Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

From "The Present Truth", Number 1, 1918

(date is assumed to be 1918, no date actually listed on magazine) italics are my edits, spelling corrected when necessary, grammar as in original.

WHEN THE POWER OF THE BLOOD CAME DOWN

"But this man (Jesus Christ), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." Heb. 10:12. The offering spoken of here is not the offering of His body on the cross, which offering is spoken of in the 10th verse; but it has reference to the offering up of the blood which was shed on the cross at the time of the crucifixion, which was taken by the resurrected Jesus Himself and offered for the sins of the whole world. This being explained in this verse: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb. 9:12. Now, He could not have entered into the holy place for us with His own blood before it had been shed; neither would the shed blood availed for us unless it had been offered unto God by an High Priest, therefore Jesus arose from the dead, took His place as High Priest, offered His own blood, to fulfill the custom of the law.

The 16th chapter of Leviticus explains the yearly atonement, and in there we see that the High Priest made two entrances into the holy place, first for Himself, then for the people; showing us that He must first be accepted Himself before He could offer and offering for the people. So, on the morning of the resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalena. She attempted to touch Him, but Jesus said to her, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ASCEND UNTO MY FATHER, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." John 20:17. He undoubtedly ascended that day, for that same evening He appeared unto His disciples as they were gathered together in Jerusalem, and said unto them, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: HANDLE ME AND SEE." Luke 24:39. Now, from the words spoken to Mary, we see clearly that Jesus was to ascend unto the Father before any one was to touch Him, which we believe He did; then, after being accepted as High Priest, He returned to make Himself manifest to His disciples as He had promised. (Matt. 28:10); was with them on several occasions, and instructed them for 40 days, then ascended once more to appear in the presence of God for them, and offer the sacrifice for sins forever, and when this was done HE SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

The disciples, therefore, could not receive the benefit of the shed blood until it was offered for the remission of their sins. Under the law, the people waited for the High Priest to return unto them, after going into the holy place for them with the sacrificial blood, and the way they could tell that the High Priest was alive was by the sound which they could hear (illegible) the bells on the Priest's robe, for the sound was heard when He went in and when He came out. Ex. 28:35. Thank God, Jesus went into heaven itself, and not a holy place made with hands, to appear in the presence of God for us. Heb. 9:24. And as He was about to go in he said, “These signs shall follow them that believe, * * * they shall speak with the new tongues.” Mark 16:17. And when He came out to let them know that the blood had been accepted, He came with the SOUND of a mighty rushing wind, and the righteousness which had only been IMPUTED unto them before thru faith in the shed blood, was now imparted unto them thru their receiving the Holy Spirit, the Lord. For the Lord is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:17 R.V. And it
was on the day of Pentecost that they were all recognized as sons thru receiving 'the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cried ABBA, FATHER; the Spirit itself bearing witness with their spirit that they were children of God, Rom. 8: 15, 16. This is certainly clear enough for any one to see, that they not only bare witness with, or by their own spirit, but that the Holy Spirit also bare witness along with their spirit, when the Holy Spirit cried, ABBA (tongues), then their human spirit cried, FATHER. Bless the Lord.
Therefore, when we can see that : when Jesus offered the sacrifice for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, it will be very clear to us that no one ever received the power of the blood until Pentecost, “When the power of the blood came down.”
L. V. ROBERTS.

Footnote in original as follows:

Don't look for Christ's body in the tomb, nor His blood at the foot of the cross. He has risen and taken His blood into the presence of the Father. The life that was in the blood was shed abroad in the hearts of the 120 and as many as the Lord should call since the day of Pentecost. The power that is in the blood to cleanse from sin is the Holy Ghost. There is only one Holy Ghost and He is the Spirit of Truth, or the Spirit of Jesus. ''If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his."

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

This is interesting as we have had this conversation concerning this verse. Hope you don't mind me interjecting this previous conversation here as I feel as though it hasn't been fully answered or completed concerning Romans 8:9. And I particularly am interested in what the thought was concerning this issue in 1918 - Thread reference: http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...25&postcount=1

Bro. Blume, states that this passage (Romans 8:9) is not speaking on the issue of salvation, but concerning overcoming the flesh. I maintain that overcoming our flesh does concern our salvation and that Romans 8:9 certainly says you cannot be saved without the Spirit of Christ.

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

Excellent article.

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

Not at all, the point of making these threads was to generate discussion.

I think many of the brethren in 1918 viewed the Holy Ghost baptism as being the point in time at which a person's salvation either actually occurs, or is 'witnessed to' by God. Hence the commonly used terminology of 'the witness of the Spirit'. Nowadays we often view HGB as being a 'necessary component' of salvation, whereas our forebears tended to think of it in terms of it being a divine sign from God that salvation had occurred.

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

Right. Yet still, Romans 8:9 implies you can lose the Holy Ghost, not being part of the Kingdom of God, which makes you then lost - which is still a salvational issue.

IOW, "having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" - meaning, the Spirit that cleansed, saved and taught you is that same Spirit you need to conquer the flesh in order to stay saved - "if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel." Col. 1:23

I don't see how Romans 8:9 is not addressing a salvational issue.

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

BTW, this and the article by Frank Ewart are found in the first issue of 'The Present Truth', which may not have been issued in 1918, but more likely in 1916. If anyone can verify when this magazine was first issued it would help.

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

I wouldn't necessarily say 'you can lose the Holy Ghost' although I would say you can grieve the Holy Ghost right on out of your life through rebellion and unbelief.

But yes, I see Rom 8:9 as definitely speaking about salvation.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(Romans 8:1-9 KJV)

There is no way to separate salvation from sanctification and transformation. What good is salvation if it doesn't slay sin and carnality? 'And thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people FROM THEIR SINS.'

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

:thumbsup

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

So what we have is a 5'6" Jesus Priest, up in heaven, at the right hand of the Father's throne, continually covering sins with his blood that he shed at calvary....

Right?

Re: Classic preaching - L. V. Roberts, 1918
 

A blurb in the same issue:

"NON-ESSENTIALS
There are no non-essential truths. A thing cannot be true and be non-essential at one and the same time. Every tenet of the faith once delivered to the saints is tremendously essential."