The Grace of God #5

Grace Upon Grace

Fred R. Coulter—November 13, 2021

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!

I want to review just one thing from Grace of God #4 from Eph.2. The reason this is important is because establishment Christianity gives you a nice little 'sing song': If you say that you 'believe in Jesus and He died for my sins,' you are saved so you can go to heaven.

That is one of the greatest lying deceptions in the world, because there's more to it! As we have seen, you must repent, and that is come to a convicting, emotional and mental decision that you have been living a life contrary to the will of God!

Don't be fooled by the fact that you may have a fairly good life. That doesn't mean that you're necessarily right with God spiritual for eternal salvation! That's a whole other story!

To be spiritually right for eternal salvation, you mush to repent and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit! There is no other way! If you're not properly baptized and received the Holy Spirit of God, and if you have not dedicated yourself to keeping the laws and commandments of God—which are required under grace—you're deluded!

It might be a self-satisfying delusion—many of them are—but who's going to be the most surprised at the resurrection? Let's see what Jesus said. They are going to be amazed; all of those who thought they were leaders and good 'Christian' ministers!

• grace does not allow you to live in sin
• grace does not all the teachers to add anything to what God has said

If there's anything to be added or taken away from the Word of God always remember this principle: Only God can do that! It's His Law! He caused it to be written, and Jesus said that 'one jot or one tittle shall in no way disappear from the Law until heaven and earth pass away.' It's obvious that hasn't happened!

Here are all of these 'Christian' leaders—and I keep tabs on them, because when the television is boring then I turn to another boring channel: TBN, Day Star and even the Catholic one. Once in a while the Catholic one has something good on it. Most of the others all emotional and telling what good they are, how many works they do and how many people they have.

When they're resurrected and come before Jesus—that's going to be every one of us—give an account for our lives. What's the big surprise for them?

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord'… [or 'Jesus, Jesus'] …shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven…'"

It shows that there must be something done to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. You can't do it just by a few words.

"…but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven" (v 21).

What did Jesus say about what He was doing? He didn't do anything from Himself! But He did the will of the Father! What is the will of the Father? You love Him and keep His commandments! The key one that they hate, absolutely despise, is the Sabbath and the Holy Days!

Verse 22: "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name?….'"

Look at all the sermons that Hagee gives? He's a pretty dynamic speaker and speaks in a very authoritative way so a lot of people believe him. He's a Sunday-keeper, believes in the rapture and who knows what else.

"…And did we not cast out demons through Your name?…." (v 22).

You can see that all the time on TBN. They touch their forehead and they fall over backward. They're not casting out; they're causing to enter into!

"…And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?" (v 22).

'We build hospitals and have many, many teachers and pastors, churches, institutions.' Pastor Jeffress, in Dallas, says: we are growing! Yes, that is true, but the ultimate question is:

• How many are converted?
• When did you, Pastor Jeffress, give a sermon on repenting of Sunday-keeping and start Sabbath-keeping?

They believe in a false grace!

Verse 23: "And then I [Jesus] will confess to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.'" And that's what they did!

Same way with salvation; so, I want to review about the three phases of salvation. This is really important to grasp and understand. Also, remember that not everything is contained in one place in a chronological manner in the Bible. There are many things that have to be put together like a puzzle.

Ephesians 2:1: "Now, you were dead in trespasses and sins… [if you haven't had your sins forgiven through baptism, you're still walking in them] …in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience… [causing them to all be disobedient] …among whom also we all… [Paul included himself] …once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world" (vs 2-3).

If you want to do a survey, do some searching. As yourself: What is the context of what's being presented? You will see that every single one of them are breaking the commandments of God one way or another!

There are some who are trying to do good; there are some who are trying to do good in the name of Jesus. But that doesn't necessarily mean what they are doing leads to salvation. That's another whole story.

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world. But God…" (vs 3-4).

The way that you come to grace is God intervenes in your life! You come to a frame of mind that you need God. You're overwhelmed with what you have. You don't know how to handle it and you need help.

Randy was telling me—because his brother came down with Covid—that his brother's son is a pronounce atheist. When Randy said that they were praying for him, the son said, 'Well, I'm going to pray for him, too.'

Even those who don't believe in God, when it comes down to life and death situations, then something happens. That's why when we come to God we're in a situation that something has happened that we can't solve. We cry out to God! God is able to hear that. As a matter of fact, as we have seen He has seven eyes that go through the whole earth searching for those who are seeking Him. It doesn't matter who you are on the face of the earth. If you seek God in repentance and sincerity, and in truth relating to your own life and that you are a sinner and in things that you are wrong, He will hear you!

Verse 4: "But God Who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us…"

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life."

That's one all the Protestants know, but they don't really know what it means.

The Three Phases of Salvation:

• you have been saved from your sins

Ephesian 2:5: "Even when we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive together with Christ…."

He brings us to Christ. God draws us, brings us to Christ, Christ works with us; it's a spiritual operation.

"…(For you have been saved by grace.)" (v 5).

This phrase refers to what happened in the action of the verses above it. The first phase in being saved is you have been saved from your sins!

• you confessed them
• you repent of them
• you rely on God to forgive you

The next step is baptism, because you have to follow through!

It's like this: You get up in the morning and you're going to go to work. You get dressed for work, but you stay home. That doesn't accomplish anything at work! You've got to get to work! When you get there you have to do the work.

Here's a prophecy; God always gives us a prophecy to look forward to so that we understand what God has for us is something greater and beyond what we are able to understand ourselves. That's the whole point of grace, that God gives you understanding of things you would never come to understand.

Verse 6: "And He has raised us up together and has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

That's the ultimate goal! We're not in heavenly places, but if we repent and receive the Holy Spirit of God we have the Spirit of God. That is Holy and that comes from God.

Verse 7: "So that in the ages that are coming… [the definition of future] …He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

Grace is a total relationship between each one of us and God!

Verse 8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith… [from your past sins] …and this especially is not of your own selves…"

No one can get rid of their own sins! You have to repent to God and He will blot them out, and He will remove them from you 'as far as the east is from the west.

"…it is the gift of God" (v 8).

God doesn't operate like a bank. He doesn't save you if you give Him all kinds of money. He saves you as a gift, which means no charge and complete forgiveness!

Verse 9: "Not of works, so that no one may boast.… [you don't have that you can do, buy, whatever] …For we are His workmanship…" (vs 9-10)—created!

Think about this: Salvation is a working of God with His Holy Spirit within us so that we:

• develop as the begotten son/daughter of God
• develop the mind of Christ, which comes by
  • studying the Word of God
  • living by the Word of God

All of that together!

"…being created… [a process] …in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them." (v 10). What are the good works?

• keeping the commandments
• works of the heart
• works of the mind
• works of your living

And God will be with you in everything! All of these apply together:

• you have been saved

• are being saved

1-Corinthians 15:1: "Now, I am declaring to you, brethren, the same Gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you also received, and in which you are now standing."

• we stand in the Gospel
• we stand in grace
• we walk in faith
• we believe in hope
• we live in love

Verse 2: "By which you are also being saved…"

This shows that it's a process! This is why we are to grow and overcome, and continually grow and overcome. Who knows what things God will cause us to do and show us so we can understand.

I want you think how many times you have read this in Rev. 1. Most people who start reading a book in the Bible rarely do they read the first couple of verses. Sometimes that has very important information.

Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave to Him, to show to His servants… [all of those who are teachers] …the things that are ordained tocome to pass shortly; and He made it known, having sent it by His angel to His servant John."

• Does Jesus have an angel that works directly with Him? It says "…His angel…"
• Does this explain why in the Old Testament Jesus was the Lord God and some of the works are done by an angel?
• Is it this angel?
• Would you not think this is important to send it by "…His angel…" to John?

Remember that John was the scribe. He was to write! God the Father was the Author Who gave it to Jesus, Who gave it to "…His angel…" to make sure that John would write what he was supposed to write. Quite a thing!

I don't know how many times I've read that over, but it never dawned on me, "…His angel…"! It didn't say, 'An angel…' it says: "…His angel…" I can't answer all the questions concerning it, but that will give you something to study on.

• we have been saved from our sins
• we are being saved IF we walk in the Gospel and keep the commandments of God

Think about that because we're going come back to Eph. 2 and finish it. It's very, very important and has to do with the greatest grace that we can receive.

• shall be saved

Romans 5:8: "But God commends His own love… [directly from the Father] …to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, having been justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (vs 8-9)—future!

• have been saved
• are being saved
• will be saved

The process!

Verse 10: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His own Son, much more then, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

The Word of God being the Truth of God, in which there are no lies… By the way, all the bad translations and lies that men have tried to add to the Bible have been noted. When anyone writes in for a Bible, we send that work by Joseph[transcriber's correction] Ackermann: New Testament Scripture Comparisons of 27 different translations. It shows what they have done to it.

Ephesians 2:16: "And that He might reconcile both to God in one body…"—Jew and Gentile!

That one body is the Church and Christ is the Head of the Church. This is what all of us who are elders need to understand. We are here to serve the brethren and teach them the Word of God. Brethren are no possessions of the ministers. They are possession of God!

Our job is to teach the Word of God, and that we also continue to study and know and understand the Word of God so we can teach. You can't just repeat, repeat!

One minister I knew had a stack of spiral notebooks, was his assistant for a while, and was visiting him and he said:

Fred, you see this right here, these have all my sermons. Since they move me every three to four years, I've got them all right here. All I have to do is go back over them again whenever I come to a different church.

Well, he's not growing in grace and knowledge!

The way you grow in grace and knowledge as an elder or minister is you must study, study and restudy and go over and over the Word of God. The more you do that, different things you will learn. Just like this one that I showed you in Rev. 1 about the angel, this occurred last night.

"…through the cross, having slain the enmity by it." (v 16). There are two enmities:

• human nature
• the traditions of the Jews, which blocked the Gentiles with coming to God

Verse 17: "Now when He came, He preached the Gospel—peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have direct access…"

Think about your life. You pray to God when you say, 'Our Father in heaven above…' That gives you direct access to God the Father spiritually! Think about what a grace that is; one of the greatest graces!

"…by one Spirit to the Father" (v 18).

No intermediary in between; Father and Christ. Christ is the only Intermediary! A minister can never be! He can assist and help, but he is not the intermediary! He can pray for, but he's can't make prayers be answered.

Verse 19: "So then, you are no longer aliens and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of the household of God." What's that going to be like?

Verse 20: "You are being built up…"

That's what it has to be, just like we're going through now. We're going through some terrible times that are really downers. Terrible things we're seeing happening in many different areas of life. But when you come to Christ, He will build you up:

"…on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone" (v 20). Understand that God is:

• working with all the brethren with His Spirit directly
• working with all the ministers as we yield ourselves to God directly so that we can teach the Word of God

The Word of God are those things that God wants us to know      ! That's a tremendous, wonderful thing! Nothing can replace that!

Verse 21: "In Whom all the building, being conjointly fitted together is increasing into a Holy Temple in the Lord; in Whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (vs 21-22).

Remember that the grace of God is the most important vehicle that we need to understand how God works. It comes from God the Father and Jesus Christ, and together with Their Spirit in us to help us:

• to change
• to grow
• to repent

everything that needs to be done!

(break@30:51)

The grace of God is what we would say is the first expression of the love of God. The love of God is the greatest, then you have grace and mercy. Those two go together.

All of this is so we can grow in grace, knowledge and understanding. I'm going to just give you various Scriptures for the following points; these are all a part of growing in grace and knowledge:

14 Points

• called—many are called, few are chosen

Those who are called have to answer the call, then you become part of the:

• chosen—selected

When you think on that, that's quite a thing that God would select each one of us. That's down through time in the history of the Church!

• sanctified

You have received the Holy Spirit and sanctified before God!

• forgiven

There can be no forgiveness without grace!

• standing in grace

That's your standing before God!

• faithful
• love
  • love God
  • love each other
  • love our neighbors
  • love our enemies
• mercy

His mercy endures forever!

• removal of sin

When they're forgiven it is removed as far as the east is from the west!

• fellowship

Fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ and with each other!

• understanding the Word of God

Think about what a great, tremendous thing that is!

• protection by God through His angels

That's something!

• the mind of Christ

That's what God is doing to us, for us, and in us!

• the Divine nature

All of those 14 things are various aspects of God working with  us, and that's through grace! This also shows some of the process in a little different way.

John 1:12: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become the children of God,  even to those who believe in His name"—believe

• in His person
• Who He is
• where He came from
• all about Him

Verse 13—this is also part of grace: "Who were not begotten by bloodlines, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by the will of God."

God gave you His Spirit because He willed to do it on an individual basis! All of us who have the Spirit of God! That's an amazing thing, and He's done this all down through the history of the Church.

Verse 14: "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth." If you have grace, then you have truth!

Grace Upon Grace

Verse 16: "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."

There are some Scriptures that you just need to cover and recover over and over again, because the meaning is so profound. The receiving of the Spirit of God is very key to eternal life!

John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep the commandments—namely, My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age: Even the Spirit of the Truth…" (vs 15-17).

The whole world out there is deceived! They don't understand Truth. They may understand the truth of this, that or the other thing, but this is Truth of God! How great that is!

That's why we learned earlier that you cannot worship the God of Truth with lies! It won't work!

"…which the world cannot receive" (v 17).

Think about how much grace that God has given to us, that we receive something that other people in the world cannot receive.

"…because it perceives it not, nor knows it, but you know it because it dwells with you, and shall be within you" (v 17).

That's a key statement. There are probably a lot of people who have God's Spirit with them, but God is waiting for them to come to real repentance. If they don't go any further then that eventually will be drawn back. The Spirit of God cannot work where there is disobedience and lies. God's Spirit will be with them to help lead them to repentance. If they don't come to repentance it will leave them!

"…and shall be within you" (v 17).

That means that the spirit of man, which everyone has—all men and women—the Holy Spirit of God unites with that. That is called a begettal! Now we are to grow in grace and knowledge and develop that tremendous thing that God wants within us. That's only possible through grace.

I want you to think about this, pray about this, look at it and understand it. I don't know about you, but I read these things—and I've read them many, many times—and this is really quite a tremendous thing:

Verse 21: "The one who has My commandments and is keeping them… [I don't think the Protestants read this very often] …that is the one who loves Me…"

Commandment-keeping and love go together! Commandment-keeping is not against love; it's part of love!

"…and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father…" (v 21).

How great a grace can that be? We have access to the Father in heaven above, and the Father loves us! That's an amazing thing! As we go along and we face all the difficulties, we're going to be facing, but this is how we keep our mind where it should be and know that God is with us.

"…and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him" (v 21).

Verse 22: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'"

How is that going to happen? He found out after the resurrection! For us today it is God's Spirit working with us to lead us to repentance and baptism so it's in us! With that begettal, we are completely under grace and everything that God does in dealing with us comes from with:

• His love
• His mercy
• His grace

Everything!

Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We…'" Together! The Holy Spirit has two aspects:

• the Spirit of Christ
• the Spirit of begettal by the Father

Think about WE for a minute; how great a grace that can be that with the Spirit of God, Christ and the Father are dwelling in us!

"…will come to him and make Our abode with him… [then there's the opposite; always a warning]: …The one who does not love Me does not keep My words, and the Word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me" (vs 23-24).

All of that is quite profound. Let's see how all of this works. Let's put it together with some other Scriptures. The grace of God and the Spirit of God working in our lives is all the most important thing.

Paul shows that the world is going to believe the lie! Why? Because they don't believe the Truth!

2-Thessalonians 2:11: "And for this cause God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie, so that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness. Now, we are duty-bound to give thanks to God always concerning you, brethren, who are beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning has called you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth" (vs 11-13). Notice how all of those go together:

• believing God
• believing the Word of God
• believing the Truth

All of those are the central things that guide us and give us the things that we need to understand!

Verse 14: "Unto which He called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." To receive the glory of God at the resurrection! That's amazing!

Verse 15: "So then, brethren, stand firm, and hold fast the ordinances that you were taught, whether by word or by our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself…" (vs 15-16).

We're going to see later that Jesus says that the Father Himself loves us!Many times we don't get the connection that it is God personally Himself!

"…and God—even our Father, Who loved us and gave us eternal encouragement and good hope through grace. Encourage your hearts and establish you in every good word and work" (vs 16-17).

This is called conversion, which is the process day-to-day that we do in prayer, study and living God's way. That's the process! Let's see what this is going to lead to. It shows also some of the steps we need to go through to build the character of Christ, the mind of Christ, and to yield ourselves to God through God's Holy Spirit so that we grow in grace and knowledge.

2-Peter is another part of the Bible that we can go over and over in order to grasp the fullness of it, and he directness of God in our lives. That's the thing that we need to really grasp; the directness of God in our lives!

2-Peter 1:1: "Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained the same precious faith as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (vs 1-2).

That's quite a statement! You think about that what we just read "multiplied": may we have more an understand and put things together the way that God wants!

Verse 3: "According as His Divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and virtue."

That's what God wants to give us, and that's the whole purpose of grace.

Verse 4: "Through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises…"

We have been called to things so far greater than what we have imagined. The greatest means that there can't be anything in this life more valuable, worth more. If it's the greatest, then it's the greatest. And of course, the promises are all through the Bible.

"…that through these you may become partakers of the Divine nature…" (v 4).

Stop and think about that for a minute! Think about how we have fight against human nature. We all do! That's part of overcoming! But here we are going to be partakers of the Divine nature:

• the mind of Christ
• the begettal of the Father
• the resurrection

All fit into what is being said in this statement!

"…having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And for this very reason also, having applied all diligence… [showing our attitude as we approach these things] …besides, add to your faith…" (vs 4-5).

Then Peter gives step by step similar to what I gave you in the 14 points; part will be listed here. These are the building blocks of what Peter tells us to do—spiritual blocks, which are all characteristics of the mind and heart! They work together like a coin with two sides: the mind and the heart!

"…add to your faith virtue… [good things, thoughts and works] …and to virtue knowledge" (v 5).

• knowledge of the Word of God
• knowledge of the Father
• knowledge of the Spirit
• knowledge of His plan
• knowledge of Holy Days

All of that comes through with keeping the Sabbath with God's Spirit!

Verse 6: "And to knowledge self-control…"

That's the thing that comes with the Holy Spirit of God. That means you're not given to outbursts of anger, and not give to the throws of depression when things are not going well. You may get sad for a while, but you rebound!

"…and to self-control endurance…" (v 6).

It's not the one who runs the fastest! It's the one who finishes!Sometimes the ones who run the fastest don't finish; that's where they get the parable of 'the tortoise and the hare.' The hare/rabbit would go lickity-split then would stop and rest, but the tortoise continued on at a steady pace an endured everything, and he actually won.

"…and to endurance Godliness" (v 6).

Godly behavior in what you do, what you think, and how you deal with others and the brethren.

Verse 7: "And to Godliness brotherly love…"

How we help and serve each other. We pray for each other and care for each other. We don't focus in on the problems that any of us have. I have mine and you have yours. I don't focus in on your problems and difficulties, and that's what brotherly love is, and praying for the brethren. We need each other's prayers all the time so God will intervene.

"…and to brotherly love the love of God" (v 7).

That's an interesting statement for Peter. If you remember John 21; Jesus asked Peter three times: 'Do you love Me? Feed My lambs! Do you love Me? Feed My sheep! Do you love Me? Shepherd My sheep! So, Peter learned the lesson of the love of God!

All of these things with what we have also covered give us a guarantee, because God is faithful and righteous and will keep His word!

Verse 8: "For if these things exist and abound in you, they will cause you to be neither lacking effort nor lacking fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

When we come to God, let's understand that Christ is there.

Heb. 4 ties in directly with the Sabbath and our praying and coming to God on a daily basis. Many of the Protestants say regarding the Sabbath Day that 'Jesus is my Sabbath.' In other words, He kept the Sabbath for you instead of you having to keep it. How does that work? It doesn't! You can't keep something for someone else. They have to keep it.

Hebrews 4:7: "Again, He marks out a certain day, 'Today,' saying in David after so long a time (exactly as it has been quoted above), 'Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.'"

Think about that every day. If you study every day, God is speaking to you. During the day as you're doing whatever you're doing, the Spirit of God is in you, and God will help you and lead you. He will put thoughts into your mind what needs to be done, etc.

Verse 8: "For if Joshua had given them rest… [if when they went into the 'promised land' that was the complete fulfillment of God's plan] …He would not have spoken long afterwards of another day. There remains, therefore, Sabbath-keeping… ['sabbatismos,' which shows all of those in the Church of God kept the Sabbath] …for the people of God. For the one who has entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his works, just as God did from His own works" (vs 8-10).

When we come to God we need to understand that there's the love, mercy, the power, the correction; all of those things together.

Verse 12: "For the Word of God is living…"

Jesus said that; the words that I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life. If you don't believe the Word of God is:

"…living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…" (v 12).

Look at what's happening to the world that is rejecting God. Look at all the troubles everywhere in the world! Why? Because they're all rejecting God!

They may think they're doing well because they have good ideas, high IQs, whatever that may be, but that doesn't mean anything to God. God is looking to the one who will love Him, obey Him and keep His commandments!

"…piercing even to the dividing asunder of both soul and spirit, and of both the joints and the marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (v 12). God knows!

• Remember when Job repented?
• Remember what God said? Now I know that no thought can be withheld from You!

Think about that! Think how powerful that God is that that is so! How much more what our thoughts are:

• to love God
• to serve Him
• to obey Him
• to do the things that please Him

Verse 13: "And there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account."

That reminds me of the sacrifice that Abraham had to do. He had to cut them down the middle and put them back-to-back—laid bare! Everything was showing.

Likewise with God! He knows everything! How does He know it with us? There's something called the reins! It's that part of the brain that God can automatically access on any person at any time. H doesn't do it on a regular basis, but He can do it any time He wants to. That's why "…there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight…"

Don't take that as a downer; don't say that that's 'hard for God to do with me.' No! What you do when you come to those difficult things, instead of thinking wrong thoughts about God, or what's going to happen, you come to 'God for understanding! You don't run away and push God away and not try to understand it! You come to God and say:

O Lord God, I don't understand; help me to understand. Help me to know!

He will!

Verse 14: "Having, therefore, a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith. For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses… [He knows! Look what He gave up being God to become a human being.] …but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He was without sin" (vs 14-15).

He knows what it is, and He knows the power of Satan! Wasn't that His first confrontation after baptism. Yes, He had to come and be confronted by Satan who tried to do everything he could to make Jesus sin. Satan couldn't do it! Because of that, here's what we need to do:

Verse 16: "Therefore, we should come with boldness to the Throne of Grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

That's why God wants to write His laws and commandments in our heart and mind. That's why every Sabbath needs to be a day of:

• loving God
• serving Him
• growing in grace and knowledge
• studying His Word

All of those things are important!

Let's see what it's like, what we're coming to God with when we pray. Think about this with some of the introduction of your prayers in praising God, being able to come before His Throne.

Hebrews 10:19: "Therefore, brethren, having confidence to enter into the true Holiest … [What does it mean to enter in? Your prayers come to God!] …by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us through the veil (that is, His flesh), and having a great High Priest over the house of God, let us approach God with a true heart, with full conviction of faith, our hearts having been purified from a wicked conscience, and our bodies having been washed with pure water. Let us hold fast without wavering…" (vs 19-23).

When we're praying, let's think about this; this is what we are coming to: the Throne of God! That's something; magnificent to think about! God the Father wants us to, gives us permission to, desires that we do this.

Revelation 4:1: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard was as if a trumpet were speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you the things that must take place after these things.' And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a Throne was set in heaven, and One was sitting on the Throne" (vs 1-2). Our prayers come right to the Throne of God!

Revelation 8:3: "And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense was given to him, so that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that was before the Throne."

Our prayers come right up to God the Father! We have His Spirit in us and the Spirit of Christ!

Revelation 4:3: "And He Who was sitting was in appearance like a jasper stone and a sardius stone; and a rainbow was around the Throne, like an emerald in its appearance. And around the Throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders… [they have to also be doing something with handling our prayers] …sitting clothed in white garments, and they had on their heads golden crowns. And proceeding from the Thronewere lightnings and thunders and voices; and seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning before the Throne…. [the seven spirits that God sends out into all the world] …And before the Throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the Throne and over the Throne were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind;  and the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a bull, and the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle" (vs 3-7).

Right over the Throne of God, a tremendous thing! Remember that our prayers are going to God there, and He is going to answer them!

Verse 8: "And each of the four living creatures had six wings respectively; and around and within they were full of eyes; and day and night they cease not saying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come.'" This is where our prayers are going!

Verse 9: "And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the Throne, Who lives into the ages of eternity, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the Throne; and they worship Him Who lives into the ages of eternity, and cast their crowns before the Throne, saying, 'Worthy are You, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power because You did create all things, and for Your will they were created and exist'" (vs 8-11).

The greatest creation that God is doing today through His grace in each one of us! This is what it means to have grace upon grace! We have that direct access directly to God the Father!

Let's thank God for it, remember these things. It's by grace that we stand and by grace we shall be saved!

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 7:21-23
• Ephesians 2:1-4
• John 3:16
• Ephesians 2:5-10
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
• Revelation 1:1
• Romans 5:8-10
• Ephesians 2:16-22
• John 1:12-14, 16
• John 14:15-17, 21-24
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11-17
• 2 Peter 1:1-8
• Hebrews 4:7-10, 12-16
• Hebrews 10:19-23
• Revelation 4:1-2
• Revelation 8:3
• Revelation 4:3-11

Scriptures referenced, not quoted: John 21

Also referenced: Booklet:
            New Testament Scripture Comparisons by Joseph Ackermann

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 11-17-21

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