Easter Conference at Brunstad

True comfort

The Scriptures do not speak in vain. They mean what they say concerning the promises as well as the conditions. For example, when we read in 1 Peter 2:9 about a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, then it really means chosen, holy, and separate. And when they speak about victory, being dead to sin, and a life in the virtues of Christ, they really mean that. Also, when we read that God resists the proud, then this resistance from God’s side is real.

When, according to Romans 9:23, we can consider ourselves vessels of mercy, then this will preserve us from being puffed up as well as from becoming discouraged. It is senseless to exalt yourself, because we are vessels of mercy. It is also meaningless to lose courage, because we are vessels of mercy. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:19. How can we know whether we are of God? When we do the good! This is a great comfort. As we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:16, God has given us an everlasting consolation and good hope by grace. And in verse 17 we read further that He may “comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”

We have a flesh in which dwells nothing good. It can be compared to an unexploded bomb. What a comfort it is, though, that we can surrender all of it into the death of Christ and live! Rom. 8:13.

Paul had great hope for the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 7:4 he writes, “I am filled with comfort.” There is a caring heart behind such words. May we also work in that same spirit and with that same fervent heart! Then we will also be comforted in all our tribulations and in all our labors. Read 1 Peter 3:10-13. If we want to have a good life, then these words are a great consolation for us. Keep your tongue from speaking evil. Turn away from evil and do good. Pursue peace. Lead a righteous life. Then the Lord will hear our prayers! Then no one can do us any evil if we pursue the good. Then we will experience the truth of Romans 8:28. We will be comforted in all our tribulations, just as Paul was, so that we can comfort the others in their tribulations. In our tribulations we will also find true comfort in David’s psalms, and we will have fellowship with David, who also found abundant comfort in all his tribulations.

The godfearing Simeon was waiting for the Consolation of Israel. Luke 2:25. No one can comfort the spiritual and the earthly Israel as Jesus can. “My kindness shall not depart from you . . . .” Is. 54:10. Open your heart to this comfort. In verse 13 we also read about promises for our children. God regards the prayers of the saints. It is difficult for a prayer-child to be lost. If you care for the others, then God will care for you in your battle! “I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die . . . .” Is. 51:12. We have nothing to fear!

At the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, all members of the Israeli Parliament were given Isaiah 40 to read. There it says, “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God. ‘Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended.’” There is no doubt that God stands by His promises to the earthly Israel. God has given the land to His friend Abraham for all times, and he will firmly establish the people of Israel in the land. In these days we can see how the spiritual hosts of wickedness are whipping up the sea of mankind. But we have nothing to fear! We are to lift up our heads, because summer is near. Our calling as a church is to be “blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” 1 Thess. 3:13.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matt. 5:4. The mourning that Jesus speaks about here is not a mourning because we cannot get our own will through, for example, but it is a mourning over this “O wretched man that I am!” that all of us have. We will be abundantly comforted if we mourn over that. And the comfort is that we will be finished with sin if we suffer in the flesh!

Once we have been properly convinced of all the comfort that we have in Christ, we cannot but love our brothers and sisters, and “increase more and more” in it. 1 Thess. 4:10. And in verse 11 we read so blessedly about aspiring to lead a quiet life and minding our own business. Seen in this context, should it not be sufficient for all of us who find our nature, as described in Romans 3, to mind our own business and work out our own salvation, without being a busybody in things that do not concern us?

Jesus’ precious faith

Jude saw it necessary to exhort us to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. That is Jesus’ precious faith. When we read in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus is the author of ourfaith, and we think about Abraham, the father of all believers, and about all the heroes of faith in the old covenant, it can seem a little bit strange that Jesus is the author of our faith. However, the point is that there is a tremendous difference between the faith of the old covenant and the faith of the new covenant. The rich young ruler had kept all the commandments. But when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be perfect, he went away sorrowful. The heavenly riches would have cost him his earthly riches, which he was not willing to give up. The blessings in the old covenant were of an earthly kind, but Jesus came with treasures for our spirit.

In Hebrews 9 the old and new covenants are compared. Concerning Jesus’ work in the new covenant we read in verse 12 that He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot to God. V. 14. This is where we find Jesus’ precious faith, the faith that Jude exhorted us to contend for. By offering ourselves, we have boldness to enter into the Most Holy Place. When we consider the times in the old covenant, we can see how God treated people, even entire nations. We see God’s power, His goodness, and His faithfulness. But all this was outside the body. The forgiveness of sins, healing for the body, and giving the tenth of our earnings, etc., were not unknown in the old covenant. The vast majority of believers (by and large) attach great importance only to these things. Unfortunately, the vast majority are blind to the glorious work that occurred in Jesus: that sin was condemned in the flesh. Death could not hold Him. Redemption from all sin within the body! That is the precious faith of Jesus Christ! God’s Word can be lived! This is the faith that is in the church today. The religious world does not possess this faith. That is why they focus mostly on earthly blessings.

The apostle John calls out to us today: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15. May we live and work in Jesus’ precious faith until He returns! And may we let those who are closest to us drink of this Spirit of faith that works in our own lives!

In Ephesians 4:29 we read about words that are good for necessary edification. Such words were in abundant evidence at the Easter conference. Good words! Necessary words! And words for necessary edification! Let us therefore work out our salvation with fear and trembling on the basis of what we have heard at the conference.