The Real, Free Gospel - UBM [David Eells]

God cannot fail, but we can hinder His works with our own. Jesus told his disciples, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mat.16:6). They understood this to mean their teaching (verse 12). Their teaching that was so dangerous was salvation by self works (Gal.2:16; 5:1-6). In explaining this in Mt.16:9,10 Jesus said, "Do you not perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets(12) you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets(7) you took up?" Notice, the more loaves they provided of their own supply, the less were fed and the less baskets of leftovers there were. Jesus' obvious point was the more you work the less God works. Salvation in any form is by grace, which is unmerited or unearned. "For by grace have ye been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, that no man should glory". (Epe.2:8-9). The word "saved" here is translated from the Greek word "sozo" and is used in Lk.7:50 for the saving of the soul. In Lk.8:48 it is translated "made thee whole" for healing of the body. In Lk.8:36 it is translated "made whole" for deliverance from demons. In Mt.8:25 it is translated "save" for protection from danger. You see, "saved" covers every curse, and it is not of our works. Jesus "became a curse for us" so that we might have "the blessing of Abraham" (Gal.3:13,14). The all-inclusive curse in Dt.28 was put upon him. I remind you that Epe.2:8 says in the original Greek: "by grace have ye been saved", meaning it happened at the cross.

The wilderness is a completely safe and secure place for the "believer" because everything has already been provided there. Our faith in the promises is the very substance that the desired need is made from. (Heb.11:1) Now faith is assurance (or substance) of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. The reason Jesus said, "All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive (Greek: "received") them, and ye shall have them" (Mk.11:24), is because all of our provision was accomplished at the cross. Notice in the following verses that all things have been received and that the only thing left is for us to believe it. Also notice the past tense of our sacrificial provision in the following verses: (Epe.2:8) for by grace have ye been saved through faith; (1 Pet.2:24) who his own self bare our sins in his body ... by whose stripes we were healed; (Col.1:13) who delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; (2 Cor.5:18) ... who reconciled us to himself; (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ, and it's no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me; (Gal. 3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse; (1 Pet.1:3) ... the Father ... begat us again ... by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; (Heb.10:10) We ... have been sanctified ...; (14) He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified; (Epe.1:3) ... who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing,and God (2 Pet.1:3) hath granted unto us all things. Jesus told us in his day which, of course, is also in the past that "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (Jn.12:31); "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn.16:33); "It is finished" (Jn.19:30). This is why we are to believe we have received. The devil and the curse were conquered. We were saved, healed, delivered, and provided for. That is why Paul said "my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phl.4:19).

Redemption from the curse and provision for life is truly accomplished at the cross! In fact, God's "works were finished from the foundation of the world" (Heb.4:3), when He spoke the plan into existence. The only thing left is for the true sons of God to enter into those works by faith, believing they have received. Since the works are finished, we should believe and rest from our own works to save, heal, and deliver ourselves. This is rest in the wilderness on the grounds of God's promises. (Heb.4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest. That is a spiritual Sabbath rest. (Heb.4:9) There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest (Greek: sabbatismos, "keeping of rest") for the people of God. This constant "keeping of rest" every day through the past tense promises is our New Testament spiritual Sabbath. (10) For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. This rest is to believe these past tense promises.

(Heb.4:1) Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. (2) For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard.

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