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Christ and immortal saints rul–
ing-the earth then full of God's
knowledge, as the ocean beds are
full of water!
With God, a thousand years are
only as a day, and a day as a thou–
sand years
(11
Peter 3:8). The six
days of the first chapter of Genesis
were a type of the six millennial
days of man , swayed by Satan. The
coming millennial day was typified
by the seventh day Sabbath .
God, in forming his Master Plan
for working out his purpose here
below-that of reproducing himself
through man- is accomplishing
through us the most stupendous
feat even the Great God can bring
about! And through you and me!
Llfe
by
the Second Adam
Physical temporary existence carne
by Adam. But eterna) inherent self–
existent LIFE carne by Jesus Christ,
the second Adam!
Once Adam had sinned, the
"wages of sin" was death, "but the
gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans
6:23).
ls it mere coincidence that, as
the sun brought the light of day
from the darkness of night on the
fourth day of "creation week,"
Christ brought the light of truth
out of the darkness of evil after
4,000 .years? In him was light. Yet
most still loved darkness!
Jesus said, "1 will build my
church, and the gates of [the grave]
shall not prevail against it" (Mat–
thew 16: 18). The Church is only
the firstfruits of God's sa1vation!
Jesus said plainly, "No MAN CAN
come to me, except the Father
which sent me draw him" (John
6:44). But those are the predes–
tined FEW drawn during the
Church age (Ephesians 1:11-12).
The prophet Joel had prophe–
sied, "And it shall come to pass
afterward, that
1
wi ll pour out my
spirit upon a11 flesh ..." (Joel
2:28). The apostle Peter quoted
this as being in a preliminary typi–
ca1 manner fulfilled on the day the
Church was founded (Acts 2:16-
17).
Notice this pivota) scripture.
Peter had quoted the prophecy of
Joel. The preliminary type of that
September, 1981
prophetic fulfillment was occurring
that day of Pentecost- the founda–
tion of the Church. Those whom
God had called there asked Peter,
" What shall we do?" after his
speech. Peter answered: "Repent ,
and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy [Spir–
it]. For the promise is unto you,
and to your children, ... even as
many as the Lord our God shall
call" (Acts 2:38-39). Only those
God
cal/s,
and
draws
to him may
come to Christ during this Church
age!
That is a BASIC TRUTH in God's
Master Plan for redeeming human–
ity- for REPRODUCING HIMSELF–
understood by almost no one!
When Adam sinned, he cut him–
self off from God. And God cut
him and his children off from the
Holy Spirit.
So WHAT THEN?
God appointed a Master Plan for
yet redeeming sinning mankind!
Sin entered the world by Adam,
and all have sinned.
T he JUDGMENT Brlngs
Salvatlon
So God appointed a time of JUDG–
MENT, during which humans shall
NOT ONLY be called to account for
their sins, BUT ALSO OFFERED
REMISSION OF SINS, RECONCILIA–
TION WITH ÜOD ANO THE GIFT OF
ETERNAL LIFE, upon repenta nce
and belief!
Read that above paragraph
again. ANO AGAIN!
UNDERSTAND it! The PENALTY
of sin, for man, is the
second
death!
" ... it is appointed unto men once
to die, but
after this
the judgment"
(Hebrews 9:27). Again, "As in
Adam all die" (the first death) ,
"even so in Christ sball all be made
alive"-tbe same "all" who die in
Adam!-"but every man in his own
order. Christ the firstfruits; after–
ward they that are Christ's at his
coming. Then ..."
(1
Cor. 15:22-
24). Yes, then, a thousand years
afterward (Revelation 20: 11-12),
the judgment.
But a comparative FEW were pre–
des tined to be called to judgment
and salvation during the Churcb
age (Ephesians 1: 11-12). They are
the "first fruits" of God's salva–
tion.
But WHY? Why call a few, a
thousand to three thousand years
before the judgment of the MANY?
To prepare and spi ritually train a
people for the Kingdom of God–
the d ivine FAMIL
Y
of God, to rule
with Christ during the Millennium
and after, in redeeming the vast bil–
lions of people since Adam during
the time of
their
judgment and sal–
vation!
There is this DIFFERENCE! Those
specially called, begotten and spi ri–
tuall y develo ped through the
Church must OVERCOME SATAN!
Satan is still on earth's throne! But
when Christ comes- and the resur–
rected saints rule with him in the
Kingdom (FAMIL
Y)
of God, Satan
shall have been removed. Those
called then, and in the post-mi11en–
nial general judgment shall not
have to overcome Satan and Satan's
deceived world!
So not ice! Judgment and oppor–
tunity for salvation have begun
with Christ! To the Church, Peter
wrote, "For the time is come that
judgment must begin at the house
of God"
(1
Peter 4: 17).
God is calling the FEW now, into
bis Church. Others CANNOT come
to Christ NOW (John 6:44). Jesus
in no manner carne on a "soul–
saving crusade." At no time did he
plead witb any one to "give him
one's heart." He pleaded with none
to accept him and be saved. At
Jacob's well in Samaria, the gentile
Samaritan woman asked him for
the Holy Spirit- which he bad pic–
tured to her as living water. J esus
then told her of her sins, but
offered her no salvation- though
God had drawn sorne in Samaria
who did believe on Christ (John
4:15-18).
Of those whom God the
Father has drawn to be recon–
ciled to him through Christ, dur–
ing this Church age, notice what
Christ has said:
"To him that overcometh will 1
grant to sit with me in my throne
[at Jerusalem]" (Revelation 3:21 ).
And, "he that overcometh and
keepeth my works unto the end, to
him will
1
give power over the
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