This Is The Fullness Of Time
Through our ministry, by the printed page, by radio, or by television, we reach many hundreds and thousands of people, and because I love people the way I do, in that God has put the love of God in my heart, it’s a real privilege for me to be able to communicate with you. I just wish I could embrace all of you in a wonderful God-like way and talk with you and tell you about the love of God. I think about the hearts that are so torn and weary, and miserable and so deceived, the minds that just long to have peace and rest. Just a few wonderful words from God to explain the situation, to bring about understanding, would take away all of the fears.
I want to read from the fourth chapter of the book of Galatians.
Galatians 4:1-31: “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all" But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son" and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am" for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected" but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well" yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice" for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh" but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants" the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not" break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”
Paul is telling us about his wonderful experience and the knowledge of God, and he’s come to realize that there is what we refer to as the fullness of time. “While we were yet under the law,” Paul, speaking as a Jew, said, “were not we separated from God?” Is there any law that could save us? Isn’t life a spiritual inheritance? Are there any ritualistics by which we could contact God? The desire of God is our conformity to His desire and way. So then, he said, “While we were yet under the law, we were being tutored until the fullness of time should come.” And what is the fullness of time? It is Calvary.
God says through the Bible, concerning the fullness of time, that it shall come to pass, that in the fullness of time, I will gather all things in heaven and in earth into the body of My Son, Jesus Christ. I will rule heaven and earth through that wonderful body. I will tabernacle in that body, even in My fullness. The Bible says the fullness of the Godhead bodily is Jesus, in that God the holy Father is the great light. He’s the great eternal Spirit which no man hath seen nor can see, neither can you approach unto Him except through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that no man has seen God at any time, but Jesus Christ who dwells in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
God the great, eternal Spirit of life, even our heavenly Father is above us, in us, and through us. He’s that great ever existing, ever present God, the present help in the time of need. This great God has been made a declaration to our human understanding that we might conceive, through human thought, by human instrumentality, the wonderful will of God. It is so beautiful when you understand that the fullness of time is here because of Calvary, and God has sent forth the sacrifice, and God has taken away the middle wall of partition" that is, the keeping of carnal ordinances, ritualistics, and the practices of those things that are humanistic. God has put away all of those things and He hath freely given Himself unto us through Christ Jesus, His Son, even to the extent that the Scriptures declare that if we decree a thing in our heart, it will come to pass if we call on His name. God, Himself, said, “Command thou Me,” through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. He said, “Command thou Me,” by having faith in God and God’s promises. “Command thou Me concerning the works of My hands.” That is, according to His wonderful securities and the benefits that God has given us in Christ Jesus.
The fullness of time came at Calvary. God has therefore made it now possible that all we have to do is call on the name of the Lord Jesus, and come boldly before the throne of grace in the time of need that we might receive the help we’re desiring. God has made it possible now that we can go right in, past the rent veil, into the holy of holies and bypass the priesthood. We can go right to Christ, even our high priest, that was tempted in every way that we are tempted and suffered in every way that we have suffered. Go right to Him, who is a high priest after the feelings of our infirmities, bypassing all ritualistics, all the keeping of carnal ordinances, going boldly in confidence that He so loves us that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. It shall come to pass that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God hath declared unto us Himself, by the handiwork of His own act of creation.
So then, knowing that we do not have to approach unto any ritualistics or any priesthood, therefore we can call upon the name of Jesus, asking God to save us. It doesn’t matter if we are a pauper or if we are in poverty. It doesn’t matter if we have problems, if we’ve done things in our ignorance that we did not know or understand was wrong now that we do know. If we will right the wrong, if we will do our best to change the situation, if we will make restitution where restitution can be made, and beyond that, if we’ll trust in God, repent and ask God to forgive us, then God will take us out from under the constraint of man and the beggarly elements of this world and out of the bondage of these awful perishing things. Let’s give our mind to God. Let’s cast down our own thinking. Let’s think upon Christ and what He said. Let’s just reminisce in the wonderful things of God and rehearse this in our mind and heart. Let’s think continually upon the wonderful things of Jesus.
Oh, wouldn’t you like to have the blessings of God today? Friend, don’t let Satan deceive you. Don’t think this is a mere statement that I’m making concerning the blessings of God. It is real. God is in your country. God is in your home. God is in your heart. God is in your world. God is wherever you are, above you, in you, and through you. God is ever present. Paul said at Mars Hill, as he declared the gospel, “I want to declare unto you that God, this great wonderful God that you ignorantly worship, is not unknown.” This is the fullness of time. God has come forth and resurrected the dead. God has presented Himself in a human form called the Lord Jesus Christ. God has made Himself known in His compassion, His love and all of His life style. He hath made Himself known to you and to me. He hath made you to know His feelings toward you and toward humanity.
It’s a beautiful thing to think that the angel came out to the shepherds on the hillside, as they kept their sheep by night, and as the angel of the Lord shone round about them (the great light, God, came upon them), and the voice of the angel said, “Peace on earth!” Isn’t that a wonderful thought? Peace on earth! That lets us know that God’s not a warlord and God’s not in all of these wars, troubles, problems and killings and these kind of things. Rather than kill somebody, God willingly gave His life to keep people from dying. So then, we hear Him say, “Peace on earth and good will from God to man.” Isn’t that wonderful! We wonder about God’s attitude towards humanity. There it is, folks. It’s very clear. God said, “I want peace on earth.” All of the paths of God are peace. The wisdom that cometh from God is first peaceable and easy to be entreated. Serving God is joy, righteousness, and peace in the wonderful Holy Ghost in the Spirit of God.
It’s wonderful to understand God. He’s not mysterious nor cannot be understood. We don’t have to go through quaint sorts of approaches unto God, being strange even to ourselves and our love ones, thinking that we are a God worshipper. We don’t have to be full of fear and frustration because people threaten us and fill our minds with thoughts that cause us to be torn all up. Jesus doesn’t feel that way at all. He said, “Fear not.” He has supplied all of your needs, He has given you all things that pertain unto life through His sufferings. You just listen to Him. You read His Word. Read about His blessings. He would, above all things, that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.
God has a threefold blessing. A natural blessing, which is your surrounding environment of the natural things of life. God has that for you. Food and shelter. Then God has a physical blessing for you, which means your health so that you can be completely whole within your body, to enjoy the natural blessings. Then, God has the third, which is the spiritual blessing, that your soul may be furbished and your soul’s welfare, your spiritual welfare, is number one. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first. First! Then all of these things shall be added unto you. Think upon those things now. Seek the kingdom of God first and then God will add blessings. Call upon the name of the Lord, read the Scripture, learn about the wonderful securities of God, because I tell you again in the name of the Lord, God wants to bless you.
By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.
Founder and first President of Jesus Christ’s Eternal Kingdom of Abundant Life, Inc.
Holiness Unto The Lord