“And Elijah came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, Behold, the Word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah . . . ?” I Kings 19:1-18
“For I (God) have not given you the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind . . . !” II Timothy 1:7
“And perfect love casteth out all fear, because fear hath torment. And he that feareth is not yet made perfect in love !”
I John 4:18
“For herein in our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment . . . !” I John 4:17
Through all our trials we should think of the plan of Salvation, we should educate the soul to exercise faith in Christ and to render Praise to God ! Christ suffered reproach. He was reviled and rejected of men. They even said that He had a devil, but He did not shrink from the cross of suffering, and we should not murmur at the self-sacrificing part of religion. All Heaven is interested in the trying of our souls, the whole universe is interested to see how we shall bear the cross (of the sacrifice of self) and endure the shame.
You are to work out your own Salvation (rescue, deliverance, healing) with fear and trembling; “for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure!” Philippians 2:13. God does not work with man without his co-operation. Divine power will combine with human effort, and enable you to successfully meet the enemy of your souls.
“That He will grant you, according to the riches (abundance) of His glory, to be strengthened with might (miraculous power) by His Spirit in the inner man. And that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith . . . !”
Ephesians 3:16 & ref: Exodus 33:18 – 34:7
In Christ you must meet every difficulty; and if others do not sympathize with your ideas, you must not wound them by enmity, but press close to the bleeding side of your Saviour. If you have doubts, you should not gratify the evil one by telling others concerning them.
If you trust in Christ, as surely as He died on Calvary’s cross, you will obtain the victory !
It was Living faith that caused the woman who had suffered under disease for years to touch the hem of Christ’s garment (Luke 8:44 and Malachi 4:2).
Living Faith = “Faith that worketh by love . . . not that we loved Him, but that He first loved us, and gave His Son as the propitiation (atonement) for all of our sins !” Galatians 5:6, I John 4:10 & 19
“For he that cometh to God must believe that He Is (I AM, THAT I AM), and that He Is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him . . . !” Hebrews 11:6
This is the faith that we must have, and then we shall not speak of our trials and conflicts; for through them all, we shall have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Jesus has said, “He that followeth Me shall not walk in dark-ness, but shall have the Light of life!” John 8:12 We should unfurl the banner of the Prince of Peace, and in perplexity and sorrow we must not lose sight of Him Who is mighty to save !
“Therefore I will look unto the LORD (Jehovah, Yehuwah); I will wait for the God (Elohim – Mighty One) of my Salvation: my God will hear me. O rejoice not against me O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness (fear, doubt, perplexity), the LORD shall be a Light unto me . . . And He will bring me forth to the Light, and I shall behold His Righteousness . . . !” Micah 7:7-9
Jesus came to this earth, marred and seared by the curse, for the purpose of bringing moral power to men. He fought the battle in man’s behalf in the wilderness of temptation, and it was the same battle that everyone of us must fight till the close of time.
Christ was not overcome in this conflict. He Who worked miracles for others, worked none for Himself. He had clothed His Divinity with humanity, and He had come to bring Divine power to man !
Quote: “Christ did not exchange His Divinity for humanity, but combined humanity with Divinity; and in humanity He lived the law (righteous character) in behalf of the human family. The sins of every one who will receive Christ were set to His account, and He has fully satisfied the justice of God ! . . . For in Him Who sits upon the throne of the universe, Divinity and humanity are combined . . .”
– Fundamentals of Christian Education p.429 & Christ Object Lessons p.385
“He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility ! Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. . . . All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to God.” – I Selected Messages p.364
He met the enemy at every step with “It is written !” He used the Word of God to thwart the temptations of the evil one. This is where our safety lies. We should study the Word of God, and be so filled with It, that we can meet the enemy of our souls with “It is written,” as did our example. “Written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart . . . !” II Corinthians 3:3
Then we could hope for the Grace (G5485 – Divine Influence) that God has promised, to enable us to be overcomers. You should be full of hope in the work of the Lord. A discouraged man cannot glorify God. What-ever you do, you should not lose your hope and faith. When you become discouraged it is an evidence that you have allowed the enemy to come in between your soul and God. You must lay hold of the hope set before you, and you will come off victorious, and be ready to sing the praises of God !
When Christ came to this world, He found that Satan had everything as he wanted it. The adversary of God and man thought that he was indeed the prince of the earth, but Jesus (Yehushua) laid hold of the world to take it out of the power of Satan. He came to redeem it from the curse of sin and the penalty of transgression, that the transgressor might be forgiven. He planted the cross between earth and heaven, and between Divinity and humanity; and as the Father beheld the cross, He was satisfied. He said, “It is enough, the offering is complete!”
“For He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in Him . . . And having made Peace (Shalom) through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven !”
– II Corinthians 5:21 & Colossians 1:20-21
God and man may be reconciled. Those who have lived in rebellion against God, may become reconciled, if as they see the cross, they become repentant, and accept the great propitiation (atonement) that Christ has made for their sins. In the cross they see that “mercy and Truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other !”
ref: Proverbs 16:6 & Psalm 85:10
We do not appreciate the love of God as we should. When God gave His Son to die for the sins of men, He gave all Heaven in that one Gift. There was nothing that God could withhold from humanity after giving up His Beloved Son; for Christ Himself had assumed humanity. He was made a child that He might understand the temptations of childhood, and know its weaknesses and be able to help the children to be overcomers.
He passed from youth to manhood, and carried our griefs and bore our sorrows. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. When we come to Him in sincerity pleading for pardon, He forgives !
We need not wait to make ourselves acceptable; for we can never. We cannot do works that will commend us to God when we have sinned. We must come to the cross, and lay our burden of sin upon Jesus Christ, and believe that we are pardoned for Christ’s sake Who died for us! When we acknowledge our sin, and seek pardon through Christ, the law is exalted. It is the moral standard of God, and tells us what sin is. Says John, “Sin is the transgression of the law” I John 3:4 Those who have sinned must hang their helpless souls on Christ.
You should place your will on the side of God’s will. “Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve . . . !” You cannot be overcome of the enemy unless you press positive resistance against God’s will. We can be more than conquerors through faith in Him Who has loved us and given Himself for us. When you come to God, you must come with confidence.
When Satan presses upon your soul his temptations to doubt that God will have mercy in your case, you should press back his suggestions with the Promises of God. Our heavenly Father has expressed His love for us individually in the cross of Calvary. The Father loves us, He is full of compassion and tender mercy.
ref: Lamentations 3:22-23
– Special Testimonies, September 30, 1889