Dispensations

“DISPENSATIONS: GOD’S DEALINGS WITH MAN”

“Dispensationalism views the world and history as a household run by God.  In this household-world, God is dispensing or administering affairs according to His own will and in various stages of revelation with the passage of time.  These various stages, known as dispensations, can be seen as distinguishably different economies in the outworking of God’s plan for the ages…it is important to point out up front that the dispensations have nothing to do with how people are saved from their sin.”[1]

              In order to place the appropriate pieces of the Biblical puzzle in their proper order, one must have a general understanding of the theology of dispensationalism.  This is necessary to have a basic comprehension of God’s will and purpose for man.  Although the term dispensationalism is a word that is derived from the theological world, it is nevertheless a biblical concept that describes the way God has revealed Himself in various phases to man throughout history.  Dispensations are the method that God has chosen to reveal His will.  Within these historical and divinely ordained phases or epochs (which are not time periods, but contain periods of time) God has given man certain responsibilities in connection to these specific revelations of Himself; man must favorably meet these responsibilities in order to satisfy God.  Understanding and applying this biblical concept will aid the Bible student in properly interpreting and surveying Scriptures involving the present condition of the church (Dispensation of Grace) and the future dispensation (Millennial Kingdom) concerning the millennium, rapture[2] and second coming of Christ. …Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ…    Ephesians 1:9,10 NKJV (Emphasis mine) 

  DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY          

   The word dispensation comes from a Greek word, which is transliterated as oikonomia (oy-kon-om-ee’-ah).  This word essentially means a “stewardship” or an “economy”.[3]  It is etymologically derived from two separate Greek words (oikos and nemo), which together denotes one who manages his house—or one who has been given a specific house to manage.[4]  The English word dispensation, like many other theological words, did not appear in formal doctrinal dissertations until a few hundred years ago. It seems to have been inaugurated in the nineteenth century during the Plymouth Brethren separatist movement by a man named John Nelson Darby.  It was made popular by C.I. Scofield in his Scofield Reference Bible (1909).[5]   Nevertheless, the concept has been employed since around the first century when Justin Martyr (110-165 A.D.) spoke of the “differing programs, or economies of God” in his Dialogue with Trypho;[6] Clement of Alexandria (150-220 A.D.) also made mention of four specific dispensations, which conveyed the overall plan of God and His dealings with man. Later, in the third century, Tertullian—a renowned theologian—used the Latin word dispensatio in his translation of oikonomia.[7]  Opponents of dispenationalism find it irresistible to point out that this concept, being understood in its present terms, has only been in use for a few hundred years.  What they fail to realize is that the very theology (Covenant Theology)[8] that they claim is only slightly older, originating in the seventeenth century.[9]            

    The most basic definition of the word dispensation, then, is a “stewardship”, or a manager of something that has been handed over by the authority of another.  In Charles Ryrie’s book, dispensationalism, he quotes Clarence E. Mason, Jr.—the former dean of Philadelphia College of Bible—in his attempt to descriptively label a dispensation:

     The word dispensation means literally a stewardship or administration or economy.  Therefore, in its Biblical usage, a dispensation is a divinely established stewardship of a particular revelation of God’s mind and will which brings added responsibility to the whole race of men or that portion of the race to whom the revelation is particularly given by God. 

      Associated with the revelation, on the one hand, are promises of reward or blessing for those responding to the obedience of faith, while on the other hand there are warnings of judgment upon those who do not respond in the obedience of faith to that particular revelation. 

      However, though the time period (age) ends, certain principles of the revelation (dispensation or stewardship) are often carried over into succeeding ages, because God’s truth does not cease to be truth, and these principles become part of the cumulative body of truth for which man is responsible in the progressive unfolding revelation of God’s redemptive purpose.[10]

             A fundamental understanding of a dispensation requires one to follow the model of subordination.  Dispensations, in regards to man, are appropriately deemed his “house”, which God has given him to operate and manage.  God has given man specific instructions in which he is to subordinate himself under the direction of God.  In each “house” or dispensation, God has given man these instructions and if he follows the commands given to him he will be successful—and rewards will follow.  If, however, man fails to operate his “house” effectively and under the rules that God has given to him, then judgment will follow.  This has been the case with every dispensation up to the current church age of grace, which will be covered in detail in another segment of this article.      

       Because God has given man a “house” with the operating rules, and because “we” (the church) are currently operating a “house” (being in the Dispensation of Grace) it should stand to reason that understanding the dispensations are absolutely essential. It is profitable to learn from man’s past failures in not meeting God’s will and reviewing the judgments that ensued from their disobedience.  

 THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS

There are seven unique dispensations—or houses of management—from the opening pages of the book of Genesis to the consummation in John’s prophetic book of Revelation.  Five of these dispensations are already past.  The present, or church age is the sixth dispensation, and the final dispensation will be the literal Millennial Kingdom of Christ on this earth.  The following dispensations will be separated into past, present and future dealings:Past1.      Innocence (Gen. 1:28-3:6) 2.      Conscience (Gen. 3:7-8:14) 3.      Human Government (Gen. 8:15-11:9)4.      Promise (Gen. 11:10-Exo.18:27)5.      Law (Exo. 19-John 14:30)Present6.      Grace (Acts 2:1-Rev. 19:21)Future7.      Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:1-15) 

A DISPENSATIONAL ILLUSTRATION 

    One of the best illustrations in understanding the dispensational concept could be the way a corporate business is established and managed.   Within the corporation there is a president who delegates his authority to those in subordination to him to properly operate various aspects of the business.  In the business organization there is a basic structure that keeps the corporation operating effectively.  This requires the business model to include an organizational overseer who delegates his power to other managers, a basic plan, and additional workers to carry out this plan in their diverse departments.  God’s dispensational dealings with man can be paralleled with this illustration; God is the president or organizational overseer who has delegated a portion of His authority to man.  He has entrusted His plan, being revealed in each phase, to His “man-agers”.  They are responsible to carry out His plan effectively and satisfactorily in each dispensation.        

      An example of this model in a particular dispensation is when God gave the revelation of His will to Moses through the law. This Dispensation of Mosaic Law included a portion of revelation that God made manifest to man.  One might call the Mosaic Law, the operational policy and procedure of God.  In this dispensation, God had instituted a policy to protect Israel by using the law so they would not annihilate themselves.  They were His chosen people to take the revealed revelations of Himself to all nations.  Moreover, God gave His commands to preserve the complete revelation of Himself as it had been revealed up to that point in history. Major portions of the law (Moral/Civil) have carried over into the Dispensation of Grace (the present church stewardship) for this very reason. Previously, the Mosaic Law was written in tablets to safeguard the revelation of God to reach and transform all of mankind.   Subsequently, those who have made Jesus Christ their Lord have been entrusted to a greater revelation of God and these laws have now been emblazoned on the heart (Heb. 8:10).  Therefore, even though a new revelation is given in the succeeding dispensation it does not mean that certain aspects of the previous dispensation are not carried over into the next successive phase(s).  Many individuals will take certain verses out of context (i.e. Gal.3:13; Rom.7:7) and claim that the entirety of the law has been “done away with”.  Unfortunately, they have not completely understood the principles of the Dispensation of Grace.  In fact, the law (and even grace), to a certain degree has been established and revealed since the first dispensation (Innocence).  There are various forms of the law; among them are the Moral (Exo. 20:3-17), Civil (Exo. 21-23:13), Ceremonial[11] (Exo. 23:14-19), and Natural laws (Gen. 1).[12]  The Laws of Nature (i.e. Law of Gravity, Law of Lift etc.) have existed from the beginning of temporal time (Gen 1).  The Moral, Civil and Natural laws still exist even today.  If someone breaks the Civil Law in exceeding the speed limit on the highway, they will eventually get caught and be issued a citation.  If someone murders another person they will face the penalties for breaking the Moral Law (Exo. 20:13).  The natural Law of Gravity keeps us all firmly grounded on earth; without it we would float away into space.   Therefore, these laws are still in place.

   Or do you not know, brethren…that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? Romans 7:1 NJKV         

    Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17).  If He didn’t come to do away with the law, then what did He fulfill?  He fulfilled the Ceremonial Laws that were given by God to Moses to bring man back to right standing and satisfy the demands of a righteous God.  One such example is the offerings for sin that were required of Israel from the Old Testament (Lev. 1-6).  These were offerings that were given in worship toward God in a ceremonial setting (tabernacle or temple) where it signified that their sins were forgiven for the entire year (i.e. atonement)[13].  Thus they are referred to as part of the Ceremonial Law.  Christ fulfilled these requirements on the cross when He shed His blood for all of humanity to reconcile us to the Father—that is, for those who place their faith in His accomplished work on the cross for their sins. 

And for this reason, [Christ] is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are now called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance…so Christ offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.  Hebrews 8:15, 28 NKJV (Bracketed insert mine). For assuredly, I (Jesus) say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or tittle will by no means pass from the law… Matthew 5:18 NKJV (Parenthetical insert mine). 

 DISPENSATIONAL PREREQUSITES            

 Before each dispensation is covered, it would help to note that in recent years there are some fallacies that have surfaced concerning dispensationlism.  Dr. Paul N. Benware in his work, Understanding End Times Prophecy, mentions three major points that should be considered before reviewing the dispensations:

1.        A dispensation is not a time period. Although a period of time is involved, a dispensation is a stewardship or administration of God in this world.  There are different opinions on the number of dispensations found in the Scriptures, but the issue is not the number of dispensations but the fact that there are differing dispensations. (The majority of dispensationalists recognize seven.)

2.        These different dispensations are not different ways of salvation. God’s salvation has always been by grace based on the finished work of Christ. Dispensations are not ways of salvation but different ways God administers His rule in this world.

3.        Each dispensation does have unique features to it that are clearly revealed by God. The requirements, responsibilities, blessings, and disciplines are spelled out by revelation from God. New responsibilities were introduced by new revelation.[14]

 It is vital to note that not all people who believe in dispensations should be labeled a dispensationalist.  The primary belief pattern of a dispensationalist is one who 1) makes a clear distinction between the church and Israel and that God has a specific plan for both, 2) understands biblical passages by employing a literal interpretation, and 3) believes that God has placed a purpose in man to further His glory rather than just to fulfill the salvation of man.Applying this information while trying to comprehend the different dispensations will clear up much of the misunderstandings that abound in the theological world today. 

 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISPENSATIONS      

      As was briefly covered, there are seven unique dispensations that cover the biblical timeline from Genesis to Revelation, which is also the history, present and future of mankind.  Within these dispensations are the 1) revelations that God has for man, 2) God’s goal through giving the revelations, 3) the responsibilities connected to them, 4) man’s disobedience and failure to fulfill the responsibilities, and 5) the judgment for his failure. 

 I.  Dispensation of Innocence (c. 6000 B.C.)

This dispensation is also known as the Dispensation of Innocency.  The key figure in this particular dispensation is Adam; he was responsible for the care of the garden and was commanded not to eat of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God initiated His love and revealed a vital aspect about Himself when He breathed the breath of life into man making him a living soul.  God’s goal in this dispensation was fellowship.  Although it is never mentioned that Adam failed in his responsibility to maintain the garden, he did fail and succumbed to temptation by eating the forbidden fruit.  The judgment for Adam’s rebellion involved the pronunciation of the curses and spiritual and physical death.  Ultimately, Adam could not be entrusted with the revelation that God desired to give him—true fellowship.  This desire would not be completely realized again until the Dispensation of Grace when Jesus Christ came to reveal the will of the Father and reconcile man back to God.  This dispensation began with the institution of man upon the earth and ended with Adam’s rebellion to God’s revealed will.  The Scripture references to this stewardship is Genesis 1:28-3:6. 

II. Dispensation of Conscience (c. 4000-2400 B.C.)      

      In the Dispensation of Conscience man was held accountable to the inward witness of right and wrong that God had given to him.  In Romans 2:15, it speaks of the “conscience bearing witness”; this is the internal, conscientious revelation that God gave to man concerning His desires and will.   Man was to respond favorably to that inward intuition, but he failed.  One such example is the classic story of Cain and Abel; Abel followed his conscience in offering a blood sacrifice to God, but Cain rebelled to what he knew was right (Gen. 4:4).  Cain did not pursue God’s will in his sacrifice as He had instructed him (Gen. 3:21), and he inaugurated the sinful act of murder by premeditating the killing of his brother, Abel.  Finally, the insurrection against God’s will came to an apex when all of humanity became corrupt and violent (Gen. 6:2).  Not only were they not seeking fellowship with God, they were also determined to seek their own selfishness by violently cutting off fellowship from each other.  Because man had violated his arrangement with God during this particular dispensation, God judged them by sending a universal flood to annihilate the entire population, save eight souls (Noah and his family).  Even though the ancient world at that time was full of corruption and sin, God still sought out and saved those who had conformed to His will and acted in faith to His revelation.              This dispensation began with the fall of man and ended with the global flood.  The Scripture references to this stewardship are found in Genesis 3:7-8:14. 

III.  Dispensation of Human Government (c. 2400-2000 B.C.)

This dispensation was an attempt to allow man to judge himself to draw him away from evil and propagate righteousness.  The ultimate goal of God in giving man this dispensation was to counteract the violence that had become so dominant in the previous dispensation and to allow man to uphold righteousness by enacting his own standards (which, of course, were based on what God had given to him).  It was in the institution of this dispensation that God revealed the superiority of man over the animal kingdom (Gen. 9:2); it was also the first time God had given man the understanding of capital punishment for those who had taken a life (9:5).  Ultimately, this allowed man to set up his government.   Upon initiation of this dispensation, immanent failure of man to govern himself became evident when Noah became drunk from the vineyard that he planted (9:20,21). Later, man became inclusively and intrinsically harmonized with one another—a horizontal unity which introduced a unique conspiracy to build a tower at Babel to reach to the heavens.[15]  Instead of man being drawn back to God, they drew to each other.  Previously, in the Dispensation of Conscience, God’s goal of reconciling man to Himself came to a violent conclusion when man became wholly egocentric, murdering others to get their way.  In this dispensation, however, the inhabitants were able to live in tranquility with one another, but instead of seeking a relationship with God, they fortified their relationships with one another—again, to advance their desired goals and not God’s.  As a result of these actions, God scattered the people and confused their language.  This dispensation began immediately following the Noahic flood and ended with the promise that was given to the patriarch, Abraham.  The Scripture references to this stewardship are found in Genesis 8:15-11:9. 

IV.   Dispensation of Promise (c. 2000-1400 B.C.)

The Dispensation of Promise began with the call of Abraham and his family out of Ur of the Chaldea’s.  Previously, God had given his dispensations to every inhabitant on earth and expected them to satisfy the requirements of their “household”.  Now, God was calling out a specific clan and nation to be His representatives. No longer would the entire world be tested on their faith and obedience; God was now revealing His will to one people and nation who were to share it with the world.   Abraham and his descendant’s main responsibility in this dispensation (which also involved a covenant) were to have faith in God and obey Him at every step of their physical and spiritual journey.  This dispensation marked the process of God’s spiritual sterilization of the land to bring a chosen people out of obscurity to reveal His desires to all inhabitants of the earth. As long as the people obeyed God in faith and remained in the land that God had provided for them, they would have abundant blessings.  But when Jacob (Israel) and his descendants decided to dwell in Egypt (Gen. 46:6) the judgment of God came upon them.  In time, Israel became enslaved to the Egyptians for four hundred years because of their deficient faith in God. This dispensation began with the call of Abraham and ended with the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians and the enactment of the Mosaic Law. The Scripture References to this stewardship are found in Genesis 11:10-Exodus 18:27.

 V.  Dispensation of Mosaic Law (c. 1400 B.C.-A.D. 33)

This dispensation was revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai shortly after Israel had been delivered from their Egyptian captures.   God had given Moses 613 commandments (which are summed up in the Ten Commandments) to govern every area of life.  These commandments, or laws, were not established to draw Israel into a new form of bondage, but were conveyed to the people to protect themselves from total annihilation. This can actually be compared to the parent-child relationship.  A parent does not tell their child to do, or not to do something because they hate their child—they do it to protect them from what lurks in the darkness of ignorance.  Without the establishment of rules the result is chaos.  In this dispensation, God’s purpose was still to reveal Himself to the world through Israel, but He would not be able to do this if they were involved in self-destructive behavior.  The people needed guidance, and God gave them this guide through the Mosaic Law.  The responsibility of the Israelites was to carry out the law to the utmost sense (Jas. 2:10).  They, however, failed many times (Rom. 10:1-3).  Finally, God intervened with judgment and the Israeli tribes were carried away into the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.  This dispensation began with the instructions that were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai and ended with Pentecost. The Scripture references to this are found in Exodus 19-Acts 2:1. 

VI.  Dispensation of Grace (c. 33 A.D.-Jesus’ Return)

The Dispensation of Grace is the stewardship of the church.  The Greek word for grace is charis and means “unmerited favor”.  That simply means that there is nothing that anyone can do to deserve the grace—or favor—of God.  God’s grace is something that is given apart from our own response, but with our plausible retort in mind.  I once had a person ask me what the difference was between grace and mercy, and to be honest I had no idea.  But just as I was about to say that I was utterly clueless the Holy Spirit gave me something that seemed to roll off my tongue.  I told the person that grace is like being a condemned criminal and standing in front of the judge waiting for the sentence when all of a sudden the judge turns and says, “Son, I want you to know that I could sentence you according to the strictest sense of the law—but I have decided to be lenient on you.”  There is nothing that was done to deserve this; the judge was being lenient simply because of who he is and his compassionate nature as a person. Mercy, which is similar to grace, does involve a response from us. (Note: The words grace and mercy seem to be used interchangeably in the Bible.  My purpose is to draw a contrast between the two words based on the way humans conduct their relationships with each other. Rom. 6:19a). Using the same illustration, if an individual were condemned as a criminal and asked the court to bestow mercy, and it was granted, then mercy came by 1) asking for it and, 2) based on the compassionate nature of the judge.  God’s grace provided humanity a way of escape from what we deserved as criminals.   Before anyone accepts God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ they are criminals in God’s eyes; this is because of sin and imperfections that have separated man from His Maker.  Because man is estranged from God as a result of sin, God provided His own Son (Jesus Christ) to bear mankind’s punishment on the cross (Rom. 5:15, 16).  Jesus Christ was essentially God in a borrowed body to be tempted and to suffer the agonizing punishment and death that was due to mankind (Heb. 2:9). God’s purpose in sending His Son was to ultimately reconcile man to Himself.  Man could not reconcile himself to God because he is sinful and fallen.  In a circuit court the only one who can pardon the criminal is the person in authority who has not committed the crime—or any crimes (according to societal ethics) for that matter.  This is why God had to take on the shell of a man—only He is guiltless and perfect (Heb. 4:15).    Did man have anything to do with God sending His Son to die in his place?   No. There is nothing that any man could do to persuade God to send His only Son to die on one of the cruelest instruments of death that the civilized world has ever devised.  There was nothing that anyone could have said that would have motivated God to allow His Son to be whipped with the Roman Scorpio that had metal, bone and potsherds interlaced throughout it.  God did this because of His compassionate nature.  In reality, He did it because He wanted to!  That might be the simplest way to define grace: it comes because God wanted to! Mercy, according to societal standards, comes when individuals make a confession of faith by asking for salvation, admit the necessity of a Savior and accept His grace gift, Jesus Christ.  In other words, the grace (His nature and essence) of God sent His Son to die for everyone, but only those who responded to the grace, thus enacting mercy, were able to take full benefit of this action. (Again, these terms are being used in relation to how the majority of the English world understands them, not necessarily on the Hebrew and/or Greek definitions.)  Both grace and mercy are seen during the institution of the Passover shortly before the exodus of the Israelites during the Dispensation of Promise. The fact that grace was revealed in this dispensation has nothing to do with the Dispensation of Grace. As was discussed previously, certain aspects unique to previous dispensations can be found in later stewardships.  During the Dispensations of Promise and Mosiac Law the grace of God was limited to one group of people (Israelites).  In the Dispensation of Grace it was extended to all of humanity (Gentiles).   When God told the Israelites that the blood from a perfect lamb would cause the Death Angel to “pass over” them and spare the lives of their firstborn, this was grace (Exo. 12).  Mercy is the full effect of grace when the Israelites individually applied the blood to their home.  Without the application of the blood the grace of God would have been useless. Understandably, are two parts to grace: 1) God’s part and, 2) our response to His part. God’s grace was shown to humanity to affect our lives for Him; mercy is the resulting effect of our acceptance of His grace.  Having the grace of the judge will do nothing if you don’t accept the gift by applying it to your life. You might as well say, “No thanks judge, I don’t want your help”.  Surely, the judge will not force his grace on you, and neither will God.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16            

 Man’s main responsibility in the Dispensation of Grace is obviously to accept the free gift of grace that was extended to every inhabitant of the earth (Rom. 5:15-18).  If man chooses to reject this gift, then judgment will ensue. The full effect of this judgment will be the Great Tribulation near the end of the current church dispensation.[16]  Aside from the responsibility to accept grace is the requirement that man continue in his relationship with God.  After all, this is why God bridged the sin gap that separated Him—a loving and jealous God—from a wicked and depraved humanity.  In the previous dispensation the written law was to be an external guide, but now these same laws have been saturated by the Holy Spirit who provides an inward direction for the believer’s life (Heb. 8:10).  God has given the Holy Spirit to direct, comfort, teach and admonish the Christian to a loving relationship with the Father.      

        The Dispensation of Grace began at Pentecost and will conclude at the second advent of Christ.  The Scripture references to this are found in Acts 2:1-Revelation 19:21. 

VII.  Dispensation of Millennial Kingdom (Near Future)

After the second coming of Christ, His government will be established on the earth in fulfillment of the biblical prophecies; many dispensationalists believe that it will be a literal 1,000 year reign.  Charles Ryrie summarizes this phase in God’s plan in his book, Dispensationalism:

The Lord, Jesus Christ, who will personally take charge of the running of the affairs of the world during that age, will be the chief personage of the dispensation.  It will continue for a thousand years, and man will be responsible for obedience to the King and His laws.  Satan will be bound, Christ will be ruling, righteousness will prevail, overt disobedience will be quickly punished. Yet at the end of the period enough rebels will be found to make a formidable army that will dare to attack the seat of government (Rev, 20:7-9). The revolt will be unsuccessful, and the rebels will be cast into everlasting punishment.[17]

 At this point, some may be asking, “So what’s next in God’s dealings with man?” One must remember that the dispensations are simply God’s transactions with man on this earth.  They cover several ages[18] that exist in a linear time frame that has been constructed by God for the benefit of man.  The dispensations are not an attempt to catalog the Eternity Past, Present and Future of God.  God is not bound by time; therefore a true comprehension of His being and operation must be understood on a circular perspective.  The linear (or straight line) time aspect for man has a definite beginning and end; at some point the line starts and stops.  In circular patterns the line has no specific beginning or end; all studies of God must be subject to this basic understanding. 

  CONCLUSION           

 It is vitally important to properly understand the purpose of God throughout the Bible as it has been revealed through the various dispensations.  In each dispensation, God expected man to favorably meet His expectations through faith.  It was this “faith”, that was demonstrated by some, that enabled man to maintain the promise of his restoration to his Creator—even though he may not have understood it at that time in history.   Regardless of what man was doing, God was unfolding His plan.  This plan is clear even today.  He is a jealous God that is seeking the hearts of man for His glory.             In reality, God has given man two options: to seek his own will or to seek God’s.  In each dispensation, man had (or has) the freedom to choose between these two options. Freedom (or the ability to place faith in what is desired), however, comes with responsibility; with responsibility comes responses. The ability to determine whether to respond in a right or wrong manner involves choices.  These choices ultimately determine man’s level of freedom.  This scenario is illustrated throughout the entirely of biblical history.  It is seen with Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and as we review the pages of our own life—it is true even of us.             If man is to be victorious in this dispensation, he must come to God the prescribed way; he must have faith to accept the grace that was shown for him when Jesus Christ shed His blood for all humanity on an old rugged cross some 2,000 years ago. It has always been this way; the only way to please God and meet His conditions is by an active faith (Heb. 11:6).  Any Bible student that has read Hebrews chapter eleven understands the necessity of faith in relation to God’s plan for man. Just as man met judgment in the previous dispensations for not believing God in faith, so it will be for anyone who does not accept God’s gift by faith even today.