THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST
Part IV

by
Scott Jones

V. It Was His OWN Blood

During the entire tenure of his sojourn in the flesh, Jesus Christ never had a single, solitary thought that wasn't IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED to the GLORY OF HIS FATHER. Not one thought. Not ever. Not ever at any time, not even before his BAPTISM. Not in eternity past, not in his infancy, not in his childhood, not during his ministry, not during his passion in Gethsemane, not during his trial, not during his crucifixion, not during his death, not during his descent into hell, not during his resurrection, not during his appearances after his resurrection, not during his ascension, and not afterwards. Not ever.

EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT that Jesus Christ has ever had, THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY, including EVERY SECOND of his sojourn in the flesh, was IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED to the GLORY OF HIS FATHER. This, among other reasons, is why he could justly proclaim - "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." He who never had an idle thought - and he only - could with complete candor make such an authoritative statement. Yea, this, among other reasons, is why he could justly proclaim - "The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." [Matthew 12:36; John 8:29]

This ACTIVE INCLINATION within the INCARNATE CHRIST to GLORIFY HIS FATHER was as natural to him - even in his infancy - as it was to breathe, and this was principally the result of his HUMAN NATURE being formed in the womb in the IMAGE OF GOD by the POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST. This HOLY, PURE, PERFECT, AND UNCORRUPTED IMAGE OF GOD in his HUMAN NATURE elicited his innermost affections - "thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts" - and thus assured that his every thought - even in his infancy - was TOTALLY REFLEXIVE and ACTIVELY INCLINING to the GLORY OF HIS FATHER, and he NEVER rescinded nor relinquished this BIRTHRIGHT, even under the most EXTREME DURESS, yea, the most EXTREME DURESS ever encountered by ANY MAN in the ENTIRE HISTORY OF CREATION. [Psalm 22:9-10; Psalm 71:6; Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:31; Luke 2:21; Isaiah 9:6]

Thus was mankind's BIRTHRIGHT, the IMAGE OF GOD, which was forfeited by Adam in the most idyllic circumstances imaginable, FEDERALLY restored by the Son of God under the harshest conditions conceivable, whereby he both RECOVERED and EXALTED - and INFINITELY so - the MANIFEST GLORY OF GOD in the HUMAN NATURE, the very same manifest glory which had been spoiled by Satan in Eden.

Herein were the great riches of God's WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE revealed, for by spoiling the IMAGE OF GOD in man, and therewith the MANIFEST GLORY OF GOD, Satan unwittingly and irretrievably insured that the Son of God would become INCARNATE, thus sealing his own fate and the fate of all the angels who rebelled with him, for when the fullness of time arrived, the ETERNAL WORD was made flesh, and God appeared among men. Hereby was the wisdom of the wise destroyed, for Satan, who thought he had outmaneuvered Christ in Eden, suddenly found himself checkmated at Calvary. [1 Corinthians 1:19; Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4; John 1:14]

And thus did the BRIGHTNESS OF GOD'S GLORY spangle and sparkle as it exploded into time and landed in a manger in Bethlehem, leaping across the corridors of eternity with that brilliance which, though temporarily held in abeyance, will, when unleashed, cause heaven itself to flee, and earth, too, enfolding itself from glory to glory, and more glory still, for by becoming flesh and dwelling among us, the Son of God, through his sinless life, wherein he preserved the image of God in man with INFINITE HOLINESS and PURITY - INFINITE because of his DIVINE NATURE, HOLY and PURE because of both his DIVINE NATURE and his SINLESSNESS in the HUMAN NATURE - even under the duress of the most diabolical engines and hazards that devils and men could devise, along with the WRATH AND FURY AND INDIGNATION of a HOLY GOD alighting upon him with FULL FORCE as a judgment against sin, a judgment that he alone of men did not deserve, yea, the Son of God nevertheless withstood it all, aye, he SET HIS FACE LIKE A FLINT and SPOILED THE SPOILER, for he remained STEDFAST AND UNMOVABLE, thereby SPOILING PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS by virtue of HIS OWN UNIMPEACHABLE RIGHTEOUSNESS, and in consequence utterly ASTOUNDED the entire angelic realm by MAKING A SHEW OF HIS ENEMIES OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM with an incomparable display of his WISDOM and POWER in the RECOVERY AND EXALTATION of the MANIFEST GLORY OF GOD in MAN, even in the HUMAN NATURE, the same HUMAN NATURE that Satan had impeached, but which was now UTTERLY SANCTIFIED and conjoined with the DIVINE NATURE in ONE ESSENTIAL PERSON, even CHRIST, and thus EXALTED to UNFORESEEN AND UNHEARD OF GLORY. [Revelation 20:11; Romans 11:33; Genesis 3:15; Psalm 98:1; Isaiah 50:7; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 9:28]

O GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT! [Zechariah 4:7]

Yea, the Lord Jesus Christ so managed this CONQUEST, and with such a pageant of GRACE and TRUTH, that a NEW SONG was sung in heaven, and EVERY MOUTH in creation was able only to HONOUR HIM, for he VERILY SENT FORTH JUDGMENT UNTO VICTORY and secured FOREVER the REGENERATION of the FUNCTIONAL IMAGE OF GOD in his ELECT, thereby investing his ELECT with THE FRUIT OF HIS OWN BIRTHRIGHT, which is that SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, and which can NEVER be forfeited or lost, FOR JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF HOLDS TITLE TO IT! - O GLORY! - I say, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF HOLDS TITLE TO THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY SAINT, even the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, wherein HIS OWN SPIRIT is imparted to his ELECT, even the very SPIRIT OF CHRIST HIMSELF - Hosanna in the HIGHEST! - yea, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF HOLDS TITLE TO THIS BIRTHRIGHT, even the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, even in EVERY saint who is truly born again, and thus NO BORN AGAIN SAINT CAN BE PLUCKED OUT OF JESUS' HAND! - O GLORY UNSPEAKABLE! - for unlike Adam, the saint has neither the authority nor the power to forfeit THIS BIRTHRIGHT - ITS TITLE HELD BY JESUS - whereas Adam, holding title himself, had both the authority and the power to forfeit his own, but - O GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT! - it is not so with the born again saint, it is not possible for the born again saint, for JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF VERILY HOLDS TITLE TO THE BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION IN EVERY SAINT HE INDWELLS, even in ALL men that the Father had given him in eternity past, each CALLED by God in his own season so that the PURPOSE OF GOD ACCORDING TO ELECTION MIGHT STAND, for it is for this reason that he came forth, as it is written - "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins." [John 6:37; John 10:28; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 5:13; Matthew 12:20; Romans 8:15; Romans 8:29-30; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:4-6; 11; Matthew 1:21]

O HERE IS GLORY UNQUENCHABLE!

Reader, were you ever quickened from a dead state by the POWER of the Spirit of Christ, just as Lazarus was raised from the dead bodily? Do you remember that? Do you remember being dead - verily dead in your old Adamic nature - and then made alive - verily ALIVE - SUDDENLY - by Jesus Christ HIMSELF? Do you remember the moment Jesus Christ invaded your spirit and soul and made you a NEW creature - not a reformed creature (for in the New Birth the will of man is useless, and reform saves no one) - but a NEW creature - I say, a NEW creature - yea, do you remember the MOMENT that Jesus Christ invaded your spirit and soul and made you a NEW creature, in a VERY moment, in the twinkling of an eye? Do you remember when Jesus Christ HIMSELF gave you a NEW nature - even his OWN nature - O GRACE! - yea, when Jesus Christ HIMSELF imparted to you his OWN nature, with a NEW WILL and POWER - even POWER to become a son of God - and then VERILY raised you up to sit in heavenly places? Do you remember that, Reader? [Ephesians 2:1-10; John 5:21; John 1:12-13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; 2 Peter 1:4]

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." [2 Peter 1:10]

History pretty well demonstrates that the greatest preacher in the annals of Christianity - next to the Apostles Peter and Paul - was probably George Whitefield. The scripture relates in Acts 10 that while Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on the household of Cornelius, and thus they were born again. The same was true of Whitefield's preaching. It is recorded that in the 1740's he drew crowds as large as eighty thousand people on occasion, and habitually he drew crowds of thirty thousand or more. And not just on Sunday's, but throughout the week. His devotionals at 6 o'clock in the morning pulled in more than twenty thousand people every single day. It is said that his voice carried effortlessly through hills and dales, and that when necessary, the wind blew smoothly yet silently and conducted his words to the farthest reaches of the crowd. During one of Whitefield's American tours, Benjamin Franklin calculated Whitefield's auditory range and concluded that his preaching was easily heard by more than thirty thousand at a setting.

Charles Spurgeon said of Whitefield - "There is no end to the interest which attaches to such a man as George Whitefield. Often as I have read his life, I am conscious of distinct quickening whenever I turn to it. He LIVED. Other men seem to be only half-alive; but Whitefield was all life, fire, wing, force. My own model, if I may have such a thing in due subordination to my Lord, is George Whitefield; but with unequal footsteps must I follow in his glorious track." Autobiography, First Literary Friends

Banned from preaching in the churches of England by the clergy - churches where Whitefield was able to address only a few hundred people at a time, or sometimes a few thousand, due to space constraints - he had been forced into the fields where mammoth crowds suddenly surrounded and attended him, much to the chagrin of the very clergy who had tried to suppress him by denying him their pulpits, and thus God blessed Whitefield's ministry like few saints in the history of God's dealings with men. Such are God's ways, for this persecution against Whitefield was reminiscent of the persecution brought by Satan against the early apostolic church in Jerusalem, a persecution in which the saints were scattered to the four winds, but God overrode the evil for good by causing that very persecution to be the vehicle whereby the gospel of Jesus Christ spread like wild-fire throughout the world. And so it was with Whitefield, for his banishment from the churches merely served to increase the size of his congregations by multiplied thousands.

It was Whitefield's insistence on the EXPERIENCE of the NEW BIRTH, and his fierce stand on the doctrine of ELECTION, that so enraged the clergy against him. As Whitefield expressed it - "My doctrines I had from Jesus Christ and His Apostles: I was taught them of God. I embrace the Calvinistic scheme, not because Calvin, but Jesus Christ has taught it to me." [Works, Vol I]

And again - "Election, free grace, free justification WITHOUT ANY REGARD TO WORKS FORESEEN, are such PARADOXES TO CARNAL MINDS, that they cannot away with them. This is the wisdom of God, which is foolishness with man, and which, the Lord being my helper, I intend to exalt and contend for more and more; not with carnal weapons, that be far from me, but with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God - no Word like that!" LETTERS

Moreover, though the following quotation is lifted from one of Whitefield's sermons, when reading his LETTERS it becomes readily apparent how INTENSELY and how FREQUENTLY he INSISTS on the EXPERIENCE of the NEW BIRTH, and how utterly uncompromising he is, even to his largest contributors, and this warning is typical of his zeal in this matter - "Comparatively but few of those that are born of water, are born of the Spirit; likewise; to use another spiritual way of speaking, many are baptized with water, which were never baptized with the Holy Ghost. In short, thou must not only be an almost, but altogether a NEW CREATURE, or in vain thou boasteth that thou art a Christian!" [On Regeneration]

And to one of his supporters, taken from his LETTERS, which is again typical of his zeal - "Indeed, we may flatter ourselves that we may go to heaven without undergoing the PANGS OF THE NEW BIRTH, but we shall certainly find ourselves desperately mistaken in the end. For till we are changed, till we are made meet for, we cannot in the nature of the thing be partakers of the heavenly inheritance with the saints in light."

These are the doctrines that so enraged the clergy and caused them to gnash their teeth against him and banish him from their pulpits. Yet, history thunders out the decree, namely, that Whitefield received unmistakable confirmation from heaven, for God bore witness to Whitefield like no other preacher since apostolic times, for droves upon droves were genuinely born again under his preaching, and it was with him just as it was with Peter - while Whitefield yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on them.

And what genuinely born again Christian hasn't witnessed the exact same operation of the Spirit upon like occasions of giving his own testimony?

Even yon Philip the deacon, proclaiming the gospel of Christ down Samaria way, knew that a man must be GENUINELY born again before he could see the kingdom of God - yea, he knew that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." And so, according to the benchmark of SCRIPTURE - as Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on them; as George Whitefield yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on them; as Charles Spurgeon yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on them; as John Bunyan yet spake, verily, the Holy Ghost fell on them; and as the GENUINELY born again believer speaks - having been commanded by the Spirit to speak in the first place, that is - the Holy Ghost falls upon them. I say, what genuinely born again Christian hasn't witnessed this exact same operation of the Holy Spirit upon occasions of giving his own testimony? [Romans 8:9; Acts 8:14-17]

Yea, this is GENUINE Christianity; this is the TRUE New Birth - the SPIRIT OF CHRIST blowing where HE wills, just as with Peter, just as with Whitefield, Spurgeon, and Bunyan, just as with all who inherit eternal life; aye, this is the manner, and no other, whereby people GENUINELY enter the kingdom of God - in stark contrast to the serpentine will-worship that reigns in professing Christianity today, by which no one is genuinely born again, and by which no man will ever see the kingdom of God. Yea, even though it is Jesus Christ HIMSELF who stated that the Spirit of God blows where HE wills, yet the proud men of this day - proud men who love the praise of other men - have instead implemented "decisions" and "spiritual laws" and formula prayers - and who knows what else - and thus they would have the Spirit of God blow where THEY will, and WHEN they will; indeed, these whited sepulchers would even have the Spirit of God sign their registers if they could arrange it, for like the concision of old, the false prophets of our day also like to make a fair showing in the flesh - yet, verily "their judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." [2 Peter 2:3; John 3:8; Philippians 3:2-3; Galatians 6:12-13; John 1:13]

In short, these proud deceivers have mislead untold millions into thinking the NEW BIRTH is something altogether different than what it actually is, thus perverting the way of truth, and therefore they shall not escape. Yea, as John Bunyan wisely noted, there will be many eminent names - RELIGIOUS names, names of PREEMINENCE, names of great EVANGELISTS, names of great RESPECT and REPUTE, names that will literally SHOCK the world - cast into hell on the day of judgment, and this generation is overflowing with such. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

"That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." [Luke 16:15]

And so I ask you again, Reader - were you ever quickened from a dead state by the POWER of the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, just as Lazarus was raised from the dead bodily? Do you remember that? Were you ever SEALED unto the day of redemption? Do you remember that? If not, then you'd better see Jesus Christ about it right away, and you'd better not give Jesus Christ any rest until he quickens you from a dead state by the POWER of his OWN SPIRIT - if you want to go to heaven, that is. Yea, plead the Word of God with Jesus Christ until he hears from heaven and comes down to deliver you. And remember, Reader, that you are dealing with him who said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." [Matthew 7:7-8; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22]

Yea, you are dealing with none other than the Son of God, Reader, who cannot lie, and who cannot fail. He opens, and no one shuts, and he shuts, and no one opens. And therefore, Reader, if you don't receive repentance unto life; if you aren't quickened from a dead state by the POWER of the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, you will have no excuse on the day of judgment, for Jesus Christ HIMSELF bids you to ASK; Jesus Christ HIMSELF bids you to SEEK; Jesus Christ HIMSELF bids you to KNOCK - and Jesus Christ HIMSELF, Reader, PROMISES to answer EVERY ONE who PERSEVERES.

Whatever you do, Reader, don't stop short, and therefore know of a certainty that - "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." [Romans 8:9]

George Whitefield described the NEW BIRTH perfectly - "This blessed Spirit, who once moved on the face of the great deep; who over-shadowed the blessed Virgin before that holy child was born of her; who descended in a bodily shape, like a dove, on our blessed Lord, when he came up out of the water at his baptism; and afterwards came down in fiery tongues on the heads of all his Apostles at the day of Pentecost: this is the Holy Ghost, who must move on the faces of our souls; this power of the Most High, must come upon us, and we must be baptized with his baptism and refining fire, before we can be stilled true members of Christ’s mystical body." Marks Of Having Received The Holy Ghost

And Whitefield further observed - "Had I a mind to hinder the progress of the gospel, and to establish the kingdom of darkness, I would go about telling people that they might have the Spirit of God, and yet not feel it." The Indwelling Of The Spirit

I tell you, Reader, if you are not BORN AGAIN, you cannot conceive of the devastation already prepared for you, despite your own carnal and blinded estimation of your relationship to God, despite your "decision for Christ," despite your "accepting Christ as your Saviour" - neither of which is biblical, neither of which is the NEW BIRTH - despite your "preaching the gospel" or despite your "serving Christ" year after year after year, for MANY who sincerely think they are serving Christ will seek to enter into heaven in that day, and will not be able. I say, MANY who SINCERELY think they are serving Christ will seek to enter into heaven in that day, and will not be able. Nor, if you are not BORN AGAIN, can you conceive of the eternal misery that is already laid up for you, that is already reserved for you everlastingly if you are not delivered by Jesus Christ here and now in the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH - I say, the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH, just as A. W. Tozer said it - "In that great and terrible day, there will be those white with shock when they find that they have depended upon a mental assent to Christianity instead of upon the MIRACLE OF THE NEW BIRTH." The Tozer Pulpit, Vol I [Matthew 7:22-23]

You cannot conceive, if you are not BORN AGAIN, of the weight of the wrath of God that already girds you round about, wrath that mounts up with each passing second like a pent up flood struggling to burst forth, so that you are continuously treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath to your own destruction; you cannot conceive of the eternal torment waiting to be revealed against you, and to be unleashed upon you in the day of judgment, to devour you mercilessly and without respite when you see the glory of Jesus Christ SUDDENLY revealed, when you see your own vileness and the deep-rooted wickedness of your own heart SUDDENLY flayed open by the light of the glory of Jesus Christ, a vileness and a deep-rooted wickedness which will be SUDDENLY exposed in all its horror, and which will disclose - to your utter shock and amazement - that your heart has in fact been engaged in nothing but enmity against God every second of your existence, and that secretly your heart has HATED Jesus Christ - for the old Adamic nature can do no other - and if you haven't already SEEN this in yourself; indeed, if you haven't already FELT this CRUSHING REALITY in yourself, and despaired over it, then you've certainly never been born again, you've certainly never EXPERIENCED REGENERATION, for as William Tyndale so wisely observed - "Whom God saveth, he damneth first. He bringeth no man to heaven except he send him to hell first." Obedience Of A Christian Man [Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 2:5; John 3:18]

Yea, Reader, you are deluding yourself if you never saw your old nature CONSTANTLY at enmity with God, and you are doubly deluding yourself if you never saw that your heart literally HATED Jesus Christ - for the old Adamic nature, I say, CAN DO NO OTHER - yea, you are VERILY deceiving yourself if you never saw your Adamic heart in abject HATRED of Jesus Christ - you certainly know NOTHING of the NEW BIRTH, nothing whatsoever, yea, you know NOTHING of the NEW BIRTH if you never EXPERIENCED the SUDDEN DELIVERANCE by SOVEREIGN GRACE from the UTTER CORRUPTION of your old Adamic nature, wherein you were made a NEW CREATURE, with a NEW NATURE, in a MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, and thus if you never SAW and FELT the CONSTANT ENMITY and HATRED of your old Adamic heart against the Great God and his Holy Christ, and GROANED under it MIGHTILY, and then EXPERIENCED the SUDDEN DELIVERANCE therefrom, you verily know NOTHING of REGENERATION, and you are not fit for the kingdom of heaven, nor will you enter there - not in your present state - even though your carnal mind and your carnal emotions may deceive you and tell you otherwise, yea, even though your carnal mind and emotions may deceive you and tell you that you are the exception, that such experiences don't apply to you, for there will be multitudes, even multitudes, so deceived in that great day.

Yet, if this is so, if you will embrace the deception of your own heart, even though scripture warns you how utterly and completely deceitful your own heart truly is, then you cannot conceive - cannot POSSIBLY conceive - yea, you cannot POSSIBLY conceive of the manifest wickedness that your own heart will suddenly spew upon you in that day, to savage you, so that you will reap the whirlwind indeed, troubled by your very own house - the ultimate betrayal, proceeding from your very own bosom - and thus your own deceitful, wicked heart will reveal SUDDENLY the resulting condemnation that you are under even now, even this very moment - a DEVOURING condemnation and an ETERNAL torment which WILL certainly come, and which WILL certainly be executed upon all that are not united to Jesus Christ by the NEW BIRTH, for God's Word WILL be found INVIOLABLE in the day of Jesus Christ. BE NOT DECEIVED! [2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Matthew 22:12-13; Luke 13:28; Luke 16:20-25]

As Jonathan Edwards, a bosom friend and fellow-labourer with George Whitefield, and a man upon whom was also poured a principal portion of God's Spirit, presciently noted - "Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, who it may be are at ease, than he is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell." Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Therefore, Reader, plead with Jesus Christ, and plead stridently, plead with your heart, plead just as Cotton Mather implores you to plead: "What Must I Do To Be Saved? - "This must be Done; You must confess yourselves unable to do anything effectually of yourselves, in coming to a glorious Christ, as your Saviour. With a fearful trembling of Soul, you must make this Profession; 'Lord thou worketh in us to Will and to Do, of thy own good Pleasure!' Your Profession must be that of Ephesians 2:8 'By Grace are ye saved thro' Faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the Gift of God.' Your Profession must be that of John 6:65. 'No man can come, except it be given to him.' Oh! Lie at the Foot of Sovereign Grace confessing and Imploring, 'Lord, I am justly destroyed. If I do not sincerely renounce my sin, sincerely embrace my Saviour. But I cannot, Oh! I cannot! I have deadly fetters upon my Soul; I shall never answer thy gracious Calls, except thy Sovereign Grace enable me. Oh! Quicken me: Oh! Strengthen me: Oh! Enable me; Turn thou me and I Shall be Turned.'" What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Reader, were you ever quickened from a dead state by the POWER of the SPIRIT OF CHRIST? Do you remember that? No? Then don't deceive yourself into believing that you have sincerely renounced your sin, for sin has little to do with outward acts; don't deceive yourself into believing that you have embraced the Saviour, no matter how fierce and formidable your will-worship and your dedication and your perseverance may be, for you, dear Reader, are still dead in your trespasses and sins, and you will never set foot in the kingdom of heaven in your natural, Adamic state. Do you then, Reader, remember being SEALED unto the day of redemption, an EVENT which occurs within the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH? No? Then don't deceive yourself into believing that you will gain an inheritance that hasn't ALREADY been given you as an EARNEST by the SEALING of the Holy Spirit during the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH, for only those who have RECEIVED THE EARNEST - and those ONLY - can claim the inheritance. Do you remember being made a NEW CREATURE during the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH? Not a REFORMED man, but a NEW CREATURE? No? Then "break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." [Hosea 10:12; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 5:17]

And remember, Reader - remember that you are dealing with none other than JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, THE LORD OF GLORY, and remember that if THIS Jesus - the Jesus of the BIBLE, not the Jesus of your carnal IMAGINATION, rather, the Jesus who called the Pharisees LIARS to their faces, and a host of other things, too, aye, the Jesus who burned HOTTER THAN A REFINERS FIRE, the Jesus who CANNOT and who WILL NOT stomach a HYPOCRITE for one second, nay, for all HYPOCRITES have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, which POWER is principally evidenced in the NEW BIRTH, and thus by denying the MANIFEST POWER of the Holy Spirit in the NEW BIRTH - which POWER is the VERY RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST, and nothing less - yea, by thus denying the MANIFEST POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE NEW BIRTH, the HYPOCRITE denies that JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH, and thus the HYPOCRITE serves antichrist; aye, by denying the MANIFEST POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE NEW BIRTH, the HYPOCRITE demonstrates a form of godliness but denies the POWER thereof, and thus the HYPOCRITE not only prevents himself from entering into the kingdom of heaven, but he likewise prevents countless others from entering in as well. WOE to the HYPOCRITE, for he has a form of godliness but denies the POWER thereof, and Sodom and Gomorrah will rise up to condemn him in the day of judgment. Nor will Jesus suffer the LUKEWARM to inhabit his fold, and he will certainly NEVER allow the UNREGENERATE who profess to be REGENERATE to enter his kingdom - in other words, I'm talking about the REAL Jesus here, Reader.

It is he - the Jesus of the BIBLE - with whom you must deal, Reader, and the Jesus of the BIBLE will receive NO MAN on his own terms, the Jesus of the BIBLE will NEVER compromise with ANY man, not one iota - he who comes to Jesus will come on Jesus' terms, or he will not be received, for his coming is not legitimate. He who comes to Jesus will bow to Jesus in COMPLETE surrender, or he will be rejected outright. So remember, Reader, that if THIS Jesus doesn't PERSONALLY introduce himself to you here in the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH, then you have not come aright, and thus THIS Jesus - if he hasn't PERSONALLY introduced himself to you in the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH - will verily declare to you in that day that he NEVER knew you, yea, on that day JESUS CHRIST THE JUDGE OF THE QUICK AND THE DEAD AT HIS KINGDOM AND HIS APPEARING will say to you, "I NEVER knew you. Depart from me, ye cursed!" [Matthew 25:41; John 8:55; Matthew 23; Malachi 3:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 4:3; Revelation 3:16; Matthew 22:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:5; Ephesians 1:19-20]

It is not now too late, but it soon will be. Thus, you have ETERNITY before you, Reader, so consider your state, examine yourself, and if your soul hungers and thirsts after righteousness, or if you are weary and heavy laden, then don't give in to despair, for remember that you are also dealing with a Jesus who was IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN, yea, you are dealing with a Jesus whose MERCY IS ON THEM THAT FEAR HIM, a Jesus who DESPISES THE PROUD but who UTTERLY LOVES A GENUINE SINNER - a sinner who KNOWS he's a sinner, and knows it PARTICULARLY, with PARTICULAR SINS, yea, a sinner who FEELS that God's justice must damn him, and damn him ETERNALLY - and therefore, if you are one of these, Reader, you are dealing with a WILLING Jesus, and a Jesus who has ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH, and with a Jesus who was speaking particularly of YOU when he VERILY said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." [Matthew 7:7-8; Hebrews 4:15; Luke 1:50; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 28:18]

Thus, before concluding this heading, I beseech you to consider this matter, and consider it carefully - and if you care for the welfare of your own soul, don't stop short. Don't stop without receiving the BIRTHRIGHT, even the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, which JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF holds title to - I say, Jesus Christ HIMSELF holds title to the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, Reader, and therefore, if you would receive the BIRTHRIGHT, go to him who owns it.

Yea, lay hold of HIM - lay hold of JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF - by FAITH, even by "the faith of the operation of God." And beware, Reader, for no other FAITH will do. Yea, the ONLY FAITH which will do is "the faith of the operation of God." [Colossians 2:12]

The faith of flesh, the faith of mind, the faith of human will, the faith of human determination, the faith of human dedication, ad nauseam - all of these will damn you to all eternity. Therefore, Reader, if you will receive the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, your FAITH must come from ABOVE - I say, YOUR FAITH MUST COME FROM ABOVE - A-B-O-V-E!

If you will lay hold of Jesus Christ EFFECTUALLY, you will need EFFECTUAL FAITH; if you will lay hold of Jesus Christ SUPERNATURALLY, you will need SUPERNATURAL FAITH; if you will lay hold of Jesus Christ SAVINGLY, you will need SAVING FAITH, and SAVING, EFFECTUAL, SUPERNATURAL FAITH comes from ONE source, and one source ONLY - through "the faith of the operation of God." Yea, such FAITH comes DIRECTLY from JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, and from nowhere else. [Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:8]

Thus, don't stop short, Reader, for the BIRTHRIGHT and the BLESSING go together. Esau, that profane person, sought the BLESSING, but he lacked the BIRTHRIGHT, and therefore he was rejected, aye, and he was further deemed PROFANE because he despised the BIRTHRIGHT, because he expected the blessing WITHOUT the birthright. All profane persons such as Esau - all who seek the blessing WITHOUT the birthright - yea, EVERY person who presumes to seek the blessing WITHOUT the birthright is PROFANE in God's eyes, for he despises God's wisdom, just as Esau did - and thus ALL who seek the blessing WITHOUT the birthright will be shut out of heaven at the last. As Bunyan warned -

"The kingdom of heaven is for the heirs, and if children, then heirs; if born again, then heirs. Wherefore it is said expressly, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. By this one word, down goes all carnal privilege of being born of flesh and blood, and of the will of man. Canst thou produce the birthright? But art thou sure thou canst? For it will little profit thee to think of the blessed kingdom of heaven, if thou wantest a birthright to give thee inheritance there. Esau did despise his birthright, saying, What good will this birthright do me? And there are many in the world of his mind to this day... But I will answer thee, thou child of Esau, that the birthright and blessing go together; miss of one, and thou shalt never have the other!" The Strait Gate [John 3:3; John 1:13]

Canst thou produce the BIRTHRIGHT? Can you? Now? This very moment? The birthright and the blessing go together - miss of one, thou shalt never have the other.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." [John 6:37-39]

Every single person - there are no exceptions - yea, EVERY single person who was given to Jesus Christ by the Father WILL come to Jesus. Not one single person given to Jesus Christ by the Father will FAIL to come to Jesus. EVERY person given to Jesus by the Father WILL COME to Jesus - there are no exceptions - and there is no power in heaven or earth or hell, or anywhere in all of creation, that can frustrate the Father's purpose herein, for as the Father has appointed the ENDS, so has he appointed the MEANS, and thus ALL that the Father has given to Jesus, even ALL, yea, ALL that the Father has given to Jesus WILL come to Jesus - will come WITHOUT FAIL - aye, ALL that the Father has given to Jesus will come to Jesus, ALL that the Father has given to Jesus will be brought to Jesus through the Father's appointed MEANS, even through the ministry of the Word - that EVERLASTING GOSPEL - even the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, wherein the Word of God is preached to ALL MEN, but brought to the ELECT with POWER (for the Spirit blows where HE wills) - even the RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST - even to ALL that are genuinely born again, even to ALL that the Father has given to Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 1:4-5]

"And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." [1 John 3:24]

Therefore, Reader - I say, THEREFORE Reader - KNOW that if you've been quickened from a dead state by the POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, even as Lazarus was raised from the dead bodily - yea, if the Word of God came to you in POWER, even the RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST - either through preaching, or testimony, or reading the scripture - yea, if the Word of God came to you in POWER, even the RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST, wherein the POWER OF THE HIGHEST OVERSHADOWED YOU, wherein you were baptized with the HOLY GHOST AND WITH FIRE, wherein you were made a NEW CREATURE, SUDDENLY, in a MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, so that you HEREBY KNOW - HEREBY KNOW INFALLIBLY - THAT HE ABIDETH IN YOU BY THE SPIRIT WHICH HE HATH GIVEN YOU (here is GENUINE FAITH, here is SAVING FAITH, here is SUPERNATURAL FAITH - whoever has ears to hear, let him hear) - yea, then KNOW that you have been given to Jesus by the Father, and thus SEALED unto the day of redemption through the MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH, wherein you were given the BIRTHRIGHT, even the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, and KNOW that he who possesses the BIRTHRIGHT is secure indeed, for JESUS CHRIST HOLDS TITLE TO THE BIRTHRIGHT, and thus you CANNOT - nay, in no wise - you CANNOT be plucked out of Jesus' hand, yea, for JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF HOLDS TITLE TO THE BIRTHRIGHT, even the BIRTHRIGHT OF REGENERATION, for it is JESUS CHRIST - O GRACE, GRACE UNTO IT - yea, it is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, aye, and JESUS CHRIST ALONE, AMEN, who purchased his church, thereby SECURING EVERY SAINT'S BIRTHRIGHT EVERLASTINGLY, and he did so - HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST - yea, and he did so with -

HIS OWN BLOOD!

(Finis - Part IV)