Dr. Louis T. Talbot
seventh day he rested, and was re freshed.” Here we leam that the Sab bath was a sign between Jehovah and the nation of Israel. There is not a single Scripture to show that God ever gave the Sabbath for members of the body of Christ in this day of grace. The believer to day is delivered from the law, is dead to the law, and is not under the law. In Genesis 2:1-3, we read that God rested, or sabbathed, on the seventh day. But God’s rest was of short dura tion. Satan came on the scene, and four thousand years later the Lord Jesus said, “M y Father worketh hith erto, and I work” (John 5:17).. From the sin of Adam until the time Israel left Egypt, twenty-five hundred years later, there is not a word concerning the Sabbath. Noah found grace in the sight of God. Abram believed God, and was declared righteous. But both Noah and Abram rested in a Person, not in a day. On Mount Sinai the Sabbath was given to Israel in connection with the covenant of the law. Israel had a Sabbath, but no rest. God sabbathed after He had ‘ done a perfect work. At Sinai God gave to Israel the law, which demands perfection. When Christ was on earth, He said to Israel that none of them had kept the law. They were zealous Sabbath-keepers but they killed the Son of God. Be fore He went to Calvary, He said to Sabbath-keepers, “ Come unto me . . . and I will give you rest i” (Matt. 11:28). In this day of grace believing sin ners find rest in a Person, not in a day, and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning Him we read in Hebrews 10:12 that He rested in a perfect work of redemp tion. The Lord Jesus was dead, and His body was in the sepulchre on Israel’s Sabbath. By His death God blotted out “ the handwriting of or dinances,” according to Paul’s state ment in' Colossians 2:14, and as we read in verse 16, believers in this age are not to be judged “ in respect of . . . the sabbath.” Furthermore, the first day of the week speaks of resurrection, and believers today are resurrection people. The first day of the week is not the Christian Sab bath; it is the Lord’s Day, and speaks of the new creation, of which every believer is a part.
tree. . . And all Israel shall be saved.” This, in brief, is the meaning of the passage you question. The Protestant View W hy do you Protestants preach that the Roman Catholic priesthood is not scriptural? In the first place, the old Levitical priesthood has been done away since Christ died and rose again. The priesthood was part of the Law of Moses, which was “ a shadow of good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). The priests represented God’s people, of fering blood sacrifices that pointed on to Christ; praying for the people; dealing gently with them until Christ Himself should come, offer one sac rifice once for all, and return to the Father, there to represent His people before the “ throne of grace.” Having fulfilled the old covenant of the law, He established the new covenant. Now where remission of these [the sins of the people] is, there is no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:17, 18). For a clear treatise on the priestly work of our crucified and risen Lord, read the entire epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. There we see clearly that the old order has been done away, and He “ ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Heb. 7: 25). The sum and substance of the above is a clear demonstration that the work of the Levitical priesthood was threefold: To offer sacrifices; to pray for the people; to deal gently with them. Christ has offered one sacrifice forever; He prays for us; He deals gently with us. Therefore the old covenant which pointed on to Christ has been fulfilled in His finished work of redemption. The Day of Worship / am confused as to the proper day of worship. The Old Testament claims the seventh day, while we of today worship on Sunday. Can you help me in this matter? I know some people who keep both days just to make sure of being obedient to God. Let us turn to Exodus 31:16, 17, “Wherefore the .children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and1the children of Is rael for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the
Healing and God's Will When we pray for restoration to health should we add, “ Thy w ill be done” ? Some say this shows a lack of faith, and that we are to claim healing. In matters like bodily healing we should be submissive to the will of God; in fact, we should always glory in the will of God, whatever that will should bring. Sometimes it may be contrary to the will of God that we be healed as in the case of Paul in Sec ond Corinthians. Paul says (12:7-10) that, lest he “ should be exalted above measure,” become proud, because of the revelation given unto him from God, he was given this “ thorn in the flesh,” to keep him humble. Many Bible students believe this to be poor eyesight. Paul states that he “ be sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart,” but God said “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” We should not demand things from God regardless of His will. The proper attitude of faith is to submit one’s Self unto Him, knowing that His will is best. Bodily healing is not on the same basis as salvation. If it were so, we should not have to wait for Christ to return to redeem the body. Rom. 11 and Personal Salvation I cannot understand the severity of God as outlined in the eleventh chap ter of Romans, especially in verse 22. Let us read this chapter carefully, and we will discover that Paul is ad dressing the Gentiles and not the in dividual believers. The matter of per sonal salvation is not in question here. The whole passage deals with Jewish responsibility not assumed. Israel is called the “ olive tree;” Gen tiles are the “ wild olive tree.” Some of the “ natural branches” in Israel were broken off through unbelief, and the wild branches (Gentiles), were grafted in among them. And the fact that the natural branches were broken off is given as a warning to the Gentiles, lest they, too, be not spared. The Jews, as a nation, re jected their Messiah; and in this church-age God is visiting the Gen tiles, “ to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14). Then He will once again deal with His ancient people, Israel; the natural branches shall “ be grafted into their own olive
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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