weakness there is in your Christian life, God makes a provision for it. God is not going to let our infirmities interfere with His plans for us.

3/ Now, the second part of that verse says, we do not know how to pray. Did you ever stop to think that if the Lord gave you only what you prayed for, you wouldn’t have very much. Just stop and think about this for a moment—say tomorrow morning, Monday morning, when you start out, you don’t know what you are going to need through the day, because you do not have foreknowledge—you don’t know what you are going to bump into. Why, if you had to pray for everything you were going to need, and get it before the day is done—that is do it in the morning before it happens, you would, first of all, have to spend many hours in prayer, and then you wouldn’t know how to pray because you don’t know what you are going to bump into during the day. So God makes provision for us in this aspect.

4/ Now, let’s think about that from the aspect of the Holy Spirit. We don’t know what we should pray for as we ought, and God doesn’t depend upon our praying. God has given us the Holy Spirit to pray for us. Remember He is a person, remember He is God, and He has foreknowledge, He knows everything we are going to need. He knows all of our needs throughout Monday, and so he makes intercession to the Father for the strength and working out everything that happens to us. No wonder God can say that all things work together for good to them who love God?

5/ How do I know that I am eternally saved? Not just that I have eternal life, but God in His foreknowledge has said that everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, will one day be conformed to the image of His Son, and to guarantee the working of this, He has the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, praying for us, interceding for us. We hear much about the intercessory work of Jesus Christ, but very little about the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit. Yet this work of the Holy Spirit is very important. It enables God to say that all things work together for good to them who love God—it is the work of the Holy Spirit in interceding that will guarantee that one day we will be like the Lord Jesus Christ. 

6/ YOU SEE, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD THE FATHER ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN OUR LIVES. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL BE MADE LIKE UNTO JESUS CHRIST.

Now, remember that God leaves you after you are saved in the midst of the world where Satan is god, where Satan is a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he may devour. It is a world of darkness, it is a world that hates God, it is a world that can’t stand Jesus Christ. And do you realize you couldn’t live five minutes in this world without God’s provision, without the Holy Spirit interceding for you, dwelling in your body and praying for you. I love the thought that the Holy Spirit is for us.

7/ As I read and contemplate all this, I am thrilled and exalted in Jesus Christ, and my mind always go back to just one portion of Scripture. We have given it before, but we want to share it with you again.

Ecclesiasticus 3: 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever.

God does nothing for just time. When God saves a soul, He saves a soul forever. God doesn’t save a soul and keep him six months and then let him fall and be lost. God doesn’t work that way. God does things forever, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to indwell our bodies and to pray for us, to make sure that one day we’ll be made like the Lord Jesus Christ.

8/ Now, let us go back to Romans 8: 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Here where it says, for whom He did foreknow, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son—for what reason? Now notice this—that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Notice the word, first-born. This is a born race, and the Lord Jesus Christ was born, so the Lord’s people are a born race—a super-race—that will be like the

Lord Jesus Christ. But now the question we must consider, and it is very important here— what does it mean that He might be the first-born among many brethren?

9/ Acts 13: 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Now notice, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee, This day—what day is that? It is the resurrection day, for it speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, for when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, He became the first born of God. He had died, and He rose to a new life. And every one of the members of the body of Christ—the super-race, who are to be conformed to the image of His Son are raised from the dead every one of them. In this sense, Christ was born as we were born – How? By resurrection.We are born into the family of God by resurrection. Go back in this same book.

Romans 6: 3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We have been baptized, now notice, into the death of Jesus Christ, and like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. As Christ has raised from the dead, so are we, and we are part of this first-born group. It is all by resurrection.

10/ Romans 8: 31 What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

In other words, what is there to be afraid of? Nothing, Because all this is working together for our good.

Let us turn to Jeremiah 20: 11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

This is another Scripture that always comes to mind when I think of Romans 8: 31. But the Lord is with me as a mighty, terrible one. There are some translations of the Bible that read this way—the Lord is with me as a mighty giant -- who is afraid?

Actually, I believe that is the closest to the meaning. The picture in the original language is that a little boy who has been bullied by larger boys in the neighborhood, and he is afraid. He is afraid to go out and play on the sidewalk, afraid to go out and play ball, because these bullies always pick on him, they hurt him and they hit him and make fun of him and mock him. But one day his father comes to him and says, son, let’s go down and watch a ball game. And so the father and the boy walk down the street, and the boy’s hand is in the father’s hand. Is the boy afraid now? Not at all, is he afraid of the neighborhood bullies? No, they are still there—they see him, but they don’t hit him, they don’t mock him. No, and at this point he is not afraid, because his father is with him and his father can protect him. That is the story here. If God be for us, God has predestinated us, that we

should be like the Lord Jesus. He has even provided the Holy Spirit to pray for us, why should we be afraid? We shouldn’t because the Giant is with us.

11/ Romans 8: 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Now notice, He that spared not his own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely give us all things?

Please notice how that is worded. It doesn’t say, He shall—but what it does say, and this is precious to those who know Christ—how can He help -- how is it possible if God has done this for us, that He could withhold anything from us? If God has not withheld His Son, there is nothing else that He will withhold from us. Why did Christ Jesus die? That God might give us everything. This is the basis of all that has gone on before. The doctrine of glorification, the doctrine of manifestation, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit praying for us, it is because Christ was offered up by God the Father, and the Father did not withhold His Son from us.

12/ Now, the word, delivered, means handed Him over. God the Father, handed Him over. But what is the meaning of this? There are enemies clamoring for our condemnation, our sin, all the powers of hell, all the powers of darkness are against us. We are truly sinners, and these evil powers have the right to bring us into condemnation. We deserve hell.

Notice Ephesians 6: 12 We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, authorities, the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We wrestle against them now, but in days gone by when we were under the condemnation of sin, we were sinners, these powers had control over us and we were held in bondage over His Son for us. He delivered Him up for us. What did He say—to these powers—here is My Son, vent all your rage upon Him. Make Him the object of your hate and your wrath. All the powers of hell and Satan could never have touched the Son of God, but God gave Him up, God delivered Him up.

13/ Let me give you an illustration that may make this clearer to your mind. The transaction of God delivering up His Son for us.

You remember Genesis 19: 1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

There came two angels to Sodom in the evening, as Lot sat in the gate of Sodom, and Lot came up to meet them. He didn’t realize that they were angels, and so he said, I pray you, come into your servants house and tarry all night, wash your feet, you shall rise up early and be on your way. And they said, no, we shall abide in the street all night. But he insisted on them greatly, and they turned into his house. He made them a feast, he had unlevened bread there, and they did eat. Before they went to bed that night, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom ringed about the house, both old and young, and they called to Lot and said unto him, where are the men which came to thee in the night, bring them out to us that we might know them.

They wanted to use them for an evil, wicked, filthy, foul act. They wanted to misuse these men, and Lot went unto the door unto them, and shut the door after him. Then he said I don’t want you men to misuse these two men. Behold I have two daughters which have not known men, let me I pray you, bring them out unto you and do unto them as is good in your eyes, only do nothing to these two men. This was a wicked thought of Lot, but Lot was willing to spoil his two daughters to save these men who were guests in his house. There it was, evil, it was wicked. But that is exactly what God the Father did for us. All the power of evil, Satan, wanted to vent upon us his wrath and their wrath because we are sinners and we deserve it. But God said, not so, you take my Son, I’ll deliver Him over to your hands that these folks might be made free, might have everything from me.

14/ Now, you can remember if God was willing to do this for us, deliver up His Son who did not deserve this treatment, how can He help but freely give us all things. He can’t help but do it.

15/ Now, let us stop at this point and think about some of the things we pray for. You say, if the Lord can’t help but give us good things, why doesn’t He always give me what I pray for? Sometimes you do pray for things and you don’t get them, and perhaps at that point, you doubt the goodness of God. You think, He is not willing to give to me.

I had a man who was sick, and He said, If God wanted to, He could take this sickness from me, and He hasn’t done it. And He doubted the goodness of God. But it is God’s nature to give. If there is something good for us, God can’t help but give it to us. It is just His nature. The Bible says that God is love. It is His very nature. He just loves to give, and He can’t help but give, so when God withholds, it is not that He doesn’t want to give, it is because it isn’t good for us.

16/ Romans 8: 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect it is God that justifieth.

First of all, God is the Judge. God is on the bench. We are before God. No one can condemn apart from him. Others may judge, but only God has the right to judge. When others judge you, it doesn’t really matter, it is a matter of whether God has judged you. But notice, God the Judge has justified, He has pronounced the sinner just, and so we have a marvelous, wonderful fact brought home to us here.

God controls all that comes into the believer’s life...it passes through His hands first.

We do not have to live with a spirit of fear. Perfect love casteth out fear.

Refuse to live in a spirit of fear...it is not from God. It is why Christ had to die...to remove the spirit of fear.

AMEN

Ref: 12/16/1962 / 255 - WHY CHRSIT HAD TO DIE / 10/18/2021