Gospel Hall~

[Ironside]

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Contrition and Attrition: The difference



Many people forego repentance until their old age. They say: “I will repent when I am at the threshold of eternity.� And so when they are in their gray head days they ‘repent’.

But what is repentance? Repentance is actually a change of attitude towards sin, God, self and Christ.

The repentant says:Â* “This is wrong against God. I have sinned against the moral Governor of the Universe. I am in this hopeless and helpless state of sinning. I don’t deserve heaven. I will turn to Christ.â€�Â* Â*


Repentance at its earlier stage starts out with attrition.

What is attrition? It is changing ones ways for fear of the punishment. But it does not stop here. For repentance to be true and genuine, it [attrition] must mature into contrition. Sadly, many just stop at attrition, never moving forward into contrition.Â*

What is contrition? It is when the sinner realizes that sin is sin and that it grieves the heart of God. God who is sooo good and gracious and loving worthy of all my all. Why should we sin against Him? And so the contrite sinner turns away from sin because it is a sin against God nothing more, nothing less. Not because of the threat of hell or the promise of bliss in heaven. Even without hell the contrite sinner turns away from sin. Even without heaven the contrite sinner turns away from sin. He is focused on what this blessed and Holy person delights.

What would you do of a woman wanting only to marry you because you are rich? She only wants to escape poverty that’s why she wants to marry you. I’m sure you’d dispense of that woman right? You want someone to marry you because of you. It’s the same way with God. God is a person. He is touched and moved when a sinner turns away from sin with the motive that he [the sinner] does not want to grieve Him. He stops his sinning because he wants to honor God for who He is. This is true repentance.

Contrition is the work of God in a sinner. The human heart cannot just be contrite by its own. It is desperately wicked and it cannot change. Only God’s grace can break a rebellious heart.

Repentance is not the payment for sins. WE must not rely on it for salvation. However, it is the condition to salvation. The payment for sins is in Mt. Calvary. You must go there for salvation. In order for you to reach there, you must leave sin. In order for you to accept the gift of salvation, you must lay down your arms. Surrender those weapons of rebellion. Your hands cannot receive the gift of salvation if it is full of rebellion.Â*


When you came to Christ did you come to Him just because you want to escape hell or did you come to Him because of sin?


[Note: The heart is sooo deceitful. Sometimes because of fear of impending death a person displays seeming ‘repentance’ from sin. He really feels that he has ‘repented’, and ‘accepts’ Christ. Only to find out on the other side that he was never saved at all. Yes, deathbed repentance is possible so long as it is true repentance. But in order for you to be sure that you have really repented, why not repent now when you are healthy and strong. So when imminent death comes and you are lying in your bed you won’t be bothered by the thoughts: “Are you really repentant? Really? What if it’s only attrition? How will you know?â€� .........But if you have repented as early as now when you are healthy, then you will be assured that your repentance is true and is not onlyÂ* a product of attrition for you have repented from your sins even when the threat of death was remote].Â* Â*

[Ironside]

Gentiles: it’s times, its riches and it’s fullness


Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Look at those words up there: a) times of the Gentiles b) riches for the Gentiles and c) fullness of the Gentiles. I would like to tackle this topic for it directly refers to us non-Israelites or Gentiles.


I. The times of the Gentiles

Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.


What does the term “the times of the Gentiles� mean? It refers to the period where Gentiles will have pre-eminence and supremacy over Israel.

When God and Israel forged a covenant there in Mt. Sinai, one of there agreements was that if Israel would obey and be faithful to God, God would bless Israel materially. With regards to their physical needs [like health, food, shelter and just about anything]: He would abundantly provide it. With regards to national prominence globally: God would make them the head and not the tail. BUT if they would disobey God and become unfaithful to Him, God would send horrific and horrible punishments and judgments against Israel.

Take a look at what was stipulated in their agreement with regards to national prominence if they would obey and national demise if they would disobey in Deuteronomy 28. Israel disobeyed and so Israel swallowed the bitter pill of God’s righteous wrath.

De 28:15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

De 28:25 "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

“……………..you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.� Verse 29

[The Jews are the most persecuted people in the world. From the Babylonian empire to now. Just think of the Holocaust. if i am not mistaken 6 million Jews died under Hitler's hands]

De 28:37 "And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.�

AND TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE OF THIS:

De 28:43 "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

44 "………..he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.�

As a foretaste of the times of the Gentiles, the northern tribe first got sacked and taken captive to Assyria. The southern tribe should have learned a lesson from this but they did not. They disobeyed, as a result the full brunt of the curse was fulfilled some 70 years after. The southern tribe was sacked and taken captive to Babylon for 70 years. It was here the times of the Gentiles began. From that time till now, the Gentiles have dominated Israel. Yes, they were set ‘free’ 70 years after, but that ‘freedom’ was vassal freedom under the rulership of various Gentile emperors: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greecian and Roman.

Even now in our times where some of Israel are occupying their land [at least part of what was before owned by them], they still have not full ownership of it. The place where their sacred temple is situated is blasphemously replaced by the Dome of the Rock, a temple of the Gentile god Allah. The times of the Gentiles will culminate in the Great Tribulation when the Roman empire will be revived and Anti-Christ and the Roman Beast will have world wide sway. The times of the Gentiles will end when Christ like a Rock from heaven will crush the Roman Beast and the Antichrist to set up His Kingdom.


II. Riches for the Gentiles

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!


This refers to God’s favor to Gentiles in this period or age. Israel was God’s chosen people [and still is though for now set aside]. When they rejected their Messiah, which was actually a culmination of centuries of defying their covenant with God, God set Israel aside temporarily [NATIONALLY, NOT INDIVIDUALLY FOR THERE ARE SAVED JEWS NOW IN THIS AGE LIKE PAUL AND ETC. BUT THEY BELONG TO THE CHURCH NOT ISRAEL AS GOD CONSIDERS THEM]. All the promises in the Old Testament about Israel being the top nation of the world is held in abeyance. God’s favor went out to the Gentiles [a shock to the Jews]. God is now building His Church.

Ac 15:14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name

This is riches for us Gentiles. May we take advantage of this opportunity. Like in Noah’s day, while the ark was still open all can still go in. And so we can say as it were that the door for the Gentiles is still open right at this moment. Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


III. The fullness of the Gentiles


Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

The fullness of the Gentiles refers to the number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church which God is building right now. Yes, there is a certain number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church. Once this has been completed, this would mean that the Church [the building of it] is completed. Who knows if that unbeliever there down the road is the last person to constitute the Church. Once he repents and trust in Christ alone for salvation. The fullness of the Gentiles has been reached.

What happens next? The Rapture will take place.

And then what?

You were reading Romans 11:25 right? About the fullness of the Gentiles….now notice verse 26.. Read verse 25 then 26 to get the full effect:

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And then what?

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

The translation: “The Deliverer will come out OF Zion is somewhat contradictory to Isaiah 59:20 where it reads:

Isa 59:20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.


This refers actually to His Second Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will then fulfill all the glorious promises made to Israel in the coming 1000 year reign of the King of kings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But is there really a contradiction? No. Actually there is no problem to that becuase before Christ takes His 1000 year reign He will come first to Jerusalem [the capital of the world by that time]. As a ruler of the universe He comes out and in to Zion or Jerusalem. He's coming out does not mean abondonment or rejection. In the Mellinial reign the center of government of the world will be at Jerusalem. He will rule the entire universe. 'He comes out and goes in' so to speak.]

Message for you now dear friend:

Avail of God's riches offered by God in Christ for you.

Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation.

[note: in the Old Testament prophecies, Israel will return to their land in unbelief and then their Messiah will come the Second Time. Israel is now in their land IN UNBELIEF. What does that mean? The completion of the Church is near at hand].

[Ironside]

IF LOOKS COULD SAVE…………


"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.Â* [Isaiah 45:22]


The great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was saved through this text of Scripture. In case you wonder what salvation means, I would like to direct you to ‘So Great A Salvation�, just a few posts above this one.


In tackling this text, we would only be referring to the first six words of the verse: ‘LOOK TO ME AND BE SAVED’. I would like to divide it into two parts: a) The Command, b) and The consequence of heeding the command.


I. The Command: “Look to Me,and be saved………………�

A. The meaning of the word ‘LOOK’

The word here actually means to TURN TOWARD. The context here speaks of idols being the object of trust and confidence. And so here, in this verse, the Lord is actually saying: “TURN TOWARDS ME INSTEAD OF TURNING TO IDOLS FOR SALVATION�

Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* This undoubtedly speaks of repentance and faith. Repentance literally means a change of mind, in essence actually, a change of attitude. You change your attitude of trusting something and someone else for salvation to trusting God alone not anything and anyone else [including yourself] for salvation. You change your mind about yourself. That you could not save yourself and that you must turn and look to another namely the SAVIOR.Â* Â* Â*

B. The mood of the word ‘LOOK’

The word is actually in the imperative. It’s a command. It’s a must. To be saved we must look to Him. Failure to do so would result to the detriment of the soul: The soul would remain in the unsaved state. This primarily involves your will not your feelings. Even if feelings shout otherwise you must not be dictated by it. You must will to repent.

C. The mode of the word ‘LOOK’

The word is in the active voice. This means you must push yourself to turn, to repent and trust in the Savior. Salvation is an individual thing. No one can turn for you or repent for you. You must do this yourself.


Who are you to Look to? “Look to Me, and be saved………………�

The ‘Me’ here refers to no one else but the Savior Himself. The object of your look of faith is Christ. Nothing and no one else.

How do we know that Christ is the speaker here? You were reading verse 22 right? Continue reading to verse 23, NOTICE THE UNDERSCORED WORDS:

Isa 45:22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and

23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.
Â* Â* Â* Â* Â*
The words I underlined above…….does it ring a bell to anyone reading this who has read the book of Philippians? Notice the underlined words above and the underline words below:

Php 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Philippian verses identify for us the speaker in Isaiah. It is the Lord Jesus Himself in His pre-incarnate state. The Lord Jesus spoke through the mouth of Isaiah. Have you read these words?:

1Pe 1:11 “searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them [Old testament prophets]Â* was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.â€�

We are to look to Christ for salvation. Nothing and no one else. Question is: “Who are you looking to for salvation my friend? Who are you turning to for salvation? Are you looking to the things that you do to be saved? Are you relying [turning to] good works to be saved? Are you turning to your prayers to be saved? What or who are your ‘saviors’? Is it Christ alone?

The Lord says: “Look to Me, and be saved…….�


II. The consequence of heeding the command: “Look to Me, and be saved…….�

Salvation will be yours. Yes, when you look to Him in faith……..you will be saved right at that instant. You don’t have to do anything else just look at in Him in faith. Look at Him at what He has done for you in the cross. He died for your sins-past, present and future. He saved you completely and eternally. Look at that truth. Rely on that truth. Take it home. Sleep with it. Eat with it. Run with it. Die with it. The Lord died for your sins- past, present and future. You don’t even have to do the modern method of sinner’s prayer. Just look at Him, look at what He did to you on the cross.


An incident in the Old Testament that served as a type concerning looking to Christ for salvation transpired during Israel’s journey from Egypt to the promise land. The people grew impatient and began to grumble and complain against Moses and the Lord. As punishment the Lord sent venomous snakes among them. They bit the people and some of them died. Here read the entire event:

Nu 21:4Â* Then they went on from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, going round the land of Edom: and the spirit of the people was overcome with weariness on the way.

5 And crying out against God and against Moses, they said, Why have you taken us out of Egypt to come to our death in the waste land? For there is no bread and no water, and this poor bread is disgusting to us.

6 Then the Lord sent poison-snakes among the people; and their bites were a cause of death to numbers of the people of Israel.

7 Then the people came to Moses and said, We have done wrong in crying out against the Lord and against you: make prayer to the Lord to take away the snakes from us. So Moses made prayer for the people.

8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make an image of a snake and put it on a rod, and anyone who has been wounded by the snakes, looking on it will be made well[color=Red

9 So Moses made a snake of brass and put it on a rod; and anyone who had a snakebite, after looking on the snake of brass, was made well.


The Lord Jesus cited this event when He taught Nicodemus about eternal life [see John 3:7-16]. What an apt illustration concerning us. Everyone of us is dying because of the sting of sin. The Lord sent the Lord Jesus Christ as a substitute for sinners on Mt. Calvary. He became sin for us that anyone who puts his trust on Him will have life eternal.


Dear reader, you have been bitten by sin. What you need to do is: Look to Him, and be saved.

[Ironside]

Conversion and Consecration

By: Henry Allan Ironside

Both are Supernatural Experiences;

Conversion by Harry A. Ironside. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself.......he called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.......and he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized.... and when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God..... (Acts 16:26-34)

Every conversion is a miracle. I've heard people say, "I do not believe in sudden conversions." To be perfectly frank, there is no other kind. I do not mean that everyone has as marked an experience as Saul of Tarsus had. But I do mean that in the life of every person who is ever saved there comes a definite moment when one trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, turning from all confidence in self. And that is conversion. It may take place after long years of exercise, or, as in the case of the Philippian jailor, it may take place in a moment by a mighty convicting work in the soul, bringing one to an end of himself who has never before been very much concerned about the message of the gospel.

We see both kinds all about us - those who are brought up, for instance, in Christian homes and all their lives hear the gospel story and perhaps grow to young manhood or womanhood without definitely closing with Christ. And yet many could say that they have never known a time in their conscious lives when they did not have some exercise about spiritual things. But there had to come a definite moment when they trusted Christ for themselves. That is conversion.

And then so many other people, who have lived wild, reckless, careless lives, having no interest whatever in the things of God, brought suddenly to a recognition of their lost, sinful condition and led to definite faith in the Lord Jesus, in a moment become new creatures in Christ.

I cannot too often stress the importance of that second birth. It is being forgotten in so many places today. People imagine they may become Christians by outward reformation, or by joining a church, or even by what they call sometimes "religious education". They think that you can take a child and educate him along religious lines and he will grow up a Christian. But that is all a delusion. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:3).

Consecration by Andrew Murray. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom Ihave suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him......(Phil. 3:7-9)

There are Christians who look on the blessedness of spiritual life as consisting in the privilege of ever receiving; they know not how the capacity for receiving is only kept up and enlarged by continual giving up and giving out - how it is only in the emptiness that comes from the parting with what we have, that the Divine fulness can flow in. It was a truth our Savior continually insisted on. When He spoke of selling all to secure the treasure, of losing our life to find it, of the hundredfold to lose who forsake all, He was expounding the need of self-sacrifice as the law ofthe kingdom for Himself as well as for His disciples.

It is not enough that, when once you are truly converted, you have the earnest desire to have your life devoted to the service of the Lord. The desire is good, but can neither teach the way nor give the strength to do it acceptably. Incalculable harm has been done to the deeper spirituality of the Church, by the idea that when once we are God's children the using of our gifts in His service follows as a matter of course. No; for this there is indeed needed very special grace. And the way in which the grace comes is again that of sacrifice and surrender.

And such surrender of all for Christ, is it a single step, the act and experience of a moment,or is it a course of daily renewed and progressive attainment? IT IS BOTH. There may be a moment in the life of a believer when he gets a first sight, or a deeper insight, of this most blessed truth, and when, made willing in the day of God's power, he does indeed, in an act of the will, gather up the whole of life yet before him intothe decision of a moment, and lay himself on the altar a living and an acceptable sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). Such moments have often been the blessed transition from a life of wandering and failure to a life of abiding and power Divine. But even then his daily life becomes the unceasing prayer for more light on the meaning of entire surrender, the ever-renewed offering up of all he has to God.

Nature shrinks back from such self-denial and crucifixion in its rigid application to our life in its whole extent. But what nature does not love and cannot perform, grace will accomplish,and make to thee a life of joy and glory. Do thou but yield up thyself to Christ thy Lord; the conquering power of His incoming presence will make a joy to cast out all that before was most precious. And the secret of a life of close abiding will be seen to be simply this: As I give Him wholly for myself; and as I lose myself and all I have for Him, He takes me wholly for Himself and gives Himself wholly to me.

The almighty power of God in the conversion of a sinner is the most mysterious of all the works of God. Thomas Hooker

The body has two eyes, but the soul must have but one. William Secker

[Ironside]

Gentiles: it’s times, its riches and it’s fullness


Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Look at those words up there: a) times of the Gentiles b) riches for the Gentiles and c) fullness of the Gentiles. I would like to tackle this topic for it directly refers to us non-Israelites or Gentiles. In the Bible, if you are not an Israelite, you are called a Gentile.


I. The times of the Gentiles

Lu 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.


What does the term “the times of the Gentiles� mean? It refers to the period where Gentiles will have pre-eminence and supremacy over Israel.

When God and Israel forged a covenant there in Mt. Sinai, one of there agreements was that if Israel would obey and be faithful to God, God would bless Israel materially. With regards to their physical needs [like health, food, shelter and just about anything]: He would abundantly provide it. With regards to national prominence globally: God would make them the head and not the tail. BUT if they would disobey God and become unfaithful to Him, God would send horrific and horrible punishments and judgments against Israel.

Take a look at what was stipulated in their agreement with regards to national prominence if they would obey and national demise if they would disobey in Deuteronomy 28. Israel disobeyed and so Israel swallowed the bitter pill of God’s righteous wrath.

De 28:15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

De 28:25 "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

“……………..you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.� Verse 29

[The Jews are the most persecuted people in the world. From the Babylonian empire to now. Just think of the Holocaust. if i am not mistaken 6 million Jews died under Hitler's hands]

De 28:37 "And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.�

AND TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE OF THIS:

De 28:43 "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

44 "………..he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.�


As a foretaste of the times of the Gentiles, the northern tribe first got sacked and taken captive to Assyria. The southern tribe should have learned a lesson from this but they did not. They disobeyed, as a result the full brunt of the curse was fulfilled some 70 years after. The southern tribe was sacked and taken captive to Babylon for 70 years. It was here the times of the Gentiles began. From that time till now, the Gentiles have dominated Israel. Yes, they were set ‘free’ 70 years after, but that ‘freedom’ was vassal freedom under the rulership of various Gentile emperors: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greecian and Roman.

Even now in our times where some of Israel are occupying their land [at least part of what was before owned by them], they still have not full ownership of it. The place where their sacred temple is situated is blasphemously replaced by the Dome of the Rock, a temple of the Gentile god Allah. The times of the Gentiles will culminate in the Great Tribulation when the Roman empire will be revived and Anti-Christ and the Roman Beast will have world wide sway. The times of the Gentiles will end when Christ like a Rock from heaven will crush the Roman Beast and the Antichrist to set up His Kingdom.


II. Riches for the Gentiles

Ro 11:12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!


This refers to God’s favor to Gentiles in this period or age. Israel was God’s chosen people [and still is though for now set aside]. When they rejected their Messiah, which was actually a culmination of centuries of defying their covenant with God, God set Israel aside temporarily [NATIONALLY, NOT INDIVIDUALLY FOR THERE ARE SAVED JEWS NOW IN THIS AGE LIKE PAUL AND ETC. BUT THEY BELONG TO THE CHURCH NOT ISRAEL AS GOD CONSIDERS THEM]. All the promises in the Old Testament about Israel being the top nation of the world is held in abeyance. God’s favor went out to the Gentiles [a shock to the Jews]. God is now building His Church.

Ac 15:14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name

This is riches for us Gentiles. May we take advantage of this opportunity. Like in Noah’s day, while the ark was still open all can still go in. And so we can say as it were that the door for the Gentiles is still open right at this moment. Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


III. The fullness of the Gentiles


Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

The fullness of the Gentiles refers to the number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church which God is building right now. Yes, there is a certain number of Gentiles that will constitute the Church. Once this has been completed, this would mean that the Church [the building of it] is completed. Who knows if that unbeliever there down the road is the last person to constitute the Church. Once he repents and trust in Christ alone for salvation. The fullness of the Gentiles has been reached.

What happens next? The Rapture will take place. Rapture is the first stage of Christ's Second Coming.

And then what?

You were reading Romans 11:25 right? About the fullness of the Gentiles….now notice verse 26.. Read verse 25 then 26 to get the full effect:

Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And then what?

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

The translation: “The Deliverer will come out OF Zion as i see it should be "To Zion."

The word 'ek' in Greek could mean either of this:

1) away from 2) by, 3) by means of, 4) by reason of, 5) because 6) for 7) on, 8] at, 9) of"

In keeping with Isaiah 29:20, it should read: The Deliverer will come FOR Zion... or AT Zion.


[Note: Some say that 'ek' is in the genitive case so it should read 'out of Zion'.
Actually there is no problem to that becuase how can the Deliverer come out from Israel if He did not came to Israel first. He's coming out does not mean abondonment or rejection. In the Mellinial reign the center of government of the world will be at Jerusalem. He will rule the entire universe. 'He comes out and goes in' so to speak.]

Here read Isa 59:20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.


This refers to His Second Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will then fulfill all the glorious promises made to Israel in the coming 1000 year reign of the King of kings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Message for you now dear friend:

Avail of God's riches offered by God in Christ for you.

Repent and Trust in Christ alone for salvation.

[note: in the Old Testament prophecies, Israel will return to their land in unbelief and then their Messiah will come the Second Time. Israel is now in their land IN UNBELIEF. What does that mean? The completion of the Church is near at hand].

[Ironside]

Why Repentance should not be delayed?


“I am still young…..I want to enjoy life…….only when I’m older I’ll deal with that issue.� God is a forgiving God…..He will forgive anytime I confess my sins……even in my dying days….so why repent now when I can repent in my old age. When dying days come I will just utter a prayer of salvation and it’s done. I will have the best of both worlds fun here and heaven hereafter.�

Some of the words you will hear in the hearts of those who forego and hold repentance in abeyance. However, there are three major reasons why repentance should not be delayed. Why repentance should be NOW and not a little bit later: 1) The imminence of death 2) God’s patience though loooooooong has a limit 3) The hardening effects of lingering in sin.Â*

1) The imminence of death. Whoever gave us a guarantee that we will get to live up to our 70’sÂ* andÂ* 80’s. Death could come upon us anytime and anywhere to separate us from time to eternity. One of Satan’s deceit is to make the youth not number their days. Youth, health and strength have this intoxicating effect that makes us think that we are immortal.


Don’t be deceived by your own heart. Many of those who are in the grave now did not even know that they will meet death at that age.

2) God’s longsuffering or patience has a limit. We all know that the Devil is a liar right? He makes truth look like untruth and makes falsehood appear like the truth. He loves to paint himself in the minds of people like he is some long-tailed, ruddy creature with horns bearing a trident. When the truth of the matter is that he is a creature of beauty. Or he makes you believe that he doesn’t exist. He majors in deceit and lies-about himself, about ourselves and about God. And one of his squid tactics is to disseminate falsehood about God. He fogs your mind so that you cannot see the truth of God for who and what He really is.

Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â*God as manifested in the Bible is a God of truth, mercy, love, grace, holiness, longsuffering and many other attributes. Do you know which of these attributes he [Satan] loves to emphasize more in the minds of people? Love. God is a God of love. How true. God is indeed a God of love. But what’s amiss with this portrayal is that it only stresses one attribute of God to the point that people abuse Him. What we fail to see by this smokescreen of Satan is that God is also a God of WRATH. Holy and righteous wrath upon sin and evil.Â* Â*

Ro 11:22 ‘Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God…….’


What are we commanded to consider in these verse? 1) the goodness of God and the severity of God. The Sin within you and Satan makes you focus on the former to the exclusion of the latter. But nothing is further from the truth. God is also a God of wrath. His patience is long but His justice puts a limit to it when you stubbornly rebel.

The cross portrays for us this couplet of God’s attributes. In Calvary we see God’s goodness and severity. Goodness- He loved us so much that He sent His Son to the cross to die for sinners. Severity-God does not excuse sin. He hates it completely. Sin must have its due penalty. He sent His Son Jesus Christ on the cross for it.

One man said: “If God did not spare His Son to die aÂ* horrible death on the cross, what made you think he will spare you [you who are unrepentant].


3) The hardening effect of lingering in sin. The more you stay unrepentant, the harder it will be for you to repent. Sin has a deadening effect. Sin indulged and unrepented suffocates the voice of conscience by and by until the point of no return is reached. The heart is so hardened that it cannot anymore discern error from the truth, good from evil and sin from righteousness. So hardened that it cannot anymore repent. One of the most frighteningÂ* words uttered by God in the Bible are these words:


Isa 22:14 “Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death," says the Lord GOD of hosts.�

The people of Israel became so calloused and so hardened in heart that instead of repenting from their sins they continued in it. They know that doom is coming to their lives but they remained indifferent to God’s call of repentance. And so God uttered this terrifying statement in the Bible. It is not that God refuses to forgive but rather it is man’s refusal to repent and turn to God that this statement is founded. Sin has forever taken captive the hearts of these people that repentance is now an impossibility.

Sin is deceitful it parades before your eyes the pleasures of sin and makes you delay repentance to another future time. Sin says:" ah enjoy sin for now, later you can repent" And so the guillible sinner bit the bait and wallowed in a sinful and profligate life.

Not knowing that all the while, while he was wallowing in sin, sin insidously and subtly hardens his heart to repentance. Until a point of no return is reached when the heart is so hardened, the conscience becomes soo dead, the ear so deaf to the call of repentance, the eyes so blind to light that the state of the unpardonable sin is reached.

How about you? Do you still feel the pangs of conscience in you and still want forgiveness? That's a good sign that you have not reached the unpardonable sin. Claim God's free offer of forgiveness by faith in Christ now and repent. Do not delay repentance one single bit my friend. Repent and Trust in Christ now.

[Ironside]

ARe you ready to die? What if that ache on your stomach is a malignant cancer. You go to the doctor to find out what it is and you seem pretty confident that it's just something minor. The results came: Colon cancer.

You realized your mortality. you are just in your 20's you expect to live up to the 70's but what is this?!!!!! You are like all the rest who have died early who never expected that they will die young.

The question is: ARE YOU READY TO FACE YOUR CREATOR WHEN YOU DIE?

How should we get ready?

[Ironside]

Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Eternal life: Is it through the works of the Law or through faith in Christ?



A rich young man came to Christ and ask the all important quesiton:Â* "what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" The question is equal to the Philippian jailer's question to Paul: "Sirs what must i do to be saved?"


But when we look at the answer of the Lord Jesus and Paul, they are poles apart. The Lord Jesus answered the rich young man with these words:

Mt 19:17 "So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.Mt 19:17


But Paul answered the jailer with these: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."Ac 16:31


Why the seeming contradiction?


Â* Â* Â* Â* Actually, the contradiction is only apparent not real. The Lord Jesus was talking to a man who has not yet realized his lost, hopeless and helpless condtion before God. The Law of God was given to bring us to the end of ourselves with regards to salvation or eternal life. It shows us our vile wretchedness and hopeless condition spiritually. While Paul's answer was directed to a man who has seen himself for who he really is; a helpless sinner under judgement.

But the question is: Why did the rich young ruler fail to see his sinfulness?

Obviously, the rich young ruler like the Pharisees thought that the Law was only concerned about thier outward actuations. It does not touch the area of desires, motives and thoughts.
And so he was able to reply to the Lord: "The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Mt 19:20

[One thing he lack was conviction of sin. Actually, the whole purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ in telling him to keep the commandments is to bring this yuong man to see himself as he really is before God. That he is a sinner. A transgressor of God's Law if the Law be applied to our inner being]

"The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

Before going into the reply of our Lord, we must remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is omniscient since He is God. He already knew before this rich young ruler came to him that this man is trapped in the sin of covetousness. He already knew what there conversation will be and how it will end. He already knew that this man has not yet seen his spiritual bankruptcy. He already knew what this man needed. He needed to be convicted of his sin.Â*And so he gave him the spiritual mirror; the Law.

Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'

'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself[/b].'


" What do i still lack?" sounds like a question coming from a man who is really zealous to be perfectly right with God doesn't it? But really?

The Lord Jesus knew beforehand that there conversation would end when he woudl tell the young man this:


"Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Let's see if this young man has the attitude of willingness to let go of everything and anything for God. Let's see if his god is indeed God or his god is money. Let's see if he like Abraham has the attitude to let go of his "Isaac" for God. Let's see if this man doesn't have idols in his heart. He said that he has kept the commandments of God from childhood. Okay let's start with the first commandment: "thou shall not have no other gods before Me"

Let's see if he would be the first man in the history of the universe ever since Adam fell from sin to have the spiritual ability by himself to obey the commandments perfectly. The Bible says: that if there's any man who can keep perfectly all of God's commandments, then he will be justified. This would show that he has no sinful nature in him. He's like the Lord Jesus no sins for He had no sin in HIm. Ler's see his reaction:Â* Â*



" But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions"


We are not told by Matthew if the man was convicted of his sin here. There is a godly sorrow and a worldly sorrow. Obviously, his sorrow was the product of attrition it did not humble him before the Lord Jesus to asks: "Now i know that i am lost, what must i do to be saved?", like the jailer when he asked Paul. Or if he experienced conviction of sin, he must have hardened his heart against it.



1) Can we have eternal life if we obey the Law? Yes, if you can obey it perfectly.

"for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;" Romans 2:13

But the humbling truth is: we haveÂ* sinful natures in us, we can't obey it perfectly. And since we can't obey it perfectly [meaning we sin oftentimes agaisnt it] we are under its penalty of death.

Ga 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. since he can't obey it perfectly


The Bible teaches that it is only through faith in Christ Jesus we can have eternal life. It is not though Law-Keeping since no one can obey it perfectly. Through the Law we are made aware of our deplorable condition before God. That we are sinners under judgment before God.

Ga 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not![b] For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.


22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.[/b]



You want eternal life? You have two choices either you work it out on your own by keeping the Law which you cannot obey perfectly or you trust in Christ alone for eternal life.

Take your pick.

P.S. Even if you start working for eternal life now, this day by Law-keeping and you resolve not to sin against it anymore [granting that this is possible....granting that you will never commit a single sin from now on till you die] remember you have already broken it yesterday. And the yesteryday before yesterday, and the day before yesterday's yesterday.

You can't relive those days. You can't redress it anymore. You have broken the Law. You are still under judgment...........You need atonement.........You need a Savior.

[Ironside]

DO or DONE?

By C. H. Mackintosh



"There is a wide difference between your religion and mine," said a Christian lady to one in whose spiritual condition she had long been interested. "Indeed," said he, "how is that?" "Your religion," she replied, "has only two letters in it, and mine has four."

It seems that this gentleman was one of that numerous class seeking to get to heaven by their doings, by attention to ordinances and ceremonies, by what the apostle, in the ninth of Hebrews, terms "dead works." But he did not understand about the "two letters" or the "four." His friend had often spoken to him, and on the occasion to which our anecdote refers she had called to take her leave of him for some time, as she was about to go from home.

"What do you mean," said he, "by two letters and four?"

"Why, your religion," said the lady, "is d-o DO; whereas mine is D-O-N-E." This was all that passed. The lady took her leave; but her words remained and did their work in the soul of her friend--a revolutionary work, verily. The entire current of his thoughts was changed. Do is one thing; done is quite another. The former is legalism; the latter is Christianity. It was a novel and very original mode of putting the gospel; but it was just the mode for a legalist, and the Spirit of God used it in the conversion of this gentleman. When he next met his friend, he said to her, "Well, I can now say with you that my religion is d-o-n-e, DONE.." He had learned to fling aside the deadly doings, and rest in the finished work of Christ. He was led to see that it was no longer what he could do for God, but what God had done for him.

This settled everything. The four golden letters shone under the gaze of his emancipated soul, "d-o-n-e." Precious letters! Precious word! Who can tell the relief to a burdened heart when it discovers that all is done? What joy to know that what I have been toiling for, it may be many a long year, was all done nearly 2000 years ago, on the cross! Christ has done all. He has put away sin; magnified the claims of divine justice; vanquished Satan; taken the sting from death and the victory from the grave; glorified God in the very scene in which He had been dishonored; brought in everlasting righteousness. All this is wrapped up in these four golden letters, "d-o-n-e." Oh, who would not give up the two for the four? Who would not exchange "do" for "done"?

Reader, what say you to this? What of your religion? Does it consist of two letters or four? Is it still "do" with you? or have you found your happy portion and rest in "done"? Do you think of it, dear friend--think deeply--think seriously--and may God's Spirit lead you, this moment, to cease from your own "do," and to rest in Christ's eternal "done." (by C.H.Mackintosh, 1820-1896)

* * * * * * * * * *

When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross He cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The work of our salvation was FINISHED, DONE, ACCOMPLISHED and COMPLETED. We simply need to trust and rest in what the Saviour has accomplished.

Salvation is not working; it is RESTING on the WORK of Another, even the Lord Jesus Christ: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5).

Religion is man trying to bring himself to God by human effort, by good works, by ritualism, by traditionalism, by sacraments, etc. Salvation is Christ bringing us to God on the basis of what He did for us on the cross: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:1.

God's holiness utterly condemns the best man ("As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one"--Romans 3:10) and God's grace freely justifies the worst ("For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"--Romans 3:23-24).

The gospel message brings to man not a work to do, but a word to believe about a work done: "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" (1 Peter 1:25).

We are saved, not because of what we have done, but because of the MERCY OF GOD based upon what Christ has done on the cross: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).

A person can never be saved by his own good works: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Good works done by sinful man can never please a holy God. The greatest good work is GOD'S WORK accomplished by Jesus Christ who offered Himself on the cross as the sinner's Substitute. Thus we are not saved by good works but we are saved unto good works: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Are you resting fully in the finished work of Christ? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ, WHO HE IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU and WHAT HE HAS SAID IN HIS WORD? "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).

[Ironside]

What is the Gospel?


There are questions we can’t afford to have the wrong answers to. Questions that our eternities hang on and depend. And one such question is the one above: “What is the gospel?�
For sure, you have heard this word gazillion of times already but what is it? Do you know? First, before going into the answer, let me catalog for you what the gospel is not:

The Gospel is not……….


…….the 10 commandments
…….the whole Bible
…….the whole New Testament
…….All the commandments in the New Testament
……..Prayer
……..Matthew, Mark, Luke and John narratives of the Lord Jesus’ life. [these individual books of the Bible are not the Gospel, they contain the Gospel]


The Gospel, dear reader, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and what He did on the cross of Calvary for you and me. The Gospel is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sins of sinners. Anytime you hear these words:

“The Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of sinners and rose again for us�,

everytime you hear those words my friend you hear the Gospe, the Good News of salvation. You’ve heard that millions of times already right? You know what the Bible says about the Gospel? You know what’s the divine commentary of the Bible about the Gospel?


Here read it for yourself:


“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.�

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." [Romans 1:16-17]


The Gospel speaks about Christ’s humiliation for our exaltation. From the vantage point of the world, Christ’s hanging there on the cross seemed a failure, a picture of defeat. The world laughs and scorns: “what’s there in a man nailed to the cross? How can that be good news for me……this is plain foolishness.� But Paul was not ashamed to proclaim such a message. Why? Because “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.� The Gospel is the life-boat in a sea where every ship is sinking. The Gospel is the only strong and formidable tower of salvation that men and women can take refuge. The Gospel is the Rock of Gibraltar that stands mighty and indomitable in the midst of shaking foundations. When the smoke clears, only the truth of the Gospel will be seen standing firm unscathed.

“It is the power of God to salvation� it cannot sink; God is its buoy. It cannot crumble; God is its architect and builder. It cannot fall; God is its foundation. It is trustworthy; its God’s saving truth.

Practical Application:

What are you doing with the truth of the Gospel, dear reader? It’s meant to be used by sinners like you and me.

You ask: “what do you mean that it is meant to be used?�

The Gospel, dear reader, is a shield, it’s a Rock wherein you can hide for safety. Are you hiding in it?

You will ask: “safety, what do you mean safety……..am I in danger?�

You are in terrible danger my friend…..terrible danger. “……the wages of sin is death [spiritual-eternal death]�. You have sinned right? God’s righteous judgment hangs over your head, ready to be unleashed as soon as you slip into eternity. You are guilty before God. You are unrighteous in His eyes. The only way you can be righteous before Him is through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He came to die for the sins of sinners and rose again for our justification [justification-meaning that we may be declared perfectly righteous in God’s eyes forever]. What you must do is use that Good News of a message. Use this truth; hide behind this truth by trusting in that message alone for forgiveness of sins and salvation…………….nothing and no one else. Trust Him now.