God's Redeeming Grace

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Titus 2:11-15 which regards the marvelous grace of our loving Lord.  Paul tells Titus: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.  Let no one disregard you.”

            It is because of who God is (i.e., holy beyond compare, Leviticus 11:44-45) and because of what we’ve done (i.e., sinned against God, Romans 3:23 and Genesis 39:9), we have separated ourselves from God (Isaiah 59:2) and made ourselves subject to His wrath (Jeremiah 10:10; Proverbs 11:23; Romans 1:18; Colossians 3:5-6). 

            Yet, because of the Lord’s great love (1 John 4:16), He had compassion on us and showed mercy to us (Lamentations 3:22) by extending His grace in the form of “Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23), the Son of the living God (John 3:16), Jesus the Christ (Titus 2:13).  And, Jesus showed His great love for us all by willingly sacrificing Himself on the cross in order to atone for our sins (1 John 4:9-11; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:1-10; 5:2) while we were in our sins and enemies against God (Romans 5:6-11).  He did this so that, through His precious shed blood, we might be REDEEMED (1 Peter 1:18-19).  The debt we incurred by sinning against God was paid by Jesus on the cross (Mark 10:45). 

            Now, it is important to note that while that free and indescribable gift (Romans 5:18; 2 Corinthians 9:15) is salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9), we must have that “payment” personally applied to our “account,” as it were.  We must come in contact with His blood in order to be washed and cleansed (Revelation 1:5).  This means that we must be baptized (i.e., full-body immersion, submergence, & emergence into water) in His name because we believe in His power & willingness to save for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27).  This is the only way someone can be redeemed, have their sins forgiven, and be saved (Acts 4:12).  If one does not obey the commandment of the Lord and does not come in contact with His blood, then that one is not redeemed and not saved (Hebrews 5:8).

            The grace of God is truly amazing.  And, those who take advantage of it are truly blessed beyond measure.  However, let us understand that there is a personal responsibility inherent in accepting His grace: hopeful reformation.  When we are baptized and have our sins washed away, we are to rise up to walk in a different way, that is, a zealously righteous/godly/sinless way (Titus 2:11-14; Romans 6:6-23; Titus 3:4-8; Colossians 3:1-17), a way which worships Him in our spirits and in the truth (John 4:23-24), looking forward to and hastening the Day when Jesus will return to call us all to the Judgment and the faithful Home to the Father in Heaven (Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:8-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

            Therefore, let us trust in the Lord with all of our being (Proverbs 3:5-6) and be redeemed back to life, living like it every single day in every single way until the End (Revelation 2:10).  And, may all of God’s people say “Amen!” (Nehemiah 5:13).

~Curtis Carwile

The Light of the World

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:5).  On this page, we have featured scores of individuals who “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).  But, John further says of Jesus: “That was the true light which gives light to every man who comes into the world” (John 1:4).  The extent to which any of us shine as lights is the extent to which we reflect the light of Jesus.  What would we expect of one whose purpose was to give “light to every man who comes into the world”?  We might well expect such a person to run for elective office, to travel widely, to start a college, to build libraries, to accumulate money for an endowment fund, to write books or start papers.  Jesus did none of these.  Yet, during the thirty-three short years that He lived in a relatively remote part of the world, He influenced the world to a greater degree than any other individual who has ever lived anywhere at any time.  What explains His success?

                Jesus Taught Truth.  Truth itself is powerful.  It makes men free (John 8:32).  It saves (2 Thessalonians 2:13).  It makes men children of God (James 1:18), and it sanctifies (John 17:17).  Jesus not only spoke truth, but He spoke it powerfully.  “The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as one of the scribes” (Matthew 7:28, 29).  Officers sent to arrest Him returned without Him exclaiming, “No man ever spoke like this man” (Matthew 7:46).  Jesus lived what He taught.  Luke said of Him that He “began both to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1).  So consistent was His life with the truth that He taught that He could say “I am…the truth” (John 14:6).  Yet, this is not the full explanation of His influence.

                Jesus Taught Others To Teach.  Jesus never allowed the working of miracles or the clamor of the multitudes to hinder His program of training disciples to teach.  He even chose twelve for more exclusive attention.  Toward the latter part of His ministry, especially, He drew those twelve away to remote places for spiritual instruction.  Jesus was the master teacher.  He taught His disciples the facts they needed to know and made applications which they could not miss.  He answered their questions and explained what they did not understand.  Yet, wisely, He did not go deeper than they were able to comprehend (John 16:12).  Having taught them, He sent them out for practice teaching (Matthew 10).  He encouraged them by telling them they would do greater works than He (John 14:12), referring likely to their wider sphere of teaching.  The skill of Jesus is demonstrated in the actions of the apostles after He left them.  They traveled to the uttermost parts of the earth, they did write books and their lives were so reflective of His nature that people everywhere “realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).  Even this, however, does not fully explain His influence in our world today.

                Jesus Taught Those Taught To Teach Others To Teach.  His last instructions before leaving were: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).  When they made disciples by teaching, they were to teach those disciples to do exactly what Jesus had instructed them to do.  They did that.  They taught in Jerusalem in such a way as to make 3,000 disciples in one day (Acts 2:41), and there were daily additions to that number (Acts 2:47).  Not long after, when those thousands of disciples were scattered from Jerusalem “they went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).  They had been taught to teach.

                The Measure Of Successful Teachers Today.  The measure of successful teachers today is their likeness to Jesus.  Paul followed the example of Jesus.  After teaching Timothy, he wrote to him: “The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2Timothy 2:2).  A mistake made by many evangelists is feeling that their job is done when several have been baptized.  Some do understand the need for training teachers.  But all too often, those who are trained feel that it is their job to do all the preaching, teach all the Bible classes, and take the lead in everything.  If there is to be leadership in the next generation, those taught to teach must teach others to teach.  The most successful parents are those who not only teach their children, but also teach their children to teach their children to teach their children the way of the Lord.  Doing this, we can place our trust in “the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).  “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).  Much depends upon the manner in which we treat others to “shine as lights in the world, holding forth the world of life” (Philippians 2:15-16).

By: Sewell Hall in "Hall Marks"

Where Are You Going?

A few years ago, Betty and I were coming home from shopping.  I felt okay and in control of the car, but I could not remember the turns to get home.  I made two of three wrong turns when Betty asked me, “Where are you going?”  I told her I was in control of the car, but did not know how to get home.  She gave me the directions I needed.  Later, I went to the doctor and a brain scan showed a chemical problem which was corrected with medication.

                I think of the many people today wanting to go to Heaven, but who are not following the right directions.  They are following the doctrine of men instead of following the words of God which Jesus taught.  In John 17:8, Jesus prays “For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out of Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me.” Here, Jesus was speaking of His apostles.  And, in vs.20, speaking of the apostles’ converts, He said “Neither pray I for these along, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.”

                WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY TO EITHER HEAVEN OR HELL!

                Heaven is where God is.  Mark 1:11 says, “And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

                And, Hell is no place to go.  Matthew 10:28 says, “And fear not them which can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but, rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”

                The journey begins at birth.  In Ephesians 6:4 (NASV), the apostle Paul writes, “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  In the early years, we get direction from parents and learn of God, Jesus, and Heaven.  During these years, it is important for parents to follow the teachings of God and always “put God first” when making family decisions.  In Matthew 10:37, Jesus told His disciples, “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

                Do you want to go to Heaven?  Top of your list of priorities?  In Joshua 24:15, we read “And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Are you as determined as Joshua?

                Do not be deceived, the journey will not be easy.  Paul the apostle knew that.  In First Corinthians 9:27, he writes. “But, I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”  He told young Timothy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

                In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the straight gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be which go in therat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

                Paul wrote, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).

~Eugene McNabb

How To Read The Bible

Last Sunday, I put before the congregation a suggested Bible reading schedule for this upcoming year.  And, when we consider what the Bible is (the inspired word of God, Second Timothy 3:16-17), we can all agree that to study the Scriptures on a daily basis is a very noble-minded thing for us to do (Acts 17:11).  Truly, the reading of His holy and helpful word is something we all should treasure even more than “necessary food” (Job 23:12).

               

                With this in mind, I am going to suggest THREE WAYS for us to read the Bible.

1. Read with an Open Mind.

                I suggest this first because, from the very first page, the Bible challenges the reader.  From the very first verse of the Bible, we are told that there is one God, who is infinite (2 Peter 3:8) and Triune (1 John 5:7) in His nature, who created everything out of nothing (ex nihlo) and holds everything together by simply speaking it so (Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 1:3).  As one reads further, they read of a worldwide flood (Genesis 6-9), a talking donkey (Numbers 22), and other miraculous things.  And, as one digs deeper into the Bible, there are various teachings which challenge our sensibilities.  We read about how we are blessed when we are persecuted (Matthew 5:11).  We read about how we are to love and forgive those who sin against us (Matthew 6:12; Colossians 3:13-14).  We read about how we are to not worry despite all the stormy sea of life (Matthew 6:25-34; 14:22-33).  Truly, the Bible is a very challenging book (purposefully so, I believe).  This is why I encourage everyone to read it with an open mind.  So, while we will be challenged by what we read in the Bible, every word of it is true and beneficial, even if we can’t see how (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

2. Read with a Tender Heart.

                More than anything else, the Bible challenges us regarding the subject of God’s indescribable love.  In essence, the Bible is a love story.  From before the very Beginning, God loved us.  He chose us, mankind, to be His children (Ephesians 1:3; 1 John 3:1).  He has blessed us with everything we have in this life and it is all very good (James 1:17).  And, even when we rebel against Him like the ungrateful children we so often are, He still loves us and longs for us to come back to Him (Luke 15:11-32).  He loved us so much that He gave His only Begotten Son to die on the cross so that we could be cleansed from our sins, justified in His sight, and sanctified for holy service in His everlasting Kingdom (Romans 5:6-11).  And, He did/does all of this so that we can enjoy His unbounded love in full force for eternity in Heaven (John 14:2).  The Bible is the story of God’s love.  This is why I suggest that we read it with a tender heart.  Don’t harden your heart or be “ho-hum” when you read.  Rather, be impressed with His love, more and more, with every word every day.

3. Read with Purposeful Hands.

                The Bible is more than just a collection of words or challenging statements and ideas or something of which we can be immensely impressed.  It is a guidebook (Psalm 119:105, 133).  It shows us God’s love and encourages us to do the only responsible thing: love Him back (Matthew 22:37).  And, we do that by humbling ourselves before Him (James 4:10) and submitting our will to His (James 4:7; 1 John 5:3; 3:10).  This includes humbly loving our brethren (Matthew 22:39; John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:10-5:2), our neighbors (Luke 10:25-37), and even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).  When we read the Bible, we need to be more than just hearers of the word; we need to be doers of it (James 1:22-25)!  When we read the Bible, we need to honestly commit to doing whatever God tells us to do out of love for Him and our fellow man.  Let’s put our hands to that plow and never look back (Luke 9:62).

                It is my firm belief that if we read the Bible in these ways, then we will all benefit from it and, more importantly, God will be glorified.  So, let’s read the Bible like this in 2013.  Let’s do it together and with a joyful heart (Psalm 119:162), praising the Lord every single Bible-filled day.

Snow Days

Last week, we had our first big snow of the season.  This combined with the holidays shut a lot of things down or, at the very least, slowed them down to a crawl for a day or two.  With this in mind, I was just curious what everybody did.  Did you take that time to go out and make snow angels or cuddle up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book?  Did you take that time to do something spectacular or use it to do something spectacularly mundane?  Seriously, what did you do?

            You know, when we get “free days” like that, there certainly are a lot of things we like to do and try to do.  Now, let me ask you this: does “reading your Bible” or “praying a prayer of joyful thanksgiving” ever make it on that list?

            So many times, you will hear people (maybe even yourself) say things like “I’m just so busy with work and my kids’ school stuff and this-that-and-the-other.  I just can’t find the time to spend on reading my Bible or praying (or going to church).  I mean, if your life was this hectic, you couldn’t find the time either.”  And, when you hear these things, you know what they are, don’t you?  They’re excuses.  And, do you know what excuses are?  They are lies we tell others and ourselves to try and excuse us from doing something we’re not supposed to do or from not doing something we’re supposed to do.

            In Matthew 5:37, Jesus tells us what our attitude toward excuses should be.  In the middle of discussing the subject of honesty with regard to yourself, your spouse, and everyone else, Jesus commands us to “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.”  Here, Jesus says for us to say what we mean and mean what we say.  And, Jesus follows this up with this thought: “For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”  In this one short passage, Jesus tells us what our attitude towards excuses should be: essentially, if we don’t say what we mean and mean what we say, then we’re sinning against God; therefore, if we are Christians, then we shouldn’t be in the business of making excuses like “I’m too busy, tired, forgetful, or whatever to engage in spiritual exercise.”

            I was talking to a brother in Christ about this on the day it snowed and he made a point I’d like to share with you.  Maybe those “free days” are God’s answer to those excuses.  Maybe God is saying to us, “You say that you’re too busy to read or pray?  Well, let Me slow things down for you.  Here’s a snow day.  Now, what are you going to do with it?”  Now, I’m not trying to put words into God’s mouth, but it is an interesting thought to consider because every day is a blessing from the Lord with which we can and should glorify Him, snow day or not (Psalm 118:24).

            You know, we always find the time, no matter how busy or tired we are, to do those things which are really important to us.  If we make excuses regarding godly things, then what does that really say about how important God and His things are to us?

            With all of this in mind, let me ask you one last question: what will you do come the next snow day: will you take the time to read and pray?  If you answer to the affirmative, then remember the words of Jesus and do your best to follow through with your answer.  And, I hope that we realize that we don’t have to wait until the next snow day to do this.  Take the time today and everyday to read the Bible and to pray to God.

            I pray that we all come to say “Yes” to God and His things and to say “No” to making excuses of any sort.  Make God and His things of the highest priority in your life and don’t let anything get in your way.  May God bless us in this noble effort of honesty.