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24 - Without a Wedding Garment - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four. Without a wedding garment, the parable of
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  Speaker 1: the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the
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  Speaker 1: highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of
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  Speaker 1: humanity with divinity. The wedding garment represents the character which
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  Speaker 1: all must possess, who shall be accounted fit guests for
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  Speaker 1: the wedding. In this parable, as in that of the
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  Speaker 1: Great Supper, are illustrated the Gospel invitation, its rejection by
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish people, and the call of mercy to the gentiles.
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  Speaker 1: But on the part of those who reject the invitation,
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  Speaker 1: this parable brings to view a deeper insult and a
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  Speaker 1: more dreadful punishment. The call to the feast is a
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  Speaker 1: king's invitation. It proceeds from one who is vested with
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  Speaker 1: power to command. It confers high honor, Yet the honor
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  Speaker 1: is unappreciated. The king's authority is despised. While the householder's
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  Speaker 1: invitation was regarded with indifference. The king's is met with
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  Speaker 1: insult and murder. They treated his servants with scorn, to
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  Speaker 1: spitefully using them and slaying them. The householder, on seeing
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  Speaker 1: his invitations slighted, declared that none of the men who
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  Speaker 1: were bidden should taste of his supper. But for those
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  Speaker 1: who had done despite, to the King, more than the
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  Speaker 1: exclusion from his presence and his table is decreed. He
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  Speaker 1: sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned
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  Speaker 1: up their city. In both parables, the feast is provided
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  Speaker 1: with guests, but the second shows that there is a
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  Speaker 1: preparation to be made by all who attend the feast.
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  Speaker 1: Those who neglect this preparation are cast out. The King
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  Speaker 1: came in to see the guests and saw there a
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  Speaker 1: man who had not on a wedding garment, And he
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  Speaker 1: saith unto him, friend, how camest thou in hither, not
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  Speaker 1: having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said
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  Speaker 1: the King to the servants, bind him hand and foot,
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  Speaker 1: and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness.
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  Speaker 1: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The call
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  Speaker 1: to the feast had been given by Christ's disciples. Our
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  Speaker 1: Lord had sent out the twelve and afterwards the se
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  Speaker 1: proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and
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  Speaker 1: calling upon men to repent and believe the gospel. But
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  Speaker 1: the call was not heeded. Those who were bidden to
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  Speaker 1: the feast did not come. The servants were sent out
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  Speaker 1: later to say, behold, I have prepared my dinner, my
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  Speaker 1: oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are
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  Speaker 1: ready come unto the marriage. This was the message born
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  Speaker 1: to the Jewish nation after the crucifixion of Christ. But
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  Speaker 1: the nation that claimed to be God's peculiar people rejected
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  Speaker 1: the gospel brought to them in the power of the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Many did this in the most scornful manner.
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  Speaker 1: Others were so exasperated by the offer of salvation, the
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  Speaker 1: offer of pardon for rejecting the Lord of Glory, that
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  Speaker 1: they turned upon the bearers of the message. There was
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  Speaker 1: a great persecution. Many, both of men and women, were
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  Speaker 1: thrust into prison, and some of the Lord's messengers, as
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  Speaker 1: Stephen and James, were put to death. Thus the Jewish
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  Speaker 1: people sealed their rejection of God's mercy. The result was
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  Speaker 1: foretold by Christ in the parable. The King sent forth
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  Speaker 1: his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.
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  Speaker 1: The judgment pronounced came upon the Jews in the destruction
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  Speaker 1: of Jerusalem and the scattering of the nation. The third
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  Speaker 1: call to the Feast represents the giving of the Gospel
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  Speaker 1: to the gentiles. The King said, the wedding is ready,
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  Speaker 1: But they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye
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  Speaker 1: therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall
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  Speaker 1: find bid to the marriage. The king's servants who went
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  Speaker 1: out into the highways gathered together all as many as
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  Speaker 1: they found, both bad and good. It was a mixed company.
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  Speaker 1: Some of them had no more real regard for the
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  Speaker 1: giver of the feast than had the ones who rejected
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  Speaker 1: the call. The class first bidden could not afford. They
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  Speaker 1: thought to sacrifice any worldly advantage for the sake of
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  Speaker 1: attending the king's banquet. And of those who accepted the invitation,
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  Speaker 1: there were some who thought only of benefiting themselves. They
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  Speaker 1: came to share the provisions of the feast, but had
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  Speaker 1: no desire to honor the king. When the king came
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  Speaker 1: in to view the guests, the real character of all
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  Speaker 1: was revealed. For every guest at the feast there had
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  Speaker 1: been provided a wedding garment. This garment was a gift
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  Speaker 1: from the king. By wearing it, the guests showed their
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  Speaker 1: respect for the giver of the feast. But one man
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  Speaker 1: was clothed in his common citizen dress. He had refused
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  Speaker 1: to make the preparation required by the King. The garment
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  Speaker 1: provided for him at great cost, he disdained to wear.
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  Speaker 1: Thus he insulted his lord. To the King's demand, how
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  Speaker 1: camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? He
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  Speaker 1: could answer nothing. He was self condemned. Then the King said,
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  Speaker 1: bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and
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  Speaker 1: cast him into outer darkness. By the King's examination of
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  Speaker 1: the guests at the feast is represented a work of judgment.
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  Speaker 1: The guests at the Gospel feast are those who profess
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  Speaker 1: to serve God, those whose names are written in the
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  Speaker 1: Book of Life. But not all who profess to be
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  Speaker 1: Christians are true disciples. Before the final reward is given,
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  Speaker 1: it must be decided who are fitted to share the
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  Speaker 1: inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made prior
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  Speaker 1: to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven,
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  Speaker 1: For when he comes, his reward is with him to
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  Speaker 1: give every man according as his work shall be. Before
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  Speaker 1: his coming, then the character of every man's work will
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  Speaker 1: have been determined, and to every one of Christ's followers
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  Speaker 1: the reward will have been apportioned according to his deeds.
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  Speaker 1: It is while men are still dwelling upon earth, that
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  Speaker 1: the work of investigative judgment takes place in the courts
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  Speaker 1: of Heaven. The lives of all his professed followers pass
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  Speaker 1: in review before God. All are examined according to the
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  Speaker 1: record of the books of Heaven, and according to His deeds.
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  Speaker 1: The destiny of each is forever fixed. By the wedding garment.
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  Speaker 1: In the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which
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  Speaker 1: Christ's true followers will possess to the church. It is
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  Speaker 1: given that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
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  Speaker 1: and white, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
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  Speaker 1: The fine linen, says the scripture is the righteousness of saints.
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  Speaker 1: It is the righteousness of Christ, his own unblemished character,
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  Speaker 1: that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him
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  Speaker 1: as their personal savior. The white robe of innocence was
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  Speaker 1: worn by our first parents when they were placed by
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  Speaker 1: God in Holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to
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  Speaker 1: the will of God. All the strength of their affections
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  Speaker 1: were given to their heavenly Father. A beautiful, soft light,
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  Speaker 1: the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. This robe
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  Speaker 1: of light was a symbol of their spiritual garments of
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  Speaker 1: heavenly innocence. Had they remained true to God, it would
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  Speaker 1: ever have continued to enshroud them. But when sin entered,
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  Speaker 1: they severed their connection with God, and the light that
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  Speaker 1: had encircled them departed. Naked and ashamed. They tried to
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  Speaker 1: supply the place of the heavenly garments by sowing together
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  Speaker 1: fig leaves for recovering. This is what the transgressors of
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  Speaker 1: God's law have done. Ever since the day of Adam
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  Speaker 1: and Eve's disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to
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  Speaker 1: cover their nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the
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  Speaker 1: garments of their own devising. By works of their own
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  Speaker 1: have they tried to cover their sins and make themselves
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  Speaker 1: acceptable with God. But this they can never do. Nothing
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  Speaker 1: can man devise to supply the place of his lost
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  Speaker 1: robe of innocence. No fig leaf garment, no worldly citizen dress,
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  Speaker 1: can be worn by those who sit down with Christ
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  Speaker 1: and angels at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Only
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  Speaker 1: the covering which Christ himself has provided can make us
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  Speaker 1: meet to appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe
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  Speaker 1: of his own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting,
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  Speaker 1: believing soul I counsel thee. He says, to buy of
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  Speaker 1: me white raiment, that thou mayst be clothed, and that
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  Speaker 1: the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. This robe,
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  Speaker 1: woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not
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  Speaker 1: one threat of human devising. Christ, in his humanity, wrought
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  Speaker 1: out a perfect character. And this character he offers to
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  Speaker 1: impart to us. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
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  Speaker 1: Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin.
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  Speaker 1: But the Son of God was manifested to take away
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  Speaker 1: our sins, and in him is no sin. Sin is
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  Speaker 1: defined to be the transgression of the law. But Christ
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  Speaker 1: was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said
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  Speaker 1: of himself, I delight to do thy will, O my God. YEA,
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  Speaker 1: Thy law is within my heart. When on earth, he
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  Speaker 1: said to his disciples, I have kept my Father's commandments.
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  Speaker 1: By his perfect obedience, he has made it possible for
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  Speaker 1: every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit
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  Speaker 1: ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with his heart,
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  Speaker 1: the will merged in his will, the mind becomes one
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  Speaker 1: with his mind. The thoughts are brought into captivity to him.
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  Speaker 1: We live his life. This is what it means to
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  Speaker 1: be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as
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  Speaker 1: the Lord looks upon us, he sees not the fig
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  Speaker 1: leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but
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  Speaker 1: his own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to
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  Speaker 1: the law of Jehovah. The guests at the marriage feast
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  Speaker 1: were inspected by the King. Only those were accepted who
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  Speaker 1: had obeyed his requirements and put on the wedding garment.
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  Speaker 1: So it is with the guests at the Gospel feast.
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  Speaker 1: All must pass the scrutiny of the Great King, and
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  Speaker 1: only those are received who have put on the robe
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  Speaker 1: of Christ's righteousness. Righteousness is right doing, and it is
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  Speaker 1: by their deeds that all will be judged. Our characters
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  Speaker 1: are revealed by what we do. The work shows whether
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  Speaker 1: the faith is genuine. It is not enough for us
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  Speaker 1: to believe that Jesus is not an impostor and that
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  Speaker 1: the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable.
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  Speaker 1: We may believe that the name of Jesus is the
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  Speaker 1: only name under heaven whereby man may be saved, and
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  Speaker 1: yet we may not through faith make him our personal Savior.
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  Speaker 1: It is not enough to believe the theory of truth.
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  Speaker 1: It is not enough to make a profession of faith
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  Speaker 1: in Christ and have our names registered on the church roll.
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  Speaker 1: He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in Him, and he
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  Speaker 1: in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in
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  Speaker 1: us by the spirit which He hath given us. Hereby
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  Speaker 1: we do know that we know Him. If we keep
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  Speaker 1: his commandments. This is the genuine evidence of conversion. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: our profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed
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  Speaker 1: in works of righteousness. The truth is to be planted
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  Speaker 1: in the heart. It is to control the mind and
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  Speaker 1: regulate affections. The whole character must be stamped with the
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  Speaker 1: divine utterances. Every jot and tittle of the Word of
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  Speaker 1: God is to be brought into the daily practice. He
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  Speaker 1: who becomes a partaker of the divine nature will be
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  Speaker 1: in harmony with God's great standard of righteousness, his Holy Law.
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  Speaker 1: This is the rule by which God measures the actions
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  Speaker 1: of men. This will be the test of character in
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  Speaker 1: the judgment. There are many who claim that by the
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  Speaker 1: death of Christ the law was abrogated, But in this
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  Speaker 1: they contradict Christ's own words. Think not that I am
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  Speaker 1: come to destroy the law or the prophets, till heaven
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  Speaker 1: and earth pass one jot or one tittle, shall in
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  Speaker 1: no wise pass from the law. It was to atone
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  Speaker 1: for man's transgression of the law that Christ laid down
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  Speaker 1: his life. Could the law have been changed or set aside,
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  Speaker 1: then Christ need not have died. But by his life
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  Speaker 1: on earth he honored the law of God. By his
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  Speaker 1: death he established it. He gave his life as a sacrifice,
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  Speaker 1: not to destroy God's law, not to create a lower standard,
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  Speaker 1: but that justice might be maintained, that the law might
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  Speaker 1: be shown to be immutable, that it might stand fast forever.
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  Speaker 1: Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to
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  Speaker 1: obey God's commandments, and in our own strength, it is
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  Speaker 1: true that we cannot obey them. But Christ came in
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  Speaker 1: the form of humanity, and by his perfect obedience he
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  Speaker 1: proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one
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  Speaker 1: of God's precepts. As many as received him. To them,
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  Speaker 1: gave he power to become the sons of God, even
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  Speaker 1: to them that believe hun his name. This power is
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  Speaker 1: not in the human agent. It is the power of God.
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  Speaker 1: When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live
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  Speaker 1: the life of Christ. God requires perfection of his children.
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  Speaker 1: His law is a transcript of his own character, and
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  Speaker 1: it is a standard of all character. This infinite standard
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  Speaker 1: is presented to all that there may be no mistake
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  Speaker 1: in regard to the kind of people whom God will
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  Speaker 1: have to compose his kingdom. The life of Christ on
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  Speaker 1: earth was a perfect expression of God's law. And when
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  Speaker 1: those who claim to be children of God become christ
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  Speaker 1: Like in character, they will be obedient to God's commandments.
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  Speaker 1: Then the Lord can trust them to be of the
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  Speaker 1: number who shall compose the family of Heaven. Clothed in
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  Speaker 1: the glorious apparel of Christ's righteousness. They have a place
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  Speaker 1: at the King's feast. They have a right to join
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  Speaker 1: the blood washed throng. The man who came to the
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  Speaker 1: feast without a wedding garment represents the condition of many
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  Speaker 1: in our world today. They profess to be Christians and
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  Speaker 1: lay claim on the blamelessings and privileges of the Gospel,
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  Speaker 1: Yet they feel no need of a transformation of character.
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  Speaker 1: They have never felt true repentance for sin. They do
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  Speaker 1: not realize their need of Christ or exercise faith in Him.
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  Speaker 1: They have not overcome their hereditary or cultivated tendencies to wrongdoing.
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  Speaker 1: Yet they think that they are good enough in themselves,
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  Speaker 1: and they rest upon their own merits instead of trusting
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  Speaker 1: in Christ. Hearers of the Word, they come to the banquet,
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  Speaker 1: but they have not put on the robe of Christ's righteousness.
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  Speaker 1: Many who call themselves Christians are mere human moralists. They
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  Speaker 1: have refused the gift which alone could enable them to
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  Speaker 1: honor Christ by representing him to the world. The work
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  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit is to them a strange work.
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  Speaker 1: They are not doers of the Word. The heavenly principles
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  Speaker 1: that distinguish those who are one with Christ from those
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  Speaker 1: who are one with the world have become almost indistinguishable.
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  Speaker 1: The professed followers of Christ are no longer a separate
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  Speaker 1: and peculiar people. The line of demarcation is indistinct. The
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  Speaker 1: people are subordinating themselves to the world, to its practices,
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  Speaker 1: its customs, its selfishness. The Church has gone over to
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  Speaker 1: the world in transgression of the law, when the world
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  Speaker 1: should have come over to the Church in obedience to
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  Speaker 1: the law. Daily the Church is being converted to the world.
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  Speaker 1: All these expect to be saved by Christ's death, while
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  Speaker 1: they refuse to live his self sacrificing life. They extol
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  Speaker 1: the riches of free grace and attempt to cover themselves
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  Speaker 1: with an appearance of righteousness, hoping to screen their defects
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  Speaker 1: of character. But their efforts will be of no avail.
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  Speaker 1: In the day of God. The righteousness of Christ will
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  Speaker 1: not cover one cherished sin. A man may be a
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  Speaker 1: law breaker in heart, yet if he commits no outward
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  Speaker 1: act of transgression, he may be regarded by the world
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  Speaker 1: as possessing great integrity. But God's law looks into the
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  Speaker 1: secrets of the heart. Every act is judged by the
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  Speaker 1: motives that prompt it. Only that which is in accord
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  Speaker 1: with the principles of God's law will stand in the
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  Speaker 1: judgment God is. He has shown that loved in the
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  Speaker 1: gift of Christ, when he gave his only begotten son,
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  Speaker 1: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have
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  Speaker 1: everlasting life. He withheld nothing from his purchased possession. He
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  Speaker 1: gave all heaven from which we may draw strength and efficiency,
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  Speaker 1: that we be not repulsed or overcome by our great adversary.
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  Speaker 1: But the love of God does not lead him to
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  Speaker 1: excuse sin. He did not excuse it in Satan, He
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  Speaker 1: did not excuse it in Adam or in Cain, nor
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  Speaker 1: will he excuse it in any other of the children
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  Speaker 1: of men. He will not connive at our sins or
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  Speaker 1: overlook our defects of character. He expects us to overcome
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  Speaker 1: in his name. Those who reject the gift of Christ's
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  Speaker 1: righteousness are rejecting the attributes of character which would constitute
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  Speaker 1: them the sons and daughters of God. They are rejecting
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  Speaker 1: that which alone could give them a fitness for a
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  Speaker 1: place at the marriage feast. In the parable, when the
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  Speaker 1: king inquired, how camest thou in hither not having a
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  Speaker 1: wedding garment, the man was speechless. So it will be
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  Speaker 1: in the great judgment day. Men may now excuse their
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  Speaker 1: defects of character, but in that day they will offer
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  Speaker 1: no excuse. The professed churches of Christ in this generation
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  Speaker 1: are exalted to the highest privileges. The Lord has been
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  Speaker 1: revealed to us in ever increasing light. Our privileges are
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  Speaker 1: far greater than were the privileges of God's ancient people.
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  Speaker 1: We have not only the great light committed to Israel,
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  Speaker 1: but we have the increased evidence of the great salvation
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  Speaker 1: brought to us through Christ. That which was type and
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  Speaker 1: symbol to the Jews is reality to us. They had
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  Speaker 1: the Old Testament history. We have that and the New Testament.
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  Speaker 1: Also we have the assurance of a savior who has come,
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  Speaker 1: a Savior who has been crucified, who has risen and
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  Speaker 1: over the rent sepulcher of Joseph has proclaimed I Am
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  Speaker 1: the Resurrection and the Life. In our knowledge of Christ
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  Speaker 1: and his love, the Kingdom of God is placed in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of us. Christ is revealed to us in
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  Speaker 1: sermons and chanted to us in songs. The spiritual banquet
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  Speaker 1: is set before us in rich abundance. The wedding garment,
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  Speaker 1: provided at infinite cost, is freely offered to every soul
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  Speaker 1: by the messengers of God. Are presented to us. The
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of Christ, justification by faith, the exceeding great and
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  Speaker 1: precious promise of God's Word, free access to the Father
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  Speaker 1: by Christ, the comfort of the Spirit, the well grounded
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  Speaker 1: assurance of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. What
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  Speaker 1: could God do for us that He has not done
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  Speaker 1: in providing the Great Supper, the heavenly banquet in heaven,
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  Speaker 1: it is said by the ministering angels. The ministry which
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  Speaker 1: we have been commissioned to perform, we have done. We
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  Speaker 1: pressed back the army of evil agents. We sent brightness
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  Speaker 1: and light into the souls of men, quickening their memory
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  Speaker 1: for the love of God expressed in Jesus. We attracted
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  Speaker 1: their eyes to the Cross of Christ. Their hearts were
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  Speaker 1: deeply moved by a sense of the sin that crucified
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  Speaker 1: the son of God. They were convicted. They saw the
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  Speaker 1: steps to be taken in conversion. They felt the power
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  Speaker 1: of the Gospel. Their hearts were made tender as they
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: saw the sweetness of the love of God. They beheld
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: the beauty of the character of Christ. But with the
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: many it was all in vain. They would not surrender
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: their own habits in character. They would not put off
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: the garments of earth in order to be clothed with
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: the robe of heaven. Their hearts were given to coveteousness.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: They loved the associations of the world more than they
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: loved their God. Solemn will be the day of final decision.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: In prophetic vision, the apostle John describes it, I saw
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: a great white throne and him that sat on it,
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away,
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: and there was found no place for them. And I
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: the books were opened, and another book was open, which
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: is the book of Life. And the dead were judged
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: out of those things which were written in the books,
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: according to their works. Sad will be the retrospect in
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: that day, when men stand face to face with eternity.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: The whole life will present itself just as it has been.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: The World's pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: despise is alone of value. They will see that they
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: have fashioned their characters under the deceptive allurements of Satan.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: The garments they have chosen are the badge of their
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: allegiance to the first Great Apostate. Then they will see
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: the results of their choice. They will have a knowledge
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: of what it means to transgress the commandments of God.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: There will be no future probation in which to prepare
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: for eternity. It is in this life that we are
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: to put on the robe of Christ's righteousness. This is
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: our only opportunity to form characters for the home which
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: Christ has made ready for those who obey his commandments.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: The days of our probation are fast closing. The end
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: is near to us. The warning is given take heed
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, And
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: so that day come upon you unawares. Beware lest it
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: find you unready. Take heed, lest you be found at
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: the king's feast without a wedding garment. In such an
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: hour as ye think not, the son of Man cometh.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: he walk naked, and they see his shame. End of
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four