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the FOUNDATION. Sorne people,
once converted and receivi ng
God's Spirit, do begin to
/ive by
every word of the Bible, as Jesus
said we must (Luke 4:4). They
have had their hearts in Goo's
WORK for our time. They have
sought, and found, the TRUE VAL–
VES of life. They have striven to
overcome. They have studied to
know God's w Av-to show them–
selves approved unto Goo. They
J
~ave
kept close to God, by daily
J
~Bible
study and prayer. They have
~
BUILT RIGHTEOUS, SPIRITUAL,
STERLING CHARACTER! In other
words, they have built on the
FOUNDATION with gold, silver and
precious stones. These have sur–
vived the TEST. They carne
through the fire. These are the
ones who "brought forth fruit"–
whose "pound" gained "ten
pounds"-who will be given
authority over MUCH.
But there are MANY-and
1
per–
sonally know of many such-who
with JOY have received God's Holy
Spirit- their conversion as Chris–
tians-and have remained in a
GOOD ATTITUDE, but whose WORKS
have been of inferior quality, pic–
tured by the wood, hay and stubble.
Most of their WORKS of their
Christian lives will be burned up,
when the final examination comes.
Their reward- status in the king–
dom- position qualified for-is
very small, yet THEY, th6"mselves,
will be SAVED by God's grace! They
suffer the LOSS of higher position–
greater authority for service and
doing good- but they themselves
will be SAVED.
We are SAVED by GRACE,
through Christ's FAITH-given as
God 's GIFT. But whatever RE–
wARo-status, rank, position, de–
gree of GLORY- is conferred, once
we are changed to immortality IN
God's kingdom, will be
according
to our works
in this present mor–
tal life-and according to
the
character
and
quality
of those
works.
WHY t he Christi an Li fe?
WHY do most of those who claim to
be the very CLERGY of Jesus Christ
say there are no works whatever in
the Christian life?
Because of their unscriptural
doctrine about "going to heaven"
38
when you die.
Their conception of "heaven"
seems to be an eternity of idleness
and ease-with nothing to do. The
development of the very CHARAC–
TER of the living Goo-preparing
for RULERSHIP- qualifying for SER–
VJCE-have no place in their false
theology.
Many times
1
have asked, "WHY
if 'heaven' is the reward of the
saved, and if there are 'no works' to
the Christian life, is not one taken
immediately,
upon first accepting
Christ, to his 'reward'? WHY must
the converted Christian- if he is
'already saved'- if
he has been
already 'born again'-go on suffer–
ing IN THIS LIFE? WHY does the
Bible say,
'Many
are the affiictions
of the righteous,' and
'Al/
who will
live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suf–
fer persecution?'
WHY not avoid al!
this suffering? WHY doesn't God
take new converts
immediately
to
'glory' in 'heaven'?"
The answer is that God pu t
humans on this earth
for a PUR–
POSE!
That PURPOSE is stated in
Genesis l :26-God is actually
reproducing himself!
God is the
supreme spiritual CHARACTER–
holy, righteous, perfect. We, to be
actually BORN of him- BORN into
his FAMILY as his divine chil–
dren-must be
changed,
not only
from mortal to IMmortal-not
only from human to divine-but
from our human nature and sin–
ning character, into HIS DIVINE
NATURE
(ll
Pet. 1:4) and into his
HOLINESS ANO PERFECTION of
character
(1
Pet. l: 16; Matt.
5:48). And that
must be devel–
oped,
through the Christian life!
It means
overcoming, growing
in
knowledge and character!
We are to become a NEW CRE–
ATION (Gal. 6:15, margin). God's
SPIRITUAL CREATION is still going
on,
in us!
We are now mere
CLAv-made of the dust of the
ground. God is the Potter- we are
the clay (lsa. 64:8). We must,
on
our own decision,
with our own
complete
submission,
and even
with
our own e.ffort
accompany–
ing, yield so that the Master Pot–
ter may completely remake,
refashion, reshape our vile charac–
ters into the holy, righteous, spir–
itual and perfect character of
Goo.
Your Pa r t i n GOD 'S WORK
In my fifty years' intensive, rich,
active experience, since God
changed MY direction into HIS WAY,
1 have observed that the
very first
need of every Christian, who is to
GROW and develop this spiritual
character, is to have his heart com–
pletely in THE WORK OF Goo, which
the
living
Christ has called bis ser–
vants to do, as his instruments!
Those who are self-centered, car–
ing nothing for the WoRK OF Goo,
having not enough
outgoing con–
cern
to want to help GET CHRIST's
MESSAGE out to this blinded,
deceived, dying world, fall away.
Those who center their whole
"Christian" life and activity on
developing
their own se/ves
spiri–
tually, whose hearts are not in or
concerned about this great OUTGO–
ING worldwide WORK OF Goo,
actually directed by the
living
CHRIST, deveJop only INWARDLY,
until they shrivel up spiritually and
fall by the wayside! Those whose
hearts, their active, constant, ear–
nest , fervent PRAYERS, and their
tithes and offerings are in Goo's
WORK continue to EXPANO spiri–
tually-they become HAPPIER; they
become greatly BLESSEo- their
lives become richer and fuller- and
their faces beam in smiles. They
RADIATE! Tbey PROSPER!
The New Testament is literally
filled
with instruction on
Christian
/iving- leading a new, different ,
sparkling, joyous life--or, perhaps
more correctly, allowing Jesus
Christ to live such a life-Goo's
wAY-in them!
How WONDERFUL is
God's
way!
SALVATION comes-if we are
willing- as God's FREE GIFT- by
GRACE!
But we
must be changed.
There
is DOING, not hearing only (Rom.
2: 13). There is development of a
new righteous CHARACTER. Yet ,
even that is CHRIST
IN
YOV
actually OOING it! Actually, even
the "works" are primarily done by
HIM! But how WONDERFUL that
there
are
righteous WORKS in the
true Christian life-opportunity
for
more
than salvation, priceless
though that be--opportunity for
higher position, rank, opportunity
to SERVE, higher GLORY! O
The PLAIN TRUTH