CIRCULAR LETTER April 1996

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Heb. 13:8)

CIRCULAR LETTER April 1996

I greet you all, near and far, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ with the word from Revelation 1:17b-18:

"Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

We find the phrase "Fear not!" more than seventy times in the Bible, beginning with Abraham in Genesis 15:1 to Revelation. Again and again the Lord always had the words for His own "Fear not!", which imparts confidence and trust in Him. Especially in the Gospels we encounter "Fear not" and "Only believe" in a wide variety of situations. Even today, we find comfort in these words, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.

The apostle John writes: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18). The true believers have nothing to fear, for their punishment was laid upon the Lamb of God that they might have peace, and with His stripes we are healed. The love of God was fully and completely revealed in the Son of God, on the cross of Calvary, for all sons and daughters of God.

The words Paul spoke, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," cannot be overemphasized. As the Son of God, our Redeemer partakes with us in His body of flesh. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."  (Hebrews 2:14-15).

According to the testimony of Scripture, by the blood of the New Covenant, we are fully redeemed, justified by grace, sanctified by His Word, already perfected, and brought to the goal (Hebrews 10:14). While we were still dead in sins and transgressions, God quickened us together with Christ, raised us up with Him, and made us sit together in heavenly places (Ephesians 2). For us, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Ascension Day, and Pentecost are not holidays that we celebrate once a year with special devotion, rather they are historic salvation events in the fulfilled redemption plan of our God, in which we may participate with all the redeemed. We have been granted forgiveness, justification, renewal, rebirth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We were indeed chosen before the foundation of the world and predestined in Jesus Christ to be sons and daughters of God (Ephesians 1 and other verses). Those who believe this in their heart and have actually experienced it are no longer afraid, neither of the present nor of the future. Even more so, because we are permitted to recognize the signs of the times, we lift up our heads, as it is written, because we know that our redemption draweth nigh.