Contents - Not Under The Law - Belief and Unbelief

*Copyright(c)2000
O. Allen Bailey
*This material may be freely distributed, but shall not be altered or sold.

You Are not Under The Law, But Under Grace

By A. Bailey

"...Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

"...Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world..."

"...They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them..." 1 John 4:1-5.

"... Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God...Rom 3:19-23.

"...Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain..." 1 Cor 15:1-2.

"...And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned..."Mark 16:15-16.

"... So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith..." Rom 1:15-17.

"...But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed...: Rom 10:6-11..."

"...It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers..." 2 Tim 2:11-14.

The mere nominals of the proud always have a tendency to disdain those whom have been made to have no confidence in their flesh or in the flesh of any man. These principles not only hold true in religion, but they are exemplified by and in the proud and arrogant of this natural world in general. Individuals, along with institutions, and professions are prone to rest in the then currently accepted ideas as being acceptable and beyond reproach, and some of them would even go to the extremes of defending this status quo to no ends. At the same time they poke fun and ridicule at those who hold less confidence and assurance in the exactness and correctness of the present accepted knowledge as being cast in concrete, and as being a sacred inviolable cow when they ridicule those with less confidence in the status quo for not accepting the "well-proven facts". Thus, the followers, zealous for the minority cause are labeled as the "true believers" by the others, when they soldier on and will not be dissuaded by the know-it-alls from their pursuit of a "lost cause". But occasionally the True believers are vindicated in their efforts, and the establishment is proven to be wrong. We have seen quite a few examples of this in our lifetime, and have heard of many others in the past.

The manifest children of God, called by grace, are not under the Law of God as a legal instrument, so as to gain life and favor of God by striving to fulfill it's commands to that end. The works of the Law, taught and followed after as a conditional covenant or proposition - that is, when the Law is presented as "a-take-it-or-leave-it offer for the voluntary acceptance or rejection of it's propositions and terms. The Law is never said to work any life and salvation in the New Testament or the Old, but just the opposite: "The Law works wrath", The Law works death, and not salvation, according to the Apostle - in the children of God when they are left in the flesh to follow after the principles of it's killing letter. Those who are of the Law, (that is, they who seek life and salvation in striving to obey it's precepts) and conform to it's demands to gain a blessing, and look to Law itself as a covenant of promise, are under the curse of it experimentally: "...For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression..." Rom
There was little, if any faith to be found in those under the Law, and it is still true until this day; "... And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith..." Deu 32:20...Only two men above twenty years of age (Joshua and Caleb) who were recorded as having believing, confiding and trusting faith in the promise of God, that would He was able and would be faithful through His Power and promise to overcome their enemies and opposers in the promised land to which God was bringing them. As natural and unbelieving people, they placed their confidence in their own natural strength and abilities, and these as not being sufficient to overcome their enemies in the land; But in the assurance of faith, Caleb and Joshua declared, We can overcome them, for God will fight our battles for us.. "... "...And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight..." Num 13:30-33.

Although that economy and people have literally and historically passed away, the principles of these things still work in man, whether they call themselves Jew or Gentile. Listen to Paul upon this in Galatians: "...Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise..."Gal 4:22-28.
Obedience to the Law, is not caused by a legal and servile fear, as being bound under it with a legal obligation to it; If this was so, then the Israelites could have obeyed it, and therefore have received the "offered" blessings therein; But then what need would there have been for a "better" covenant, even a New Covenant? "...But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.... "..For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away..." Heb 8:6-13.
"...Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:... Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:... But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more..."Jer 31:31-34.

What was the fault with the Law? Nothing. The Law inherently and intrinsically is holy and good, because it emanated from God and He gave it, and placed his creature man under it. The fault was in the deficiency of "the people" to keep it at their charges. Though it was presented as a condition, and conditions to complied with, and to be performed by a people whom had no real capacity to conform to it's requirements, this does not alleviate it's demands, or extenuate it's sentence upon the violators thereof. God's children still have no capacity within their fleshy nature to conform to the righteousness of the Law than they did under that dispensation, though it is realized that there are many still, both devout Jews and Christians, that are jealous for the works thereof and what the works of the Law can supposedly produce in a child of God. Listen again to the Apostle: "...For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do..."Rom 7:9-19.

Those whom cannot speak this language of Paul have never been brought to the place of death that the Law has caused through sin. On the other hand, they who are dead to Law and it's servile demands are burdened with the Apostle's cry throughout their earthly pilgrimage; For they are dead to the Law as a conditional covenant, or a covenant of works to be performed or rejected in order to either gain or lose their blessings. They are delivered from it's sentence of death in their failure to comply with it's demands as the righteousness of Christ and the flowing of His Life within works their deliverance from the sentence of death within, and at the same time works out their salvation to the glory of God. They therefore become establishers, not destroyers of the Law through this experience. The Law has a claim upon them, and this claim and charge cannot be written off as the unjust steward wrote off the debts and obligations of his lord's creditors, though all about (legalists) commended his actions in this - even his "lord",(not our Lord) which was no other lord, but all legalist's concept of the Law as a justifier. It's claims and judgments cannot be written of by our voluntary obedience to it; It will hail us to it's judgment seat, sentence us, and shall cast us into it's prison, where we shall not come forth until we have paid the utmost farthing.

These principles were many times illustrated in the parables of Christ, Whom was primary dealing with this very subject in His discourse with the Jews and in the explanations thereof to His Own disciples, who were then yet held under the bondage of a conditional covenant. To my mind, the Rich man and Lazurus parable was an allegory of this principle: The scribes and Pharisees, whom were zealous for the works of the Law are represented as those who trusted in their own works and righteousness, and were satisfied with this as being meritorious in the sight of God, and therefore pursued these things with vigor; They were therefore rich in their own estimation of themselves and the works of the Law. Poor Lazurus represents those poor, destitute and afflicted of those of that economy whom felt no righteousness of their own or any merit in their religious works in the sight of God, being consciously killed under it's sentence of death, but must receive only of these crumbs of the Law Dispensation that fell from the teaching of such destitute and forsaken teachers. The day of death will finally come for all legalists and teachers of legalism, as it did in that time. When this occurs the poor and destitute, whom can feel no righteousness within their own sinful flesh, are carried away to the place of faith represented by "Abraham's bosom - since Abraham stands as a representative, or the father of all the faithful according to Paul in Galatians; that is, Abraham was given by faith to believe in the righteousness and mercy of God while he was yet an idolater and alien sinner living in Ur of the Chaldeans. - No wonder Christ in His compassion for these, His Own poor and afflicted people that He would leave in the midst of a carnal and unbelieving Jerusalem - No wonder that He would and did say: "... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord..."Matt 23:37-39.
- And He did return in the Power of the Spirit when He fully accomplished His Will and desire as the son of man and as The Son of God, and thus fulfilled the ancient prophecy of the psalmists and others: "...The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.. "Psa 147:2-3. "... "... And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
"...And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea..."
"...And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth..." - -"...And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel..."
"... And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem...Isa 27:12-13.

" "... Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people..."
"...The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him..." Isa 56:7-8.

"...And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;.......
"...Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD..." Jer 32:36-34.

Now, if this last scripture quoted from Jer 32 be referring to a tranquil state of peace for the natural Jew in the "latter" days as the "millennium" adherents look at it, this still would not change the principles of that quoted from chapter 31 of Jer., as it cannot be denied by anyone with any spiritual understanding in Christ, that Paul was referring here to the Gospel Dispensation, and not to a "latter" state of deliverance of the outward Jew, or the Jewish political culture. To my mind, Jeremiah is referring to the N.T.Gospel kingdom in both cases, and these passages are not to be taken literally, but in an allegorical manner as the apostle has expounded in the Galatian letter. I ask the question: Why would Paul or any other oracles of God be always changing horses in the middle of the stream? To do so in Jeremiah, is just the same as many do with the context of so many other scriptures - changing the context, just as they may please to fit their pet theory and hobby - no doubt, because of the lack of being able to "compare spiritual things with spiritual", as they evidently are not led into the general theme and analogy of faith, and that is Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, and forever...and that He in the end of the world, that is, in the end of the Law dispensation, "...For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified...." Heb 19:14. "....Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual..."
"...But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned..."1 Cor 2:13-14.

Again, regardless of what has been said of a literal restoration of the nation of ones called Jews, they must be brought in the same way as all other believing children of God, and as Christ told Nicodemus, "...Unless one is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God," - and if they can not see it, they certainly can not enter into it, having no knowledge or desire to do so. These things are spiritual. When the Law would seem to "offer" life, and it was stated that "It is your life" to the Israelites under that dispensation, there is no evidence whatsoever that anyone under that economy ever received any eternal or divine life by submitting to the Law's demands, so as to gain any more than the natural life that was found in the temporal blessings of "eating the good of the land", and being defended, protected and preserved from their enemies in the land. The Apostle Paul makes this abundantly plain and clear in his epistle to the Galatians, in fact, this was his main purpose in his mind and the Mind of the Holy Ghost that inspired him when he was given to write these wonderful things concerning a believers liberty and mercy in the Lord Christ Jesus. Believers called to the glory of the Gospel in Christ are not under the terms of a conditional covenant like that prevailed over the people of the Law dispensation; Many have, and continue to mix the two covenants together in such a way as to produce an amalgamation which is not wholesome food for those under Grace, for it is not digestible as That Bread that came, and still comes down from heaven, nor a water that will quench the thirst of those who pant for the Water of Life that flows on each side of the streets of the Heavenly Jerusalem, nor a Tree that they can partake the leaves of promises thereof as it stands in the midst of that City which comes down from God out of Heaven.

The term belief and unbelief, like all other words and expressions found in the Scriptures, must be rightly and properly understood and divided before they can be of much benefit and comfort to the children of God. What the Spirit freely gives to the believer, legalist would be quick and zealous in their activity to take away. Now, as in Paul's day they would burden men with the works of the law. These kind have never entered into the liberty of the Gospel, and never shall as long as they are left to persist in this way. Like the Pharisees of old, these "lay heavy burdens upon men's backs, grievous to be born, while they themselves care not to move them with one of their little fingers..."-- "... And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers..."Luke 11:46.
Paul was troubled and plagued by these legal types in his day, and all believers have also been, from old Job down to our present time. Persons are generally prone to take a mind set upon certain words and phrases found in the Bible, either from an inherent lack of spiritual understanding and/or knowledge of the letter of the Scriptures, or both. Many times professed Christians and others accept what they receive by mere tradition without giving much, if any serious thought about it. The secular and religious world is full of sayings and quotations that are thought to be in the Scriptures that can not be found there; The reason this is so common, is because the natural, fallen mind of man is not subject to the teachings, glory, power and sweetness of the doctrine of salvation by Divine Grace, not (yet?) being a worshipper of God inwardly, for his praise is still of (and to) man, and not of (and to) God. "... For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God..." Rom 2:28-29.

I will give a few examples of this: The expression, "The Lord helps those who help themselves." is often quoted by religious people and many others. I have searched the Scriptures, and cannot find such a statement, and certainly would be very surprised if I did. Such a quotation is gratifying to those whom have their confidence from a spiritual standpoint in their own works, efforts and doings as being meritorious in the sight of God. I well remember while at my workplace once, someone came by and asked another if the above phrase could be found in the Bible. A person standing nearby, who some held in reputation as a Scriptorian was referred to by one for an answer; He replied that he didn't know, but supposed that the sentiments and principles of it were still taught in the Scriptures, even if the exact statement could not be found.
Somebody then asked my opinion. I said that I had never found it, and would be very surprised if I did, because the general theme and tenor of the Bible taught just the opposite; that is that the Lord helps those who cannot help themselves. Then, most around looked at me if I was crazy for giving that answer. This was no surprise to me, for I well knew the bias of the human mind toward man's estimation of the ability to work righteousness at his or her option and descretion in the sight of God, and so accrue credit to themselves in and of His favor. The Apostle Paul says in Rom that "..He that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness..."Believers in Christ and His righteousness are not seeking to be justified by their works as such in the sight of God, But are made to look to Christ for all, and to the hope and expectation of Him working their works in them to His glory. "...Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us..." Psa 68:28.
"...LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us..."Isa 26:12.
"...That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
"...Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..." Eph 3:16-20.
"...Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
"... For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure..." Phil 2:12-13.

"... "..O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by Thee only will we make mention of thy name..." Isa 26:12-13. The lords of our old carnal nature often lorded it over our flesh when we were dead in sin, and even still would and does tempt us to trust in these lords of pride, envy, jealousy, boasting of our abilities, etc., But when we are placed in our right mind by the leading of the Spirit, (and are therefore led by our spiritual mind) we speak of all our works as being of the goodness and freeness of God's mercy, so we can only make mention of His Name in those things as being of God, and not of ourselves..."...For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
"...But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you..." 2 Cor 10:12-13.
"...---"...I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
"...For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed..."Rom 15:17-18.
This is Scriptural language. Did not the Apostle say that "..we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power should be of God, and not of us?.."

Solomon says that "..The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.." He adds that
"...The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD..." because the proud man in a state of fallen nature is in the "mind set" that "...All of his ways ...are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits..." Prov 16:1-2.
God must (and does) work humility in us. We are all proud and exalted in our fallen nature in Adam. He must set things in proper order before our self-righteous eyes. There is a weighing of the spirits in God's operation of these things; And as John says, we come to believe not every spirit, but are given to try the spirits, whether they be of God or emanate from our old carnal natures and imaginations. And according to his rule, every spirit that denies the true purpose, invincible power, holy efficacy, mighty sufficiency, and transcendent glory and consummate accomplishment of Christ when He came in His Own Holy flesh, both literally as God Incarnate when He Himself as God descended and was formed in a body in the likeness of sinful flesh, and also that He has now according to His Own Purpose and Power in the Father, does, and shall forever indwell every chosen vessel of mercy through the Agency of the Holy Spirit, when the fullness of God's time shall come, and time shall be no more in their experience of Eternal Salvation. Malachi says that "... The day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch..." Mal 4:1. Surely it is nothing less than pride in wickedness in man to accredit to himself (in anything) the glory that truly and wholly belongs to God alone. The way of pride and contempt has brought the judgments of God upon individuals, cities, and even whole nations of mankind alike when they have been set forth in His Purpose as examples of those that would live in these things.

This truth is exemplified in the words of our Savior when He says: "... And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Matt: 23:12, - And in the case of the humbled publican and the proud Pharisee: "...I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted..."Luke 18:14.

The blessed experience of this work of faith is wrought out in every vessel of mercy, called to the glory of the gospel as it is in Christ Jesus:

"....O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit..." Rom 7:24-26, Rom 8:1-4.

OAB