Seven Bible Facts
THE DEVIL ATTACKS THE SEVEN STUPENDOUS STEPS OF OUR SAVIOUR.
George Burnside
These historic facts link humanity to Heaven.
JOHN 1:51 “And he said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
Christ opened heaven for mankind, by becoming a man. In seven great acts He united us with heaven. He is “the one mediator between God and men”. Every blessing from heaven came through Christ. Of Christ we read:
PROVERBS 9:1 “Wisdom has built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.”
Christ “the wisdom of God”, and “who of God is made unto us wisdom,” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30) accomplished this all-important link by his seven steps or pillars in wisdom’s bridge. Every pillar is vital. They are seven historical Facts.
GOD WAS MADE FLESH AND BLOOD
God became man. This is probably the greatest event of all eternity. In many ways it is more wonderful even than Calvary.
1 TIMOTHY 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.”
Jesus was “God with us.” He was made of a woman. He became one with us in our flesh and blood. Truly since creation this event towers above all other events. The civilized world bows to Him as the greatest fact of history. From what event of all history is time reckoned? From the birth of a Jew in a stable. Civilized time is dated from His birth. The centuries carry His signature and the years of our modern world are called “The years of our Lord.”
While many newspapers fill their columns with attacks and slights on Christ’s saints they adjust their dates to His birth, likewise every date on our cheques and letters. To put ones name on the racing centuries is a remarkable achievement. Both Caesar and Shakespeare failed to do so. The sword, genius or wealth failed. But Jesus Christ has done it. Why? Because He was God manifest in the flesh. Jesus became a partaker of our nature, that we might become “partakers of the divine nature.” The Son of God became man, so that, we mere men might become “sons of God.”
HEBREWS 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
“Jesus” was made man “for the suffering of death that he should taste death for every man.” Jesus was made flesh to die. We die because we were born. Jesus was born to die. The incarnation reveals the greatness of God’s love, and the depth of man’s need. The stupendous remedy that was needed, reveals the greatness of our plight. Redemption was only possible through Jesus Christ. This great truth and mighty fact is hated by the enemy and corrupted by him. For instance the popular writing by Robert Clarke states: “The human nature which Christ took was not human nature as it was in Adam after the fall: but as it was in Him before the fall.” “The Christ of God,” page 20. Of course Mr. Clarke gives no scripture in support of these ideas.
He, like too many others, just follow the popular path of the “scholars” and “theologians”. This is not “new light”, it is very old error. Does not the Scripture plainly state:
HEBREWS 2:14 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.”
In the passage of Scripture often referred to as the John 3:16 of the Old Testament, we read:
GENESIS 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.”
It is “her seed”, the seed of the woman, that was to finally conquer Satan. But this first redemption promise was made after the fall. Eve had fallen. She was the first human to sin. Her seed was fallen. To try to avoid this fact Catholicism has invented the immaculate conception theory and sad to say, millions of Christians, while rejecting this theory arrive at the same position as Catholicism, because the majority of “scholars” hold this view. Truth is forever on the scaffold. Another reason why Jesus became man is found in:
HEBREWS 2:16 “He took on him the seed of Abraham.” (not Adam’s sinless seed) HEBREWS 2:17 “That he might be a faithful high priest.”
As God, Jesus could not die. He came to provide an atoning sacrifice and to become our Priest, so He could offer His atoning blood. This priestly work should be of special interest to us today as we are now living in the days of Jesus work as our priest. This phase of Christ’s work the devil especially hates. He has blinded Christendom on this subject, until the question “what is Jesus doing now” is unknown to Christendom’s millions. Another reason Christ took on human nature is to reveal that man by trusting God can keep His commandments. This shows the importance of the next pillar.
CHRIST’S SINLESS LIFE.
HEBREWS 4:15 “We have such an high priest which was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Christ in our flesh lives a sinless life.
JOHN 17:4 Christ, at the end of His earthly life, said in prayer “I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gave me to do.”
What work was that? “The work Christ came to our world to do was to live the law of God in humanity, to be an example to all humanity.” Testimonies to Ministers, page 238.
1 PETER 2:21 Christ has left you “an example that ye should follow in his steps.”
This great pillar of truth is also sadly neglected by Christendom’s millions. Too many of them would sooner “make void” God’s law, than live it. They do this and despise the example of their professed Lord. Yet the infallible “Scripture of truth” that they claim to believe declares:
REVELATION 22:14 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
“All who have refused obedience to the law of the Kingdom of God, will have no right therein.” Testimonies to Ministers, page 235.
“By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey Gods commandments.” Christ Object Lessons, page 312.
CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH
HEBREWS 2:9 Jesus tasted “death for every man.”
Jesus was the only one in the Universe who could atone for all sin. A man may die for a man, but all have sinned, so no man can die for me. Angels have not creative power. Therefore the life of an angel could not cover “every man”. Further, angels have not power to produce a new nature. Justice demands not only pardon, but the removal of every tendency to sin. Jesus alone could do this. Are you not thankful that the only One who could do it, was willing to do it? Salvation is free, but its certainly not cheap.
HEBREWS 9:12 Christ “by His own blood.”
Through His atoning blood and all powerful mediation Christ can save to the uttermost all who come to God. You do the coming, Jesus will do the saving.
The devil’s chief weapons are deception, corrupting of facts and truths. This third fact of Christ, the devil has tried to corrupt. The cross has been emphasized to the place it eclipses all other facts. Millions of Christians even think that a cross will chase away devils. Christians make the sign of the cross. It is placed on churches, altars, and hymn books. Others think they are doing right when they claim that salvation was finished at the cross. The cross of our Lord should be upheld but not at the neglect of the other all-important pillars.
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD
1 CORINTHIANS 15:14 “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
1 CORINTHIANS 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
Why is the resurrection so sadly neglected by Christendom? Without the resurrection all is “vain” - useless. A dead Christ could save no one. Had Jesus finished at the cross there would be no salvation.
The resurrection changed a group of hopeless, discouraged, sorrowful disciples into a radiant, fearless company that “went forth conquering and to conquer.” The resurrection of Christ made the Christian church. It shook the pagan Roman world. While professing to believe in Christ the great majority deny or give little thought to the resurrection. In multitudes of churches “the stations of the cross” take you to the laying of the dead body of Jesus in Joseph’s new tomb, but where is the resurrection? It is always missing. Millions of Christians believe and teach that Christ merely rose as a spirit. If Jesus just rose as a spirit, do not the teachers of Buddhism, Mohammedanism or Confucianism have the same claim for their prophets or teachers? Christianity stands or falls on the bodily, literal resurrection of Jesus.
ROMANS 1:3, 4 “Jesus Christ our Lord was decisively proved to be the Son of God by His bodily resurrection from the dead”.
The resurrection did not make Jesus, the Son of God, but it eternally marked Him out to be the Son of God. The resurrection proved He was the Son of God.
JESUS ASCENDED BODILY AND LITERALLY TO HEAVEN.
After Jesus had risen from the dead, He clearly proved that His resurrection was real.
LUKE 24:36-43 “Behold my hands and my feet, handle me and see for a spirit hath, not flesh and bones, as you see me have.”
Then when food was given Him, Jesus “took it and did eat.” Jesus was real. His was no mere resurrection of the spirit only. His ascension was equally real, bodily and literal.
LUKE 24:50, 51 Jesus led his disciples out “as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” Christ’s ascension led to His intercession.
HIS MEDIATION AS OUR PRIEST AND ADVOCATE
We are living in this period of Christ’s saving work. Do you know what Jesus is doing now? Unfortunately many who preach salvation by faith, place emphasis on the cross, and sadly neglect the tremendous work Jesus is doing “for us” in the heavenly sanctuary.
HEBREWS 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.”
Jesus saves to the uttermost by His atoning blood and His all powerful mediation. The blood of sacrifice must be applied. The great mass of Christendom today are sadly ignorant of this great pillar of Christ’s salvation. We live today in the days of His work in Heaven “for us.” Salvation has not finished. We are still in “the day of salvation.” Our living Lord still saves dying men, but sad to say, “What Jesus is doing in Heaven now” is a question very few Christians can answer. Therefore God has restored His “everlasting gospel”, which is found in His three fold message in Revelation 14:6-16. It was renewed light that Christ flashed from His heavenly sanctuary that led to the rise of His world-wide Advent movement. This message restored the sanctuary truth and the full light of other truths. When the intercession of our “Advocate” is finished, He will return to complete redemption, thus He will then usher in a “finished salvation”.
HEBREWS 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” What a privilege to be living in the days of the sixth pillar. Yes! We are living in the time of His intercession in the Sanctuary of the Glory land. When Christ finishes this phase of His work, the day of mercy will close.
REVELATION 22:11, 12 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is Filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
We certainly are living in a grand solemn hour. This work, as our Advocate, is vital.
“The arch-deceiver hates the great truths that bring to vie an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful mediator.” Great Controversy, page 488.
The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death on the cross.” Great Controversy, page 489.
Yet professed servants think they are preaching the gospel while they neglect or ignore this vital truth!
OUR LORD’S RETURN
JOHN 14:1-3 “I will come again and receive you unto myself.”
There will be no heaven for His saints unless He comes and takes them to Glory.
The “finished salvation at the cross” theory was originated by theologians who believed in the “immortal soul” error. This led to the heaven at death theory. But salvation cannot be finished until every saint is home in the glory land. This bridge of salvation, is not mere speculation. Salvation is in a person - “the man Christ Jesus”. Salvation is based on actual historical facts. All these facts are in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes our Lord was born, lived on earth, died, rose again, ascended, intercedes, and is coming again as King of kings. Then salvation will be finished.
REVELATION 21:6 “And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16, 17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
“So shall we ever be with the Lord.” Without our Lord’s return there will be no heaven, no immortality, no resurrection. Every pillar is vital. Which pillar is most important? This is a question God has never given us to answer. Every one is vital. Miss one and a fatal gap is made. Neglect one and truth is not complete. Every one was made “for us.”
Jesus was born, that I may be “born from above”. My Lord lived a sinless life, in harmony with God’s eternal Ten Commandments, that He might live in me and save me from my sins. Jesus died for me that by His grace, I might die to sin and live unto righteousness. My Lord was resurrected that I might be saved by His resurrected life. He ascended to glory to intercede that I might be saved unto the uttermost. He is coming again to receive me unto Himself, that where He is I may also be. He did all this for me and for you. How can we but live and serve Him?