A COVENANT BY SACRIFICE

1. How God gathers the saints:
   1. Through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
   2. Compare John 10:15, 16 with Eph. 4:11-16
   3. That is why this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world - Matt. 24:14; 28:18-20
2. The final gathering of the saints will take place at the second coming of Christ:
   1. The resurrection of the just takes place - Luke 14:14; John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23
   2. The righteous that are alive at the coming of the Lord will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye - 1 Cor. 15:52
   3. All will meet the Lord in the air - 1 Thess. 4:13- 17

1. Who is a saint?
   1. Not necessarily those who are acclaimed to be saints by men.
   2. A saint is a person wholly dedicated to God, His word, and His cause - 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 14:12
   3. A saint is one who has forsaken sin and has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 13:11-14
   4. He is one that has experienced the new birth - John 3:3-9; 2 Pet. 1:2-9
2. "Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice":
   1. A covenant is a solemn agreement freely entered into with God.
   2. This agreement is ratified by our laying all on the altar of sacrifice - Rom. 12:1-3
   3. Noah, Abraham, and other dedicated saints, entered into solemn agreements with God by sacrifice - Gen. 8:20-22; 12:1-11
   4. Plan of redemption is based upon sacrifice - John 3:16; Rev. 13:8

1. Does God mark us as "my saints"?
   1. Can we honestly before God qualify to be marked as saints?
   2. Let us think very earnestly and search our lives to find the truthful answer to our question.
   3. Does it mean that one has to be without fault to be a saint? Not necessarily! Noah, Abraham, and the other Patriarchs were men of like passions, as we are, yet they were God's saints.
2. What proof do we have that we have made a covenant with God by sacrifice?
   1. Can we say with Peter, "we have left all and have followed thee"? Mark 10:28
   2. Have we met the conditions of discipleship as laid down by our Lord? Matt. 10:34-39
3. How does our covenant compare with that of some of the saints, as recorded in the Bible?
   1. Abraham - Gen. 12:1-9; 22:1-12
   2. Joseph - Gen. 39:1-18
   3. Daniel and his friends - Dan. 1:8; 3:1-22; 6:1-28
   4. Read the story of the martyrs of Christ as recorded in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews.
4. As we near the end of time and our work is drawing to a close, are we truly ready to qualify for the gathering call of God's saints?
   1. There is no reason why we should not be among the saints and answer the final gathering call.
   2. We have been blessed with light from the word as no other people in other ages has known.
   3. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord; He has all that we need to be free from all condemnation - Rom. 8:1-3; 8:31-39
   4. God has promised to pour out His Spirit in the last days upon all His people and so make them ready for the final gathering of the saints.