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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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August 17, 2014
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Contents:
1) The Promises of God (Lewis Willis)
2) Are You Serious? (Bill Lambert)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
The Promises of God
by Lewis Willis
Some form of the word promise appears in the Old Testament 42 times,
and in the New Testament 72 times. The word translated promise means
"speech, speaking: announcement." In Biblical usage, promise
contains the elements of covenant, contract and pledge, with
blessings in store to the beneficiary. In a sense a promise is a
prophecy, the fulfillment of which is properly expected (Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible IV:872).
There are man-made promises and God-made promises in the Bible. Some
are temporal, and others are spiritual promises. The promises of God
are sacred, while the promises of men are subject to human
frailties. God made many promises to the nation of Israel. At the
close of Joshua's life he said "not one thing hath failed of all the
good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are
come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof" (Josh.
23:14).
God's Promises Today
1. To be a Father to us. If Christians will separate
themselves from the sins of the world, he will be their Father, and
they will be his children. Paul said, "Having therefore these
promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God" (2 Cor. 6:17-7:1).
2. Life in Christ. Paul said he was an apostle "by the will
of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus"
(2 Tim. 1:1).
3. A Crown of Life. A man is blessed who endures temptation
"for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him" (Jas. 1:12).
4. Rest for the Soul. The Hebrew writer said, "Let us
therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his
rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb. 4:1).
5. Eternal inheritance. Christ is the mediator of the New
Testament so that "they which are called might receive the promise
of eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).
6. Eternal life. John wrote, "And this is the promise that he
hath promised us, even eternal life" (1 John 2:25).
Is it any wonder that Peter would refer to these promises as
"exceeding great and precious" (2 Pet. 1:4)? They are great because
they offer us so much. They are precious because they mean so much
to the soul.
Promised to Christians
The promises of God that are precious to the soul are made to his
children (2 Cor. 6:18). "They which are called" receive the promise
of eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15). Christians are the people who
have responded to the call of God issued through the gospel (2
Thess. 2:14). The promises of God are also said to be "to them that
love him" (Jas. 1:12). Gentile Christians were said to be
"partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (Eph. 3:6).
Christians are the ones who have obeyed the gospel. The promise of
life is said to be "in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:1). The only
conclusion that can be drawn is that the promise of heaven is made
for God's people, Christians who compose the Church.
We Can Depend Upon God's Promises
Three things are said about God that make his promises sure: (1) "He
is faithful that promised" (Heb. 10:23; 11:11). (2) God cannot lie.
Paul said he was "in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot
lie, promised before the world began" (Tit. 1:2). (3) Peter said,
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise..." (2 Pet. 3:9).
Because God does not lie, when he makes a faithful promise, he will
not ignore it -- he will fulfill it!
He Is Able
The things which were listed before, which God has promised to his
children, would be meaningless to us if the promises had been made
by a mere man. Man simply is not able to give us a crown of life,
eternal life, eternal inheritance, or eternal rest. We would not
expect to receive such things from men. However, these promises came
from God, and they are our hope for eternity. We are depending upon
these things which God said he will do for his people. Paul said
Abraham "staggered not . . . through unbelief" because he was "fully
persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he was able also to
perform" (Rom. 4:20-21). God is able to do what he has said he will
do. Like Abraham, we also can depend on it!
Conclusion
What conclusions, then, can we draw from these truths about God's
promises? The promises are in Christ, and realized by our obedience
to the gospel (Eph. 3:6). We must make absolutely certain that we
have obeyed the gospel! Thereafter, we must be determined in our
efforts to live the Christian life. We must meet the requirements of
faithful living (1 Cor. 4:2), worshiping and serving God in all
things (Matt. 4:10). God and the Kingdom must be the focus of our
affection and our work (Col. 3:1-2; Matt. 6:33). Then, we must never
become careless or impatient as we await the fulfillment of God's
promises. The Hebrew writer instructed Christians, "That ye be not
slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12). We must have enough faith to
persevere to the end (Rev. 2:10); we must be careful to maintain
good works (Tit. 3:8, 14); we must not lay down our sword before the
battle is won (Eph. 6:17). If we do so, this is the promise of Jesus
Christ: "He that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22).
I still like the words of R. Kelso Carter, in his well-known hymn:
Standing on the promises I now can see,
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises, I cannot fall,
List'ning every moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Saviour, as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.
Dear reader, can we say, "I'm standing on the promises of God"?
-- Via Truth Magazine, June 4, 1998, XLII, NO. 11
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-2-
Are You Serious?
by Bill Lambert
We have a habit of rationalizing our behavior, don't we?
Somehow, we find it hard to accept responsibility for the things
which we do, even when it is clear that we have violated some rule
or gone too far. We use various tricks to deny any guilt which
may be associated with the wrongdoing. Oftentimes, when faced
with the facts, we may respond with, "You are not serious, are
you?" Far too often, sin becomes trivial to us, but God is
serious about it. We will do well to take it seriously
also. Sin is indeed a "big deal," bringing about separation
from God (Isaiah 59:1,2). One of the purposes of God's law was
to teach the extreme sinfulness of sin (Romans 7:13). A
function of the New Testament record is to discourage sin (1
John 2:1).
God Was Serious About the Tree
God's warning to Adam and Eve was clear and to the point
(Genesis 3). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was
"off limits" to them. "If you eat, you die," was the message.
Eve understood the word of the Lord, for she repeated it to
Satan. Satan's approach to Eve was subtle and
successful. He convinced her that God was not really serious
about his warning. She ate some of the forbidden fruit and
persuaded her husband to do the same. When confronted, Adam
sought to shift the blame to his wife, and Eve sought to put the
blame onto the devil. All of them, though, were condemned by
the Lord, and punished.
God Was Serious About His Choice
God had chosen a meek and unassuming Moses to lead the children of
Israel out of Egyptian captivity and into the promised land.
At first reluctant, Moses fulfilled his God-given
responsibility. Some, however, challenged his
leadership. Korah, Dathan, On, and Abiram claimed that he was
taking too much upon himself (Numbers 16). For their
rebellion, they paid with their lives. The earth opened up and
swallowed them. God means business.
God Was Serious About the Water
On one occasion, God had instructed Moses regarding the obtaining of
water for the Israelites by striking a rock (Exodus 17). It
worked! Later, he told him to speak to a rock to bring forth
water (Numbers 20). Moses, while speaking out to the rebellious
Israelites, struck the rock as he had before. Again, water
came out of the rock. Moses had not sanctified Jehovah God in
the presence of the people. As a result, he was not allowed to
lead the children of Israel into the promised land.
God Was Serious About the Ark
After having spent some time among the enemies of Israel, and being
stored at the house of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7), the Ark of the
Covenant was finally being restored to its proper place. It
was loaded on a cart and its journey home commenced. When the
oxen stumbled, Uzza put his hand upon the ark to steady it and was
killed instantly (2 Samuel 6).
The prohibition against touching the ark was not a recent one, but
had been in place from the beginning of its existence (Numbers
4:15). God means what he says.
God Was Serious About Jericho
Prior to the destruction of Jericho, God had declared that no
looting would be allowed, but everything was dedicated to God
(Joshua 6:18-19). Achan did not take very much, but what he
took cost his life, and those of his family (Joshua 7). God's
will was to be done!
God Is Serious About Our Learning
One of the reasons the Old Testament record has been preserved is so
that we might learn not to make the same mistakes others have made
(1 Corinthians 10:11). Every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward (Hebrews 2:2). Not only
has God executed judgment upon men, but it has always been
just. All of us must see sin for what it is. Every sin
is an insult to the holiness of God. We are accountable for
our own sins and for any encouragement we give to others to
sin. Sin makes us unsuitable for the service of God. It
provides cause for enemies of righteousness to blaspheme. Sin
separates us from God. Serious? Believe it...it is serious!
-- Via the website of the Eastside church of Christ in Athens,
Alabama
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News & Notes
Danielle Howard has had to remain in the hospital in
Waycross for the last several days, due to her calcium level being
too low; but it has been slowly rising. As of last Thursday,
it was at 7; and since 9 is normal, when it reaches at least 8, she
will be able to return to Jesup Health and Rehabilitation. Let
those of us who are Christians be praying that not only will that be
soon, but also for the strengthening of her bones.
We were very glad to see Myrna Jordan at church with us last
week and also on the 17th. After having been released from the
hospital, she was later back in Savannah discussing with her doctor
the option of surgery, of which she is now in the process of
reaching a decision. Let us pray that the Lord will help her
in that -- and for every step of the way!
Let us also keep Jim Lively in prayer for his upcoming heart
surgery. As of now, there is no date set; but it could be in
the next couple months. For, due to being recently diagnosed
with acute asthma and also having sleep apnea, he is now undergoing
treatment focused on the lungs.
Others on our prayer list are Norma Burton, Ronnie Davis, Rex
and Frankie Hadley, Jewel Wilson, Mary Vandevander, Deborah
Medlock, Shirley Davis, Sue Wooten, A.J. and Pat Joyner, and
Colleen Henson.
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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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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)