Third of Four Views of God :: By Bill Pierce

Published on: May 5, 2021 by RR7

PURE

Text: Psalm 18:21-26

Psalm 18:26 “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure…”

PURE: ‘…clear; free from mixture; as pure water; pure clay; pure sand; pure air; pure silver of gold. Free from moral defilement; without spot; not sullied or tarnished; incorrupt; undebased by moral turpitude; holy…Genuine; real; true; incorrupt; unadulterated; as pure religion. James 1…Chaste; as a pure virgin. 2Corinthians 11:2…Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure.’ (Noah Webster, 1828).

PURE THINGS

Manmade things — For example, three pieces of furniture in the Jewish tabernacle: the ark of the testimony, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense, which signified the Father, the Holy Ghost, and the Son respectively, were each fitted with crowns of pure gold. John the apostle recorded that the city New Jerusalem “was pure gold…” (Revelation 21:18, 21).

Food — The diet for mankind from Adam to Noah was strictly vegetarian. After the flood, the LORD gave men the freedom to eat “Every moving thing that liveth…” (Genesis 9:3) Man’s diet was again restricted under Moses’ law (Leviticus 11). But now, since the resurrection of Christ, mankind’s diet is no longer restricted: “All things indeed are pure” (Romans 14:20).

A pure language and offering — During the thousand-year reign of Jesus (Revelation 20:1-6), the people will all speak “a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:8-9); also “the Lord’s “name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:11).

Pure wisdom — “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Pure light — Jesus Christ is “the Light of the world” (John 9:5). John the Baptist “came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe” (John 1:7). Jesus is the Lamb of God whose glory will be the light of new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2, 23). He is the soon-coming “blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen” (1Timothy 6:15-16). The Lord Jesus is now sitting with his “Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21), “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Pure blood — The precious incorruptible redeeming “blood of Christ” (1Peter 1:18-20) is God’s “own blood” (Acts 20:28), signified by “the fruit of the vine” (Luke 22:18), the “pure blood of the grape” (Deuteronomy 32:14).

THE LIVING

The true and living God — Jeremiah declared: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation” (Jeremiah 10:10). The apostle John wrote: “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1John 5:20; 1Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 3:12; 10:31; Acts 14:15; Daniel 6:26).

God is holy [‘pure’] — The tribulation saints will “sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy [‘pure’]: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Revelation 15:1-4).

True and living words of God — Jeremiah told the children of Israel: “…for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God” (Jeremiah 23:36). In Hebrews it is written: “For the word of God is quick [alive (Acts 10:42; 2Timothy 4:1; 1Peter 4:5)!], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Magnified word of God — God the Father has given his only begotten Son Jesus Christ “a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). The name of Jesus is the only “name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And yet the LORD has even placed his word above the name of Jesus! David declared: “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2).

Pure and incorruptible words — The inspired psalmist declared: “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140). The psalmist David, who was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), said: “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue” (2Samuel 23:2). Therefore, David spake as he was “moved by the Holy Ghost” (2Peter 1:21). By inspiration of God (2Timothy 3:16), David wrote: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:6-7). David also wrote: “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).

All new creatures in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17) have been “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1Peter 1:23).

Sure words — After he wrote that he had been an eyewitness of the majesty of “our Lord Jesus Christ” and how he had heard him receive “from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory” (2Peter 1:16-18), the apostle Peter declared: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2Peter 1:19-21; 2Timothy 3:16-17).

Powerful and prosperous words — “The LORD gave the word” (Psalm 68:11), which is “For ever…settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). And the LORD declared that his word “shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11). The gospel of Christ, “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1Corinthians 15:3-4) “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Eternal words — As the Lord Jesus “ever liveth to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25) for “all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26), who have “passed from death unto life” (John 5:24), so Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33; John 5:24; Psalm 12:6-7).

Words of strong consolation — The scripture declares: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us…” (Hebrews 6:17-20). Believers today live “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2)! There is no reasonable excuse therefore for any child of God not to obey God’s command to: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The true and living children of God — “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

The Lord promised a new heart to Israel — Speaking through his prophet Jeremiah about the house of Israel, the LORD said: “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jeremiah 32:39-40; Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:26). And again, the LORD prophesied to the house of Israel, and said: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

New creatures — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2Corinthians 5:17). Every man who hears and believes in his heart that God has raised his Son Jesus Christ from the dead will be saved (Romans 10:9). And at the very moment of his salvation—when the Lord Jesus himself baptizes him into his “body, the church” (Colossians 1:18) “with the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 3:11-12), he is “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8), and at that very moment he passes from death unto eternal life (John 5:24; 1John 3:14; Romans 6:23).

With pure minds — All born-again believers “have the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:16). Therefore, Peter wrote: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:” (2Peter 3:1).

With pure hearts — By virtue of the truth that the heart of the heathen [all natural men] “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9), every heathen is therefore in need of a new and purified heart. Concerning the salvation of Cornelius and his house, the apostle Peter said to the apostles and elders: “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:6-9). The Lord Jesus told his disciples: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8; Psalm 24:4; 1Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 1:22).

Paul wrote to Timothy: “Now the end [the expected results] of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1Timothy 1:5). Paul also commanded Timothy: “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2Timothy 2:22). Solomon also declared: “The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right” (Proverbs 21:8).

Men purify themselves through obedience — Peter commanded: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently (1Peter 1:22-23). John declares: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1John 3:2-3). A recent religious poll reported that only 6 percent of Americans have a ‘biblical worldview.’ This means that 94 percent of Americans do not believe the Holy Bible! This explains why we are seeing all the evil, turmoil, and chaos. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20)!

Obedience is essential — Solomon wrote: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9). We know that the Lord Jesus Christ alone has the power to wash “us from our sins…” (Revelation 1:5), and to “purge your conscience” (Hebrews 9:14), but the children of God cannot receive either of these blessings from the Lord unless they are obedient to his commandments (1John 1:6-9; Isaiah 1:25-26).

The Lord said to his disciples: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10).

And James declared: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:5-7).

Remember believer: “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure…” (Psalm 18:26), “and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright” (2Samuel 22:26)! Therefore, we should lawfully “strive for masteries” (2Timothy 2:5).

Pure men purify their own consciences by faith — “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot [‘pure’] to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14; 1Timothy 3:9; 2Timothy 1:3). Timothy was told, “keep thyself pure” (1Timothy 5:22). We are commanded to think on “whatsoever things are pure” (Philippians 4:8). Therefore, the scripture says: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [by “the blood of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:2)], and our bodies washed with pure water [by “the word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16)].” (Hebrews 10:22; Ephesians 5:25-27).

If we walk in faith, in the light of God’s word (Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 8:20; 2Peter 1:19), as Christ is in the light, “we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:6-9; Revelation 1:5). Faith in the blood of Jesus (Romans 3:25) is the only way any sinner may be purified from his filthiness! Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

A Mighty Fortress :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: May 2, 2021 by RR7

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies” (Psalm 18:2-3).

David knew his strength came from God and that the Lord would never fail to protect him from enemy attack. Christians have that same assurance. God protects us. He is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. We may face human enemies, but the enemy may also be from entities in the supernatural realm. Satan and his minions lurk everywhere and will try to stumble us, but with God protecting us, we have nothing to fear.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

The enemy may strike fear into our hearts, and he may even harm our mortal body, but for those of us who have chosen Christ for salvation, our eternal soul is safe.

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD by Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

People have always faced troubles. Plagues, famine, and war are all part of living in this fallen world. Lately, the perils of the age in which we live seem overwhelming. God cannot be blamed for any of the frightening things we face. There is an ancient foe who is a liar and will stop at nothing to destroy humanity.

Adam and Eve were safe in the Garden of Eden and would have remained that way if they hadn’t broken God’s one rule: don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan lied to Eve and convinced her to disobey God. Instead of believing God, she ate the fruit then convinced Adam to join in her disobedience. In so doing, God’s protection was breached.

All sin has consequences. When we choose to disobey God’s ways, we always pay a price for our sin. Satan has no love for mankind and will lead us into a life of destruction if we listen to his lies.

Satan again tried to destroy mankind using genetic manipulation to destroy the human genome, but Noah’s bloodline was pure because his family obeyed God, and they found protection through the judgment of the flood.

Job was a victim of Satan’s hatred of humans. He accused God of protecting Job. “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side: thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land” (Job 1:10).

Satan knew God’s protection was around Job. Satan could not touch Him until God allowed it. Job suffered loss of fortune, loss of children, and loss of health, but he never lost faith in God. Today, we need to stay strong in our faith and not allow fear of disease, war, or famine to tear down our bulwark of protection. Indeed, God is a mighty fortress and a bulwark which never fails.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.

We like to feel as if we’re in control of everything. Many problems have come from people trying to “play God.” When we start to rely on ourselves or any human for truth, we won’t find it. Only God can arm us with spiritual weapons to fight the spiritual battle we face daily.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

It’s God’s armor and His strength we need. When you put on the armor of God, you need to follow Christ’s lead in battle. It’s no good to put on the helmet of salvation or wield the sword of the Spirit if you don’t follow Christ as your Commander in Chief. Obey God.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Don’t trust yourself in battles, whether spiritual or non-spiritual, but arm yourself with Scripture. Scriptural truth doesn’t change. The same God who created all things is the same God who shed His blood on the cross.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). He never changes.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

Satan is known by many names, and one of those names is the “god of this world.” That isn’t a compliment. This evil entity has nothing but contempt for us. He isn’t all-powerful but has managed to blind many people to the Gospel through lies and fear.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Christians must share the Gospel with everyone we meet because the darkness of Satan can only be dispelled by the Light of God. Satan cannot stand against Jesus.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

The name of Jesus is powerful, and Satan cannot take possession of anyone who belongs to Christ. Many miracles are recorded in the Book of Acts which the Apostles did in the name of Jesus. The lame walked, the dead were raised, and demons were cast out of people, all in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the name above all names, and only through Him will the darkness of the evil one flee. Share the Gospel. Unless Christians share God’s truth, there will be many souls lost. Follow the example of the Apostles in Scripture on how to share the Gospel.

Peter and the other Apostles were arrested, beaten, and warned not to teach in the name of Jesus. When they were let out of prison, what did they do? They went right back to preaching in the name of Jesus. That’s the Scriptural way to spread the Gospel and come against Satan.

That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!

The power of the Holy Spirit is available to all Christians. When we truly accept Christ as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit is sealed within us.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus told of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:17).

When a person hears the Gospel and believes, they are then sealed with the Holy Spirit. “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14).

If you are a Christian, God lives in you. He has given spiritual gifts that each of us needs to use for His glory. You may offend friends and family if you give your life to Christ and live for Him, but Jesus Christ needs to be honored by every Christian. It’s possible that you will be mocked, disowned, or even martyred for sharing the Gospel with others, but for a Christian, the death of this mortal body is the beginning of life in the presence of Christ.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). That’s a truth we can live with.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

The Psalmist knew of God’s strength and power. Our Lord has been there to help humanity through troubles since Adam was created. God’s truth is written in Scripture, and if we learn the lessons recorded there, we will always trust God. Unfortunately, we humans tend to try to handle troubles all on our own instead of turning to God first. This error leads to a multitude of problems because we disobey God. The troubles we bring on ourselves can put fear into our hearts. Trusting in God is the way to prevent fear from overcoming us.

“Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah” (Psalm 46:2-3).

When God is our strength, we have nothing to fear.

We live in a turbulent time that was prophesied by prophets of God. The end of days is upon us, and Christians will soon be taken Home in the Rapture. Then the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin, and there will be seven years of horror followed by God’s judgment on Satan and his followers. Satan’s time is running out, and he’s doing all he can to strike fear into Christians and silence us. We need to remember that Christ Jesus is our Mighty Fortress and serve Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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