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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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December 5, 2010
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Contents:
1) 1 Peter 1:20,21 (Tom Edwards)
2) "I Am Praying For You" (R.J. Evans)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
1 Peter 1:20,21
by Tom Edwards
As we continue in our consideration of 1 Peter 1, Peter states in
verses 20,21 the following about Jesus: "For He was foreknown
before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last
times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who
raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and
hope are in God."
Jesus Christ has always existed (Mic. 5:2; Jn. 8:57,58), and all that
has been created -- "in the heavens and on earth, visible and
invisible" -- has been created "through Him and for Him" (Col.
1:16. See also John 1:1-3). But even before the creation of
the world, when man was still just a thought in the mind of God, the
Lord already knew the wrongful course man would eventually take which
would necessitate an atoning sacrifice to free him from the bondage of
sin. So, prior, in God's mind was also His plan of redemption
that would require the death of His Son Jesus to pay the price for
every sinner. This, therefore, is one of the things that was
"foreknown" about Christ, that He would enter our world through
becoming a man (while still retaining His deity), in order to make
salvation possible by His death at Calvary for every transgressor who
would submit by faith and obedience to the Lord's gospel plan of
redemption.
Peter then goes on to say that Jesus "has appeared in these last times
for the sake of you...." Jesus came during the last days of the
Mosaical Period, for that period continued until it was brought to an
end by His death at Calvary (Col. 2:14; Heb. 10:9). But that same
death that annulled the Old Covenant also established the New Covenant,
the Gospel Age, which is also referred to in the Scriptures as "the
last days." For it is the last dispensation before Christ returns
and time becomes no more.
We need to give deep thought to the fact that Jesus appeared "for the
sake of you." Though Peter is writing to Christians of his day
who had been scattered abroad, this truth of the Lord appearing for
their sake is just as applicable to us. For Jesus came for the
sake of every lost soul! (See Mark 2:17 and 1 John 2:2.)
The dictionary defines "sake" as "benefit or well-being, interest,
advantage...."; and of all the things that could do good for man,
nothing could be more profitable than what Jesus has made possible for
each one of us. For He came from heaven to earth and died, so
that we who are on earth might not only live forever in heaven, but
also enjoy a relationship with God while on earth. The Lord
states in John 10:10, "...I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly." So that is one of the reasons why Christ died for
us; and He did so out of love, as Paul shows in Ephesians 5:2, "...walk
in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Out of His love, the Lord was willing to make other sacrifices for us,
too. For example, Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might
become rich."
In Mark Twain's, The Prince and the Pauper, the young prince traded
places with a poor, young look-alike. What a switch! In
seconds, the prince became like a pauper, dressed in rags, and began to
live the life of such. But this contrast from wealth to poverty
does not even come close to what Jesus experienced when He willing left
the glories of heaven to come to a world marred by the ugliness of sin.
Peter declares to the brethren that "through Jesus," they are all
"believers in God" (1 Pet. 1:21). One of the reasons why Christ
came to earth was to reveal to the world His Father in heaven. As
John 1:18 declares, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten
God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." Other
versions render the phrase "has explained Him" as "has made Him known,"
"has revealed Him," "has declared him," "has made clear what God
is," and "has shown us what God is like." This might also remind
you of the words of Jesus in John 14:5-9, where He points out that "If
you had known Me, you would have known My Father also...." Though
God the Father and Jesus are two distinct persons of the Godhead, they
are each just as much God as the other (and which is also true of the
Holy Spirit), as the Lord indicates in this passage.
We think of the "true believers" as those who do not merely give mental
assent toward the deity of Christ, but also those who abide in Him by
their faithfulness. For the Lord's disciples are those who
"continue in" or "abide in" His word (Jn. 8:31,32). So apart from
Jesus, we could not be true believers, having a relationship with
God. This can also be inferred from John 15:5,6, where the Lord
states, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I
in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a
branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire
and they are burned."
When Jesus says, "apart from Me you can do nothing," that would
certainly include having a relationship with God and being able to pray
to Him. For apart from Jesus, we would have no access to
God. For we do not pray in our own name; rather, we pray in the
name of Jesus (which means by His authority). So without Christ,
we would have no fellowship with God. Without Christ, we would
remain lost in sin. Without Christ, we would be nothing and
destined for an eternity separated from God. Therefore, to the
millions of people today who claim to be believers and followers of
God, but who reject Jesus Christ or do not believe in His deity, these
people are actually rejecting God. This fatal danger can be seen
in Luke 10:16, where Christ states, "...he who rejects Me rejects the
One who sent Me." For Jesus is not merely one of the ways
to heaven; rather, He is the ONLY way. In John 14:6, He speaks of
himself as not being merely "a way," but as being "THE way, and THE
truth, and THE life"; and that "no one comes to the Father but through
Me" (emphasis mine). So Peter tells the brethren that "through"
Christ they are "believers in God" because it is only through Jesus
that that can be possible in the truest sense (from God's standpoint).
Peter also shows that God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory
(1 Pet. 1:21), which is also seen in Acts 13:29-37. Not only was
there that great need for Christ's resurrection (as Paul indicates in 1
Cor. 15), but also the need for one to believe in it. For that is
part of truly believing in Jesus. Paul makes this clear in Romans
10:9, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe
in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved." We can say, therefore, that confessing our faith in
Christ and believing in His resurrection are two of the things
necessary for our own salvation, based on this passage; but they are
not all that is required of us. For elsewhere, we are also shown
of the need to repent (Acts 17:30), the need to be baptized in water
(Acts 2:38), and the need to continue in the faith (Rev. 2:10) in order
to receive a home in heaven.
Concerning that "glory" that Jesus received after His resurrection,
Daniel shows the fulfillment of that in Daniel 7:13,14, which foretells
of the Lord's ascension and specifies the "dominion, glory, and a
kingdom" that He would receive when He would return to the "Ancient of
Days" in heaven. This event took place almost 2,000 years ago
(Acts 1:9-11).
Peter adds that the purpose for Christ's resurrection and glorification
is so that our faith and hope can be in God. Going along with
this, 1 Peter 1:3 shows that the Lord has "caused" the Christian "to be
born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ...." And equally important was the Lord's glorification,
or in other words, His ascension back to heaven; for without the Lord's
resurrection and ascension, our faith would be futile; and we could
have no hope, as Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 15:13-20.
So in conclusion, though God, in His foreknowledge, knew that mankind
would sin and have need of the great sacrifice of Christ, God still
went ahead and made man. Surely, that should indicate to us that
we are special to the Lord; and He truly does want all to come to
repentance and for no one to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). How thankful,
therefore, we can be that Christ not only appeared; but in His
appearance, He also fulfilled all that was written of Him, accomplished
all that the Father had commanded Him; and, as a result, made it
possible that every sinner can become a believer who has faith and hope
in God (when His requirements for salvation are met). So, if you
haven't already, why not submit your life to those conditions today by
hearing the gospel whereby faith comes (Rom. 10:17), believing in
Christ (Jn. 8:24), repenting of sin (Luke 13:5), confessing your faith
in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10), being baptized in water for the remission of
sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Peter 3:21),
and striving to live faithfully unto the Lord throughout your life
(Rev. 2:10; Heb. 10:36-39).
Remember, God's plan of salvation, which involved Christ's suffering
and death on the cross, was in God's mind before the creation itself;
and then Jesus left heaven to come to our world at the right time (Gal.
4:4) to make the necessary atonement for us sinners by freely giving of
His own life. What does all that mean to you?
Does it not indicate how special we are to God and how much He
cares? So let us not pass up this great eternal love that
God (our Creator) has for us.
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-2-
"I Am Praying For You"
by R.J. Evans
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Tim.
2:1).
Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, as a young evangelist he referred to
as "my true son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2). Both of the letters
are filled with instructions and admonitions that would come under the
category of a "charge" (1 Tim. 1:18) that Paul was giving his "son in
the faith." Among other things, Paul charged him to study the
Word (2 Tim. 2:15); live the Word (1 Tim. 4:12); preach the Word (2
Tim. 4:2). But as noted from our text, Paul charged him "first of
all" to pray for others.
Over four years ago, when I was battling for my life in my fight
against cancer, there were no sweeter words than to hear brethren say,
"I am praying for you." I am convinced that I am alive and
doing well today because of all the prayers of my brethren from all
over the world. I believe this to be especially true in view of
the fact that on the day of my surgery, the doctors told Jackie and my
sons that I would live 18 months to 2 years.
Prayer is one of the most important duties and privileges of a
Christian. And I am convinced that praying for others
("intercessions") should take up a large portion of our prayer
time. There are some valid reasons for believing this.
In our text, Paul is giving a command to intercede by prayer for all
men. In the next verse he mentions some in particular -- "for
kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Tim. 2:2).
Ephesians 6:18 and James 5:16 also commands us to pray for
others. Thus, it is a duty commanded by God for every Christian
to pray for others.
Our prayers for others manifest brotherly love and an unselfish
attitude. These two areas are so important in the life of a
Christian. The Apostle Paul said, "Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for
his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil.
2:3-4). This being true, the requests we make for others are just
as important as the requests we make for ourselves. When the Lord
answers our prayers for others, no doubt, our faith is increased.
Jesus said loving our neighbor as our self is the second greatest
commandment (Mk. 12:31).
The Apostle Paul prayed for all the churches where he labored.
For example, in his letter to the Ephesians, he assured them of his
prayers on their behalf. He said I "do not cease to give thanks
for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (Eph. 1:16-17). The list
of things he asked God to do for the Colossians was similar (Col.
1:9-12). Epaphras offered fervent prayers for the Colossian
brethren. Paul told them, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant
of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers,
that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col.
4:12).
I have no doubt that Christians enjoy many blessings from God because
some brother or sister in Christ prayed for them. May we not
forget that praying for others should be a big part of our lives.
What encouraging words when some faithful brother or sister tells us,
"I AM PRAYING FOR YOU."
-- Via Southside News & Notes
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-3-
News & Notes
Let those of us who are Christians be remembering in prayer the family
and friends of Howard Blevins (Howard's father) from Oklahoma,
who passed away November 27. He was 91
Let us also be remembering Agnes Shuff, Eloise Craver, and Sheila Watts
in our prayers.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can
be
lost
(Heb.
10:36-39;
Rev.
2:10;
2
Pet.
2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn), Denham Springs, Louisiana
70726
Sunday services: 9:15 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 4 PM (worship)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards@onemain.com
tedwards1109@gmail.com
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/audioser.html (audio sermons)
Directions:
Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of
the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing
Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas
stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road,
and go a little less than 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on
the
right. We assemble in its "Meeting Room," which is very close to
the reception counter. Just walk pass the check-in counter; turn
right at the hall. The first and second doors on the left lead to
where we meet.