Faith in Christ, "works by love," "purifies the heart" (Acts 15: 9; 1 John 3: 3); and "overcometh the world." "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5: 4)? "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11: 6). "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14: 23).

In working out the salvation which we have received from God, we must with filial fear and reverence, look to God continually, to work in us to will, and work in us the power to do, of His good pleasure. Salvation from beginning to end is of God.

"Enoch walked with God" (Gen. 5: 24). "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God" (Heb. 11:5). Walking by faith with God, every believer may know that he pleases God. "The Lord taketh pleasure in his people" (Ps. 149: 4). "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him" (Ps. 147: 11). In his epistle to the Colossians Paul writes, "We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and

increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power" (Col. 1: 9).

THE CHILDREN OF GOD HAVE
ETERNAL LIFE NOW.

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). "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

66

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