THE CHILDREN OF GOD HAVE THE children of Israel, when delivered from the bondage of Egypt, might have entered the promised land at once; but because of their unbelief, were compelled to wander in the wilderness forty years, and the most of them never entered it. "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Heb. 3: 19). "Let · us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." "For we which have believed do enter into rest" (Heb. 4: 1, 3). Many children of God wander through the wilderness, troubled with doubts and fears, who, if they believed the promises connected with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, would be enjoying a life of rest, joy, and peace. They do not realize that their salvation is sure the moment they believe; and is forever. That all the promises connected with faith, are in the present tense, and are to be enjoyed now, as well as hereafter. He that believeth HATH; he that believeth is; and it is because they HAVE and because they ARE, that the Scriptures urge believers to glorify God, to rejoice in the Lord, and to do good works. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5: 24). "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6: 47). (John 6: 47). "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5: 1). "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3: 36). "Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3: 2). Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15: 11). "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you" (John 14: 27). "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33). They who believe these words of Christ will be partakers of his joy, and will enjoy his peace; and will be of good cheer. They have every reason to do so, knowing that they have an everlasting life, which they can never be deprived of; and knowing that all things work together for their good (Rom. 8: 28), and that all things are now theirs. "For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3: 21). We are told that the Ethiopian eunuch, after having the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah explained to him, and Jesus preached to him, "said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," and was baptized; "And he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8: 27–39). The jailer at Philippi a few minutes after he was about to kill himself, asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved; and they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house" (Acts 16: 27). When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ, and believes in His name, he realizes that he is saved, and is a child of God, and he will at once rejoice, and try to make others partakers of the joy, and peace, and the good cheer, which Christ gives to all who believe in him. We are told, "Rejoice evermore" (1 Thess. 5: 16). Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4: 4). "For the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8: 10). "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12: 2). The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should know that he is saved and hath an eternal life now. Without knowing this he cannot have that joy and peace which come with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He cannot bear proper testimony for Christ, and cannot bring others to Him to be saved. "Whosever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” * * * "He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record, that God gave of His Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us: eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5: 1, 10). WITNESSES FOR CHRIST. This was the case and of the jailer at As he grows in THE first cry of the new-born infant is generally of distress; the first exclamation of the child of God is of joy. with the Ethiopian eunuch Philippi, Acts 8: 39; 16: 34. grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, he will continually rejoice; even in trials and tribulations. "Rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer shame for his name" (Acts 5: 41). "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” (Rom. 12: 12). "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing" (II Cor. 6: 10; Heb. 3: 6). He also begins to bear witness for Christ: and to spread the knowledge of Him and His salvation; trying thus to save others. The Lord Jesus directs them to do this. "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28: 19). "Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world" (John 17: 17). The children of God need no injunctions to this. They are moved by gratitude and love, |