God’s grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord!

I received your very precious letter, and it is a great joy and comfort for me to see your joy and peace in Christ Jesus. Joy in God is our strength. Joy gives us the power and strength to forsake worldly desires. I heard that you went to the chapel in Farsund and experienced the meeting as sluggish, heavy, slow, and drawn-out. Yes, this is something I have also felt. What you wrote is true: the reason for it is their unbelief. The Spirit convicts the world of sin, because it does not believe in Him. People are convicted of sin, and are conscious of sin, because they do not believe. Just read John 16:9. Those who believe in Him are not convicted of sin. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Once faith has come, we are no longer under the tutor. Gal. 3:25. “‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident . . . .” There is none righteous, no, not one; they have all turned aside and become unprofitable. Rom. 3. The law only came so that we might know sin, but now, having been aware of sin for long enough, we are able to rejoice all the more over righteousness. The Spirit convinces us that in Christ we are perfectly righteous because He is risen from the dead, and it is the power of His resurrection that gladdens our inner being. Who is He who condemns??? It is Christ who has died, and we are dead in Him. The day you eat of it, you shall surely die. Now we are dead, and who would ever dig up . . .* the earth and squeeze and beat up . . .* with Him, so we believe we should live with Him.

“Though you slave away,
Yet unchanged you stay.”

In rest and confidence shall be our strength. We who believe enter into rest. Israel did not enter into rest because of unbelief. So it is with many, many people these days who do not enter into rest because of unbelief. Christ dwells in our heart through faith, but when people don’t have faith—or cast it away from them—then, of course, they cast Christ away from them. All this is so clear and simple that even a fool need not go astray. But it is true, as it is written: Not all have faith.

You also wrote that you swore when you nearly fell headfirst while out bicycling, and yet God didn’t reprove you. Yes, that’s how it is, and it is wonderful in our eyes. I also noticed this after I got converted, and so I mentioned it to Pastor M. Olsen, who is now in Arendal, hoping to find out the reason I wasn’t reproved when I unintentionally did what was wrong, but he didn’t have an answer.

But God, who is mighty in instruction and doctrine, has been my teacher, not man. What God has given me He has given by revelation in His knowledge. And now, dear brother, I will tell you the reason; but not everyone can bear such truths. May God give you insight, understanding, and the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Eph. 1:17. (Read this.)

When I sin willfully, and this sin is a fruit of my lusts, then such a sin is called: sin leading to death. This is because you are living according to the flesh and must die, spiritually speaking. Lust is conceived and brings forth sin.

But there is sin which does not lead to death—for example, what you did when you swore. You did what you hated, so it wasn’t you that did it, but the sin that dwells in you. Rom. 7:17. Such mishaps happen all through life. Paul studied this thoroughly, and having considered the matter carefully, he came to the conclusion . . .* Romans . . .* 5: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord . . . * with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Our mind serves God, but our flesh can’t do anything else but serve the law of sin, because whatever is born of the flesh is flesh. Nonetheless, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Walking according to the flesh means living according to one’s lusts. However, it is written that those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its lusts and desires. When our lusts and desires are crucified, it is impossible for them to conceive and bring forth sin. Conception takes place when the mind gives its consent to a carnal lust. Sin is born when the body carries out an act of sin. But when we serve the law of God with the mind, the mind rejects all the lusts of the flesh, and these become unfruitful, since no sinful act results. But if I do what I hate, it is no more I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. That is what makes grace to be grace. What love of God! All our boasting is excluded. You swore, yet God gave you joy by blessing you. Didn’t that soften your heart so that you hated even your own life in this world, the life which could be so vile despite God’s infinite love? But when we hate even our own lives, then we are His disciples indeed. Accordingly, we will always be delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of God also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Just think about the woman who was caught in adultery. They all condemned her, but Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Jesus doesn’t judge us, and even if He did, we would end up being acquitted.

How exceedingly valuable and precious to be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, based on the law, but that which is through the faith of Jesus Christ, God’s Son!

It is a great joy to me that you are beginning to distinguish between the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of the hireling who flees when a wolf comes. We can never be radical enough here. Proclaim the truth everywhere, and when you do this, you will become exceedingly happy even if people say you are possessed and are crazy. The man born blind was cast out of the synagogue because he gave glory to Jesus, but once outside, he met Jesus. That’s where we, too, meet Jesus when we are cast out and rejected from the synagogues. In His great grace and mercy, God has given me His spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. But when I speak, they are for war, even though my heart is full of joy. Jeremiah said the same. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. I tried to be silent, the prophet says, but then the Word became a power in me which would tear my bones asunder. Hallelujah for such power! “That word above all earthly powers. No thanks to them, abideth,” said Luther. Paul never yielded in subservience to anyone. It is written about Elisha that no one prevailed over him and no one was too strong for him.

You wrote, “I have the Spirit, and I follow the Spirit.” Hallelujah for that, brother! The mind of the Spirit is life and peace, but Satan’s mind is closed to the things of God. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God, and truly, the Spirit doesn’t lead us to do what is wrong.

Write again soon. It is always interesting to hear how you are doing.

Br. John Wintersborg certainly is a lowly and inconspicuous person, but he truly is a precious brother. He doesn’t understand much of the natural, but conversely understands spiritual things well. If you get to speak to him personally, then I’m sure you will realize that he understands quite a bit about spiritual things.

All the best from us all here.

Your brother in the same redemption in Christ,

Address: Nordre Enggade 8–(not 9)

(. . .* Here, some of the original letter is damaged and unreadable.)

As we have received Jesus, so let us walk in Him. Let us now ask ourselves, did we receive Jesus by works of the law or by the preaching of faith??? Naturally, by the preaching of faith! So naturally we walk in Him by faith and not by works of the law. The law is only for transgressors, so those who want to be under the law will also inadvertently make themselves transgressors.

But if, when seeking to be justified through Christ, we are still found to be transgressors, then we make Christ to be a servant of sin. Let this be far from us.