Month: May 2024

“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) Agreement in Meaning Despite Differences in Terms (Steve Wallace)
2) The Holy Spirit’s Role in Conversion (Bryan Gibson)
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Agreement in Meaning Despite Differences in Terms

Steve Wallace

The gospel of John uses different names for the same individual or beings. Simon was called “Cephas,” which is by interpretation “Peter” (1:42). The Holy Spirit is simply called “the Spirit,” “the Spirit of truth,” or the “Comforter” (or “Helper,” NKJV; NASB; 7:39; 1:32; 16:13; 15:26). Satan is also called “the devil” and “the prince of this world” (13:27; 8:44; 16:11). Of those lost eternally, it is written that they “shall not see life,” “will die in their sins,” or that they would come forth from their graves “to the resurrection of condemnation” (3:36; 8:24; 5:29).

Such use of different words or phrases in reference to the same person, event, or thing does not surprise us as this is a part of everyday life. Mothers are called mom, mommy, ma, mama, etc. We see agreement in meaning despite the difference in terms. With this in mind, let us now look at three passages from John culminating with the most well-known verse of the Bible, John 3:16.

John 10

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

Jesus is “the good shepherd” (v. 11). His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, i.e., there is a progression in their response to His words. They follow His lead (as in vs. 3,4). They cannot follow the voice of strangers and continue following Him at the same time (v. 5; Matt. 15:14). As a result of their following Him, He says, “And I give them eternal life” (v. 28). Let us now look at another passage from the gospel of John which teaches the same thing.

John 8

“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (v. 51). “Keep” is the same word as “observe” in Matthew 28:20, where Jesus said, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” “Keep” also corresponds with what Jesus said earlier in John 8: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (v. 31). “Abide in My word” and “keeps My word” shows clear agreement between these two verses.

Further, these verses agree with other clear texts of God’s word.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8-9).

“Keeps my word” (John 8:51) agrees with “does the will of My Father” and “obey Him.” “Shall never see death” (John 8:51) agrees with “enter the kingdom of heaven” and “eternal salvation.” Beyond this, we see harmony between John 8:51 and 10:27,28. The one who “keeps My word” (8:51) is the same as the sheep who “hear My voice” and “follow Me” (10:27). Also, there is harmony in the resulting message of both passages: “shall never see death” (8:51) and “I give them eternal life” (10:28). We should expect such agreement. All these words are inspired by the same Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We now turn to another text which John penned.

John 3

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (v.16). God’s love for the lost people of this world led Him to send His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, to die for their sins. Sinners could not be saved without the blood He shed on the cross (Matt. 26:28; 1 Tim. 2:5-6).

As we look at the three passages from the gospel of John that we have examined we see agreement in the promised future blessings of which they speak. “Give them eternal life” (10:28), “never see death” (8:51) and “have everlasting life” (3:16) are three different ways of saying the same thing. There is harmony in the promises of these verses. What about conditions for receiving these blessings? Is there agreement in the words “believe” (3:16), “keeps My word” (8:51), “hear My voice” and “follow Me” (10:27)? There is progressive action in the language of 8:51 and 10:27. “Believes,” in John 3:16, is a verb in the present tense. It describes customary or habitual action (Dana and Mantey, 183; Burton, 8–9). This harmonizes with the progressive action found in 8:51 and 10:27. It also harmonizes with the actions of believers in other passages (Heb. 10:39; 11:7, 30; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:12; 18:8).

Conclusion

We close this brief study with agreement on the destiny of the saved. They shall be given “eternal life,” “never see death,” and “have everlasting life.” We also have agreement regarding the conditions necessary for eternal life. One must ‘hear Christ’s voice’ as revealed in His word and “follow” Him. One must ‘keep His word.’ One must ‘believe.’ However, to have agreement in these last three sentences, we cannot change “believe” to “believe only,” as many religions erroneously do.

Sources:

Dana, H. E., and Julius R. Mantey. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. New York: MacMillan Publishing, Co., Inc., 1927, 1957

Burton, Ernest De Witt. Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek, 3rd ed. Edinburg: T&T Clark, 1898.

— Via Facebook website for the Round Lake Beach church of Christ, April 4, 2019

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The Holy Spirit’s Role in Conversion

Bryan Gibson

Jesus promised His apostles He would baptize them
with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5-8). Jesus made
another promise regarding the Holy Spirit, this one with a more
general application: “And when He has come, He will
convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment” (John 16:8). Remember this promise, because we will
come back to it shortly.   
   
The best way to understand the Holy Spirit’s role in conversion
is to look at the actual cases of conversion recorded in the
Book of Acts. What role did the Holy Spirit play in these
conversions? He did just what Jesus said He would do—He
convicted these people of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment. And He did that through the preaching of the gospel,
which shouldn’t surprise us in the least, because the gospel is
“the power of God to salvation” (Romans 1:16). Yes, the gospel
was preached by men, but they preached it “by the Holy Spirit”
(1 Peter 1:12), because the words they spoke were revealed by
the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:6-13; Ephesians
3:1-5). Jesus had this to say about the life-giving power of
these words: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits
nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are
life” (John 6:63). This same life-giving power is also seen in
this passage: “having been born again, not of corruptible seed
but incorruptible, through the word of God…” (1 Peter 1:23); and
in this one: “Of His own will, He brought us forth by the word
of truth…” (James 1:18).

To illustrate, consider the conversion of some Jews in Acts 2.
Notice verse 37 in particular: “Now when they heard this,
they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the
rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This
is exactly what Jesus was talking about—these people were
convicted by the Holy Spirit, because the gospel Peter preached
to them was revealed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Study the
conversions one by one, and you will see this same truth
illustrated over and over again. Pay close attention to how they
responded when they heard the gospel, and realize this
is the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion.

Of course, the Holy Spirit does not convict everyone—cases on
non-conversion are also found in Acts, people who did not
receive the word “with meekness” (James 1:21). The problem was
not with the Holy Spirit, or with the words He revealed; the
problem was with the hearers. As Stephen said to his audience,
“You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). The gospel is
compared to a fragrance in 2 Corinthians 2—to some it is the
“aroma of death,” to others it is the “aroma of life” (2
Corinthians 2:14-16).

Please give close attention to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Welcome it “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the
word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). It will tell you “words by
which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14).
Give the gospel a fair hearing, and the Holy Spirit will convict
you of your sins; He will show you how to be right with God; and
He will impress upon you the urgency of it all by warning of the
judgment to come.

— Via Plain Words from God’s Word,  May 22, 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.)

“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) Holy Spirit Baptism — Just the Facts, Please (Bryan Gibson)
2) Jumping to Conclusions (Gene Taylor)
3) A Living Hope (Jesse A. Flowers)
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Holy Spirit Baptism — Just The Facts, Please

Bryan Gibson

Much has been written and said about Holy Spirit baptism, sometimes with little concern for what the New Testament actually teaches. We will do our best to stick with the facts in this article.

John the Baptist promised “one mightier than I” would baptize with (“in”—ASV) the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16). That this “one” was Jesus was confirmed to John in a remarkable way: “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). John saw what God described when he baptized Jesus (John 1:32; Matthew 3:13-17), and so he knew for sure Jesus was the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Here is where we need to be careful. We might assume Jesus baptized people with the Holy Spirit on a regular basis, but we only find two instances in the New Testament specifically described as Holy Spirit baptism.

First, Jesus promised the apostles He would baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). He specifically told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they received this promise, which is exactly where Jesus baptized them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4, 33).

Jesus baptized the apostles with the Holy Spirit to give them power for their work as His witnesses (Acts 1:8; 4:33). They were empowered in basically two different ways. First, the Holy Spirit revealed all truth to them (John 14:26; 16:13), so that what they spoke and what they wrote was inspired of God. Secondly, they were empowered to perform miracles, in order to confirm that what they were teaching came from God (Acts 14:3; Mark 16:20).

We have one other example specifically called Holy Spirit baptism in the New Testament—a Gentile named Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-48; 11:15-18). That this was an unusual event can be seen in Peter’s recount of the event: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). A unique event for sure, because for Peter to find the same thing that happened here, he had to go all the way back to the time when the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit (“at the beginning”).

Cornelius and his household were baptized with the Holy Spirit for a special purpose: to convince the Jews God made no distinction between them and the Gentiles, to show that Gentiles could be saved through Jesus Christ—without having to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses (Acts 11:17-18; 15:5-11). It had this very effect on the Jews in Jerusalem when Peter told them what happened: “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18).

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not something we should seek today—in fact, it was not even sought by the people cited in the examples above. It had a unique purpose for the apostles and for Cornelius and his household. We don’t need it for the reasons the apostles did, because all truth has been revealed and confirmed. And we certainly don’t need it for the reason it was given to Cornelius and his family, because we can learn the same lesson from what happened to them (which is the way it was used in Acts 15). The “one baptism” of Ephesians 4:5 is water baptism, and it is necessary for the remission of sins (Acts 10:47-48; 2:38; 8:35-39). Holy Spirit baptism was a promise, fulfilled only in certain individuals; water baptism is a command everyone must obey.

— Via Plain Words from God’s Word, May 15, 2024

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Jumping To Conclusions

Gene Taylor

A few weeks ago I attended a musical put on by one of our local high schools. I went because my son had done some video work for it, one of the young people from church was in it, and, frankly, I enjoy musicals. I was enjoying this one. I was pleasantly surprised at the professionalism demonstrated by these students. I recalled my high school days and the productions we put on and they in no way compared to the expertise these young people displayed. So I was having a good time.

Everyone else seemed to be enjoying it too. The auditorium was filled and the applause was thunderous — except for the woman sitting next to me. I don’t remember when I first noticed it but she was not applauding at all. While the rest of the audience was gleefully putting their hands together, she just sat there quietly.

I consciously watched her the next time applause rang out. Again, she didn’t so much as move or acknowledge the performance in any way. I thought to myself, “Why did you come if you were going to just sit there? Don’t you realize these young people need to be encouraged when they do good, worthwhile things?”

It became a distraction to me. My enjoyment was greatly diminished. In reality, not only was I distracted, I was becoming angry at this woman. “Perhaps,” I thought, “she is jealous — grudging these young people their youth and talents.” “Maybe she thinks she is better than everyone else and that all this is beneath her.” I carried such thoughts to intermission.

When I stood to stretch, so did she. Then she turned around. It was then I knew the truth — she had only one hand. She could not have applauded even if she desperately wanted to. I felt stupid. I was glad I had not shared my feelings with anyone else. I was ashamed.

I wondered, “How many times have I jumped to conclusions about other people when I did not know the truth of their situation?” Our Lord told us we should not be quick to judge others (Matt. 7:1-2) but I had “jumped in with both feet.” I was the self-centered one. I was the one who lacked sensitivity and understanding. I asked the Lord to forgive me. I smiled at the lady and said, “Good play, huh?” She replied, “It’s wonderful! I am really enjoying it.” Now, putting aside my selfishness, I could too.

Throughout our lives, as we live them for Christ, let us  not be quick to judge others and impugn their motives. Only God knows their hearts (Acts 1:24). Let us let Him judge in matters of the heart.

— via Viewpoint from the Valley Grove church of Christ, October 30, 2022

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A Living Hope

Jesse A. Flowers

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Praise be to God our Father for His abundant mercy to us in that He has granted us a living hope! This “living hope” was made certain by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (cf. Acts 2:22-32). Jesus is the reason why our hope is “living” and not dead. We serve a risen Savior who is presently reigning over all things as He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

This living hope is accessed by means of our being born again. Jesus taught that we must be born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5) to enter the kingdom of God. We were born again through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23; John 8:32) which the Holy Spirit revealed through the apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:1-5) and receiving that word through faith we were baptized into Christ (through water) for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:20-21).

Our brother Peter then speaks of those who have been born again to a living hope obtaining an inheritance (received by those born into the family of God). Please notice that the apostle describes our inheritance as being imperishable, undefiled, will not fade away, and reserved in heaven – for you!

The original recipients of Peter’s letter needed to hear this encouraging and reassuring message because of the fiery trial that they were experiencing. And the people of God today need to hear (loud and clear) this same great divine message as we are grieved and distressed by various trials. We need to hold fast to our living hope! We need to praise God for His great mercy! And we need to ever press towards that eternal inheritance that awaits us in heaven!

— 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.)

“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) He Got Up and Followed Him (Doy Moyer)
2) The Cure for Our Souls (Bill Fairchild, Jr.)
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He Got Up and Followed Him

Doy Moyer

Think about this for a moment. Jesus passed by “Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him” (Mark 2:14). What an impression Jesus must have already made on Levi (Matthew) to cause him to get up and follow like this! Why would anyone do this?

Jesus was careful with his choices. He knew what He wanted and who could serve Him well, so telling someone to follow Him was no little matter. But why Matthew? Why would He choose a tax collector whose reputation was that of a swindler or a traitor? This must have been a shocking choice given all the other options He would have had before Him. Yet there is Jesus telling Levi to follow Him, and Levi got up and did it.

This must have taken a strong commitment on the part of Levi. To get up immediately and follow was risky. We see no evidence of hesitation on his part. He got up and followed Jesus, willing to pay the price and deal with the consequences. Why would he do this? Why would anyone do this? While we do not have all the reasons spelled out in the text, we can gather at least this much:

1. Levi would have seen the relative value of what he was leaving for what he was gaining. He knew it was worth the price he had to pay. Do we see the same? Compare what we give up with what we gain in Christ. Paul wrote, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:17-18).

2. Levi would have recognized his need for what Jesus was giving. He had to come to grips with the fact that he was a sinner in need of repentance and forgiveness. Yet only Jesus offered this. Jesus shows this very point in what happens next in the text (Mark 2:15-17).

Jesus was sitting and eating with “many tax collectors and sinners,” along with His disciples. The scribes and Pharisees wondered, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” It made no sense to them. If Jesus was the Son of God, how can he associate with the sinful and unclean? No Messiah would do this! Yet this is where the problem lies. What kind of Messiah and Savior do we want? What do we need?

Jesus’ response here was on point: “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). This struck hard against the scribes and Pharisees. They thought they were righteous; and because of this, they did not see the need for what Jesus was offering. They already had what they thought they needed. Why would they need Jesus?

Again, Levi would have followed Jesus because he saw what Jesus was offering as needed. If Levi saw himself as righteous, he likely would not have followed. If we see ourselves as already righteous, in need of nothing, then we will not follow either. We need to see where we stand before God to know why we need what Jesus gives.

Following Jesus, then, starts with recognizing who Jesus is, what He offers, and what we are in relation to Him. If we see ourselves as good enough, we will not follow, and this seems to be the problem that we sometimes encounter. People in the world see themselves as good enough. They don’t need what Jesus offers, they think. Why would they need to follow Jesus?

We follow Jesus not because we think of ourselves as righteous, but because we realize we are sinners who are sick and in need of the Great Physician. We need to keep a proper perspective lest we find ourselves like the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:17: “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Seeing ourselves for what we are as sinners is necessary to follow Jesus. He says, “Follow Me.” In these words, Jesus presents a crossroads in our decision-making. To deny Jesus here is to say that we don’t need Him, that we are good enough on our own. Such pride will destroy us.

Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. Will we, like Levi, get up and follow Jesus? Or will we be like the scribes and Pharisees who saw themselves as righteous already and thereby denied Jesus? This is where discipleship begins.

— Via Articles from the La Vista church of Christ, September 12, 2023
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The Cure for Our Souls

Bill Fairchild, Jr.

“Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?” (Jeremiah 8:22, NKJV).

In every generation, diseases and illnesses of every sort are threatening our well-being and in some cases our lives. It was not so long ago that Polio was a serious illness for so many. Now in our time, cancers of every sort, HIV, and Hepatitis C have become our modern nemeses!

Each of these diseases serves to challenge the medical community and research institutions at alarming costs in the effort to find a cure.

Found in the heart of the Old Testament, the weeping prophet Jeremiah has seen with his own eyes the sickness and stubbornness of his people. He also understood that because of their rebellion against the God of heaven and His will, his people could not be healed by the “balm of Gilead.”

Gilead stood on the eastern side of the Jordan River. There would be trading caravans that traveled through this area from the east, moving south in the direction of Egypt. One of the products they brought with them to sell was an aromatic substance used for healing, called balm. In time, then, the term “balm of Gilead” became a phrase associated with “cures” and “healing.”

Jeremiah asks a very poignant question comprised of two parts, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?” It is this type of question, asked centuries ago, that even now echoes through time and resonates with us today. It speaks to mankind of our own shared human experience of pain, brokenness, and longing for healing. It points us to the “balm of Gilead,” a symbol of God’s provision for spiritual healing.

The “balm of Gilead” was a real, tangible substance, a resin derived from a tree native to the region of Gilead. It was known for its healing properties, used to soothe and heal physical wounds. But in the context of Jeremiah’s lament, the balm of Gilead takes on a deeper, spiritual significance. It becomes a metaphor for God’s healing, a symbol of His ability to soothe our spiritual wounds and restore our broken souls.

In the same way, mankind is lost in sin and in need of a Savior. God’s love for us is demonstrated in the great sacrifice of His “only begotten Son!”  It is as real as the balm of Gilead, as tangible as the resin from the tree; and it is by His grace and mercy that forgiveness of sins, the opportunity to be at peace with God and be adopted into His spiritual family can be obtained.

The “balm” God offers is found in the person of Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, who came to heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds – yours and mine! And the healing that He provides is not something to be taken lightly. It is not some sort of a superficial band-aid for the heart and soul of man, but rather it is a cleansing that reaches to the very depths of our being.

It is deep and lasting. It touches our wounds with His love, soothes our pain with His grace, and restores our souls with His truth. It is a healing that transforms us, that makes us new creatures in Christ, which brings us the joy and peace of the salvation He alone provides. And it is to be understood that the “balm” found in Jesus requires our choice and participation. We must choose to come to Him and surrender our will to His!

This choice is not always easy. It requires humility, courage, and faith. It requires us to let go of our pride, our fear, and our self-reliance. It requires us to trust in Jesus, to rely on the strength, comfort, and guidance that will never fail us, and to rest in His love. He alone can heal us of all our sins!

— Via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, May 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).
——————–

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.)

“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) Learning From the Temptations of Jesus (Al Diestelkamp)
2) “Commits a Trespass Against the Lord” (Heath Rogers)
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-1-

Learning From the Temptations of Jesus

Al Diestelkamp

Three of the four gospel accounts refer to Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Mark’s gospel gives a very brief summary of this event, making it clear that this took place immediately after Jesus’ baptism when the voice from heaven declared, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:11-12). Mark makes no mention of Jesus’ forty-day fast or any of the specific temptations—only that He “was tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him” (vs.13). The accounts by Matthew (4:1-11) and Luke (4:1-13) reveal three of Satan’s enticements near the end of this ordeal, as well as Jesus’ responses to His adversary.

We should not think that the three specific temptations recorded constituted the totality of Satan’s attacks during those forty days, nor should we think that Jesus was free from temptations after this. Satan merely left Him “until an opportune time” (Lk. 4:13). From the book of Hebrews we learn that, as a man, He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). 

Though the apostle John did not include this event in his account of the life of Jesus, many sermons have been preached noting that the three temptations in the wilderness seem to correspond well with John’s descriptions of “all that is of the world.” He identifies three worldly desires we all face: “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:15-17). The thought is that every sin begins as a temptation to yield to one or more of these three human desires in a way not authorized by God.

It’s understandable, that at the end of a forty-day fast, using one’s ability to turn stones into bread would be tempting. Under other circumstances this might not have been sinful, but performing this miracle was not how Jesus was to prove that He was the Son of God. In response, Jesus quoted Moses who reminded Israel how God had humbled them by allowing them to hunger in order to teach them that “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3).

One thing we can learn from this temptation is that Satan is devious enough to use a natural human desire to tempt us to do evil. He will try to convince us that because the desire is legitimate, we have a right to satisfy it anyway we can. We learn from Jesus’ response that we should listen to the word of God instead of being directed solely by our fleshly desires. In the event of hunger, God’s word teaches us to work in order to satisfy this lust (Eph. 4:28).

Hunger is not the only natural fleshly desire that Satan will tempt us to satisfy illegitimately. Sexual desire is one of his most powerful enticements, and he has convinced much of humanity that they have “a right” to satisfy it as they please. God’s word teaches us that “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4).

Luke’s account then has Satan taking Jesus upon a high mountain to see “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” (4:5). Matthew described this mountain as “exceedingly high” (4:8). There Satan offers Jesus what Satan thought would be irresistible: “If You will worship before me, all will be Yours” (Lk. 4:7). It had to be a glorious sight; but, resisting the lust of the eyes, Jesus preached God’s word to Satan: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Deut. 6:13; 10:13).

Satan isn’t likely to use the lust of our eyes to promise world domination, but he will put before our eyes whatever appeals to us if only we will bow to him. We would do well to remember that when Achan “saw a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold,” he was led to coveting and taking what was accursed (Josh. 7:21).

Following the order of temptations given in Luke’s account, Satan’s final effort to trip Jesus up involved taking Him to a high place of the temple and challenging Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here” (4:9). Satan even resorted to quoting Scripture promising God’s protection (Psa. 91:11-12). But Jesus recognized that Satan was trying to entice Him to test whether God would acknowledge His Son by saving Him from such a fall. Jesus’ response: “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Deut. 6:16).

We need to be aware that Satan has “his ministers” who portray themselves “as ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:15) who will even quote from the Bible in order to teach what the Scriptures do not teach. They may be in pulpits or theological seminaries, twisting not only the apostle Paul’s epistles, “in which are some things hard to understand,” but also “the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Pet 3:16).

Perhaps the most significant thing we should understand from Satan’s attempt to entice Jesus to sin is that the Son of God was not Satan’s ultimate target. Had he succeeded, Satan would have accomplished his main mission—the inescapable bondage to sin of all mankind, resulting in our “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess.1:9).

 — Via Think on  These Things, April-May-June, 2024, Volume 55, No. 2
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-2-

“Commits a Trespass Against the Lord”

Heath Rogers

In a sermon two weeks ago, we studied David’s statement from Psalm 51:4 – “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight…” I made the comment that David was aware that he had sinned against Uriah, Bathsheba, his servants, and the entire nation. However, all this vanished away as he considered the enormity of his guilt before God. A good lesson needs to be learned from the man after God’s own heart.

All our sin, regardless of who is hurt by our actions, is ultimately committed against God Himself.

Joseph responded correctly to the sexual advances of his master’s wife: “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). Young Joseph understood the sin of adultery is ultimately a sin against God because it violates His law.

These two men believed that any sin was ultimately a sin against God. What does God say about this?

Monday night, brother McKibben led us in a study of Abraham lying to Abimelech in Genesis 20:1-14. I noticed something God told Abimelech in verse 6. “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her” (emphasis mine – HR). Long before Joseph or David lived, God had established that the sin of adultery is a sin against the Lord Himself.

Leviticus chapter 6 offers more light on this subject. In giving instructions regarding offerings and restitution, the Lord said: “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely – in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins” (Lev. 6:2-3, emphasis mine – HR). All sins we commit against others are first and foremost sins against God.

Denominational writer R.C. Sproul is noted for these excellent comments regarding sin:

Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the righteousness of God. We are saying, “God, Your law is not good. My judgment is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to do.”

The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority. It is a revolutionary act, a rebellious act where we are setting ourselves in opposition to the One to whom we owe everything. It is an insult to His holiness…(R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, 151-152).

— via Articles from the Knollwood church or Christ, October 2023

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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).
——————–

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.)