Editor’s Note
by Editor(s)

Editor’s Note

This issue explores the complete salvation available in Christ, yet so seldom understood and appropriated. Our lead article, “Paul’s Key to the Liberated Life—Romans 6-8” (Part 1) is the foundation of our Total Truth message—and the little-known secret to victorious living. Norman brilliantly takes us through one of the most challenging and misunderstood sections of the Bible into nearly uncharted territory, exploring our identification with Christ at His death and resurrection in our Romans 7 struggle—not between two natures in the believer, but Satan’s delusion that we have a nature of our own that could and should live right. Particularly intriguing is Norman’s insight into Paul as an intercessor identifying in his use of the present tense in Romans 7 with “what all believers must go through to find their permanent deliverance.”

“The Answer” addresses a question so familiar to honest Christians: Is there as sure a provision for daily consistent and holy living as for having the past blotted out? “Yes!” rings out of this penetrating excerpt from The Spontaneous You. Once again Norman clarifies the necessity of the Law to confront us with our sinfulness and need of a Savior and then to bring us to our second crisis—our inability to live up to the high calling of God. This article presents one of the clearest descriptions of how God reaches out to do for us what we could not (and were not meant to) do for ourselves, ending with our daily walk as “the repetition of recognition” in every pressure of life.

For a glimpse of people who have pioneered to the heights of the Christ-life, “Two Men of God” provides case-studies of intercession— in the lives of C.T. Studd and Rees Howells. Norman highlights the intercessions of each man: the commission, the personal cost, and abundant fruit at completion that opened the world to unprecedented outreach for Christ.

Similarly, “The Storm Breaks” from After C.T. Studd, is Norman’s personal account of the death and rebirth of the Heart of Africa Mission to fulfill C.T.’s vision of a Worldwide Evangelization Crusade. Also tucked into this issue, “Testimony” is a brief glimpse into the early, radical faith of this pioneer missionary, describing how C.T. joyfully deposited every pound of his sizeable inheritance into the “bank of heaven.”

Looking back to our greatest biblical example of the life of faith, Irene Gilsenan reviews Norman’s three CD audio series on “Abraham,” highlighting the lessons of faith we can learn as God took Abraham through stages into total reliance upon God only.

But does this provision for consistent and holy living work out in today’s world? Richard Gilsenan’s personal account, “Greater is He that is in Me,” describes the change the Total Truth made in his life as he applied the truth to walk through challenging family relationships. Chris Anderson’s book review of two chapters from Who Am I? demonstrates the power of the Total Truth with personal examples of the resounding impact of these truths on his life.

In his wonderfully personal style, Norman shares his heartbeat in a long “Letter from Norman” to a fellow WECer, pointing out the full salvation available to those who will see it. Full of scriptural support, Norman passionately touches on many of the key precepts of the Total Truth and the freedom to “be myself and act authoritatively.” Norman’s warning that WEC’s commission is not about church-planting but Holy Spirit planting serves as a reminder to us today to not set our hearts on appearances, but on God’s revealed Truth.

This issue’s “Bible Study” offers a fresh, bold, penetrating look at the basis for our salvation. Brett Burrowes’ feature, “Is the Blood of Jesus Enough?” gets to the root of the anemia in much of the Church today—the preaching of a “truncated gospel.” Richly supported by scripture, Brett explains the provision and limitations of basing our faith only on the blood of Christ and not His body death. This study presents a crucial understanding of union with Christ in His bodily death and resurrection as the second (and often missing) half of our total salvation.

Finally, don’t miss this issue’s “ZFocus: The Zerubbabel Press Web Site.” In this brief report, Joanna Coatney describes our latest efforts to “present every man perfect in Christ” via the Internet. Then take a look at the Web site www.zpress.org. You will find a treasure map for books, articles and audio-cassettes that present the glorious riches of the liberated life.