The Necessary Knowledge of God’s Work in the Age of Grace

Sermons and Fellowship

If we are able to earnestly ponder Almighty God's words that reveal the significance and essence of God’s work in the Age of Grace, we will be entirely able to recognize that the Lord Jesus’ work in the Age of Grace was the work of redemption, and it was the work of atonement for corrupt mankind. The Lord Jesus’ words and work in the Age of Grace all centered around the work of redemption, and it was all to have people accept Jesus as their Savior, come in front of God to acknowledge all of their sins, gain God’s forgiveness, and be able to rely upon God’s grace to live in front of Him.

It was all to have people be able to enjoy all the grace and blessings bestowed upon them by God after turning toward Him, to recognize that He is a God of mercy and love, to frequently pray to Him, worship Him to live in the grace and blessings bestowed by Him. It was all to have people spread the gospel and bear witness to God’s salvation after recognizing that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and be able to take on Jesus’ promise and know how to prepare to gain salvation of the last days. That is enough to make people see that what the Lord Jesus did in the Age of Grace was entirely the work of redeeming mankind. The Lord Jesus being nailed to the cross and becoming a sin offering is closely linked to God’s work in the Age of Law. In the Age of Law, the Israelites knew God’s leadership and knew how to follow His laws and commandments, but because of humanity’s corruption, they still frequently violated the laws and commandments, sinning against and offending God. This made people realize what a sin is, and what committing a sin is, know what sins people commit and how to make a sacrifice to obtain God’s forgiveness after having sinned. From this, we can see that the primary outcome achieved from God’s laws and commandments was having people know what a sin is, and how they should make sacrifices after having sinned so that they can be forgiven by God. That is why the Lord Jesus came in the Age of Grace to complete the work of atonement for mankind. This really is very meaningful. In the Age of Law, offering sacrifices, burnt offerings, and peace offerings only resolved a single sin, and provided one pardon, but in the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus was an eternal, thorough sin offering, and at one time forgave mankind’s sins for all of eternity. This allowed people to see how great God’s love for mankind is, and that His disposition not only includes righteousness, majesty, and wrath, but it also includes mercy and love, and in particular that the grace He bestows upon man is vast and plentiful. Once people’s sins have been forgiven, they can enjoy all of His grace as before. It can be seen that His love for mankind is true and His grace is truly great and immeasurable. Not only was the Lord Jesus a sin offering for corrupt humanity and with that one act He eternally forgave mankind’s sins, but He taught people many truths of the Age of Grace to have them love each other, have tolerance for each other, to forgive others seventy times seven times, as well as to forgive others for eternity and to pray for their enemies, and to love others as themselves. Not only did He not abolish the laws and commandments, but He perfected the work of the Age of Law, so that all those who accepted the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption could properly assemble and pray to God, worship God, spread the gospel and bear witness to God—that is bearing witness. It is clear that God’s work in the Age of Grace was entirely built on the foundation of His work in the Age of Law. The Lord Jesus truly became a sin offering and achieved the work of redeeming mankind, and in one action eternally forgave all of corrupt mankind’s sins of resisting God, qualifying them to come in front of God, pray to Him, and worship Him. However, the Lord Jesus being a sin offering is not the same as completely saving mankind and completing God’s management plan. There are many people in the Christian religion who believe that the Lord Jesus saying “It is finished” on the cross meant that He had already completed God’s work of saving mankind. This is incorrect—it is nothing more than a human notion and imagination which shows that people don’t have an iota of understanding of God’s work. If Jesus’ work of redemption had already completely saved mankind, then religious people today would not be constantly praying and admitting their sins, and the major denominations would not be as depressed and desolate as they currently are. The Lord Jesus also certainly would not say “I come quickly.” Only the return of the Lord Jesus, Almighty God’s work of judgment and chastisement in the last days is the complete work of saving mankind. Through judgment and chastisement, pruning and dealing, and trials and refinement, Almighty God is resolving the issue of mankind’s corruption so that they can thoroughly cast off the bonds and constraints of Satan’s influence, and become people who obey and worship God because they truly know Him. The facts are enough to demonstrate that the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption was just paving the way for God to completely save mankind in the last days, and only by accepting His work in the last days can people achieve complete salvation. This is an utterly indisputable fact.

The Lord Jesus’ work of redemption rapidly expanded the scope of God’s work in Israel, and extended it completely to the Gentiles’ world and to the ends of the earth. This is how God’s work expanded from Israel to the entire world in the Age of Grace, and many people in every country and every region came in front of God, prayed to Him, and worshiped Him. His name has spread to every country and every region. It is clear from this that God’s management plan to save mankind had already been halfway completed while also paving the way for God’s work in the last days.

If the substantive significance of God’s work in the Age of Grace is to be summed up in one sentence, it will be that God incarnate made Himself a sin offering for corrupt humanity in order to redeem mankind. The substantive significance of the work of the Age of Grace that is most prominent is that of “redemption.”

from “Only God’s Three Stages of Work Are His Complete Work for Saving Mankind” in Collection of Sermons—Supply for Life

On the Way of Tribulation, God’s Word Encouraged Me

I was born in an ordinary family. My father was a soldier. Influenced and nurtured by my father from childhood, I thought in my heart that soldiers should take serving their country and obeying orders as their bounden mission and dedicate themselves selflessly to the Party and the people, and I aimed to become a soldier in the future and walk along my father’s path. However, things that happened later changed my viewpoint of pursuit and way of life little by little. In 1983, I heard Jesus’ gospel. Because of the special leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I, who had been poisoned by atheism and Red Education since childhood, was deeply moved by the Lord Jesus’ love. From then on, I stepped onto the way of believing in God.

Regenerated in God’s Word

I was a peasant. As my family was poor, I kept working everywhere to make money, just wanting to live a better life through my own labor. However, in real life I saw that the lawful rights and interests of a rural worker like me couldn’t be guaranteed at all. My wages were often withheld for no reason. Deceived and exploited by others again and again, I couldn’t get the payment I deserved for a year’s hard work. I felt that the world was too dark! People lived by the law of the jungle like animals and contended with and fought against each other. There was simply no place for me to live.

The Secret to Saving a Marriage (Part 2) —Almighty God Saved My Marriage

However, when I shared the gospel with my wife, she would not accept it. Then, I asked the brothers and sisters from the church to come and share the gospel with my wife, but she still wasn’t willing to listen and she didn’t want to have them as guests. In light of these circumstances, I could only entrust my eager hopes for my wife to God. One day, I read this passage of God’s word: “Your practice and revelations in real life are the testimony of God, they are man’s living out and the testimony of God, and this is truly enjoying God’s love; when you have experienced to this point, the due effect will have been achieved. You are possessed of actual living out and your every action is looked upon with admiration by others. Your appearance is unremarkable, but you live out a life of the utmost piety, … admired by others—and these are the people who have testimony, and are the manifestation of God” (“Those Who Love God Will Forever Live Within His Light” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

The Secret to Saving a Marriage (Part 1) —Almighty God Saved My Marriage

When I was young, my mom and dad often argued, and my mom frequently suffered beatings and abuse at the hands of my dad. She carried so much rancor in her heart that she died quite young. Thereafter I promised myself: When I grow up and start a family, I will be good to my wife and create a happy and peaceful family. I would not repeat the failures of my mother and father’s marriage.

Testimony of a Christian: I Have Wealth More Valuable Than Money

Editor’s Note: If you have someone like this in your life, someone who wants to become wealthy but never succeeds, and who lives in torment, how should you help him escape his misery? What follows is the experience of author Shun Xin, whose predicament was precisely this, but today she can calmly evaluate her monetary gains and losses, and has found a wealth more valuable than riches. How did she emerge from her torment? And what is this wealth more valuable than money? Let’s discover these things through her story.

The Word of God Leads Me to Live Out a Little Like a Human

 

 I was born into a blessed family. From a young age, my parents loved me very much. In addition, my grades were good and adults often praised me in front of my brothers, sisters and me: “Xiao Ye will certainly have good prospects in the future….” I really felt so much pride for myself after hearing this and always indulged in self-admiration and wild arrogance, thinking I was better than my siblings, regarding myself as a rare talent in the family…. I grew up in such a superior environment.

Uncovering the Mystery of “Judgment”

My name is En Hui and I’m 46 years old. I live in Malaysia, and I have been a believer in the Lord for 27 years. In October 2015, I moved to another city to take up a job. My new colleagues were all big fans of Facebook, which they used for chatting, finding new friends, and posting images. Seeing that I didn’t have a Facebook account they set one up for me, and I gradually learned how to go online and use it.

The Lord Jesus Is God Himself, Why He Called God Father in Heaven

By Gan Xin

The Lord Jesus said, “How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:12-14). From these words, we can see the Lord Jesus’ love for us mankind. He compared each of us to a sheep. If a sheep is lost, He will do whatever it takes to find it—this is His attitude in saving man. Here, the last sentence says, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” We all know that the Lord Jesus is the incarnate God Himself, and that His word is God’s word. Why then did the Lord Jesus say the words, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish”?

Gospel Movie Clip "The Gospel Messenger" (2)

Gospel Movie Clip "The Gospel Messenger" (2) - Christ Is God Incarnate For the last two thousand years, although believers in the Lord have known that the Lord Jesus is Christ, that He is God in the flesh, no one has been able to understand the mysteries of the truth pertaining to what God's incarnation truly is and how we should know the incarnate God. This is why, when Almighty God of the last days became flesh to come do God's judgment, some people treated Him as if He were just a regular person and refused to accept Almighty God's work of the last days. People are very likely to lose God's salvation of the last days this way. It is evident that understanding the truth of incarnation is critical for welcoming the Lord's return.

The Age of Law The Significance of God's Work Was Primarily to Guide Mankind

Classic Words of God:

The significance, purpose, and step of Jehovah's work in Israel were to begin His work on the whole earth, gradually spreading to Gentile nations from its center in Israel. This is the principle according to which He works throughout the universe—to establish a model, then broaden it until all people in the universe have accepted His gospel. The first Israelites were the descendants of Noah.

New Interpretation of Forgiveness of Sins

Hello brothers and sisters of Find the Shepherd,

Most of the co-workers and brothers and sisters in our church follow world trends, worship status and power, and compete for fame and wealth, thus living in the cycle of sinning, confessing, and sinning again. Under such a circumstance, some brothers and sisters think that though we still often sin, because the Lord Jesus has already pardoned our sins, as long as we had faith in God then we will not be condemned and will be raptured into the kingdom of heaven when He returns; while the others, based on God’s words “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), think that because we still live in sin and are not purified, we are not qualified to look upon the Lord’s face. For this, I’m quite confused and cannot figure out which view is right. So I wonder: We who have been forgiven our sins but still live in the state of sinning and repenting, can we see the Lord’s face at all?

What Is God’s Salvation?

By Junying

God’s salvation is different from man saving each other; it’s not the financial relief given to the poor by the rich, it’s not the saving of the dying and the treating of the wounded performed on patients by doctors, and it’s not the deeds of charitable organizations or philanthropists. God’s salvation is prepared for the sake of saving man’s degenerate souls, and the entirety of His salvation contains the truth, the way and the life. After we attain salvation, there is no longer any more pain, tears or sorrow, nor any more feelings of helplessness in our families, our studies, our work and our lives, and our lives become filled with light and happiness; we live with more purpose and meaning, and we live within the promises and blessings of God.

English Gospel Song "Only Those Who Accept the Truth Can Hear God's Voice"

Only Those Who Accept the Truth Can Hear God’s Voice Where there is the appearance of God, there’s expression of the truth and the voice of God. Only those who accept the truth can hear God’s voice and witness His appearance. Put away views of “impossible”! Thoughts of impossible are likely to happen. God’s wisdom soars higher than the heavens. God's thoughts and God's work are far beyond all man’s thoughts. The more impossible something is, the more there is truth to seek. The more beyond man’s conception, the more it contains God’s will. No matter where He appears, God is still God, God is still God. And His essence will never change because of where He’s appeared. Put your notions aside, quiet your heart, read these words. If you yearn for the truth, God will let you know His will and words. God’s disposition remains the same. Wherever His steps are, He is mankind’s God. Jesus is God of all Israelites, God of Asia, Europe, and the whole universe. Seek God’s will from His utterance, discover His appearance, follow His footprints. God is the truth, the way, the life. His words and appearance exist at the same time. His disposition and footprints are always made known to man. Brothers, sisters, hope you can see God’s appearance in these words. Follow Him toward a new age, into a new heaven and earth that has been prepared for all of those who wait for God’s appearance. Put your notions aside, quiet your heart, read these words. If you yearn for the truth, God will let you know His will. Put your notions aside, quiet your heart, read these words. If you yearn for the truth, you will get one step forward in knowing God. 

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

The Great White Throne Judgment Has Begun

By Xiaolan

Editor’s note: Many Christians believe that the great white throne judgment is the work that the Lord will reward the good and punish the wicked, and determine man’s outcome when He comes back. So how is the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation carried out? Let’s see the experiences of Sister Xiaolan.

What’s the Relationship Between Jesus and Jehovah? Is Jesus God Himself?

By Ruochen

Xiaoyan saw the following words in the Bible: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, see, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting on him: And see a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). “Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us. Jesus said to him, … Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?” (John 14:8-10). “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). After reading these verses, she felt confused: God in heaven called the Lord Jesus “my beloved Son,” the Lord Jesus called God in heaven Father as He prayed, but the Lord Jesus answered Philip by saying “I and my Father are one.” Is the Lord Jesus the son of Jehovah God? Are Jehovah and the Lord Jesus Father and Son? Then she thought of how her uncle had served the Lord for many years and that he had unique insights into the Bible, so she went to visit him and sought out the answers from him.

Christmas Bible Reading: Focusing on Jesus’ Return

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16

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Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Christmas Day is coming! Maybe you are busy with Christmas preparations, but please do not forget to quiet our heart before God and meditate on God’s love and grace.

How Do We Know That the Lord Jesus Has Returned?

Speaking of the return of the Lord, it is written in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” No one can know when the Lord Jesus will return, so how do you know that the Lord Jesus has returned already? It really seems inconceivable to us!

For Ten Years, Who Wrenched My Mom From Home

By Zhou Jun, Germany

In a few days it would be Christmas Day, so the streets were full of festival atmosphere. As I was memorizing words with drooping head inside my classroom as usual, my classmate Anna who came from Philippines sat next to me and asked curiously: “Jun, will you return to China this Christmas to reunite with your family?” At her words, I was speechless, just looking at her and not knowing how to reply her.

Gospel Movie Clip "God's Name Has Changed?!" (2) - Is God's Name Truly Unchangeable?

Pastors and elders of the religious world frequently preach to believers that the Lord Jesus' name can never change and that only by relying on the Lord Jesus' name can we be saved. Does this kind of view accord with the truth? Jehovah God said, "Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:10-11). In the Age of Grace, God incarnate took the name Jesus. God is unchangeable, so how can God's name change? Furthermore, Revelation prophesied that God will have a new name in the last days, so what is this all about? Many people are at a loss over this, but this short video will disclose the truth to you.