Are YOU under God's protection in this violent and war-torn world?
You had better read this article to be sure!
THIS WORLD is teetering on the edge of oblivion. Thoughtful men everywhere are fearful.
We are living in the shadow of violent death — hydrogen death. It could be unleashed by the tiniest political spark in a far distant land.
Knowing all this has made people very restless. It has made them think seriously about many things — not the least of which is the hereafter.
Why Increased Religious Interest
This era of race violence and potential world suicide has helped stimulate an increased interest in religion in the United States. Multitudes are thinking more and more about making peace with somebody, even God.
But are they really "making peace" with God, being truly converted — changed, and coming under His divine protection?
The true Creator God says that most religious people are being deceived! Your Bible describes these very end times as a period when Satan the Devil "deceiveth the whole world."
Jesus described our day when He said: "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall DECEIVE many" (Mat. 24:5). Yes, the many preachers who claim to be Christ's ministers, who proclaim that He is Christ but preach their own human devised message about His person — they are deceiving the many!
Yet, in order to be regarded by God (men to the contrary notwithstanding) as a true Christian, in order to be under His protection in these perilous times, in order to be led by His Spirit, you must believe and obey the very message Jesus Christ brought to this earth from God the Father.
And in this age above every other, you desperately need God — His guidance, His blessing, His protection! There is no use "kidding" yourself about this fact. You have only one life — and this is your life!
What You Should Do
You had better face the fact that you are very likely one of the multitude going the broad way that leads to destruction! If you are following the crowd, if you have the same general attitude toward religion that most people do, then without doubt you are deceived! For remember that Satan the Devil "deceiveth the whole world" (Rev. 12:9).
But many hundreds of you are coming to the realization that over The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast and through the pages of this magazine you are receiving the very message that Jesus Christ brought to save this world from itself. If you are to come under the blessing and protection of the God and Father of Jesus Christ, you need to be sure of that message — act on it, obey it.
You need to prove to yourself once and for all that there is a personal, living, active, all-powerful, Creator God. You must know that the Bible is His inspired Word — His direct revelation to man of that essential knowledge of the real purpose of life and of the spiritual laws of life which, if obeyed, will bring happiness and success. You must prove and know that the Holy Scriptures carry authority — that they are backed up by the power of the Living God who gives you every breath of air you breathe.
You may already understand these things. But be sure that you have proved them to the extent that you would fear to disobey the commands of God in His Holy Word. It must be regarded as an authority over your very life. Christ said: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word which I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).
Once you have fully proved these basic principles to yourself, then you need to study and understand and obey the true message of Almighty God contained in His Word. You must respect and fear the Living God enough to obey His commands.
God's Message
The clearest revelation of God's plan and purpose was revealed by Jesus Christ. And after all, to be a "Christian" simply means to believe in and obey what Jesus Christ taught — to accept and submit to the message He brought from God the Father.
Jesus stated: "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak" (John 12:49). So Christ's message is direct from God the Father.
It is to be obeyed!
Jesus came to "reveal" the Father (Mat. 11:27). Above all else, He revealed God as the over-all Supreme Ruler of the universe. He taught that man is not to follow his own ideas and traditions, but is to "live by every word of God" (Luke 4:4).”Search the scriptures," Jesus said.
Christ taught His disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:2).
He continually taught obedience to the Law and Will of God. When a young man asked Him the way to eternal life, Jesus answered: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Mat. 19:17).
So if you are to be a true Christian, you must yield yourself to obey God's Will, keep the Ten Commandments specifically, and surrender your will so completely to your Maker that you will "live by every word of God."
The entire New Testament reveals that God purposes to form within those whom He calls holy, righteous, perfect spiritual character as a prerequisite to the precious gift of eternal life in His kingdom. The basis of this character is the absolute yieldedness of one to obey God's perfect spiritual law revealed by the Ten Commandments and spiritually magnified in the New Testament.
It involves a complete surrender of your personal will to God. It is a complete change in attitude, belief, and way of life. The apostle Paul was inspired to write: "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:2).
But human will and strength cannot affect this change. The spiritual love and power must come as a gift from God!
God's Help Is Required
You have perhaps known of many people who make "resolutions" to live a better life; of drunks who decided to "give up the bottle;" of criminals who "reformed" by some means or other. If so, you will recall that most of these changes were neither permanent nor satisfactory. And even in those cases where a change in some area of life became permanent, the entire life, attitude, and actions were not totally yielded to the complete and perfect will of the Creator by any means.
Human beings cut off from the true God can "reform" themselves to a limited extent. But they can never affect that process we call "conversion." For true conversion is a total change which is affected by God in one's very mind and nature.
After real conversion, you begin to study the Bible, meditate on God's Law, and pray and talk to God continually. By this process, and through His Spirit, you come to have the very thoughts and nature of God within you.
Your whole life is completely changed — converted, and you grow in grace and knowledge day by day. In spiritual attitude and character, you become more like Christ in every phase of life. Such a total change takes place within you as would be impossible to bring about or account for except as a supernatural act of the Almighty God.
But this supernatural help from God is available only on certain very important conditions.