“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents
1) “Cleave to the Lord” (Jerry Fite)
2) Being Spiritual (Jerry Fite)
3) Guard Every Step (Andy Sochor)
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“Cleave to the Lord”
Jerry Fite
Barnabas “…exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:23). God’s people always need an encourager. Barnabas effectively filled this role among brethren in the first century.
His encouraging push in Acts 11 came when the grace of God was spreading effectively to both Gentiles and Jews in Antioch (Acts 11:20). A great number of people were turning to the Lord (Acts 11:21). When he came to the city, he saw “the grace of God” for himself and was “glad” (Acts 11:23). This could have been a time to just sit back and praise God for all the converts to Christ. Why don’t we just be happy for awhile in God’s grace and think about exhorting the new converts later. This might cross the mind of some. But not Barnabas. He quickly went to work.
New converts need teaching and exhortation from the very beginning to ground them in the faith. Why? The Devil is always at work seeking whom he may devour and must be withstood by a steadfast faith (I Peter 5:8-9). No one was excluded in Barnabas’ exhortation. All needed to “cleave to the Lord.”
Different Greek words are translated “cleave” in our New Testaments. For example, a husband is to “cleave”(KOLLAO) to his wife (Matthew 19:5). The word conveys the idea of sticking like glue to convey the closeness of the relationship between the husband and the wife. Barnabas used the term PROSMENO which denotes the idea of “abiding with” the Lord.
Abiding with the Lord was not some ill-defined mission. The Christians were to heed the exhortation with “purpose of heart.” The word “purpose” (PROTHESIS) means literally to “show forth.” They were to manifest what was clearly set forth in their heart, and that was: abide with the Lord.
How many times have we pleaded, “Lord, be with me!” or, “Lord, stand by me!”? How often have we sung the song, “Abide with me,” without consciously thinking that we have the responsibility to “abide with the Lord?”
We need Barnabas’ exhortation in our day. One way that we “show forth” our heart’s desire to “abide with the Lord” is to be diligent in reading God’s Word. In daily study and meditation, we stay close to the Lord’s mind, reminding ourselves of what He approves and disapproves in our lives. With this knowledge, we make corrections, and renew an upright walk with Him in sanctifying light.
By taking to heart Barnabas’s exhortation, we refuse to allow the cares of this world to choke out the word in our hearts. We guard our hearts from the deception of riches that so easily sabotage our single-minded mission to abide with the Lord (Matthew 13:22).
God will always be with those who are submitting to His authority and carrying out His work in His way (Matthew 18:20). Therefore, we will do what He says and worship with our brethren on a consistent basis (Hebrews 10:22-25). We will carry out God’s commands in His name, for in doing so we will abide with Him, and He with us (Colossians 3:17, John 15:7). Cleave to the Lord. Its single-mindedness will free you from the impossible and disheartening task of always having to please others. Let it “show forth” and not lie buried in the heart beneath the rubbish heap of good intentions. Heed the exhortation! Cleave to the Lord, today!
— Via Glad Tidings, Volume XXIX, No. 24, June 16, 2019
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Being Spiritual
Jerry Fite
Paul writes, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). Paul is calling for Christians to come to the aid of their fellow brethren, when one is overtaken in any sin. The occasion demands someone who does not merely wear the name of Christian, but who lives in the Spirit. Paul calls for brethren “who are spiritual.”
The task of restoring a brother back to a place of usefulness demands one who is meek or humble. Such a Christian knows that he or she can be overcome by temptation and suddenly fall into sin just like the one whom currently needs restoration. Therefore, one who is spiritual is needed for the occasion because it demands one who is meek or gentle, not haughty or judgmental.
One “who is spiritual” is one who is bearing “the fruit of the Spirit.” Paul sets forth the nine facets of the single fruit of the Spirit that is manifested in the life of the Christian: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Possessing the “love” for God and His children, wanting “joy” to return to the guilty heart and the consequent “peace” with God, the one with “gentleness” seeks the mending of the fallen brother or sister.
“Being spiritual” will also occur when the Lord’s servants are engaged in correcting doctrinal error. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth…” (2 Timothy 2:24-25). The Lord’s servant is not out to promote self, but in humility uses one’s teaching ability to correct the opposition in their ignorance of the truth. What a moment for the spiritually minded servant when the knowledge of the truth is grasped so “they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).
One is spiritual when he or she minds the things of the Spirit in contrast to fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. Paul sets forth this distinction of the righteous: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). Being spiritual is not something you stumble into, but a determined way of living. One is “in the Spirit” when “the Spirit of God dwells” in the Christian (cf. Romans 8:9). When the revealed teachings of the Spirit continue to abide in the heart and direct one’s life, one is being spiritual.
Manifesting “self-control” against sin is “being spiritual.” Is it not one facet of the fruit of the Spirit? (cf. Galatians 5:23). We can have the Word readily at hand to defeat the wiles of the devil (Psalms 119:11), but it will be the inward saying of no to the devil’s alluring bait that determines successful resistance. Knowing Scripture coupled with self-control will result in a fleeing Devil (cf. James 4:7).
Resisting sin ourselves, while restoring those overcome by sin characterize spiritual people. Keeping self in check when humbly correcting doctrinal error allows deceived people to free themselves from the will of the Devil. Following the lead of the Spirit through the divinely inspired Word, fills the life of the spiritual person. Being spiritual is determined by who you are and what you do, not so much as to how you feel!
— Via Glad Tidings, Vol. XXIX, No. 21, May 26, 2019
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Guard Every Step
Andy Sochor
Moses was God’s faithful servant who led the Israelites out of Egypt. He dealt with opposition from Pharaoh, grumbling by the people, and difficulties of the journey.
Yet Moses was not perfect. When God told him to “speak to the rock…that it may yield its water” for the congregation (Numbers 20:8), Moses instead struck the rock with his rod and took credit for providing water for them (Numbers 20:9-11).
Because of this misstep, God told Moses that he would not bring the Israelites into the promised land (Numbers 20:12). We might think this was unfair. Surely we can sympathize with Moses as he had to deal with all of the stress and frustration of leading the Israelites through the wilderness. But none of that changed God’s decision.
We need to be careful about what we do. We could bring irreparable harm by some misdeed. In a moment of weakness, we could do something that has long-reaching negative consequences–for ourselves and others. Because of this, we must always be on the alert.
So guard every step. The devil is always looking for an opportunity to lead us into sin (1 Peter 5:8). We don’t need to give him one. Let us always be careful to do God’s will in all things.
— Via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, April 2024
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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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
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; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…
6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; 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: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service. Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)