This message reveals the greatest secret of all:  God is glorified most by the grace He givesonline casino net.  Over and over again in the scriptures we find places sounding the highest glory of God, and right with it – the language of grace.

This message is the final in a series called “The Secret”.  It was preached in October of 2007.

The Ultimate Secret

One of the most common, unbiblical myths in Christianity is the Myth of the Christian “Sinner”. Almost universally and everywhere I hear (or read of) Christians referring to themselves as “sinners”. A common sentiment is the well-worn phrase, “I’m just a sinner like everyone else”. Or, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”.

I’m here to say that Christians — those that are truly born again by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ — are never called “sinners” in the Bible. Such a belief that Christians are called “sinners” is not only patently unbiblical, it is unhealthy and downright dangerous to the cause of righteousness, both personal and in the church.

Now at the outset let me say that I am not saying Christians never sin. They can and do, sadly and opposed to God’s will. For the Christian who sins, there is remedy found in scriptures like 1 John 1:9.

What I am saying is that you will not find even one verse in the Bible that calls Christians “sinners”. Not a single one. So what are they called? “saints”. More on that later.

The Greek word for “sinner” is “hamartolos”*, meaning “devoted to sin, a sinner, not free from sin” or “pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked”. One can see from this definition of “hamartolos” that such a condition should not biblically describe a Christian. “Hamartolos” is found 45 times in the New Testament. Not a single time is it used to describe a Christian. Not even ONCE.  Some are quick to point out that Paul called himself the “chief of sinners” in 1 Timothy 1:15:

(1:15) This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

To misuse this verse and use it as a means to make the argument that Christians are called “sinners” is to violate the meaning of the verse in its context, as well as the original Greek.

First, in its context, Paul in the verses preceding verses writes:

1:12) And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, (1:13) although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (1:14) And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Verse 13 makes clear that Paul is speaking of his former life as a “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man”. He is making a clear point that God’s grace was exceedingly abundant in his life to not only save him from such a miserable state but also place him in the ministry!

Verse 16, right after the “chief of sinners” verse says, “However, for this reason I obtained [note the past tense] mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” Paul continues in the “past tense” vein speaking of how God by His mercy took him from his former life as the chief of sinners!

Furthermore, if indeed Paul at the time of this writing called himself — the “chief of sinners”, then he would be disqualified from the ministry, based upon the righteous standards he describes for those in ministry just two chapters later!

The Greek translated ”chief” is ”protos”, meaning “first in time or place, in any succession of things or persons” or “first in rank”. Someone has used the analogy of a star track athlete who broke the school record in the mile race. When he returned to his alma mater 25 years later, he was surprised to find that no one had beaten his time. He can rightly say, “I am the record holder in the mile race at my high school”. Notice that he uses the present tense. Never mind the fact that that today he has middle age flab, huffing and puffing just going up the steps (poor guy). He still IS the chief record holder in the mile race. His trophy is still in the case. He still tops the list in the record books. He won that distinction.

The fact is, Paul was pointing out God’s rich mercy in his case as the record holder as a sinner to bring encouragement to people to come to the Lord of mercy.

Even if 1 Timothy 1:15 could be interpreted as Paul identifying himself — present tense — as the chief of sinners, it is improper to build an entire doctrine making the case that Christians are “sinners” out of just one verse.

Well, I’ve made my point (the first of three). Every single time the word “sinner” is used in the New Testament it NEVER is used in reference to Christians. Ever. That means it is patently UNSCRIPTURAL for Christians to call themselves (or any other Christian) a “sinner”.

So, what are we called? Ah, now we come to the wonderful part!

Before I get to that, it’s important to clearly understand that EVERYTHING good that we receive from the Lord is given not upon our own worthiness or merit. It is given by grace, through the perfect merit of Jesus Christ and HIS worthiness. It is ALL of grace:

(2:8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (2:9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph 2:8-9 NKJV

Romans 5:1-2 NKJV

(5:1) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have° peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (5:2) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Grace is about what a loving God does for me, completely underserved. Someone has said that grace is undeserved favor in the face of deserved wrath. It is given on the grounds of the perfect life and righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is enjoyed by simple faith in Christ.

God – purely on the basis of grace and the perfection of Christ’s righteousness — makes and calls us His children (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1), He through that same grace calls us “saints”. The Greek word for “saints” is “hagios” meaning “most holy thing, a saint”. The word “hagios” is used in the New Testament 219 times. 161 times it’s used to describe that which is holy, i.e., the Holy Sprit, the temple, the holy city, etc. 61 times its translated “saints” or “saint”.

The core idea is of something that is completely set apart for God and his purposes. In the Old Testament, common objects were made holy when they were dedicated to the Lord upon the altar. They were called “holy” by virtue of the holy altar, not the inherent value of the object itself.

We are called “saints”, or “holy ones” or “set apart ones” because of God’s righteous decree. This is not because of our intrinsic worth or merit, it is based purely on the loving grace extended to us through Jesus Christ. It comes from the hand and heart of a holy God. It is all about HIS goodness and holiness and not our own.

1 Corinthians 6:19 declares, “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Notice the core concepts: our body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, “which ye have of God, and ye are not your own“. Verse 20 continues, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We all know that the Corinthian church was backslidden, worldly, carnal, fighting, arrogant, proud… and Paul greets them in his first epistle with, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” (1 Corinthians 1:2a).

So you see, my friend, everything good in your life is brought from the hand of God. Including what He calls you: a saint.

By God’s doing you are justified, forgiven, born again, make His child, a joint heir with Jesus Christ and called to be a saint (Romans 1:7)

The tragic thing about saints wrongly labeling themselves “sinners” is when they do so they are identifying with sin and the work of Satan. Further, it is actually thinly disguised pride. It is a waving our hand in the face of a Holy, gracious God who calls us holy and saying to Him, “Not so.” However, when you recognize that upon the basis of pure grace through Jesus Christ alone you are called a saint, you identify with grace and the work of God. I can’t think of anything more humbling than understanding that you deserve to be called “sinner”, reprobate and foul, only to discover that by God’s amazing grace He lifts you out of the miry clay and calls you His child (1 John 3:1), blessed (Eph 1:3), not condemned (Romans 8:1), sanctified (1 Corinthian 1:2), a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), a trophy of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:6 and 2:7)….

CALLED TO BE A SAINT (Rom 1:7, 1 Cor 1:2).

On All Saints Day (November 1), I like to greet my Christian friends by calling them “Saint so and so”. Saint Mike, Saint Cathy, Saint Ted. When I greeted one sister in the Lord in this way, she looked down, rather embarrassed and said, “Well, I don’t know about that“. To which I said, “Are you born again?” She said, “Yeah”. I said, “GOD calls you a ’saint’, get over it and enjoy it!”. I then shared some of this truth with her that I am writing now. I could see the light bulb going on as I shared with her this glorious truth.

Dear Ones — Saint of the Living God — lift your eyes from yourself and look in the face of your Loving Savior. Upon the basis of the beauty of HIS holiness, righteousness and perfection. Look not upon your own failure and wretchedness. Jesus Himself said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It’s all Jesus, all Jesus, all Jesus. That’s how we entered the new life, that’s how we walk it, that’s how we are glorified and live for ever with Him.

It’s all of grace. All of it. Even what He calls us.

Saints. Children of God. Chosen ones. Dearly loved.

(c) 2008, Mark D. VanOuse.  All rights reserved. 

* Most of the distinctions here made between the two covenants were suggested to my mind by my beloved associate, the Rev. C. G. Finney.

1. As then observed, the same standard of character, perfect holiness, is common to each of these covenants.

2. In the first covenant, holiness is required of the creature. In the new covenant, the same thing is promised to the believer.

3. The condition on which the blessings promised under the first covenant are secured is, Do and live. “Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man that doeth these things shall live by them.” The condition of the new covenant is, Believe and live. “Now, the just shall live by faith.” “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 thy 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.”

4. The “surety” of the first covenant is the creature himself. The “surety” of the new covenant is Christ. In other words, the salvation of a creature under the former depends upon the faithfulness of the creature himself. The salvation of a creature under the latter depends upon the faithfulness of Christ. Hence Christ is said, Heb. v. 22, to have been “made a surety of a better testament” [covenant]. In Heb. viii. 6, as the Mediator of the new covenant, Christ is also declared to be the “Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”

5. The first covenant is adapted to the condition of creatures only who have never sinned. The new covenant is adapted, by infinite wisdom and love, to the condition of sinners involved in infinite guilt, and hopelessly lost, as far as any efforts of their own are concerned, under the power of sin.

6. The exclusive influence of the first covenant upon sinners is to increase their guilt and aggravate their depravity. The new covenant redeems these very sinners from the curse of the law, and “delivers them from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Hence the first covenant is said to “gender to bondage;” i.e., sinners under its influence are left in hopeless bondage, under the power of sin; while all who are under the full influence of the new covenant, are free, i.e., are delivered from the power of sin, and introduced into a state of purity and blessedness. Gal. iv. 25-26, “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.”

7. The first covenant is a dispensation of justice. The new is a dispensation of mercy, under the influence of which the sinner is brought to the “blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.” The former influences the subject by commands and prohibitions, rewards and penalties; the latter subdues and melts the heart of the rebel by the power of love.

8. Finally, whatever the old covenant, or the moral law, requires of the creature, the new covenant, as shown in a former discourse, promises to the believer. The first covenant, for example, requires of the creature perfect and perpetual holiness. The new covenant promises to the believer perfect and perpetual holiness. I will first cite a few of the passages quoted in that discourse, to sustain the above declaration, and will then offer some general remarks to show that the construction there put upon them is correct. Jer. xxxii. 39, 40, “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 from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me.” Ezek. xxxvi. 25, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart, also, will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.” Deut. xxx. 6, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.” Jer. i. 20, “In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.” I Thess. v. 23, 24, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” That Christ, as the Mediator of the new covenant, does, in these and kindred passages, promise to the believer all that the law requires of him, will appear perfectly evident from the following considerations:

1. This sentiment is in accordance with the most direct and obvious import of the phraseology employed in such passages, that meaning I refer to, which most naturally suggests itself to plain and unlettered men, reading the sacred text without note or comment, and with their judgments unbiassed by preconceived opinions. For such minds the Bible was written; and its import to them, in the state referred to, is in accordance with the “mind of the Spirit.”

2. This is the construction which would, by all mankind, be put upon the same language, if found in any other book but the Bible.

3. Let any minister, in any congregation in the land, use this identical language in the same full and unqualified manner in which the sacred writers use it, and their hearers will, with one voice, charge him with holding the doctrine of Christian Perfection, as maintained in these discourses; so obvious is the import of such phraseology, when presented without qualification.

4. All Christians admit that entire justification is promised in the new covenant, that the Bible teaches that heaven is a place of perfect holiness, and that Christ was free from all sin while on earth. Now, the same identical principles of interpretation, by which either of the above doctrines can be proved from the language of the Bible, demand the admission of the doctrine under consideration, in all its fulness. If the language employed in the above passages does not sustain this doctrine, neither of the above doctrines can be sustained by the language of inspiration. Every candid reader of the Bible, who will carefully study the sacred volume, with his eye upon the phraseology there employed, in reference to all these doctrines, will find the above affirmations fully sustained.

5. The principles of interpretation by which it can be shown that the phraseology of the passages before us does not sustain the doctrine under consideration, would be equally conclusive against any other phraseology which the sacred writers could have employed, when from such phraseology this doctrine should be inferred. 6. This is the very sentiment which is invariably impressed by the Spirit of God upon the young convert in the warmth of his early love. The language and sentiment of every such heart is “Lord, I make a full surrender; Every thought and power be thine Thine entirelyThrough eternal ages thine.”With the young convert, this is not a poetical hyperbole, but the real sentiment and conviction of the heart. Now, present to such a mind, in the unsophisticated warmth of its “first love,” the exceeding great and precious promises of the new covenant, and how would he interpret them? Who can doubt that he would understand them in conformity with the pure sentiments and convictions impressed upon his mind by the Spirit of God, in his conversion? Such are the promises of the new covenant, of which Christ is the Mediator. In looking to Christ for the fulfilment of these promises, would he not charge upon us the sin of unbelief, should we expect less from him than that he should “redeem us from all iniquity,” and render us “perfect and complete in all the will of God?”

From the book “Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection” by Asa Mahan.  This publication is in the public domain.

AS much is being said in the churches about a legal righteousness and righteousness by faith, or the legal and Christian spirit and method of righteousness, it may be important for us to stop right here for a moment, and see if we cannot obtain clear and distinct apprehensions of these two distinct and opposite spirits and methods of righteousness. At the time when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans, the Jew stood out before the world as the advocate and representative of the doctrine of justification by deeds of law and of legal righteousness, while the Christian stood forth as the advocate and representative of the opposite doctrine, that of justification and sanctification both by faith. The object of the apostle in this epistle (I repeat what I have stated in substance before) is to elucidate these two distinct and opposite methods of righteousness as advocated and represented by these two classes of individuals.

In doing this, the apostle gives the Jew full credit for all that could be claimed in his behalf. “Israel,” or the Jews, had “a zeal for God,” “followed after the law of righteousness,” “rested in the law,” “made his boast of God,” “knew His will,” approved the things that are more excellent,” and “had the form of knowledge and of the truth.” Yet, in seeking righteousness “by deeds of law,” the Jew failed in the end he sought both in the matter of justification, on the one hand, and sanctification on the other — utterly failed in both particulars. This he did for two reasons. The fact that he, in common with all the race, had sinned, and come short of the “glory of God,” — a fact which rendered it absolutely impossible that any human being shall be justified “by the deeds of the law.” The Jew also, notwithstanding his “approval of the law,” and “delight in it after the inner man,” and frequently renewed efforts and purposes of obedience, because the evil propensities in man are stronger than the conscience and the will. The Christian, on the other hand, in seeking righteousness by faith, does “attain to righteousness” in both particulars, because that in Christ provisions absolutely adequate and efficacious do exist for the full justification and sanctification of all who believe in Him.

To understand clearly the nature of the legal spirit, as it is in itself and as represented by the Jew in his “following after righteousness,” we have only to recur to the efforts which Paul represents his countrymen as putting forth in the direction of obedience to “the law of righteousness.” Representing himself as a Jew, and as he once was, the apostle thus speaks: — “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! “That which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” In examining all the above statements, we find, on the one hand, the presence of a clear apprehension, inward approval of, and even inward delight in, what the law requires. We find also purposes and efforts to render this obedience; but, in every single purpose and endeavour, a total failure “to do that which is good,” — the good to do which there is a readiness to will.

We find, on the other hand, the total absence of all recognition of the fact of self-impotence and dependence upon divine aid, or any aid whatever beyond self, to do the good — the total absence, consequently, of faith in Christ for “grace to help” human impotency. In other words, every purpose is formed and every effort put forth in the exclusive spirit of self-sufficiency and self-dependence. This is the legal spirit in its nature, essence, and form. The language of this spirit is, “The man that doeth these things shall live by them” “I will do them, and live thereby.” The language of faith, on the other hand is, “We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God,” and in Christ we do “have all-sufficiency for all things,” and may consequently “abound to every good work.” The legal spirit boasts of its strength, is full of good purposes, but is utterly powerless to “do that which is good.” The spirit of faith, on the other hand, recognises and confesses to total self-impotence, and yet is ever girded with all-sufficient strength, because “its hope and trust is not in self, but in the living God.”

I may illustrate these two opposites by a reference to my own case. In the matter of justification, my self-renunciation and dependence upon the grace of God in Christ were absolute. Here, consequently, I had “assurance of hope.” In that of sanctification, on the other hand, whenever I failed in my purposes of obedience, after confession and the consciousness of forgiveness, I would say to myself “I know of but one thing to do, and that is, to renew my purpose of obedience and start anew.” I record the very words I was accustomed to repeat to myself under the circumstances referred to. As a consequence, my renewed purposes were as abortive as my former ones had been, and I read my experience in the seventh chapter of Romans.

Whenever, and to what extent, and in what form soever, reader, you may purpose obedience, resolve to start anew in the divine life, and do this expecting thus to obey because you have purposed to do so, you will read you future experience just where I read mine, and will never find “deliverance from the body of this death.” The reason is, that all such purposes and efforts are not of faith, but purely legal.

If on the other hand, “with purpose of heart you shall cleave unto the Lord,” and while you do so you shall, with a distinct recognition of your total moral impotency for anything good or right, recognise in Christ an infinite fulness for all your necessities, and shall put full trust in Him, as your all-sufficient “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,” then will “your righteousness go forth as brightness, and your salvation as a lamp that shineth,” and your stability in love and obedience be “as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever.” The reason is, that “the life which you now live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave Himself for you.” Such is the distinction between the legal and Christian spirit and method of righteousness.

This is from the book “Out of Darkness Into Light” by Asa Mahan.  This book is in the public domain.

Some years since, I preached a sermon for the purpose of developing the idea of the spiritual life. The minister for whom I preached said to me, I want to show you a letter written many years ago by a lady now in advanced age, and detailing her remarkable experience on this subject.

After her conversion she found herself exceedingly weak, and often wondered if this was all the stability and strength she could hope for from Christ in His Gospel. Is this, she said, all that God can do for me? Long time and with much prayer she examined her Bible. At last she found, that below what she had ever read and examined before, there lay a class of passages which revealed the real Gospel — salvation from sinning. She saw the provisions of the Gospel in full relief. Then she shut herself up, determined to seek this blessing till she should find. Her soul went forth after God, seeking communion with Him, and the great blessing which she so deeply felt that she needed. She had found the needed promises in God’s Word, and now she held on upon them as if she could not let them go until they had all been fulfilled in her own joyful experience. She cried mightily to God. She said, “If Thou dost not give me this blessing, I can never believe Thee again.” In the issue the Lord showed her that the provisions were already made, and were just as full and as glorious as they needed to be or could be, and that she might receive them by faith if she would. In fact, it was plain that the Spirit of the Lord was pressing upon her acceptance, so that she had only to believe — to open wide her mouth that it might be filled. She saw and obeyed: then she became firm and strong. Christ had made her free. She was no longer in bondage; her Lord had absolutely enlarged her soul in faith and love, and triumphantly she could exclaim: Glory be to God! Christ hath made me free.

This is an excerpt from Charles G. Finney’s book, “Sermons On Gospel Themes”, chapter XXIV, “Elements of Christian Experience.” The book is in the public domain.

Whether one is young or old in the Christian life there is but one way in which our spiritual possessions are actualized — by faith. Faith opens the Christian life to us: faith accompanies us the entire length of life’s journey, and faith at last leads us into the land where we see Him as He is and there faith gives place to sight.

Colossians 2:5-6, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”

Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

Faith opens the door to every blessing that is ours in Christ.

2 Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We have access by faith.

Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

We have sonship by faith.

Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

We have righteousness by faith.

Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

We have forgiveness of sins and sanctification by faith.

Acts 26:18, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

We have cleansing by faith.

Acts 15:9, “And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

We have Christ’s indwelling by faith.

Ephesians 3:17, “That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith.”

We receive the Holy Spirit by faith.

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

We inherit the promises by faith.

Hebrews 6:12, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

We have victory over the world by faith.

1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

We have victory over the evil one by faith.

Ephesians 6:16, R.V., “Withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.

We have victory over circumstances and difficulties by faith.

Hebrews 11:33-34, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

We are kept through faith.

1 Peter 1:5, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Matthew 21:21-22, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

We have power through faith.

Matthew 17:19-20, “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Two things are absolutely essential to a harmonious relationship with God, we must believe that God is and that God does. Apart from these two fundamental convictions there is no salvation and no blessing.

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Excerpted from Ruth Paxson’s classic book “Life on the Highest Plane”, published in 1928.

When we pursue unity with others, we must give something up. That is the very nature of unity. In order to come to the place of reasonable agreement necessary to a spirit of unity, this requires us to “leave at the door” those things which we deem non-essential.

Those who pursue unity and yet ignore the vital question: “what are we willing to give up to pursue such unity?” will not get very far in the path of unity. They are deluding or are being deluded.

This question of “what are we willing to give up?” must be conscientiously examined before pursuing unity. Otherwise, one invariably ends up virtually selling one’s soul at the altar of unity.

There are Christians today engaged in “dialogue” with others who promulgate a false gospel. The question must be raised, “What, honestly, is the purpose of your ‘dialogue’?” Nothing less than blunt honesty before God on this question is required.

Do not be deceived. The devil loves “unity” — of the sort that ends up compromising the non-negotiables of Christianity: the person and work of Jesus Christ, the integrity of the Gospel and the absolute authority of The Bible.

[Hudson Taylor was one of the greatest Christian missionaries of all time. He pioneered a mission work, China Inland Mission, which thrust the gospel into the interior of China. This is a letter to his sister, Amelia, written in October, 1869 from China.]

My own dear sister – So many thanks for your long dear letter . . . I do not think you have written me such a letter since we have been in China. I know it is with you as with me – you cannot, not you will not. Mind and body will not bear more than a certain amount of strain, or do more than a certain amount of work.

As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. The last month or more has been, perhaps, the happiest of my life; and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul.

I do not know how far I may be able to make myself intelligible about it, for there is nothing new or strange or wonderful – and yet, all is new! In a word: “Whereas I was blind, now I see.”

Perhaps I shall make myself more clear if I go back a little. Well, Dearie, my mind has been greatly exercised for the past six or eight months, feeling the need personally, and for our Mission, of more holiness, life and power in our souls. But personal need stood first and was the greatest. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for retirement and meditation – but all was without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me.

I knew that if I could only abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not. I would begin the day with prayer, determined not to take my eye from Him for a moment, but pressure of duties, sometimes very trying, constant interruptions, often very wearing, would cause me to forget Him. Then one’s nerves get so fretted in this climate that temptations to irritability, hard thoughts and sometimes unkind words are all the more difficult to control. Each day brought its register of sin, failure, and lack of power. To will was indeed present with me, but how to perform, I found not.

Then came the question, “Is there no rescue? Must it be like this till the end – constant conflict and, instead of victory, too often defeat?” How, too, could I preach with sincerity that to those who receive Jesus, “to them gave He power to become the sons of God, ” (i.e. God-like) when it was not so in my experience? Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no wonder, for faith and even hope were getting very low. I hated myself; I hated my sin; and yet I gained no strength against it.

I felt I was a child of God; His Spirit in my heart would cry, in spite of all, “Abba, Father”, but to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless. I thought that holiness was to be gradually attained by a diligent use of the means of grace. I felt that there was nothing I so much desired in this world, nothing I so much needed. But the more I pursued and strove after holiness, the more it eluded my grasp, till hope itself almost died out, and I began to think that perhaps to make heaven the sweeter, God would not give it to us in this life.

I do not think I was striving to attain it in my own strength. I knew I was powerless. I told the Lord so, and asked Him to give me help and strength and sometimes I almost believed He would keep and uphold me. But on looking back in the evening, there was sin and failure to confess and mourn before God.

I would not give you the impression that this was the daily experience of all those long, weary months, but it tended to be a too frequent state of soul and I almost ended up in despair. And yet, never did Christ seem more precious a Savior who could and would save such a sinner! And sometimes there were seasons not only of peace but of joy in the Lord. But they were fleeting and at best there was a sad lack of power. Oh, how good the Lord has been in bringing this conflict to an end!

All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was how to get it out. He was rich, but I was poor; He was strong, but I was weak. I knew full well that there was in the vine, in the root, the stem, abundant fatness; but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question.

As gradually the light dawned on me, I saw that faith was the only prerequisite to laying hold of His fullness and making it my own. But I had not this faith . . . I strove for it, but it would not come; I tried to exercise it, but in vain. Seeing more and more the wondrous supply of grace laid up in Jesus, the fullness of our precious Savior – my helplessness and guilt seemed to increase. Sins committed appeared but as trifles compared with the sin of unbelief which was their cause, which could not or would not take God at His word, but rather made Him a liar! Unbelief was, I felt, the damning sin of the world – yet I indulged in it. I prayed for faith but it did not come. What was I to do?

When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never seen it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure, but saw the light before I did, wrote (I quote from memory): “But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.”

As I read I saw it all! “If we believe not, He remains faithful.” I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed) that He had said, “I will never leave you.” “Ah, here is rest!” I thought. “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more. For has He not promised to abide with me – never to leave me, never to fail me?” And Dearie, He never will!

But this was not all He showed me, nor one half. As I thought of the vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured directly into my soul! How great seemed my mistake in having wished to get the sap, the fullness, out of Him. I saw not only that Jesus would never leave me, but that I was a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. The vine now I see is not the root merely, but all – root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit; and Jesus is not only that; He is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more than we have ever dreamed, wished for, or needed. Oh the joy of seeing this truth! I do pray that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know and enjoy the riches freely given us in Christ.

Oh, my dear sister, it is a wonderful thing to be really one with a risen and exalted Savior, to be a member of Christ! Think what it involves. Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and the left poor? Or your head be well fed while your body starves? Again, think of this bearing on prayer. Could a bank clerk say to a customer, “It was only your hand that wrote that check, not you,” or “I cannot pay this sum to your hand, but only to yourself?” No more can your prayers, or mine, be discredited if offered in the name of Jesus (i.e. not in your own name, or even for the sake of Jesus, but on the ground that we are His, His members) so long as we keep within the extent of Christ’s credit – a considerably wide limit!

If we ask anything unscriptural or not in accordance with the will of God, Christ Himself could not do that; but “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us; and . . . we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”

The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings. I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize this; for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no difference where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient.

It matters little to my servant whether I send him to buy a few dollars worth of things or the most expensive articles. In either case he looks to me for the money and brings me his purchases. So if God places me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; or in positions of great difficulty, much grace; or in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? There is no fear that His resources will be unequal to the emergency! And His resources are mine for He is mine, and is with me and dwells in me.

All this springs from the believers oneness with Christ. And since Christ is now living in my heart by faith, how happy I have been! I wish I could tell you instead of writing about it.

I am no better than before (in one sense, I do not wish to be, nor am I striving to be); but I am dead and buried with Christ – yes, and risen too and ascended; and now Christ lives in me, and “the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

I now believe that I am dead to sin. God reckons me so, and tells me to reckon myself so. He knows best. All my past experiences may have shown that it was not so; but I dare not say it is not, when He says it is. I feel and know that old things have passed away. I am as capable of sinning as ever, but Christ is realized as present as never before. He cannot sin; and He can keep me from sinning.

I am sorry to have to confess it, but I cannot say that since I have seen this light I have not sinned; but I do feel there was no need to have done so. And further – walking more in the light, my conscience has been more tender; sin has been instantly seen, confessed, pardoned; and peace and joy (with humility) instantly restored; with one exception, when for several hours peace and joy did not return – from lack, as I had to learn, of full confession, and from some attempt to justify self.

Faith, I now see, is “the substance of things hoped for” and not mere shadow. It is not less than sight, but more. Sight only shows the outward forms of things; faith gives the substance. You can rest on substance; you can feed on substance. Christ dwelling in the heart by faith (i.e. faith in His word of promise) is power indeed, is life indeed. And Christ and sin will not dwell together; nor can we experience His presence with love of the world or carefulness about “many things.”

And now I must close. I have not said half I would like to say if I had more time. May God give you the grace to lay hold on these blessed truths. Do not let us continue to say, in effect, “Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down from above.” In other words, do not let us consider Him as far off when God has made us one with Him, members of His very body.

Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as only for the few. They are the birthright of every child of God, and no one can dispense with them without dishonor to our Lord. The only power for deliverance from sin or for serving the Lord is Christ.

Your own affectionate brother,

J. HUDSON TAYLOR

To preach Christ means to preach Christ crucified; that the death of Christ on the cross as an atoning sacrifice, is the very center and heart of preaching Christ.

It is necessary to dwell on this point, as it is so often impugned, obscured, and evaded in the present day. The instinct of the world, as well as the profound and vivid conviction of the church, have agreed on this one point, that the center of Christianity is Christ crucified. The world with doubt, unbelief, aversion; the church in faith, love, adoring joy and triumph. When we say a man believes in Christ, we mean “he trusts in Christ, Who died the Just for the unjust; when we say a man preaches Christ, we mean he declares the redemption, the forgiveness of sins through faith in His Blood: when Christians take the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him, it is in remembrance of Him Who laid down His life as a ransom for the sins of many. The cross of Christ is the summary of all; the central point, from which radiate Justification, Sanctification, and the Future Glory.

It has been said that the message of the church is the resurrection of Christ; to declare that Jesus is living. Blessed be God, that Christ is risen and at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But Christ’s resurrection is not, strictly speaking. the message of salvation to the world. We can have no doubt what the Gospel is, which God sends His messengers to preach. For the apostle Paul writes most clearly: that God hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ: as though God did beseech by us, we pray in Christ’s stead, Be ye reconciled to God. And that by this reconciliation on God’s part nothing else is meant but the expiatory substitution-death of Christ on the cross is most evident by the verse immediately following: For He hath made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

This is the gospel. This must be preached to the world. To the world our message is “Christ crucified: to the believer, the church, our message is “Christ is risen: He lives; He is your Righteousness and Strength, your Life and Hope. It is in analogy with this, that the death of Christ, the crucifixion, took place before the whole world, Jewish and heathen; all the people beheld Him; Christ was lifted up. The resurrection of Christ took place in secret; no human eye witnessed the mysterious and glorious moment; and the risen Savior appeared only to the chosen ones, and not to the world. It is perfectly true that if Christ is not risen the gospel would neither be true nor a living and vitalizing Power; but the gospel itself is Christ died for the ungodly.

But besides, and this is of equal significance, What is meant by the resurrection of Christ? And why is it of such cardinal and blessed importance? Not that Jesus as man was raised from the dead, nor that Jesus as all godly men, lives now and lives for ever; but that Jesus, the Christ, our Substitute, was raised; that He Who was offered up for our offences, rose again because of our justification; that Isaiah 53 was fulfilled in Him He was despised and rejected by Israel; He was honored and exalted by the Father: and why? Because He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. He lives and sees His seed; because His soul was made an offering for sin. He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death. This is the significance of the resurrection; and thus all the apostles preached; and Jesus Himself said unto the beloved disciple: Fear not, I am the First and the Last: I am He that liveth and was dead: and behold, I am alive for evermore.

As the atoning death of Christ not merely explains the true meaning of the resurrection and the foundation on which His exaltation rests (Phil. 2) so the glory of the risen Lord, as Prophet and royal Priest, can only be seen in the light of Golgotha. Because He died, God exalted Him to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Not to prove to skeptics the supernatural and the life to come.) By His Own Blood He entered into the holy place, the true sanctuary, having obtained eternal redemption for us: thus the epistle to the Hebrews teaches us. He is the Mediator of the New Testament and the High Priest over the house of God, because He was once offered to bear the sins of many. And only by faith in His Blood can we enter into the Holiest, and thus be partakers of the spiritual and eternal blessings of His Priesthood. Nor do the glorified saints around the Throne throughout eternity ever lose sight of the central and most blessed manifestation and act of Divine Love. Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood” this is the foundation on which rests the glory which the royal Priest gives unto His saints and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.

Preaching Christ crucified is, lastly, the only way in which Christ’s life and ministry can be truly understood. We are often accused of not bringing out with sufficient emphasis the example of Christ and the perfection of His character and life. We are told that to preach the sinlessness and purity, the love and self-denial, of Christ is the most important thing. But is this true? Men say: Unfold to us the beauty, the grandeur, the love of Christ the perfect man, that we may imitate every feature of His noble character. This would be practical preaching. Just as the Jews at the foot of Mount Sinai promised that they would observe whatever God would command them, not knowing the true nature of sin and the real condition of sinful and fallen man, so do our twentieth century Europeans imagine that all they need is to have a high and attractive ideal of humanity set before them. This is one aspect of the fallacy. But another aspect is “that men fail to see what the example of Christ really is. What is the glory of Christ’s earthly life?  “wherein consists its incomparable character whereby it was to the Father an infinite delight, and is to the believer the great model and sustaining strength? As the apostle explains in the epistle to Philippians, the mind which was in Christ Jesus, which is also to be in us, is that for the glory of the Father and the salvation of sinners He became man, and having become man went in the path of humility; always looking forward to, and at last enduring, the death of the cross. This was the will of God, which He came to do. This was the obedience. In this light alone we truly behold the Lamb without spot or blemish; the love and obedience which He manifested during all the days of His flesh. Thus we preach Christ crucified: not to the exclusion of His life, but to the inclusion and true possession, of all that is in Christ.