A Sermon By Dr Charles S. Price 

 "Know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with  God?" (James 4:4) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is NOT OF THE FATHER, BUT IS OF THE WORLD. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but HE THAT DOES THE WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER." I John 2:15 16. 16 This world system in which self has waxed fat is not a planting of "the Father" but is a growth and result of the Adamic curse, under "our father the devil." We have been clothed with the wool from the back of self; wool of the production of self. We have patted self and exalted self until it has grown and spread itself like a GREEN BAY TREE! We know not that we are "wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked?"

  As we view the panorama of the world system we find that the Divine ultimatum, "For there is no difference: for ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," is, of a truth, being portrayed before our very eyes. As these pages are being written, an international court, having found
guilty its prisoners of war, now stands in jeopardy of its own sinless ness according to the press, and they are to be judged for sin committed while they were sitting in judgment upon others! Who can cast a stone? Who is without sin? "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholds thou the mote (splinter) that is in thy brother's eye, but considers not the beam (plank) that is in your own eye?" Shall not the Judge of the whole earth do right? It seems in this time of stripping of one's own righteousness that each might cry to Him, "Forgive me as I forgive others!" "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses!" Matt. 6:14, 15 For, of a truth, our release is predicated upon our releasing others! Even as our Lord came not to condemn the world but to save it and "has given to us the ministry of RECONCILIATION; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses  unto them; and has committed unto us the WORD OF RECONCILIATION." II Corinthians 5:18, 19

The Kingdom

 "Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you." Jas. 5:1 Many of us, finding ourselves rich in self, would attempt to commit suicide, even as Judas did. But God is showing His way of escape, for IF WE WILL SEE HIM, WE SHALL DIE - and in such death, we will live again, for Christ will be our life. Even as that poor man who beat his breast and cried, "God be merciful unto me a sinner!" For our righteousness comes not with OBSERVATION (that is of outward appearing) even as the Kingdom comes not with observation. Under the guise of that which does not appear to know God, there may be the deepest communion with God. We have made ourselves sure of the propriety of the outside of the cup while in side we may have been ravening wolves, planning and plotting against one another. "Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS!" Is. 6:5

 But there is One and in Him we are clean every whit! Not a spot nor a blemish in our Deliverer who "makes you whole." He makes it an other vessel when He is enthroned within and when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory! Glorious appearing of our Deliverer from self? One Lord - one God - one faith - one freedom!

 Humanity has been bitten by the snake of the Adamic curse and in us dwells no good thing. But, oh what a remedy redeeming love has so freely provided. LOOK AND LIVE! "Look unto Me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else." Is. 45 :22 "For our conversation is in heaven; (in the Spirit) from hence also we LOOK FOR THE SAVIOUR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: who shall change our vile body' that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." Phil. 3:20. 21 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:18

 There is nothing that we - possess that can save us. If we are on the housetop, we need not go down to take anything out! Sometime ago, during a radio broadcast announcing the invasion of this planet by Mars, some who were listening found them selves seriously fearing such an invasion by morning. One lady thought of all that lay in the house - things of great value - and what would she take to  safety. She found herself, finally, with nothing left but the Blood of Jesus, that would meet such an emergency. Nothing of value for such an emergency! Nothing but the precious blood Nothing to cover the nakedness and sinfulness when faced with sudden destruction but the Blood of the Lamb! As caretaker of the property, all that she actually possessed was in the Blood of Christ! To Him be all the glory! No need to go back into the house! Naked we came into this world and naked we go out - but for His covering! Thank God for Christ! Thank God for the slain Lamb! Thank God for the Sin-Bearer!

He Meets Our Needs

 There is a danger that we be caught in the current of the system of this world until the reality of the Person of Christ is lost. Even in worship! We can lose Christ in the temple! We can be so caught in the popular cur rent of religious worship today that the true facts of life and their answers in Him may be lost in the accoutrements of religion and its program. We shall have nothing to meet our needs when the crisis comes because we have not followed the very essence of the Gospel which is the Person of the Lord Jesus. When we find ourselves in need, many times we reach out for some person to whom we may go. We have not learned to walk and talk with God. When, in perplexity,
we desire an answer to our inquiry, we go to the telephone and contact some of God's children instead of BEING STILL AND KNOWING THAT I AM GOD! People going to people instead of going to God! In stead of speaking to the Rock we smite it. ANY TIME WE PUT GOD IN SECOND PLACE WE SMITE HIM! Israel could plead with Moses, but only God could send the manna. Men may preach His salvation but only Christ can save. But our Father is still available We have access by THE NEW AND LIVING WAY whereby we may come BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE! We do not have to come through a high priest, through something like unto ourselves! But we may THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD come to the Father! "Come unto Me. ME . . . all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Take My yoke upon you, and LEARN OF ME; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find REST UNTO YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30
 

  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me!" John 10:27 It is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have insulted and done despite to the Spirit of grace when we exalt man. We have DEIFIED MAN and HUMANIZED GOD! But the DAY OF RECKONING IS UPON US. The Deliverer from self and from one another is here! The great DAY OF GOD AL MIGHTY IS AT HAND and who can stand in the evil time? If we are leaning on anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ. we shall fall! We are each of us on the way out in our rights for there is only One who is righteous! He has said, "Why do you call Me good? There is none good but One, that is,
God!" Matt. 19:17 Who would dare hold himself up as righteous in the face of the Master's declaration? He was truth! And how dare we give that place to any other potentate?

 Seeing God with a SINGLE EYE! To know no man after the flesh we deliver such a man and deliver our selves as we SEE ONLY CHRIST! Let us be careful lest we think our selves better than another for it will only lead to heartache! It is the sick that need the Physician. If we are found in self in our way, in our righteousness, we need the Physician. For if we depend upon anything of the flesh we are of all men most miserable. It is not by my abstaining or by my becoming righteous, but it is WHEN HIS LIFE APPEARS that we are truly righteous in Him. He is our righteousness. I have no right to condemn any one's life in the flesh for that has been condemned already. It is when HIS LIFE SHALL APPEAR then we shall appear with Him in glory.

 There is an answer to every problem and that answer can be summed up in one word, "JESUS" the DOOR TO GOD! There is 0no other way: there is no other door. Only Jesus. And He is all we need. And in that open door I see my wisdom, my righteousness, my strength, and my healing. But more glorious than all, I see my resurrected life divine, and infinite and eternal. And to my ransomed heart He speaks "Because I live, you shall live also." Four freedoms? Whom THE SON MAKES FREE IS FREE INDEED!