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Lord, we rejoice that thou art gone to sit upon thy Father's throne.
Thy path of shame and suffering, all thy heart shall grieve and mourn no more.
Lord, that now we wait for thee to come and take us to Thy Father's home. Oh, what ecstatic joy it will be to spend eternity with Thee. 216.
I don't think we got very far in our chapter this morning. May I suggest, if it's the mind of the brethren, to read on through the 28th verse?
Ten first.
1St Corinthians 15.
And verse 10.
By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whither were I or they? So we preached, and so ye believed. Now with Christ be preached, that he rose from the dead.
I'll say some among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain? Yeah. And we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ whom He raised not up. If so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised? And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. Ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ, or perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as an atom all die, Even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits.
Afterward they that are Christ, that is coming.
Then come at the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all things under his foot, under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under Him, and when all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
I.
Might we endeavor to clear up?
A matter that some were not clear about. A statement that was made this morning by the two of us.
And it was certainly not as clear as it should have been put and maybe someone can help on this.
But it was a matter of the verse in Revelation chapter 20.
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And verse 14.
Let us read from verse 12.
And I saw the dead small and great stand before.
God or the throne?
And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades.
Delivered up the dead which were in them.
And they were judged every man according to their works.
And death in Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.
Now.
I believe it's clear to everyone that.
All these that stand before the Great White Throne.
Are cast into the lake of fire, there to suffer eternally.
But this expression.
Death and Katie's is somewhat explained in verse 13.
That.
Death and Hades delivered up the dead which were in them.
The contents that were in either that state.
Or.
Those that had died.
Thus.
And they were cast in the Lake of Fire.
Well, one brother said that he thought that it looked like teaching annihilation. Well, I replied to him, no such thing, but it does teach annihilation of death and Hades. No more such thing exists throughout eternity as death, physical death.
Physical death and no such thing as a disembodied spirit in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. That part I think is clear enough. There still remains this other question that the Holy Spirit.
May I ask, does that and Haiti cease?
Does death and Hades cease? Cease. How could there be any any physical death in the new creation?
How could there be any disembodied spirits in the new creation?
The eternal state I think everybody allows. There can be no such thing, do you not, brother?
The question might rise, though, of those who were holding by death, and they are then raised for judgment, are they not?
When they stand before the throne, that's what settled that.
But that still remains, that there are three kingdoms mentioned in Philippians, there are two in Colossians. That is, the things in heaven and earth will be reconciled, but the things under the earth will have to bow, as we have in Philippians 2, but they will never be reconciled forever.
And so there is such a thing, though, as the the judgment and the eternal death in that sense, on all those who here have spoken of us in the lake of fire.
One other verse that was read a little while ago in this portion that our brother read is verse 26 of our chapter in Corinthians.
The last enemy that shall be annulled is.
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Death. There will be no more physical death for all eternity. No more physical death there will be the second death, which of course is the punishment of the wicked forever.
Isn't it remarkable that so early in the church?
Such serious heresies. Such serious.
Blunders.
Arose as.
Christ be preached that he rose from the dead house, say some among you, There's no resurrection of the dead.
How early error crept into the church.
And the apostle Paul.
Was called upon to meet it over and over again.
So that there's never a time when we're not to be on guard about these things.
Here the question was.
If if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead house, they some among you there is no resurrection of the dead.
Well, in another case they were teaching that the resurrection had already taken place. Well, both of these are errors.
But they came out in the early church.
And not necessarily that those that were teaching these errors were not saved.
But they they were blundering, they were stumbling around.
And the apostle uses great pains to get things straightened out.
Now, if after all has been explained and the atmosphere has been cleared.
Then if such say, well, I don't care what the apostle says, I still say that there is no resurrection of the dead.
Well, then you have positive hope and evil, and it has to be dealt with.
But Saints of God can get dreadfully mixed up.
And it takes what Paul displays over and over again. It takes patience to deal with such and seek to get them straightened out.
You are mentioning this morning the seriousness of this error of the fact that death were not the dead were not resurrected. I believe the Sadducees held this doctrine that there was no resurrection. Is there any record of any Sadducee ever coming to the Lord?
It seemed to me, yes, they came to the Lord. But the Sadducees who did not hold this doctrine, I don't recall.
That any ever came to the Lord.
What we might call a modernism today.
Suppose we could say that every error is serious error. Some errors seem very serious when we first hear them. Others seem to be of much lesser importance. But every error is really serious because in some way or other it reflects upon the person or the work of Christ.
I heard of.
Preacher in Ottawa years ago who gave a talk on the fact that there was number personal devil and a couple of days later a brother who knew him met him on the street and said I was very, very grieved Sir, to hear about the terrible attack you made on the person of Christ.
Oh, he said. I made no such attack, he said, indeed you did. If there is no personal devil, could you please explain to me the temptation in the wilderness?
With what was the Lord Jesus tempted if there is no personal devil? And so I believe every departure from the truth, every error, no matter how it may seem to stand alone, actually is something to be guarded against. And I believe, brethren, that that's why we should value so very, very highly the wonderful privilege of the assembly Bible reading, the privilege of being corrected by our dear brethren, no matter how slight.
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The departure from the truth may seem to be. I must confess. I hope I am not out of place in saying this, but I used to find fault with my dad when I'd come home from meeting. I would get after him for having been far too critical of a some brothers comment. Hi David, Father, he didn't really mean what you were trying to correct him for. Well he'd say son, even if anyone might have taken something out of it, it's well to be corrected and guarded.
And I think, brethren, that it's so very, very much A cause for Thanksgiving, that we're privileged to be together as gathered around the Lord Jesus with the Spirit of God, free to bring the truth before us, so that I believe it can be said with great Thanksgiving. And I trust with you humility.
That in visiting among the gathered Saints of God, I've never heard false doctrine. And I have visited in a number of places where perhaps they've never, never, never had the privilege where having right now. But they have the assembly Bible reading, however weak it may be. And by the grace of God, sound doctrine is maintained. When I say I've never heard it, we might hear an inaccurate statement. By the grace of God, it's corrected.
I suppose there are those things that we may not be united in judgment about.
That couldn't be considered basic error, because if it is, then that necessitates doing something about it. So.
Meat commendeth us. Knock to God, for neither if we eat or we better, neither if we eat not are we worse.
We have to.
Make allowance for difference in light and.
So rather than have been happy to go on all these years.
Happy fellowship, but.
I've never known of a time when they were.
100% agreed on everything of you.
And we would bring up.
Some subject here this afternoon and be dogmatic about it. We could spoil our Bible reading.
Is that right? The apostle, though, from the beginning of our chapter, is very much concerned about the doctrine of resurrection. That's fundamental. And a brother asked me since the morning meeting.
Do the Saints understand what it means to believe in vain in verse?
Two to my capture.
The apostle says.
In verse one I preached unto you all that which I received.
And where you stand by which also ye are saved. Now here's an if if ye keep in memory.
What I preached unto you.
Unless.
Ye have believed in vain. Now the verses.
That we are taking up this afternoon the beginning in verse 12 and we are going on to verse 19.
Shows that if.
Christ has not been risen.
Then is the gospel name.
The whole point is that the very truth of the gospel presents a dead and a risen Christ.
And if you don't believe that, well, you don't have anything that's worth anything. It's certainly a vain gospel to believe that that isn't true.
I was thinking of that when I brother Clarke mentioned the Sadducees. He said he do not recall that any of the Sadducees came to Christ. Well, what point would there be and they're coming to Christ if they didn't believe in the resurrection. We have these seven points brought out here in connection with though if there's no resurrection from verse 14, if Christ be not risen, then number one is our preaching vain #2 and your faith is also vain.
#3 Again, we have found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God, and He raised up Christ, whom he raised not up. If so be that the dead rise not.
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For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised? And then in verse 17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain for the second time. Yeah, yet in your sins #5 and #6 then they also which have fallen asleep in Christ have perished #7 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But the next verse. But now is Christ risen from the dead?
What a blessed and precious statement, the very foundation of all our blessing.
And then I think.
I'm sorry.
Go ahead. Verse 17 might sum up these verses you read in a way to answer that in verse 2 about believing in vain. Verse 17 would be the interpretation of that thought. And if Christ be not raised in your faith, that is the gospel in your faith is vain. And then in the end of this chapter.
It speaks about.
Our labor is not vain and it's based on resurrection verse 58.
Always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
That's because of resurrection. We are going to.
Be glad of how we've labored for the Lord.
We will try to hinder the Lord resurrection, didn't they? They said so. The last error, the worst, the 1St to explain what goes to error you see.
At the end of March 27.
6430 command therefore that the sacrifice he made sure I mean the third day left his second coming night and seal them away and stay under the people he's risen from the dead. So the last error that we worked in the first.
I suppose the error all the way through, as far as they were concerned, all the way through his teaching, was that he was.
Presenting himself as the one who he was.
He was presenting himself as the Messiah, as the Son of God.
And.
Now.
In the end here.
He's going to pretend the disciples are going to make a pretense that he rose from the dead. That'll that'll draw people deeper Into Darkness than ever. I'm talking now the language of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It was bad enough to have him teaching error when he was alive, but now they're going to teach that he rose from the dead and that'll be worse than it was before.
By farming at the they're very conscious as told them that there's true Messiah that they put today and the far worse too for that thing one now to race in the dead 200 but a blow that would be to have this 1/2 with the true Messiah, the very one that they're looking for. They put them to death, but now to have him raised the dead or what the things that would be forced to do the same one rise now.
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And they're going to look at him whom they appears in the coming days.
Well, thank God for that statement. Now is Christ risen from the dead?
The first fruits of them that slept.
That's a solid foundation truth.
We might call attention to the fact that.
Versus beginning at the 20th verse and running through the 28th constituted a parenthesis in the chapter.
So that if we leave out the parenthesis, then verse 29 would join on to verse 19.
By man came death.
When Adam sinned, he brought death into the world with all our woes by one man. Sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
The Lord Jesus in fifth of John.
In the 5th of John and the 28th verse.
Marble not at this for the hour is coming, and the witch.
All that are in the graves shall hear his voice.
And shall come forth they that have done good unto thee, Resurrection of life.
And they that have done evil under the resurrection of judgment.
There's the universal pronouncement.
As to resurrection.
And the Lord is the one that's going to order it all.
A resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment.
There's more than 1000 years between those two resurrections, isn't it? Yes, there are.
And also to comment on that verse.
Less than he might be deceived by the doctrine of works. It isn't.
In the 29th verse it doesn't say because they have done good.
That they will come forth, the resurrection of life, but they who have done good, which.
Merely brings before us the character of those who have divine life. They are now.
Changed from evil works to good works, and this is characterized them, but it isn't because they've done good that they're coming forth to life now. The 24th chapter of Acts.
And the 14th verse.
But this I can pass under thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my Father's, believing all things that were written in the law and in the prophets.
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And have hoped toward God, which they themselves also allow.
That there shall be a resurrection of the dead.
Both of the just and of the unjust.
Now, that's not saying that these resurrections take place at the same time.
But there is a resurrection of the dead.
Whether it's the justice or the unjust.
There is no such thing as a general resurrection, as we often hear today.
Again, often notice the Apostle Paul so frequently in his epistles contending for the doctrinal truth.
As we have read these verses, we have seen his staunch insistence upon the truth of the resurrection.
And we're in a day, too, when we must earnestly contend for the truth.
Dear brethren, and.
It's good for us to profit by the Apostle Paul's.
Example Here he didn't merely contend with a statement that this was what he believed, but he spoke with authority, bringing before them the words of truth.
I don't mean to infer that we should go out seeking a quarrel with any.
But we're told in Peter's epistle to be ready to give an answer to those that ask of us.
Our young people particularly are confronted today with much that would oppose truth, whether it be evolution or other subjects.
And is a happy thing if one is conversant with the scriptures so that he can.
Leave his hearer with the substance of what is authoritative, and not merely leave the the impression that he has left an opinion. So Paul spoke with authority, didn't he? Because he knew of what he spoke in the 20th revelation. I think this is already been referred to, though I don't think we turn to it.
Revelation 20, verse 4.
And I saw Thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.
And.
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.
And those which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands.
They lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years.
Now we get definitely three classes in that verse.
Those in the earlier part of the verse representing the.
Elders.
And then the next class representing those that are beheaded for their testimony in the first half of.
Of the last week of Daniel and those in the latter park those who are.
Market in the second-half.
But they all lived that as they were raised.
And reigned with Christ.
Now in the fifth verse, the rest of the dead lived not again until 1000 years were finished. They weren't raised for 1000 years afterwards.
Now the last statement. This is the first resurrection. That's the fourth verse. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy, as he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him 1000 years.
Now there would be no point in saying this is the first resurrection if there is no resurrection to follow.
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So there is a first resurrection, and there's a second resurrection.
The first resurrection.
Includes not only all the Old Testament Saints.
Who have died?
But also all the New Testament Saints that have died or been put to sleep.
Plus the living and remaining ones.
But even.
At the close of that seven years of the 70th week of Daniel.
There will be the resurrection of the two witnesses, that witness in the city of Jerusalem.
After their testimony of 12160 days.
They will be raised.
And then after that in Revelation 20, verses 2:00 and 3:00.
You may have your Bibles open yet to that.
Why, there you see, right after Satan is cast into the lake of fire, I beg your pardon, Into the bottomless pit.
And the bottomless pit. Then you see this, what our brother read in verse 4.
So that all of the godly remnant.
Of that 70th week, the first half and last half, as our brother put it, will also be included in the first resurrection.
In the 11Th chapter of John's Gospel.
In the 24th verse.
In connection with what our brother Growth has pointed out a moment ago, that's we should notice that.
What Martha says, what she knows, she's instructed further when the Lord speaks to her. But what she knows up until that time?
Was simply that Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again. That's your brother in the resurrection at the last day.
But the Lord could tell her now, something that she didn't know before.
And that is that I am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Now resurrection was taught in connection with Israel as a nation in the 12Th chapter.
Of Daniel and also there was the line of things set forth by Ezekiel telling forth the restoration of that nation and then we do have a few hints like was read this morning in the book of Joe but I don't believe there was a general teaching of revelation of resurrection in the Old Testament and.
Not surely that which had to do with life and incorruptibility.
These things have been brought to light through the gospel, and what we have primarily in our chapter today has to do with what is new in the teaching.
The word of God, is it not?
But in the Daniel 12 verse two that you referred to, some will be raised to everlasting life and others to everlasting.
Punishment.
There it is, the return of the tribes from.
Being scattered amongst the nations, the Gentiles that is on earth, a program that takes place, a regathering all of God's people and then there will be their separation of those that enter into the life of the Kingdom.
Blessing on earth, which is of course different than the subject of our chapter 15 as the resurrection out of the grave and dead and.
That other one you referred to in Ezekiel, probably 36 and 3736, for instance. Again, it's the same thing. It has to do with those that are living on the earth but are buried, you might say, in the dust of the gentile nations. They will be ferreted out.
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And gathered back and united with the tribe of Judah.
In that coming day, in the beginning of the Kingdom, Director of the Brown yes, Daniel 12/2. And I think this is what Brother London meant.
Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame. An everlasting contempt. Well, actually, he's not Speaking of those that were physically dead.
But as far as their national existence were concerned, they were lost among the nations.
And now, at this time, there's going to be a marvelous awakening.
And some are going to awake to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
But it's not those that are dead and in their physical graves.
But the nation that was in that physical state?
And so also the passage that you've referred to in Ezekiel, you're talking about the valley of dry Bones there, aren't you? Yes.
It's a national thing, isn't it? Yes.
Well, maybe we can get along with our chapter here.
This 22nd verse if we're not going ahead too far.
Possibly has been used of the enemy to suggest that.
All are going to be made alive in the sense of being blessed. But that isn't the thought, is it? It's the fact that although it is true, it's the statement that everyone will be raised, but some will be raised for judgment and it'll be eternal death. And so we can't use a verse like this as his men would do to to speak of finally, everyone will be saved.
Might it be that the apostle here in that verse?
Is looking at it from the angle of faith.
For as an Adam all die.
Well, we we don't have any doubt what that means. Even so in Christ.
Shall all be made alive.
Perhaps he's limiting it here in his thoughts.
To believers as an atom all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive, every man in his own order. Christ the first groups afterwards they that are Christ at his coming.
That is, there doesn't seem to be any room there to bring in the thought of the.
Of the unsaved.
Then cometh again, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down.
All rule and all authority.
So perhaps he only has in view believers.
In those verses.
You think that might be allowed, Brother Brown? I think the whole chapter addressed to the Saints.
Amongst which some of them said like in verse 12.
How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
So the subject seems to be, as you say, concerning believers and those that are in Christ.
I was thinking of that first as the two heads walked across Adam. The first head he brought in death twice. The second head brought in life a contrast one with the other. Do we have a similar thought in Romans 517?
If by one man's offense, death reigned by 1.
Much more, they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteous shall reign in life by 1.
That last part.
As an add of all diagonals, so in Christ will all be made alive. I'm just asking you questions.
Operations each one.
That's correct if they're not.
Romans 517.
Yes.
Now there's another verse.
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Helped me to turn to it, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord. That's what I want. Thank you brother. And verse 11 probably about yes. Now here it's different.
2nd Corinthians 5, verse 10.
Well, perhaps we read from the ninth verse, Second Corinthians 5, verse 9, Wherefore we labor that, whether present or absent, we may be acceptable to Him, not accepted of him, but be acceptable to him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
That everyone may receive the things done in his body according to what he has done, whether it would be good or bad.
Now there I believe it's universal because he says in the next verse, knowing therefore that.
Terror of the Lord.
We persuade men.
But we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. That's different from what we have in our chapter. When when you say universal, no doubt some of the Saints will wonder just what you mean by that. Do you not mean that the that the term the judgment seat of Christ is a general term? But when you consider the believers coming before us, it is a review of their past works, whether done.
That we're done, you see, whether they're good or evil, Second Timothy 4 would give you the judgment of the living and the dead. And then?
That those are two sessional judgments, aren't they?
Yeah, living one, yeah. But then we have the the judgment seat in the sense in which the believer will be brought before. But here the terror of the Lord would have to do, would it, not looking on to the last, but both on earth and in judgment when he sets up his throne. And also in the final judgment of the great white throne would be the dead.
Now, I'm sure that some of the Saints in their minds will wonder what we're putting forth here. There's a little illustration that may help in First Samuel, the end of Chapter 7 I believe it is.
First Samuel Chapter 7 and verse 15.
Now you notice I say we have a little sample that might convey a thought as to what we have before us if we make the application carefully. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. Now Samuel was the one that was doing the judging and he went from year to year. Wasn't always, it wasn't only one, one occasion in Circuit 2.
Of four different places and he judged 4 different people, that is, you know, in these four places.
Bethel and Gilgal and Misbah, and in the end, verse 17, Rhema.
And He judged Israel in all those places. Now in John 5, the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son.
Because he is the Son of man, He took the low place, and God has appointed him to be the judge of all. In the Revelation chapter 5, who is worthy to open the book of judgment to execute the judgments That must be Well, there was only one that was found worthy. Who will be able to do that?
So here in Two Corinthians 5-10, if we think about the Saints.
Then we know that we appear in the glory when the when the Lord will review all of our past, we who are in glorified bodies like the Lord Jesus.
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He is going to review these things and how well we will praise Him for His grace that bore with us and His faithfulness in everything and how good that He will command and reward.
Those that have done well, every man shall receive praise of God. First Corinthians chapter 4 So we if we can find it to that which refers to the Saints, that will be an occasion and a glory.
But if we think of Christ judging the living nations, Matthew 25, when he gathers them together and separates the sheep and the goats.
That's another occasion. And then of course, we do have that great white throne judgment and other judgments in the Book of Revelation. But all are in His hands. Therefore, in one sense, it's all the judgment seat of Christ. Am I wrong in that, Brother in the 14th chapter of Romans?
We get an unusual expression there that is one that we don't ordinarily use.
Romans 14, verse 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou said it, not thy brother?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat. Now the King James version reads Christ, but the better version is God. We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Now if we go to Revelation 20.
We'll see a change there that's important.
The 12Th verse of Revelation 20 I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. Now the correct reading there is before the throne.
Before the throne. Not before God, but before the throne.
Well, here we know that we all stand before the judgment seat of God, but.
The Lord Jesus lets us know in the 5th chapter of John.
That all judgment is committed under the sun.
But he is God, so there's no difficulty there, if we remember that.
So that the.
Whether it's the.
Ungodly or whether it's the Saints being manifested as Brother Brown has been bringing out.
In the third chapter, First Corinthians.
It's all before the same one and we're all going to give an account.
Of the deeds done in the body, not only of what we've done since we've been Saints. It isn't only that, but our whole life will be reviewed to the glory of God in that day.
Now in that first reading, Romans chapter 14, verse 10, it might be helpful to notice that the apostle is concerned in our attitude towards others.
Who may be not so well talked as ourselves, but that we should go slow and be charitable in our consideration of others.
Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind, and whatsoever is not a faith is sin. So we must bear with one another because we are going to be held responsible for our attitude towards others.
The judgments mentioned in Revelation, Brother Brown.
That you mentioned as to the seal judgments are really distinct, are they not? They're more of a vengeance, as that is, they're more of a prepared preparatory, preparatory judgment before the vengeance judgments.
The our standing before the judgment seat of God or the judgment seat of Christ.
At we accept that.
In a different way than the solemn.
Judgment of Revelation 20 because we'll have nothing to do with that.
That's.
There will be no saved people.
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In that number there, but with us it's it's all gone into detail. Of course, it's specially servants that's before the apostle in this third chapter.
First Corinthians.
But the principle is the same for all of us.
The 13th verse. Every man's work shall be made manifest.
For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire.
That's fire is judgment. That is discerning judgment.
The discerning judgment of God and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Now he's speaking about servants here in a man's work abide which he has built. Therefore he shall receive a reward. Then a man's work shall be burned. He shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire.
So it's a solemn thing to bring before us in connection with our work for the Lord.
To be sure that in our building we're not keeping up a lot of wood, hay and stumble.
But we're building upon that foundation, Gold, silver, precious stones, not wood haze double. Wood Haze double will make a great book, Tremendous, tremendous bulk.
The gold, silver and crisis stones may not look very big, but when the fire tries everything the wood hands double is gone in smoke, and only that that's real remains.
But it's not a question of salvation, but of reward. So.
Uh, God is pleased to pass us through this review and.
We will be rewarded for what was of him and what was not of him is to our loss.
I suppose we will have the grace run at the same. Burn it up, Lord.
Amen. I was thinking of the.
Judgment seat of Christ. It's nice to know how we are going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We are going to appear there as the fruit of Christ's perfect work at Calvary. And so it isn't the thought of being judged there at all, is it? Some people seem to think that it's a matter of judging their sins, but that's been settled once and for all at Calvary. When the Lord created this, this earth, he didn't turn around and judge it. He pronounced it very good.
Well, if he didn't judge the first creation in that sense, he certainly is not going to judge the new creation, is he?
Well we get the resurrection and then the 22nd verse Adam all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Referring not to believers, every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christ at his coming. That might be right now.
Now we go on to the end.
Then come at the end, when it shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
When he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power.
For he must reign till he put all enemies under his feet.
And the last enemy that shall be destroyed, or an oldest death.
So it goes right on then to the complete victory of Christ as he reigns in power.
For God.
Hath put all things under his feet, but when he saith, all things are put under him, his manifest, that God is accepted, which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son of Man.
Himself is subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all. Now that's the end of the parenthesis.
And in the end of the parenthesis, the sun takes that place.
Of subjection is man and the glory above, identifying himself with the redeemed.
That God may be All in all.
That's as a man.
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But never.
For one moment, does he abdicate?
His deity, not for a moment. He's still God, he's still part of the Godhead, but he takes that subject place identified with His, redeemed for all eternity. What is the dispensation of the fullness of times mentioned in Ephesians? One Brother Brown.
See.
10th verse, first chapter of Ephesians, That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even in Him. That's the Millennium.
You don't doubt that anymore? No, but I wanted to bring the point out so to be clear as to what these periods refer to. We read them often and it's good to know.
God's purpose running through time is to eventually.
Glorify his son, his head.
Over all things above, in heaven and on earth. And in the first part of that tenth verse, the church is not included. The church comes in on the 11Th verse.
In whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him.
Who work with all things after council. His own will.
But it's at the same time as it, not the inheritance. Yes, indeed.
Might we glance at another thought in verse 24 of our chapter?
Then.
The end.
Joanne, he gives up notice. He himself gives up.
The Kingdom to God, that temporary thousand years of mediatorial government of the Kingdom like no one else ever did, all lost because of death. So the headship of government shifted to others. But here is one that goes through it all. And then when that is all accomplished, He gives it up.
That mediatorial ruling.
Of the nation's on earth, this old earth.
I think it's important to see how he does that. It is not taken from him, but he has rendered all his service.
His stewardship in that sense, in perfection.
This is the beginning of the eternal state, is it not?
It has to do with the end and the introduction to the other, when God will be called and all. Would that be it? It might be confused though, sometimes with what we have in the 14th verse of Matthew 24. Not that I want to suggest going into that at all, but just by contrast, there we have something that has to do with the the end of the age, the present age, but that will introduce the millennial day.
But what we have in our chapter is the end, is it not, of that millennial day introducing the eternal state?
Does not verse 25 of our chapter refer to the Millennium?
My Land. Verse 24. The End.
Verse 28.
So I have all three brought before us.
It's a wonderful thing that all this blessing is going to be brought in through the One who loved us and died to redeem us through the 2nd man. All that can be said about the 1St man is for, as in Adam, all die. And then when you turn from that, you seem to open up a very wonderful picture of blessing and all that blessing is through the 2nd man. Perhaps it's stretching the scripture a little bit.
Just on our way down here yesterday morning, we were reading about Gideon and of how the people of God were oppressed by the Midianites. And God purposed that there should be a deliverance of victory. And it seems that it was introduced by a sacrifice. And the Angel told Gideon to take by Father's Bullock, even the second Bullock of seven years.
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And we fought and thought about that for a while, and it seemed to suggest that setting aside of the 1St as though there could be no victory whatever.
From the 1St.
I could think of no other reason why he would specify which of his father's bullets were to be.
Put upon the altar, take thy Father's bullet, even the second bullet of seven years, indicating the perfection of the sacrifice. So it's wonderful, is it not, to realize that this wonderful scene of blessing that lies ahead both in heaven and on earth is going to be brought to its fruition in the second man, our Lord Jesus Christ?
The first man was driven out, wasn't he? And the 2nd man is set up and exalted.
The time is nearly up. One would like to say a word about this 29th verse because we were asked about it this morning.
And we suggested that it goes back to the 19th verse. If in this life only we have hope, in Christ we have all men most miserable.
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, Why then are they baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily. If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Well, what shall they do? What you're baptized for the dead.
Well, the figure is this, that it's, uh, it's like as if it were in the battle.
And in the in the front lines of conflict, one after another is falling.
Before the enemy is being smitten and the soldiers behind are rushing in to fill in the gap. And so that keeps up all through the the day of battle until the battle is won.
Well, why should we? If there's no resurrection of the dead, why should we?
Follow in the footsteps of men like Stephen and men like Paul and men like Peter.
A man who gave their lives were martyred for Christ. Why should we step into the Christian ranks?
If there's no resurrection of the dead, no let's let's forget it. Let's eat and drink and have a good time.
Because baptism is what puts us outwardly into the ranks of Christianity. Baptism is what makes us Christians in one sense. It puts us into the ranks of those that profess the name of Christ. Well, if there's no resurrection of the dead, it's all an empty thing. Let's forget it. I believe that is the force of that 29th verse.
We have the little book that someone read called The Martyrs of the Catacombs.
You get one of the chief characters, a true story of one who was appointed to expose.
That people as to how to get at them, well, he went he went there with that intention, but God reached his soul and his heart and he he saw.
God's hand in it all, and he preferred to be identified with them. He too was baptized as much as to say, I prefer to be in this losing.
'Cause as far as this world is concerned, it was a losing cause. They were taken into the amphitheater and either burned at the stake or the lions turned loose upon them.
And he had witnessed these things along with the high authorities, and he intended to help them. But God won his heart and made him one who was willing to fill in the ranks and to risk his own life. As Paul says here in the next verses we're going to have before us in our chapter.
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Our lives are in jeopardy every hour.
But he gladly went forth in that cause.
Well, it does not mean what we know of.
Great, big powerful denomination teaches that.
You can be baptized for your unsaved relatives, your unsaved dead, and.
And get them into heaven too. It doesn't mean anything like that whatsoever.
Recruiting, that thought of recruiting, you know, recruiting soldiers to take the place of others that have gone down.
Visible expression of the one body is to be maintained.
Isn't it true that in this expression.
Even the Father in the 24th verse that we had here.
I would suggest.
Christianity. That is what the Lord Jesus brought about in a very special way through his death.
Adding something.
We know the Father now, and we have in Ephesians 3.
Every family is named in connection with that Father in heaven and earth, and so it isn't simply a man brought into relationship again, knowing God is Creator. But he brings in here the thought of Father and added thought, is it not? Which suggests Christianity in all its fullness.
I've enjoyed that same thought, Brother London too, in connection with the advocacy of Christ.
Any man sin, we have an advocate with God.
No, with the father, that is. He hadn't ceased to be father because we've missed the path. He hadn't ceased to be father.
#64.
Oh, bright and blessed scenes where sin can never come.
Cite our longing spirit wings from earth where yet we roam, And can we call our home our Father's house on high, and the rest of God our rest to come, our place of liberty.
All.