On the Bible and Faith

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

“Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  Quench not the Spirit.  Despise not prophesyings.  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil”- I Thessalonians 5:16-22

One of the great themes of the Bible is starting over.  To begin afresh with a heartfelt desire to do better is a most profitable endeavor. It is one of the most wonderful opportunities that God’s grace affords the believer.  It is by His grace that we recognize our need for improvement.  It is by the same grace that we will be able to accomplish the task. Surely, we all have many areas that need improvement.  As one of our songs declare:

“Oh may we all improve, the grace already given;

And wear the crown of perfect love, And show we’re heirs of heaven!”

Paul closes out his letter to the brethren at Thessalonica with several Christian encouragements that we might continue in or…

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS (CONC.)

“Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  Quench not the Spirit.  Despise not prophesyings.  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil”- I Thessalonians 5:16-22

The Apostle further calls upon us to “Prove all things”.  This means to “try” or “examine” what has been preached.  Is it truth or “cunningly devised fables”?  Is what has been preached the wisdom of God or the wisdom of man?  Did it come from scripture or from the minds of men?  God’s true ministers would encourage his hearers to compare their teaching with God’s world.  They would encourage every believer to own a Bible and search it out.  Paul’s “prove all things” means, “Don’t be taken in” by false apostles or false doctrine.  Prove it!

Apparently, there were those at Thessalonica who were prone to believe any thing that they heard.  Luke compares them with the…

“DISCIPLESHIP, A NOBLE PROFESSION”

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple”-Luke 14:33

Being a disciple of Christ is the most noble profession that a person may ascribe unto.  In God’s eyes, it is more important that being a famous movie star, a successful athlete, a corporate executive, a millionaire, a president or a king.  While the merits of man will be covered by the sands of time, it is the disciples and their humble testimony that God has recorded in His word, a testimony that will shine throughout eternity.  

This word, “disciple”, is used to describe the followers of Christ more than any other term in the New Testament.  While the word Christian is used but three times in the New Testament to describe the followers of Christ, “disciple” is used over 250 times.  This is the word that Jesus chose to depict His most ardent followers.  It must be important!  

The term “disciple” means learner.  Therefore, a true follower of…

"MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART”

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"-Ephesians 5:19

The singing of "spiritual songs" is a vital part of the worship service.  It is not a prelude for the sermon, nor did God design it as a time allotted for the gathering of the congregation.  It is not a time that God winks at.  It is worship in and of itself.  If we miss this portion of worship we have missed much, for many times the unction of he Holy Ghost may be felt as genuinely during the song service as during the prayer and the preaching.  Though we should never replace preaching and prayer for this mode of worship alone, it is important that we understand the necessity of it.  

SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES

It has been said that there is something wrong with people who talk to themselves.  But in reality, that is what we are doing when we sing the songs of Zion.  "When you sing", writes Paul, "you are Speaking to yourselves". …

"The Sovereignty of God"

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion isan everlasting dominion, and his kingdom isfrom generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth arereputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and amongthe inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Daniel 4:34-35

The book of Daniel is a book about the sovereignty of God.  Each chapter reveals how God overrules the designs of angels(the armies of heaven) and men(the inhabitants of the earth) as He brings His sovereign councils to pass.  It reveals that history is really HIS STORY unfolding unto an expected and predicted end.  Though our text is taken from the confession of a heathen king, I could find no better scripture to depict the sovereignty of God…

"THE OLD HERESY"

"And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved"-Acts 15:1

In Acts 15, we find the apostles disputing over one of the oldest heresies among believers: salvation by works.  The false apostles had disturbed the flock and taught them, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved"-Acts 15:1. 

This is a dangerous doctrine.  It split the Baptist denomination in the early 1800's.  David Benedict's, "Fifty Years Among the Baptists", reveals the changes brought into the camps of the Baptists in his day.  Prior to this split, there was one Baptist faith in this country.  They embraced the great doctrines of God's grace.  To divide God's people is Satan's desire.  I find many today who know of distant relatives that were numbered among those old believers.  I dedicate today's article to their faith, hoping their posterity will search it out and return to the…

"THE LITTLE FOXES, THAT SPOIL THE VINES"

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes"-Song of Solomon 2:15

The church of Christ is a noble vine.  It is the place where noble fruit is born, the tender grapes of God's spirit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance".  Since this is a love song, we should know that the fruit the vine bears is in proportion to the love they have for their great husbandman, Christ. In his "Song of Songs", Solomon relates the many earthly distractions that will attend such fellowship, distractions that rob us of our joy and the fruit that may abound in our lives.  Such are the "little foxes that spoil the vines."

I have never seen a BIG fox.  The biggest fox is still a small creature.  But what mischief such a small creature can cause among the vines.  They come out at night, unexpected and unnoticed, and gnaw on the vines of the tender plants hindering the flow of sap…

"CLAIMING THE PROMISES"

"Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me"-Psalm 119:49-50

Here we find the psalmist in the posture of prayer.  From his language we find that his soul has been severely afflicted by something or someone.  But in the midst of his affliction he has found comfort.  Hope has arisen in his heart because he has read something in scripture, "thy word", that suits his particular need: he has found a precious promise and he claims it as his own.  He has found a promise and claimed it as his own!

GOD'S PROMISES

I love God's promises.  His word is packed with promises to His children.  Peter refers to them as "exceeding great and precious".   One man counted them and said that there were 7,487 promises of God to man.  Another said that there was a promise suited for every trial and affliction.  There are promises for husbands, for wives, for families, for nations, for…

"A HAPPY OCCASION"

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord"-Psalm 122:1

I can not think of a better occasion than the one David has before us.   This beautiful expression of his love for the Lord's house is found in one of the short 'Psalms of degrees'.  There are fifteen Psalms of degrees and they were thought to have been sung by Israel as they journeyed toward the temple in anxious anticipation of meeting Jehovah in worship.  Today, let us imagine that we are walking together, tribe by tribe, singing with one voice and one heart, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."

EVIDENCES

To be anxious to meet in God's house is an evidence of grace, a mark of spiritual maturity.  Some might say, "I don't know if God loves me or if He even knows that I exist."  What wonderful evidences we find here!  It means that God has done something special for you.  The desire to be in God's house comes from the drawing influence of the Holy…

"THY WORD IS SETTLED IN HEAVEN"

"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven"-Psalm 119:89

What is your opinion of the Bible?  Do you question its authenticity?  Do you read it with a skeptical eye?  Do you wonder if some of the passages have been tainted through the ages or if they are really supposed to be in there?  Do you feel that some of the statements are archaic, that they do not meet the needs of our present day?  Have you been led to believe that some of the writers were prejudice concerning race, religion or gender?  I am sure that these questions, and many more, plague God's people as they read the greatest Book that has ever been written.  We must not allow Satan to plant seeds of doubt in our minds.  Let us approach God's word with confidence and trust knowing that God has spoken to us through His word; He has not changed His mind; He is not going to change His mind; what is written is written for our good; the matter is settled in God's mind and it should be in ours…

"THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS"(Cont.)

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report"-Hebrews 11:1,2

Today, let us continue to learn from our "elders" as we examine other faithful men and women found in our "Faith Hall of Fame".  Great encouragement may be found in this little chapter as we see how God's people, in other ages, overcame great trials by their faith in God.  Let us begin with Noah, from whom we will learn that fear and faith work together for our good.  

BUILDING BY FAITH

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house"-v7a.  Though many will scoff at God's little children for believing in things that they can not see with the natural eye, the greatest feats that have ever been performed were accomplish by faith.  By faith, Noah, the amateur ship builder, constructed a boat that survived the greatest storm this earth has ever…

"THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS"(Cont.)

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report"-Hebrews 11:1,2

Not only did Abraham's great faith enable him to obey God as he walked away from all that he knew, it altered the way he looked at life. After his conversation with God, Abraham could no longer call earth his home.  He resided as a stranger,  "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"-Heb. 11:9-10.  Sojourn means to reside as a stranger.  Though Abraham enjoyed the earthly promises that God had made him, he looked not upon them as permanent.  He began to feel a little uncomfortable here.  He no longer saw earth as a permanent residence!

FAITH ALTERS OUR AFFECTIONS

Having been touched by the divine hand and moved by the…

"COME APART AND REST A WHILE"

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat"-Mark 6:31

Tuesday was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there was a crispness in the air which reminded me of fall.  A couple of the brethren and myself had met that morning to enjoy a time of fellowship and get a little R & R around the golf course.  We had only played a couple of holes and I already felt as if I had been on a vacation.  I could not have felt more relaxed had I been 1000 miles from home.  As we enjoyed the beauty of God's creation and some brotherly fellowship I thought about the practical instruction that Jesus gave to his disciples, "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat" –Mark 6:31.  This suggestion came at a…

"THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE MOST SURELY BELIEVED AMONG US"(Continued)

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those thing which are most surely believed among us"-Luke 1:1

Among those things most surely believed among us, we will find the doctrine of predestination listed among the beautiful doctrines of God's grace.  C.H. Spurgeon once said, "I question whether we have preached the whole counsel of God, unless predestination with all its solemnity and sureness be continually declared."

The biblical words, "predestinate" and "predestinated" are translated from the Greek word proorizo which means: "to predetermine or declare before"  Surely, God is able to do that.  If God were not able to orchestrate the affairs of men and angels, how could He bless men to prophesy future events before they came to pass;  and how could Christ have fulfilled the many messianic prophesies concerning Himself?  Men will allow the almanac to predict the proper season to plant…

"THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE MOST SURELY BELIEVED AMONG US"(Continued)

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us"-Luke 1:1

The doctrine of limited atonement is also found among the doctrines of those things most surely believed among us.  When we say limited, we do not mean that God is limited, nor are we saying that the mediatorial work of Christ upon the cross was incomplete.  Limited atonement means that the atonement of Christ was limited only to the objects of His grace, those chosen and loved before the foundation of the world. 

ATONEMENT

Atonement means to 'restore to divine favor'.  God's people were adopted from the fallen family of Adam and placed in the redeemed family of God, a place of divine favor, by the redemptive work of Christ upon the cross.  The Old Testament day of atonement is a type and shadow of our day of atonement as Jesus, by His one sacrifice, forever put away the sins of His…

"THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE MOST SURELY BELIEVED AMONG US"(Continued)

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us"-Luke 1:1

We conclude our exposition of "those things which are most surely believed among us" with a brief view of the glorious doctrine which concerns the preservation of the Saints.  This doctrine highlights the fact that all of the elect of God shall be kept by God and shall be eternally saved; though they may walk in darkness and disobedience, losing their joy of their salvation in their timely existence, they can never be lost eternally.  Jude addresses his epistle to such a people: "to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and Called."  

I can think of nothing that comforts God's people more than knowing they are in Christ Jesus and that they shall never be removed from such a position.  How did they get in Christ?  They were chosen "in Him before the…

"CONSIDERING"

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider"-Isaiah 1:3

Isaiah was called to prophesy against God's people in a very sad time.  They no longer considered Him.  To consider means to understand, to exercise the mind towards. Though the ox had a mind to consider his owner and his gentle commands; the ass considered the storehouse of provisions that were found in the master's crib; God's people no longer exercised their mind towards their maker.  They had forgotten the fount of their blessings.  Jehovah was no longer considered in their daily activities.

Considering requires an exercise of the mind which springs from the heart.  The infidel will describe the Christian as a shallow minded person who is willing to believe anything and everything without a shred of evidence.  God did not hold such an opinion.  He did not call upon the infidel or the unbeliever to consider.  They were not capable.  He called upon…

"SEEKING GOD'S FACE"

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,Thy face,Lord, will I seek"-Psalms 27-8

If your heart has been stirred to seek after God you are in good company.  Josiah, while he was yet young began to seek after God;  Job said, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him";  Solomon wrote, "I will seek him whom my soul loveth"; Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord; and Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord.  Great blessings were found in their lives and powerful testimonies exhibited in their behavior.  The Bible is full of God-seekers.  Today, let us join their blessed company and seek God's face while He may be found.  

WHY WE SEEK 

If you will carefully notice David's language, it was God that made the first move.  David was invited into the awesome presence of God's face.  Paul was struck down on the Damascus road as he was ushered into the divine presence of Jesus; Peter was approached by Christ as he washed his nets; Nathanael would ask…

"SEEKING GOD'S FACE"(Conclusion)

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,Thy face,Lord, will I seek"-Psalms 27-8

Seeking God's face is a most rewarding experience.  According to the writer of Hebrews, "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"-11:6.  Diligence is the key.  That means that there is a craving for God's presence which sets the soul to searching. In every pursuit, diligence has its rewards.  Athletes who are diligent in their training are the ones who excel; students who are diligent in their studies become high achievers; businessmen that are diligent in the workplace are most successful; and those that diligently seek God's face are those who enjoy His presence the most.  That, I believe, is the greatest reward we could hope for: to find Him; To feel His presence; enjoy His favor; and experience the blessings that accompany His fellowship.  Let us consider some of the reward's that every diligent seeker may expect, but first, let us consider…

"A DAY OF PRAYER"

This last Wednesday, at the request of one of the students, I was blessed to attend the flagpole prayer service at Poyen school.  Many students, faculty, parents and ministers were present as the students prayed and read some scripture.  We all sang "Amazing Grace" together.  One of the other ministers turned to me and said, "We don't need the music for this one" as we all lifted our voices together and sang praise to our God.   One of the students was called upon to read a scripture.  As she opened her Bible I wondered which one she would read.  Tears came to my eyes as she read, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land"-2 Chron. 7:14.  Quite appropriate!

One of the things I liked about the service was the fact that there were no preachers or denominations trying to get recognition for all the…

"InnocentBlood"

"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood"-Proverbs 6:16,17.

God is a God of love.  All love emanates forth from His divine presence. Yet, there are many things that God hates.  Seven of those things are given to us by Solomon in order that our thinking may be adjusted to think, not like the world, but like our Holy Father's.   Today, we focus our attention upon just one of these principles: the shedding of "innocent blood".

Innocent bloodis bloodthat flows through the veins of people who have done no sin; they have committed no crimes; they have slandered no one; they have not dishonored their Creator.  Innocent bloodis bloodthat flows through the veins of people who can not speak for themselves; they have no voice; they have no choice; no vote; no platform; no defense.  If you will look the world over you will find no bloodmore innocent that the bloodof the unborn…

"THE ATTITUDE OF PRAISE"

"But ye area chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"-1 Peter 2:9

To the scattered strangers, Peter sends words of great encouragement.  He reminds them, that even though they are scattered and persecuted, they still have reason to rejoice: they are chosen, elected to live with God in glory; they no longer need a high priest to offer sacrifices, they are of royal lineage and can offer spiritual sacrifices themselves; they have been made holy by the blood of Christ;  all of which sets them apart from the world in a special and peculiar way.  Thus, even in their present plight, they should show the world their riches by the their attitude, the attitude of praise.

The attitude of praise, that Peter suggests, is of great importance to God's people.  It is an expression of Christ, what He has done for us and our appreciation of…

"REST FOR THE TROUBLED SOUL "

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls"-Matthew 11:28,29

Before us we have a glorious invitation, not for a physical rest, but more importantly, a spiritual rest.  To find rest, we must have peace and here we find great consolation, our invitation is from the Prince of Peace.  Let us begin by noticing those to whom the invitation is given and conclude by observing the place that rest may be found for the troubled soul.

ELECTION DISPLAYED

The glorious doctrine of election is beautifully displayed in our text.  It is for God's people, His chosen, that this rest is designed.  As the writer of Hebrews so faithfully describes, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God"-Hebrews 4:9.  Election takes the portals of heaven out of the hands of men and denominations and gives it to the Holy Spirit who…