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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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May 20, 2018
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Contents:
1) Forgiveness (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Forgiveness
Tom Edwards
Having the ability to forgive is necessary for our own well-being
and salvation. After giving His model prayer, in response to His
apostle’s request to teach them how to pray, which included the need
to ask God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors” (Matt. 6:12), the Lord then went on to point out the need
for that, by saying, “For if you forgive others for their
transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if
you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your
transgressions” (vv. 14-15).
The need for this is also shown elsewhere in the Bible. For
instance: “so as those who have been chosen of God, holy and
beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, AND FORGIVING
EACH OTHER, whoever has a complaint against anyone; JUST AS THE LORD
FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU” (Col. 3:12-13, emphasis mine). And
to the Ephesians, Paul wrote a similar instruction: “Let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away
from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, FORGIVING EACH OTHER, JUST AS GOD IN CHRIST ALSO HAS
FORGIVEN YOU” (Eph. 4:31-32, emphasis mine).
From what we see of God in the Bible, He wants to forgive everyone.
For He “is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). And this is because He “desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
This is also seen in Ezekiel 33:11, in which God declares, “I take
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked
turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil
ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11).
And how can we ever forget the longing Jesus had toward saving the
lost, as expressed in Luke 13:34: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city
that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I
wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her
brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”
No wonder we also see of the Lord being so moved that he wept over
the lost souls in that city. For He knew of the destruction that was
coming their way and of the many who would lose their lives when
Rome would have the city under siege for a couple years and bring
about the death of more than a million of its inhabitants in A.D.
70. Therefore, “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and
wept over it, saying, ’If you had known in this day, even you, the
things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your
eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw
up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every
side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within
you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because
you did not recognize the time of your visitation'” (Luke 19:41-44).
Jesus did not come to this world to condemn the transgressors, but
to make salvation possible for all. When the “Pharisees and their
scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, ’Why do you eat
and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?' ...Jesus answered
and said to them, 'It is not those who are well who need a
physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the
righteous but sinners to repentance'” (Luke 5:30-32).
God truly does want all to be saved.
The apostle Paul, for example, had not only been a persecutor of the
Lord’s church, prior to his conversion, but had also consented to
the death of innocent Christians. Concerning the stoning of Stephen,
for instance, Saul (Paul) had not only been there to witness that
(Acts 7:58), but had also been “in hearty agreement with putting him
to death” (Acts 8:1). And following that, Saul then “began ravaging
the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and
women...and put them in prison” (v. 3). He was given to “breathing
threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” and sought to
“bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1). In one of his
testimonials, following his conversion, he had said, in speaking of
his previous life, “I persecuted this Way to the death” (Acts 22:4).
And he did all that at that time because, as he says, “I thought to
myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I
lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority
from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I
cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the
synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously
enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities” (Acts
26:9-11).
And why did I bring all that out about Saul of Tarsus who became the
apostle Paul? Because of the great example we see of the Lord’s
grace, mercy, and forgiveness demonstrated in the life of that one
who was persecuting Jesus (Acts 9:4-5) and His people — even
consenting to the death of those Christians. Yet, what did Paul
declare, following his conversion, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16? “It is a
trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of
all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the
foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an
example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” In the
King James Version, Paul refers to himself as the “chief” of sinners
for whom Jesus also came to save (1 Tim. 1:15).
So even for the many in the world today who continue to reject “the
kindness of God” that “leads...to repentance" (Rom. 11:22) and, as a
result, remain lost in their sins, yet it is still God’s desire to
forgive and save these people. But that will not happen, until they,
of their own free will, submit to His plan of salvation.
Therefore, should we not also always have that desire to forgive
those who have sinned against us — and even if they do not repent,
nor want our forgiveness? For we should continue, similarly to God,
to have that desire to forgive them of whatever the wrong — rather
than harboring any grudge against them and being embittered.
In this, we also see the benefit for us in having a forgiving heart!
And if they repent and seek our forgiveness, it will be a benefit
for them, too.
And how often should we be willing to forgive the same person? It
appears that Peter initially thought that seven times would be
enough. But the Lord told him, “I do not say to you, up to seven
times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). This, of
course, is not to be taken literally, as if 490 times to forgive
someone is the limit. Rather, it figuratively expresses the need to
always be able to forgive a person regardless of how many times that
individual has sinned. And if we have trouble in that, we, who are
Christians, should try thinking of how many times God has forgiven
us. For forgiveness is something we are to ask of Him every day
(Matt. 6:12).
Though we are to be a forgiving people, we actually do not have the
power to blot sins out of the lives of others. So though we could
forgive someone who had stolen from us, that person will still need
God’s forgiveness so He will no longer hold that sin against that
person.
The scribes and Pharisees were right in their reasoning that only
God alone can forgive of sins (Mark 2:7); but they were wrong in not
recognizing that Jesus was also Deity and, therefore, had the right
and the ability to blot out iniquity in one’s life.
In the very passage where these took issue with Jesus over this
matter, the Lord proved the power He had to forgive by healing a
paralytic.
This took place in Capernaum, where four men had carried the invalid
to the home in which Jesus was. But because of the crowd, the
carriers had to make an opening in the roof to lower the paralytic
on a pallet to the Lord. Jesus “seeing their faith said to the
paralytic, ’Son, your sins are forgiven’” (Mark 2:5), which led to
the scribes and Pharisees finding fault in that statement. Jesus
then told them, “…’Why are you reasoning about these things in your
hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are
forgiven”; or to say, “Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk”?
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth
to forgive sins’ — He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up,
pick up your pallet and go home.’ And he got up and immediately
picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that
they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, ‘We have never
seen anything like this’” (Mark 2:8-12, emphasis mine).
Of all the blessings of life, whether they be physical or spiritual,
having the forgiveness of sins is one I find at the top of the list!
What could be more needful in our lives than that? Having God’s
forgiveness is more important than even the food we eat, the water
we drink, and the air we breathe!
“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE
SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL
NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT” (Rom. 4:7-8).
(All Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible, unless
otherwise indicated.)
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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, living for the Lord; for, if not,
salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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-2-
News & Notes
Folks to be praying for:
Hannah Laughlin has been experiencing loss of speech, severe
headaches, body tremors, and nausea at times.
Rick Cuthbertson’s surgery, due to cancer of the liver, is to
be the 21st of this month.
Benny Medlock recently had a CAT scan, due to pain that had
hindered him from walking. Several things were detected. The worst
being an aneurysm in his artery, which he will be going to the
hospital for next week. He also has a cyst on his kidney, a
hiatal hernia, a hernia around the navel, plus a bad case of
arthritis that is mainly in his back.
Tommy Lindsey has been seeing doctors recently, due to
several health issues concerning his liver, enlarged spleen, and
platelets being destroyed by what might be an auto immune disorder.
He is now being treated with new medication, saw a surgeon regarding
a liver transplant, and will be undergoing some more tests.
Rhyan Thomas had a brain tumor removed several years ago.
Recently, however, he began having seizures, for which he will soon
be undergoing testing.
Pat Joyner has been sick with a sore throat and coughing, and
her husband A.J. recently had an endoscopy to see if he has
an ulcer.
Danny Bartlett has been having pain in his leg muscle that
also makes it difficult to walk.
Charles Crosby is healing from his recent knee surgery.
Ginger Head (Benny Medlock's neice) is being tested for a
spot on her lung.
I (Tom Edwards) will soon be having hernia surgery and
already had some lab work done in preparing for it.
Others to also pray for: Jim Lively, Shirley Davis,
Deborah Medlock, Rex & Frankie Hadley, Misty & Jason
Thornton, Belinda Medlock, Michelle Rittenhouse, and Mary
Vandevander.
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/the-gospel-observer-may-20-2018/
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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, living for the Lord; 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
a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Tuesday: 2 p.m.
(Ladies' Bible class)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com (Gospel
Observer website with pictures in WordPress)
http://thomastedwards.com/go
(Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures,
but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)