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the fu lfilling of God's law, obedi–
ence to His government.
Jesus Christ carne in the likeness
of HUMAN FLESH. Though also di–
vine, He was tempted in all points
as we are and yet He had power to
RESIST SIN; resist Satan's WAY of
"GET." For roan, the PENALTYof sin
is DEATH. All have sinned-except
Christ who, though our divine
Maker, was made ftesh subject to
death- so that He was able by giv–
ing His life to pay the penalty for
the sins of all humanity who choose
to turn from and repent of sin, turn
to God 's way, BELIEVE Christ, a nd
thUS be CHANGED- CONVERTED–
their sins blotted out by Chrisl's
death.
Notice that Peter did NOT say
the ir sins would be blotted out im–
mediately upon this repentance. Be–
lief a lone in the atoning DEATH of
Christ does not completely change
or convert one. Their sins had CUT
THEM OFF' from contact with God,
who alone had ETERNA!.. LIFE to give
or impart to them. But belief in the
death
of Christ, following repen–
lance. wou ld REESTABLISH their
CONTACT WITH ÜOD, who a lone has
eterna! life and final CONVERSION lo
GIVE.
So we humans a re not fina lly
SAVED by the BLOOD of Chrisl; we
are res tored to contact with God ,
who has eterna! life to GIVE. But
WHEN does He give it? Not immedi–
ately a t the time of repentance and
the decision to CHANGE from Satan's
"GET" way of sin lo God 's way of
"LOVE," bul "when the times of re–
freshing shall come from the pres–
ence of the Lo rd; and HE SHALL
SENO J Esus CHRJST"- that is, a t
Christ's second coming as King of
kings lo rule the world.
But where is Jesus Christ NOW?
Al the right hand of God, on God's
(His Falher's) throne in heaven.
But WHEN will God
send
Jesus
Christ as King? The heavens have
received Him, where He now is on
His Father's throne as our High
Priest, interceding for us
until-let
me repea t , UNTIL- the t imes o f
res tilution of all things (Acts 3:21).
Did you ever look up the mean–
ing of " RESTITUTION"? It means
RE–
STORING someth in g that had
previously existed, then was taken
away, then fin a lly RESTORED once
The
Pl.AIN TRUTH July 1977
aga in. In Acts 3:21, " restitution" re–
fers to the governmenl ofGod!
Now let me go back just a little. 1
sa id the BLOOD of Christ- His
DEATH for US-does NOT finally SAVE
us; rather it RESTORES our contact
wi th God the Father, who has e ter–
nallife to give.
Notice quickly and briefty in Ro–
mans 5:8: " But God commendeth
his love toward us, in tha t, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Mueh more then, being now justi–
fied by his blood ..." NOTICE!
Not
"And he shall send
Jesus Christ, which before
was preached unto you:
whom the heavens must
receive untll the times
of restitutlon of all
thlngs, which God hath
spoken by the mouth
·
of all his holy prophets
since the world
began."
"sAVED" by His blood. T he word
"justified" means our
past
sins have
been forgiven because Christ pa id
the penalty in our stead. Our past
SJNS cut us off from God. Christ's
DEATH (in our stead, as our Maker)
did
not
bestow upon us the GIFT of
eternallife and final complete salva–
tion, which only the Father has to'
give; rather, it RESTORES our CON–
TACT with the Father, from whom
our sins had cut us off.
Continuing in Romans: "Mueh
more then, being now JUSTIFIED by
his blood, we sha ll be saved from
wrath thro u g h him " - lhat is,
through CHRIST. But HOW? " For if,
when we were enemies, we were rec–
onci led to God by the DEATH of his
Son, much more, being reconciled,
we SHALL BE [notice: "SHALL BE" in
the FUTURE] saved
by
his liJe."
Notice it! Justified ONLY by His
blood, BUT SAVED by His' LIFE-by
the resurrection!
Now wHEN is the resurrection? At
the time ofChrist's COMING-at " the
times of restilution of all lhings."
"All things" means (as translated by
Motfatt in Hebrews l) THE ENTIRE
UNIVERSE.
What was once here, and taken
away? The governmenl of God.
Mos t people do not know that an–
gels inhabited lhis earlh before lhe
first humans. When God first cre–
ated the earth, the ANGELS shouted
for joy (Job 38:4-7). This earth was
their "ESTATE," but they did nol
keep il .(lude 6). The angels on earth
SINNED (11 Peter 2:4). Their king
over the earth was lhe super arch–
angel LUCIFER (lsa. 14: 12- 15). He
was PERFECT from his CREATION
un–
ti/
iniquity (lawlessness-breaking
lhe law of God's government , in
which he ruled) was .found in him
(Ezek. 28: 15). This REBELLJON of the
ANGELS removed the government of
God from the earth.
Lucifer's name was changed to
Satan. He still rules this world (Eph.
2:2; 11 Cor. 4 :4). When Chrisl re–
turns lo rule, Salan will be REMOVED
(Rev. 20: 1-3). The govemment of
God will be restored!
·
That restoration of God's govern–
ment is the one great PURPOSE up–
permost
in
God's mind.
J esus had to qualify to replace
Salan as ruler, and RESTORE the gov–
ernment of God by overcoming
Satan (Matt. 4: l - 11). If WE also
qualify by overcoming Salan, we
shall sil WITH CHRIST on Hrs lhrone,
as He now sits on His Fa ther's
throne (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:2 1-22).
Nexl lo restoríng the government
of God on earth, lhe most imporlanl
· thing on God 's mind al the minute
is the great commission He has com–
mitted lo me and this Church as my
helpers
in
announcing the restoring
of God's govemment in the King–
dom of God in this very present
generalion, at Christ's coming. FoR
THAT PURPOSE He raised up this
Church of God through me. ls il
important to
you?
o
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