so great a salvation - the church of god

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MARCH–APRIL 2017 | VOLUME 29 ISSUE 2

So Great a

SALVATION

EDITORIAL

INDEX

So great a Sacrifice. So great a triumph.Tongue or pen could never fully express the love of

God and the glories of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begot-ten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3. Through the resurrec-tion of Jesus Christ–“the great seal of the gospel”–man has hope of eternal life.

O fallen man, helplessly bound in sin, lift your dark-ened heart heavenward and behold your God and Saviour! See Mercy looking down and the free offer of redemption. Marvel at the greatness of His love to rebels! All this, because God came down in the form of a man to give His life as a spotless sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind. There is no greater love!

Jesus Christ, the great lover of souls, stands zealously ready to forgive and deliver whosoever wills to be free from the curse of sin. He is the way, the truth, the life. Without Him, there is no hope for man. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Blessed, blessed name of Jesus!

Reader, Jesus did not die to produce the powerless and boring religion the masses know today. He is not inter-ested in church-going and church programs, neither rituals nor praise choruses from hearts bereft of real salvation. All such is foreign to biblical Christianity.

His is so great a salvation that it involves supernatu-ral intervention from the initial awakening of the sinner, right unto the work of salvation wrought in the soul. It is a deliverance from the power of darkness and a transla-tion into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13). It is the making of a sinner into a saint while yet in this present evil world. Glory, glory, glory to the God of heaven for the great rescue mission of Calvary! “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”! 2 Cor. 9:15. Sis. Susan Mutch, Washed in the blood of the Lamb and kept by His power

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So Great a Cost 3

Poem: O Depth of Proof 4

Awakening 5

Godly Sorrow and Repentance 6

Justification 8

Regeneration 9

Entire Sanctification 11

The Redemption of the Body 13

Neglect Not this Great Salvation 14

2 THE GOSPEL TRUMPET

THE GOSPEL TRUMPET 3

“And without contro-versy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” 1 Timothy 3:16. O that all of Adam’s race would ponder the won-der of these words–God came down in the flesh; in the form of man! Dear reader, stand in awe. Marvel at His tremen-dous condecension to fallen, sinful man. Be amazed at so great a love. YOU were the object of His unfathomable love, dear reader, you!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son.” I exalt in praise with the apostle Paul: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”! Unto sin-ful, helpless, and hopeless man a Son is given!

No man can save Him-self from sin, and no amount of good works can earn him a place in heaven, for such an offering is filthy rags. So baneful is the curse of sin, so diseased the sinner, and so horrendous his crimes that supernatural intervention was man’s only hope. Wonder of wonders, heaven sent our cure! God Himself came down to be the perfect, holy sacrifice to take our sin away!

O reader, you know the history! So zealous was Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the devil by delivering man from all sin that He willingly offered His hands to be nailed and the spike to be driven through His blessed feet; those feet that went about doing good for all, then marched to the cross to prove His love as He offered Him-self as an atonement for our sins.

Cruel, hateful Roman cross! Depraved man designed such an exceedingly tortur-ous instrument of death; an ignominious punishment reserved for those esteemed low and vile. Sin deserved to be nailed

So Great a Cost

there, but on that history-changing day, the spotless Lamb lay His already-bloodied body on the rough wood that the guilty reb-els might go free! O hardened sinner, will you not weep? There is no greater love. There is no greater Friend of sinners.

He was not stopped by the cruel re-proaches, mockings, and blasphemies from His own creation. He faltered not when the metal of the whip tore His skin in that most unjust scourging. He endured the excru-ciating sufferings of the cross, having before Him the joy of setting sin’s captives free.

Even nature mourned, the sun refusing to shine, as the Spotless Sacrifice endured the extremities of agonizing pain. Then, it was finished. The sacred head bowed in death. “The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bot-tom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”

The crowds were hushed to silence at the strange events, and the heathen sol-diers declared, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

So great a Sacrifice could only but bring so great a sal-vation. The fountain of blood was opened! Come ye rebels! Throw down your arms. Sur-render in tears and be washed in this crimson flow; this fountain of love. Be made clean! Be free! There is now power for man to conquer sin. Dare to believe it. Jesus Christ paid the full price to re-deem our souls and to enable us to live holy in this present evil world, thus fitting us for heaven. O how high the cost to purchase our deliverance! O how great the love!

Incarnation…crucifix-ion…resurrection–great in-

deed is the mystery of godliness! If the whole world could but comprehend the extreme love and mercy exhibited in God’s plan of salvation, hearts would melt and all would adore this great lover of souls.

How can we but joyfully cry out with the apostle John, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us”! Sis. Susan Mutch

Christ has regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!My sin–not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

—HoratioSpafford

Subsidiaries of The Gospel Trumpet Publishing Co.

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Godly Sorrow and Repentance Acts 3:19; 17:30, 2 Cor. 7:10The New Birth–a Radical Conversion John 3:3-7Freedom from Sin/A Holy Life 1 Jn. 5:18, Lk. 1:73-75, Tit. 2:11-12Entire Sanctification–a Second Cleansing 1 Thess. 5:23, Act 15:8-9 Unity of God’s People/One Church John 17:21, Matt. 16:18Divine Healing James 5:14-15, Isa. 53:5Ordinances Mt. 28:19-20, Jn. 13:14-15, 1 Cor. 11:23-26Plain, Modest Dress Dt. 22:5, 1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Cor. 11:14-15Sanctity of Marriage Mt. 19:5-6, Mk. 10:11-12, Lk. 16:18, Rom. 7:2-3Non-Violence Luke 3:14; 6:27-29; 18:20Restoration (Sounding 7th Trumpet) Rev. 10:7; 11:15Eternal Punishment or Reward Matt. 25:46

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O Depth of Proof

See the Sovereign of creation, King of earth and skies,All for sinful man’s salvation thus He dies, He dies;

Yet He lives, a mighty Monarch, reigns o’er every foe,Causing mortal man to triumph over sin below. —B.E. Warren

O depth of proof of the love divine,Sent to remove every sin of mine;

Lest I should not comprehend His care,God sent His Son with love from heaven fair.

O proof of love, Thou wast beaten so;No man did soothe Thy tormented soul.

What drew Thee down from the bliss above?Heaven replies with joy, “‘Twas love! ‘Twas love!”

O depth of proof for my unbelief:My God is bruised, see those bloody streaksRoll down His arms from His severed flesh;

For me “the Life” Himself bowed down in death.

Let all my pain and my little griefCouch down in shame as thy bloodstains speak:

“Mercy to all and relief from sin;All promises in Me are yea, amen.”

—Bro. Jason Hargrave


Sin is deceitful. How else would a human being dare commit an act of rebellion against his Creator, knowing full well that

he must pay for it in this life and for all eternity? He could not do it except he was deceived. Sin is mixed with a dead-ening, lulling, and sinfully soothing po-tion, the effects of which can only be re-versed by a crisis awakening of the soul.

“I wake with horror from the spellOf Satan’s dread control;

My sins were sinking me to hell,O Jesus, save my soul!”

Sin affects the mind. A sinner, hav-

ing given himself over to be a servant of sin, is immediately subjected to the mind-altering influence of Satan’s spell. Sin is altogether unreasonable, yet man prides himself of it. It is destructive, not only to the soul and spirit, but also to the body, yet man revels in it. It is contrary to nature, yet man pursues it madly.

In order to be saved, every sinner must become as the prodigal son who “came to himself” (Luke 15:17) and

confessed his sinful insanity to the God who invites all to come and reason with Him.

Sin brings death to the soul. Jesus spoke of the awakening of those dead in sin: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” John 5:25.

The call of the gospel has always been for dead, sleeping sinners to awaken. This call is universal: Its lov-ing tones have blessed the ears of every person that was ever born. None are pre-destined to be eternally lost. This call is persistant: A sinner may, by his own rebellious choosing, harden himself to such a degree against the dealings of the Spirit that he becomes desensitized to them. He may distance himself to such an extent from the call of God that he no longer hears it. Whatever the case, the persistent call of God follows the sinner throughout his life. What divine mercy! When this call reaches the heart of a sin-ner, he must act upon it, or forfeit the priceless drawing of the Father, without

which no man can come to the Saviour. How many hear the call and yet refuse to give heed!

Oh, sinful sleep! How rare for the soul that has once been lulled to sleep by your enchanting lullaby ever to awaken again! What a miracle, then, is this great salvation that has power to quicken those who were dead in sins, thereby snatching them from sure destruction. All those who have escaped the clutches of sin can rejoice with the song writer who wrote,

“A resurrection, I confess,Has taken place within my breast;I’ve been awakened from the dead,

And now I live with Christ instead!”

The salvation of a soul depends en-tirely on its being awakened. There can be no repentance without godly sorrow; there can be no godly sorrow without an awakening. True godly sorrow–which works repentance and does not merely produce selfish regret–will only come to a soul after it has been awakened to its destitute condition. &

AwakeningBro. Thomas Tovstiga


Godly Sorrow and Repentance

Bro. Benjamin Tovstiga

There is nothing worse than re-belling against the law of an infinitely good, loving, and just God. The commission of sin is

an absolute catastrophe. Movies and televi-sion shows have very effectively presented sins as jokes, and most people are largely oblivious to the magnitude and weight of their offenses against God. The fact that the torments of the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15) will be eternal gives us some insight into how awful sin is. Were the matter less weighty, a lighter punishment might suf-fice. Conversion from a sinner to a saint is no light matter. The guiltiness of a sinner is horrendous and his debt overwhelming.

If, in fact, more people realized the seriousness of grieving God by their sins, easy-going, gum-chewing “conversions” would be no more. While no volume of tears or immensity of regret can ever atone for sin, God requires those who seek His

forgiveness to undergo a due process of awakening, sorrow, and repentance.

Sinners’ minds are blinded. Although not at all excusable, they grope about in darkness. If sinners truly understood the vileness of their sins, they could not eas-ily continue in their course of wickedness. If left unresolved, a true understanding of one’s sinful condition would threaten even personal sanity.

When Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). If Christ’s executioners had truly understood what they were doing, they would have tenderly removed Him from the cross and sobbed out their hearts at His feet. Thus it is that a sinner must be awakened before he can have sorrow and repent. It is the work of the Holy Ghost to forcibly make known to the mind and heart of a sinner his own wickedness. It was promised by Jesus that

the Comforter (the Holy Ghost) would “re-prove [convict/convince] the world of sin” (John 16:8). In mercy, God shoots arrows of conviction into the sinner’s heart (Psalm 38:2). After meeting Jesus at Jacob’s well, the woman of Samaria testified, “He told me all that ever I did” (John 4:39). When God revealed His glory to Isaiah, his cry was “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5).

Bro. D.S. Warner wrote the following lines:

While sleeping careless on the brinkof an eternal woe,

I felt the touch of Jesus love,and, oh, it charmed me so.

I wake with horror from the spellof Satan’s dread control;

My sins were sinking me to hell,O Jesus, save my soul!


O blessed state of brokenness, when every sinful ambition is shat-tered, and the soul lies prostrate at the feet of Jesus! This state is

wonderful evidence of candidacy for true Bible conversion.

The Scripture declares that “godly sor-row worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). A sinner becomes so sorry for his sins that he effectively decides to never sin again. This does not imply that deliver-ance from sin is worked by the human will, but emphasizes that God’s grace will work with the resolve of those who “sorrow after

a godly sort” (2 Corinthians 7:11). Godly sorrow, however, is not to be

confused with “the sorrow of the world” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Upon denying his Sav-iour, Peter’s eyes met those of Jesus. This visual and spiritual encounter was more than Peter could bear, for he “went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). Not long after, Peter found full forgiveness and reconcili-ation with his Lord. What a striking exam-ple of conviction and godly sorrow this is! Judas, on the other hand, sorrowed after a worldly and ungodly manner. Although he “repented himself” (Matt. 27:3) for betray-ing Christ, he yielded to very selfish mo-tives that led him to end his own life, thus

further violating the plan of God for his life.

Sinners sometimes sorrow mostly because of the personal distress their sins have caused them. Some are sorry because they were caught and put to shame. But a sinner who recognizes his own guiltiness and unworthiness and the worthiness of

God, will sorrow for God’s sake. In a state of devel-oped repentance induced by godly sorrow, a sinner will surrender himself un-conditionally to God.

O blessed state of brokenness, when every sinful ambition is shattered, and the soul lies prostrate at the feet of Jesus! This state is wonderful evi-dence of candidacy for true Bible conver-sion.

RepentanceRepentance has been misrepresented

as simply being or feeling sorry. While true sorrow works repentance, repentance entails much more than even genuine sor-row. Repentance denotes an absolute and permanent turning away from sin. Without this turning away, it is impossible to be saved. Repentance is not superficial or self-generated. It is a precious gift from God

I know my sins have pierced thy heart,OJesus,crucified;

And now thy love is breaking mine,I bow to Him who died.

Not only must a sinner be awakened to his sinful condition, but he must sor-row over his sins. This sorrow must be deep, substantial, and self-less and will follow a true awakening of the soul. It is a sorrow worked by God on account of hav-ing grieved God’s heart. Hence this sorrow is termed “godly sorrow.” Because the sinner broke the heart of His Creator and Lover, his own heart breaks.

Zechariah the prophet spoke of a time when people would realize that they are guilty of the crucifixion of Christ and mourn as a parent mourns the loss of a first-born son. How poignant the scene–parents with bleeding hearts bending over the life-less form that once embodied the object of their fervent love, hopes, and dreams.

This is how a sinner must mourn over a God whom he has slighted and deprived. It was in this state of sorrow that David said of his own repentance, “I go mourning all the day long” (Psalm 38:6). The expe-rience of salvation from sin is glorious and brings unspeakable joy. But be-fore a people can be made joyful, they must be made very, very sad.

Godly SorrowAs this sadness grows

and intensifies, so does the sinners disgust and hatred for sin. Its effects are real, tangible, visible. Godly sorrow is incomparably more than saying “I’m sorry.” Multitudes say “sorry” every night or ev-ery Sunday morning–even while still revelling on in their sin.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30.


Every sinner is at fierce enmity with God. From the very moment a person sins, he and his Creator are in a state of war. There is much reason for God to be “an-

gry with the wicked every day.” His eternal, holy law has been violated by willful transgression.

Many portray God as one who forgives the sin-ner without any regard to His own justice, merely fulfilling the role of some great omnipotent human-ist. There is, however, one barrier God cannot cross–that of His immutable justice.

Since sin has a penalty–“the wages of sin is death”–it would be unjust for God to forgive the sin-ner without prior payment for his offence. Consider-ing that eternal death is the penalty, a sinner could never make sufficient satisfaction for his crime. Fur-thermore, as “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) there was no human being capable of dying an efficacious death on the behalf of a sinful world.

As for God, He cannot die. In the face of such insurmountable obstacles, man could never hope to reach justification or a right state before God. It is a debt he cannot pay. Therefore, the spotless Lamb of God, who on earth was both God and man, was the only suitable sacrifice that would satisfy the de-mands of God’s justice. Through the merits of that Sacrifice, God can forgive the penitent sinner who comes to His throne for pardon.

How marvelous the divine innovation that made salvation for mankind possible! No law demanded our salvation. It was love that drew Him down from heaven and made it possible for man to stand justi-fied before the Judge of all the earth.

The work of justification effectively ends the state of enmity between God and man. It changes guilty convicts to innocent children of God and transforms rebels into friends of God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1. &

Jesus has rightly been called gentle. He remains the friend of sinners, but against sin He hurled invective more terrible than any other before or since. He hated it with implacable hatred and fought it to the death. He knew it for what it is – the greatest enemy of man; the most dangerous thing in the world. —Leslie Weatherhead

and evidence of His goodness (2 Timothy 2:25; Romans 2:4).

Before bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit as a Christian, a sinner must bring forth fruits of repentance. It was these vis-ible results that John the Baptist demanded of the Pharisees when he commanded them to “bring forth therefore fruits meet for re-pentance” (Matthew 3:8). These hypocrites came to be baptized without being awak-ened, sorrowful, or repentant, and John was not about to merely make wet sinners out of dry ones. A penitent sinner will begin to “cease from sin” even before the blood has been applied to his soul. Of course man cannot free himself from the condition of sin and, if left unsaved, would not indefi-nitely withstand temptation.

JustificationBro. Thomas Tovstiga

Dear reader, unless you repent you shall miserably perish like all other sin-ners (Luke 13:1-5). There is no reforma-tion, membership, good deed, baptism, or profession that can replace true, fruitful re-pentance. This repentance must be the out-

growth of a divine work of awakening and sorrow wrought by the Holy Ghost. If these three prerequisites are attained to, God will surely extend His mighty arm and save the vilest of sinners, for He is near to those whose hearts are broken (Psalm 34:18). &


“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving div-ers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and re-newing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:3-5.

Salvation from sin is the most glorious experience on this earth. The answer of a clean conscience before God is priceless and far surpasses the fleeting joys of all earthly attainments and worldly accolades. Salvation is a gift of God. Men cannot earn it, nor can they deserve it. It is the pure kindness and mercy of God. And, wonder of wonders, He extends His grace to every one of us, excluding none from the offer of salvation.

Just what does it mean to be saved? The opening passage holds the key, and we would do well to consider it. When God saves, He washes and regenerates the soul. This word regeneration is an interest-ing one. In the original Greek in which the text was written, it literally means “new birth.” It means to generate anew, or recre-ate. When God saves, therefore, He recre-ates the image of God in the soul and life of men.

The trouble with most people is that they do not feel the need of being saved. People want to believe the best about them-selves. They will make all kinds of excuses for their wrongdoing. The little good that they do eclipses in their minds the multi-tude of sins they commit. Humility is truly not a natural grace. The modern humanistic view of man’s condition is that people are, at the root of everything, basically good. But this worldly notion is at once belied by the fact of all the evil in the world. It is also not the way God sees the human condition.

The Scriptures present quite a different view of man from the humanistic opinion. Man is at best, they testify, depraved from birth, due to Adam’s fall into sin, hence in need of redemption.

“Behold, I was shapen in in-iquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5.

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

“The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live.” Ecclesiastes 9:3.

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetous-ness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

RegenerationBro. Daniel Eichelberger

all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:21-23

“How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?” Job 15:16

“The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Psalm 14:2-3.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6.

We could multiply scriptures, but these are sufficient to show us God’s viewpoint of the matter. These have painted a very de-pressing picture of humankind. The reality is actually far more depressing. Just read the headlines on any given day. They alone are enough to convince you that the Scrip-tures are telling the truth.

And, if you are honest with yourself, the testimony of your own heart will af-firm that God speaks the truth about your personal condition. In order to be saved, you must first see yourself as God sees you. You must see your sin as sin, without excuse. You must see that even the good things you think you can declare about yourself are tainted by depravity. You must

feel the need of a Saviour and the new life He graciously offers to you. As desperately wicked as your heart is, so desperately you must seek after so great a salvation.

God, who is holy, testifies the truth about men and women. His sentence may seem harsh, but it is that He might have mercy upon all (Romans 11:32). And, as our opening passage declares, His kindness has appeared unto us. Because He loved the

“According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Salvation from sin is the most glorious experience on this earth.


Wonderful Change!All weights are gone, my heart is light,My scarlet robes are changed to white!

O praise the Lord! I need no moreMy load of sin and guilt deplore.

Where passions reigned and tempers foamed,Now Jesus sits in love enthroned.

No dregs of carnal strife are found,But hope and love and peace abound.

Oh, wondrous grace! How great the change!My soul now takes her joyful range,‘Mid scenes of beauty in the light,

Where all before was gloomy night.

The gilded glory of this worldEclipsed, and into nothing hurled,

Before the super-excellenceOf heaven’s peace and righteousness.

Oh, I am saved in Jesus’ blood,My soul is happy now in God!

Oh, glory, glory, can it beThe Prince of Peace has come to me!

—D.S. Warner

world so much, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, so that He might give eternal life to all who believe on Him (John 3:16).

“Ye must be born again,” Jesus declares (John 3:7). You must be regenerated, saved from your depravity, restored to a new life. This comes through repentance–confession of sin to God, forsaking of that sin, and believing on Jesus Christ for forgiveness and righteousness (Romans 10:9-10).

The marvel of true salvation is its effect on the life of the person who is saved. Well does the word regenera-tion describe the experience. A person who is truly saved is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He no longer sins (1 John 3:6, 9), but walks in newness of life (Romans 6:4). So thorough is the change that only God could have effected it. Do you long for such an experience? Have you experi-enced the new birth? The good news of the gospel is that you may have it. Have you been regenerated? God our Sav-iour, in His mercy and kindness, offers it to you today.

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of in-corruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23. &

If the Son therefore shall make you free,

ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

A


“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, ac-ceptable unto God, which is your reason-able service” (Rom. 12:1). The writer here addresses brethren–not sinners, but justified individuals, already part of the community of believers–with a need for further consecration to God.

They were to offer up themselves upon the altar of sacrifice as a living, holy offering. This was not an offering they could have made while they were dead in trespasses and sins, but an offer-ing they could make only after they had been washed in the blood of Jesus and made alive in Him. It was a willing giv-ing over of all their living powers to God as their logical and reasonable service to Him. It was a complete laying down of self-will, a renouncing all pretention to personal rights, so that the fire of heaven could consume every fiber of their being. No longer did they belong to themselves, but to the altar and to the fire thereon, let that fire consume what it would of

pride, of comfort, or of dearest desires. Entire consecration, entire abandonment was what the apostle called for. It was a commitment begun in justification but completed on a deeper level in a second experience, a face to face encounter with that all-consuming power of the Holy Ghost.

Fire was what the 120 experienced in the upper room. They had already walked with Jesus and had their lives transformed by His touch. They had al-ready forsaken all to follow Him. They had become sons of God (Jn. 1:12), and their names had been written in the book of life (Lk. 10:20). But they had never been possessed at such a level with God’s infilling power. During Christ’s great trial, they had feared and faltered and fled. Now the power that gripped them overflowed in bold public testimony. So effective was their witness to the Resur-rection that multitudes in Jerusalem were brought to repentance by the convinc-ing power they manifested. These were hardly the same men who had trembled

No knowledge is of such vast impor-tance to the individual as that he is person-ally accepted of God, that his sins have been pardoned, that God looks upon him with pleasure, that he is born of the Spirit, that he is a child of God, and that he is on the way to eternal blessedness. It is reason-able to suppose those who are thus saved are conscious of their salvation.

The infinite cost of salvation is ground for the expectation that God will give defi-nite assurance of acceptance to those whom He saves. He so loved men that He spared not His own Son; that he sent His Holy Spirit to convict, convert, sanctify, and guide them; that He inspired holy men to write the sacred Scriptures for the revela-tion of the way of salvation; that He calls, qualifies, and sends ministers to preach salvation to sinners, and that He instituted His church as a means for the propagation of the gospel. Surely, after doing all this, He has not failed to make possible to the individual Christian the knowledge of that most important fact–that he is a child of God.

If assurance of one’s individual accep-tance by God is not possible, then the most devout are of all men most miserable.

If one is fully awakened to the awful-ness of his sin against God, if he is truly sorry for his sin and deeply penitent, if he sincerely hungers after the peace and love of God, if he earnestly seeks to make sure of blessedness beyond this life–it would be a sad condition indeed if he must ever struggle throughout life in uncertainty as to whether he is a child of God or a child of the devil, whether he is saved or lost.

But thank God, assurance of accep-tance with God is possible. It is not only an inference from reason, but also a clear truth of Scriptures that we may know we are

Assurance of Salvation

saved. “We know that we have passed from death unto life.” 1 John 3:14. “We know that we are of God.” 1 John 5:19. “We know that if our earthly house of this taber-nacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal

in the heavens.” 2 Cor. 5:1. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13.

Such certainty of personal salvation is revealed in the Bible. & R. Byrum

Entire SanctificationSis. Kara Braun


in hiding a few short weeks ago. These were men set aflame by the Holy Ghost.

Nor was this fire confined to the 120. Acts 8:5-17 tells of Samaria, whose believ-ers had been baptized and rejoiced in the Lord, but who received a greater outpour-ing of Holy Ghost power when Peter and John laid hands on them. Acts 10 gives the

story of Cornelius, whose devout life had been proven by prayers and alms that were acceptable to God, but on whom the Holy Ghost fell while Peter preached.

Paul taught a second work of grace distinct from justification, for he testified of the Ephesians that after they believed they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph.1:13) and of the Romans that having been already justified and having peace with God, they gained access to a standing of more grace (Rom. 5:1-2). We have record of Paul questioning disciples in Ephesus, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” (Acts 19:1-2). In all these accounts, we read not of a mere daily growth in grace, but of a definite, in-stantaneous work wrought in the soul.

Not long after a soul has repented and received remission of sins, he becomes conscious of the need for a deeper experi-ence. There is a fullness of God that he has not yet reached. There is a problem within that has not yet been dealt with. Forgive-ness and peace with God he has, yet some foe still lurks within to seek his ruin. This foe we know as inherited sin, the sin that passed upon all men because of Adam (Rom. 5:12). Inherited sin is the sin that every baby is born with before he has ever done anything wrong (Psa. 51:5). By his very nature he is a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3), and this carnal sinful nature is what causes him to go astray as soon as he is born (Psa. 58:3). This is the reason that no one has to teach a child how to sin. The in-ward foe teaches him to rebel against God, and, obeying it, the person commits deeds of rebellion.

Inherited sin is different from commit-

ted acts of sin in that a person is not will-fully responsible for it. He chose to com-mit the sinful acts that he committed, but he didn’t choose to be born with a sinful nature.

The experience of conversion does not deal with the problem of inherited sin for the good reason that someone cannot re-

pent of some-thing he did not do. The guilty soul seeking par-

don and justification repents of all sinful acts he has committed and turns from his wicked way, but he does not feel guilty for nor repent of his carnal nature because he did not choose to be born with it in the first place, nor does he yet have any comprehen-sion that it even exists.

God washes his heart clean, he is born anew as a child of God, and he commits no willful sin–either in thought, word, or deed–from that point forward. He is justi-fied, converted. Yet the root of the problem, that carnal nature that taught him to sin in the first place, is not removed. Enough power is given from God to suppress it for a while, but it seeks its opportunity to rise up again. Really, this individual does not yet have the fullness of salvation. He can reach no real spiritual maturity nor depth of understanding of the things of God un-til this inward enemy has been purged out. It is dangerous to linger in this condition. Hence is the critical importance of hasten-ing on to the second work of grace. Hence was the urgency of the apostles to make sure the believers had received this experi-ence.

Entire sanctification is a baptism of Holy Ghost fire that burns out the inherited sinful nature and fills the soul with divine power. It completes or perfects the work begun in justification–hence the terms en-tire sanctification and full salvation. This work of grace fully cleanses and purifies the heart, restoring it to the level of holi-ness that Adam possessed before the fall, and purges the Christian life so that it can bring forth more fruit.

Entire sanctification is the infilling of the Spirit of truth whom Jesus said would

guide the disciples into all truth (Jn. 16:13). It is the abiding of the promised Comforter (Jn. 16:7). It is the will of God (1 Thess. 4:3), the prayer of Jesus (Jn. 17:17), and the preparation for service in God’s kingdom (Lk. 24:49, 2 Tim. 2:21).

When a soul, having consecrated and met the conditions, receives the Holy Ghost, the Spirit Himself bears witness to the work by His presence in the soul. The evidence of the Holy Ghost is not a spe-cific outward demonstration such as speak-ing in unintelligible utterances. While the Spirit does give giftings, His gifts are dif-ferent from individual to individual (1 Cor. 12:4-11) and always bear the fruits of order and holiness. Neither is the sanctified life evidenced by freedom from temptation, for the perfect Son of God was tempted. The evidence of the Holy Ghost is holiness. It is rest from the workings of the carnal na-ture and power in a fuller degree than what was available in the justified experience. It is the daily presence of a Comforter in trial and the enlightening guidance of a Teacher in difficulty.

How wonderful it is that we can par-take of this glorious experience, the very foretaste of heaven itself! Let every child of God who does not have it make haste to press into this experience. &

Entire SanctificationChrist possessed–oh, glorious thought!

Jesus dwells within my heart,Every member in His care,Jesus living everywhere.

Christ possessed–He reigns within,Blessed cleansing from all sin!

“I” dethroned, He takes my place,Fills me with His own pure grace.

Christ possessed–my Lord is mine,Sweetest fellowship divine;

Days of heaven on earth begun,Never now a setting sun.

Christ possessed–‘tis joy untold;All my care on Him is rolled.

Tender Shepherd, thou wilt keepPerfectly thy yielded sheep.

From Treasures of Poetry

Not long after a soul has repented and received remission of

sins, he becomes conscious of the need for a deeper experience.


THE Redemption OF

The impact of man’s fall into sin in Eden affected both his soul and his body. Spiritual and physical death

ensued. Sin cursed his soul, and the body became subject to sickness and dying. Mil-lennium later, the resulting sorrow is at-tested to in Holy Writ: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Romans 8:22.

Not only do sinners now groan under the weight of sin they bear, but many a body groans under sickness and pain. Ul-timately, man must die. O dreaded Death!

Who shall deliver us? Thank God! The blood of Jesus Christ avails for the needs of the body as well as the soul.

His blood has purchased divine physi-cal healing for His children’s sicknesses while in this life. What a blessed gift from God! How we praise Him for this wonder-ful provision! And yet, the Christian awaits something far greater. Though, while in this life, they also “groan within” them-selves, they are “waiting for the adop-tion, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23).

So great is this salvation that superla-

tive blessings await the faithful and true. Hear Paul, the beloved apostle, prophesy of this:

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [die], 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 in-corruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

O glorious hope of the righteous! O haste this Day of days! When the last trump shall sound and our mighty, resur-rected Saviour and God appears in the air, our mortal bodies will be no longer mortal! “In the twinkling of an eye,” “we shall be changed” and “put on immortality”! God has promised us new, glorified bodies! And surely we will need them to bear the efful-gent glory of the presence of Almighty God and the extreme delights of heaven.

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the

resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28-29.

Though graves appear so permanent, they will yet yield up their dead at the com-mand of His voice on the Last Great Day.

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is writ-ten, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin…But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Victory indeed! Victory over death it-self! How exceeding great is this salvation! O the supreme triumph of Christianity!

Sinner, will Death sting you? It need not! Flee to the Saviour of men. Be cleansed from all sin NOW. Give God the glory and obey His gospel. He is not willing that any should suffer the woeful resurrection of damnation. Behold, how great an offer–re-demption for the soul and the body! Thank God for the hope of the righteous! &

Sis. Susan Mutch


Have you been gloriously saved from sin? Have you ever been told of the soul-liberating experience of salvation that is found in Christ Jesus? Or have you been turned off by professed Christians who themselves do not live victorious over sin? O sinner! Hear of this great salvation and the Saviour who gave His life that you might have it!

Salvation Is for All People“For there is no respect of persons with

God.” Romans 2:11.“The Lord is…not willing that any

should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

Jesus died to save all people. Salva-tion is not reserved for a specific class or ethnic group. Jesus preached the gospel to the poor and welcomes any sin-sick soul, regardless of his background, nationality, skin color, status, or situation in life, to be saved. The Lord has left no one out. There

is no sinner with a past life too bad. The most-forgotten and least-loved human be-ing is warmly welcomed into Jesus’ arms to become His child if he will repent. Salva-tion is available to all mankind.

Salvation Frees the Person from Sin and Vice

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vir-tue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4.

There is no such thing as a sinning Christian. The experience of salvation is

a glorious deliverance from the power and practice of sin. To be saved from sin is not just to be saved from sin’s penalty, but to be saved from the lifestyle that causes the penalty. It is ludicrous to say that you are saved from a penalty for which you contin-ue to commit the crime. The blood of Jesus is able to wash away every trace of sin and purge out the sinful nature, thus rendering the soul pure as God is pure, and empower-ing the believer to live in holiness, without sin, all the days of his life.

A Christian’s purity is not only in his heart, but his entire life is pure. Jesus has called us unto “glory and virtue.” Many people want the glory without the virtue, but this is impossible. The virtue is part of the glory. No small benefit of salvation is a miraculous deliverance from the power of the sin-life and all its concomitant vices. O glorious redemption that imparts grace enough to deny ungodliness and to live righteously in this present world! The chil-dren of God have escaped the pollutions

Neglect Not this Great Salvation

Bro. Addison Everett

United States of America Alaska (Anchorage): Bro. & Sis. Sims (907) 376-7133

California (Ontario): Bro. Rick Wiebe (909) 238-4359

Illinois (Chicago): Bro. Patrick O’Shea, Sr. (262) 652-7517

IndianaVevay: Bro. Lonnie Bontrager (812) 571-3341Warsaw: Bro. Steve Hargrave (260) 433-7637

OhioGreenville: Bro. Ray Tinsman (937) 548-7373 Benton (Millersburg): Bro. John Strizu (937) 830-9427

OklahomaOklahoma City: Bro. Markus Tovstiga (909) 212-2319

Texas (Honey Grove): Bro. John Friesen (903) 378-3097

WisconsinCecil: Bro. Allen Bontrager (715) 509-0000Sheboygan: Bro. Jeff Moser (920) 627-2683

CanadaAlberta (Lethbridge): Bro. Peter Braun (204) 392-3804

Manitoba (Steinbach): Bro. Jacob Braun (204) 326-5338

Ontario (Aylmer): Bro. Henry Hildebrandt (519) 765-2331

Austria (Wald am Arlberg) (0650) 760-2990

Germany Meinersen Kr. Gifhorn: Bro. Alexander Kähm (05372) 67 66Neuenstadt, Kr. Heilbronn: Meeting House (06264) 92 62 20

Kenya Bro. Jackson Murithi Mwira 254 0710 172 189

MexicoBaja California: Mission Home (646) 117-3042Chihuahua: Bro. Ben Dyck (625) 584-1250Durango: Bro. Isaac Thiessen (677) 879-4572Zacatecas: Bro. Jacob Zacharias (671) 101-7479

Nepal Bro. Binod Mandal (985) 103-3542

PhilippinesMarinduque: Bro. Bernard Lustado Santa CruzMindanao: Sis. Cherry Pacauncis Kalilangan, BukidnonLuzon: Bro. Josefino Faustino Quezon City, Manila Bro. Eduardo Rodil Marikina City Sis. Myrna Luzong Paniqui, Tarlac Sis. Myrna Nuguid Apalang

of their generation and their good works do glorify their Father which is in heaven! They are holy in body, soul, and spirit, and virtue exudes from every area of their lives. They are conduits of grace, through which God’s perfections flow into the world and magnify the name of their Redeemer. Through their chaste lives, they show forth the life of Christ, to exalt the glories of salvation in the earth.

Salvation Prepares the Soul for Judgment“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;

that every one may receive the things done in his body, accord-ing to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 Corinthi-ans 5:10.

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have bold-ness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17.

God has appointed a day, in which He shall judge the world in righteousness. While no man knows the day or hour, Jesus will return soon and usher the billions before His great Judgment Seat. Each of us shall stand before Him and give an account for how we lived our lives. How great the multitudes that are go-ing to meet God unprepared! The terror of the wicked shall be unmitigated when God’s wrath is poured upon them and their undone, sinful conditions are forever sealed. How awful their doom! How eternal their punishment! How final!

Happy shall they who are saved be on that day! John said the saints will have boldness on the Day of Judgment. They have nothing to fear, because they are like Him while living in this world. Salvation imparts to the believers the Christ-life, and renders them holy before God. By the work of salvation, Jesus will present them faultless before the throne with exceeding joy. Rather than repine at the thought of the Lord’s return, they wel-come it; indeed, they long for it.

Friend, Where Do You Stand?What about you, reader? As you examine yourself in the light

of these eternal truths, where do you stand? Have you plunged yourself into the cleansing fountain and washed your sins away? Have you entered into that state of perfect holiness that casts out fear and gives you boldness in the Day of Judgment? Remember, that day is drawing near, and you have a fateful appointment with the Judge of all the earth. Soon all of heaven will gather to witness your final interview, where God’s awful, searching gaze will pierce your soul, and all the secrets of your life will be open and manifest for all to see. Nothing shall be hidden. What will that moment be for you? Will you be welcomed into eternal bliss by your Creator? Or will you be hurled into the everlasting abyss of despair, into the dark abode of the lost who forever lament the bane of their existence? Hope shall never enter there, only misery and woe.

Now is your probation. Today is the day of grace, but it shall soon be past. Will you call upon God while He is near and may be found? Will you be saved while you can? Hope lingers now

as an angel sweetly calling your name, but will soon elude you as a phantom that haunts your nightmarish existence in hell.

Oh, sinner, be alarmed! The last few grains of time’s sand are slipping into the gaping void of eternity. Choose this day whom you will serve. This great salvation is available even for you. Will you receive it?

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3. &


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Truths Every Mortal Must Know

God is the Creator of the universe and of mankind.Man was originally created a holy being.Man’s disobedience to God’s command brought the curse of sin into this world.It is impossible for man to save himself from sin.In due time, God came down to us in the flesh, taking upon Himself the form of a man.

Sinful man crucified Jesus Christ–who was God incarnate.On the third day, He was resurrected from the dead in a glorified body.He then ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He makes intercession for us and prepares to judge the world in righteousness. Through giving His life as a sacrifice for our sins, all sinners–whosoever will–can now be made holy and live free from all sin. Salvation is available to all!Without this great salvation, sinners will spend Eternity in hell.Those who are redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ will spend Eternity with God in Heaven.

We are living near the end of time. Jesus Christ will soon return to judge the entire world.Repent and seek the Lord while He may still be found, and be saved from all sin!

so great a salvation - the church of god

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