Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was the greatest spiritual blessing since the apostles--an unfolding of justification by faith that can never be overthrown until the end of time; it was what Paul said is "the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:5). Truth is utterly essential. Jesus said He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6); He has always been the "Lord God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). "Truth in love" is vitally important because it's "the power of God unto salvation" (Eph. 4:15; Rom. 1:16). It's the revelation of the very character of God.
But does that mean that our understanding of the "truth of the gospel" was frozen in the 16th century so that no later generation can ever perceive a clearer grasp of it? One thing we know for sure--sin has "abounded" since the time of Luther and the Reformers; has the grace of God been restricted so that sin has developed more than our understanding of the gospel can develop? The gospel is "everlasting," but our understanding of it is finite.
To freeze it would be tragedy. The Bible unfolds a greater development in the great controversy between Christ and Satan, for "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). In the 16th century, God was on top of the situation; He still is in this 21st century. "The everlasting gospel" will yet "lighten the earth with glory"--a still clearer grasp of saving truth in these last days (Rev. 14:6; 18:1-4). God assures us that He will not permit Satan to out-think the Holy Spirit, for He has more truth to reveal: "The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18).
The great Protestant Reformation of justification by faith has prepared untold numbers of precious souls to die prepared to come up in the "first resurrection" (see Rev. 20:6). They can be happy in the kingdom of God forever. Now we've come to the time when the Holy Spirit will reveal a clearer understanding of truth that prepares people for translation at the second coming of Jesus (see 1 Thess. 4:16, 17)--something to do with the "Elijah message."
This means even deeper, clearer understanding of justification and righteousness by faith.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 26, 2005.
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