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(Continued from page 42)
was necessary for Adam to
reject
Satan's WAY of GET and prove he
could develop the character never to
turn from God's way. God offered
thern SPIRITUAL SALVATION. Satan
was not allowed to get to Adam and
Eve until God had instrucled them.
Then Adam was put to the test to
see whether he would
believe
what
God said and choose God's way or
whether he would reject God's way,
and choose the
self-centered way
of
hosti lity to God and His law. ADAM
010
NOT BELIEVE WHAT Goo SAlO!
He took to himself the knowledge of
what is GOOD and what is EVIL.
Sin is simply the transgression of
Goo's LAW
(1
John 3:4). God's law,
is the way of peace, and when
Adam and Eve took to lhemselves
the decision of what is right and
what is wrong, they rejected God's
WAYand broke God's LAW.
The 7,000-Vear PLAN
The first six millennial "days" are
for man to go about deciding for
himself which is the better way.
God adopted a HANOS-OFF policy -
except that He intervened in certain
instances for His
purpose,
as in the
Flood, in the lives of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, in the na–
tion Israel, in sending prophets, in
sending CHRIST, and in raising up
apostles and His church.
What we have, therefore, is a
world of man's making. And THIS is
where WE CAME IN - in this true
"movie" of God's
purpose
and DE–
SIGN from the very beginning.
Salan is VERY POWERFUL. He can
do nothing God does not ALLOW -
but to fulfill Goo's PURPOSE it must
be PROVEO by 6,000 yea rs of human
suffering, violence, and death that
Satan's WAY is
NOT GOOD FOR
US.
We have had 6,000 years dur–
ing which humanity
has cut itself off
from God,
under the invisible and
unrealized sway of Satan, trying to
organize his OWN SOCIETY, his OWN
GOVERNMENT, his OWN RELIGION by
the
way
that seems
right
to man.
During this period, God has
NOT
44
tried to save this world spiritually.
Only Abe!, Enoch, and Noah turned
to God's way during the first 1,900
odd years . After the Flood, Abra–
ham obeyed, believed, and relied on
God. God never promised the na–
tion Israel spiritual salvation. If they
would obey His government. God
promised them national wealth,
greatness, and power, but
NOT
eterna! life.
Through all these millennia
only
the prophets
were given God's spirit
- and they only in order to
carry
out an assignmentfrom God.
Jesus carne with essentially the
same teaching God taught Adam
and Eve. But they
did not believe
him.
Many "believed on Him" but
did not BELIEVE HIM. To those who
believed ON HIM (John 8:30) Jesus
said, "But ye seek to kili me, be–
cause my word [His gospel message]
hath no place in you.... Because I
tell you the truth.
ye be/ieve menor"
(verses 37, 45).
After 3
1
12
years of Christ's own
preaching.
only 120 believed him
(Acts
l :
15). After 25 years or so,
Christ's gospel message was SUP–
PRESSED {Gal. 1:6-7). ANO THE
WORLD
010
NOT HEAR
IT
UNTIL 1933
WHEN
1
FIRST PROCLAIMED IT OVER
THE AIR!
THIS IS NOT THE TIME WHEN Goo
IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET THE
WORLD TO BELIEVE HIM, TURN TO
HJM, ANO "BE SAVEO SPIRITUALLY.''
This is NOT the time when God is
sending His ministers on "souL-SAV–
ING CRUSAOES." There is
110
contest
betwcen God and Satan. Satan is
POWERFUL, but he can do ONLY
what God ALLOWS- and for God's
purpose. But today, we are very
near the end of the 6,000 years
allowed man to go his own way -
the 6,000 years a llotted to Satan to
deceive the whole
WORLD.
Jesus said that WHEN " this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all
nations" (Ma tt. 24: 14), then shall
the end of this age come. 1 am pro–
claiming that very gospel message
all over the world. Satan knows it.
and he's ANGRY. He therefore
knows he has but a short time yet
(Rev. 12: 12). But most men
do not
know it!
Do vou?
At the end ofthis 6,000-year period
Christ, who qualified to restore the
government of God on earth. shall
return to earth in al! the supreme
power and glory of the great God to
bring us world peace at last.
Why would God call only a
few
now and then cal! ALL later on?
1
think I have explained. God has let
man
prove
that Satan's way of
"GET" is not good for us.
He called, chose, and gave His
holy spirit to the prophets. WHv?
Because He
hada job for rhem todo.
WHY is He calling sorne FEW today
and opening their minds to SPIRI–
TUAL TRUTH which seems like
SO
much FOOLISHNESS
(1
Cor. 2: 14)
lO
the world - but "the wisdom of this
world is foolish ness wi th God"
(1
Cor.
3:
19)?
Those called NOW are called
for
the purpose of getting a job done.
They are given the HOLYSPIRIT for
that purpose. God has committed lo
me His GREAT COMMISSION - to
proclaim Christ's gospel message of
the KINGDOM OF Goo worldwide.
He has called a few thousand to
help
me ger rhar job done.
Those predestined to be called
now - instead of later when th e
whole world shall be callcd - are
given the job of assisting me by
heart-rending PRAYER, by their en–
couragement (and
l
need it), and by
their tithes and offerings. And THIS
RESPONSIBILITY is God's mcans of
developing in us His own righteous
characrer.
Christ was required to re–
ject Satan's way and overcome
Satan to qualify lo restore the Gov–
ERNMENT OF Goo and to raise up
lhe KINGDOM OF Goo. So are WE
who are to qualify to
rule wirh
HIM.
l've said to us - those called Now
- that to him "that overcometh
[Salan and his way] will
1
grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as
1
overcame [Satan and his way]...."
"And he that overcometh, and
keepeth my WORKS unto the end,
him will
J
give POWER OVER THE
NAT!ONS [of earth], and he shall
RULE THEM" (Rev. 3:21; 2:26-27).
When Christ comes. SATAN SHALL
BE TAKEN AWAY. When Chri st se ts
OUt
lO
SAVE THE WORLD (spiritually),
there will be no Satan to overcome.
but they sha ll not be qualifying to
sil with Christ on
His throne
ruling
and saving during the millennium.
THAT is the true meaning of "pre–
destination."
O
The
PLAIN TRUTH November 1976