I on ly wanted to die, hoping to be free from m y suffer ing as soon as possible. “ Just as I was about to make the plunge, I saw a piece of paper held down on a stone by a pebble. Cur ious, I picked it up and read it. It told o f salvation through Jesus Christ. I read it again and again. Faith came to me. I was saved.” No sooner had the pastor finished his testimony than an old man stood up. “ Pastor, I was the man who put that tract there! “ I had passed out about 300 tracts on ‘K ’ shore that day. The tracts were not welcomed and I was treated with contempt. I was very sad; and as I looked at the sea, I cried to the Lord in prayer. Placing m y last tract on the stone, I returned home.” that this representative of the chosen race (Gal. 3:16), who delivered the deathblow to Satan’s head, is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross “ that through death he might destroy him that had the pokier of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). But in crushing the head of “ that old serpent” at the cross, our Lord suffered the bruising of His own heel — the awful agony of bodily suffering that accompanied the cru cifixion. This was Satan’s supreme blow at God’s Son — but it was not enough! Christ arose triumphant from the grave! And what about Satan? “He shall bruise thy head.” That was an absolutely fatal blow. The cross brought physical agony to our Lord temporarily; but it sealed the doom of Satan forever! The saints will soon see the full effects of that crushing blow when Satan is flung into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:2) and ultimately into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10), for “ the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). The Immediate E ffect of the Prophecy Yes, the clear light of fulfillment wonderfully il lumines that ancient prophecy for any who will ponder it today with the eye of faith. But what did it mean to Adam and Eve? Whatever else it meant to them, it meant at least this much: (1) instead of dying, the wom an would live to have seed; (2) a warfare would begin between the false allies, and Satan would be defeated by it; (3) whereas it was through the woman that Satan enticed the entire race into sin, so it would be through the woman that Satan would be destroyed. Perhaps the prophecy meant much more than this to them; but we do know that they believed God’s promises and acted upon them in faith. Thus it was that Adam immediately “ called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living,” and in response to this act of faith, “ did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). The first prophecy was clear enough for Adam and Eve to believe and act upon. In effect, they trusted the coming Redeemer, and the clothing of the animal skins signified the covering of their sins and the imputed righteousness of Christ. The first Messianic prophecy thus becomes a pattern for all that follow. It is simple in its form, and yet contains all the possibilities of its wonderful fulfillment. It was sufficient in its content to catch the imagination and kindle the faith of its first hearers, thus filling an immediate, as well as an ultimate, need. And finally, it is directed toward a Person — the only Person toward whom all Bible prophecy moves as a mighty river. For, after all, it was as true in the Garden of Eden as it is today that faith in Christ as the Deliverer is God’s only plan for the salvation of sinners.
“ T ^ I o r e t h a n 30 years ago, before I was a Chris- -L™-*^tian,” said a Japanese pastor in a testimony meeting, “ I came to the end of myself and decided to commit suicide from the cliff off ‘K ’ shore. “ A t the shore I saw the waves dash w ildly on the rocks with an enormous white spray. I had no fear. Prophecy (continued) Eve gave birth to another son, she “ called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Gen. 4:25). So Abel was the first seed of the woman, and Seth was the second. Christ and Satan The third part of the prophecy is the climax. Notice carefully that the seed of the woman suddenly narrows WHO IS A WITNESS FOR CHRIST? A Witness for Christ is a person who: Wants to know, and is willing to do, God's will Imparts to others what God has done for him Testifies to his own transformation, commenc ing with a decision for Christ Needs God's grace more than anything else, and is not afraid to say so Exalts Jesus Christ in a manner that expresses joy, not mere duty Seeks to use his talents and possessions to advance Christ's kingdom Serves his Lord by serving others, without regard for compensation or credit Follows Jesus daily, by coming to Him for power, and going out from Him in service Obeys Christ's commandments, and teaches others to want to obey Reveals the power of Christ at work in him, and through him Conveys the good news of Jesus Christ beyond the church to both friend and foe Has a grateful heart revealed in his worship of God and his concern for others Renews his spirit daily through prayer, Chris tian fellowship, and Bible study Influences others by Christian example and by expressing stimulating ideas Speaks out boldly the Word of God, without reserve and embarrassment Triumphs through faith in the living leader ship and Lordship of Jesus Christ "You shall be my witnesses" down from a chosen line, from a race of true believers, to a single Person! “ He shall bruise thy head.” This is startling, and wonderfully significant! Looking back from the vantage point of fulfilled prophecy, we see clearly
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JANUARY, 1963
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