“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) The Tragedy of a Lost Soul (R.J. Evans)
2) Satan’s Blinders (Eric Reynolds)
3) Psalm 119:41-48 (Berean Study Bible)
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The Tragedy of a Lost Soul

R.J. Evans

One of the striking things about the teachings of Jesus is the way He gets to the heart of every issue. There is no better illustration than the following: “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). According to the context, Jesus is talking about the value of the soul of a person, not his physical body. In reality, man is a soul. In the beginning, God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness…And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (a living soul, KJV)” (Gen. 1:26; 2:7). The questions Jesus raised in Matthew 16:26 have some sobering implications:

  1. Humans possess an eternal, immortal nature. Mankind has a physical body and a soul or spirit. When a man dies, the spirit leaves the body (Jas. 2:26). Observe that James said “the body without the spirit is dead,” not the spirit without the body is dead. The word of God teaches us that “the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7). Jesus speaks of “both soul and body” in Matthew 10:28. Such false philosophies as atheism, humanism, and evolution deny this truth–that man has a soul or spirit. This makes man merely a physical creature with no more soul or spirit than a rock.
  2. The soul is our most priceless possession. It is worth more than all material things combined. It is of divine origin (Eccl. 12:7; Heb. 12:9), eternal in duration (Matt. 25: 46); Mk. 9:43-46), and can transcend earthly relationships (Jn. 4:24). Concerning the soul, the Apostle Peter stated: “…you were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot… Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit… having been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:18-23).
  3. The soul can be sold or exchanged. Some people exchange their souls for pleasure (2 Tim. 3:4). Others sell out for popularity, loving the approval of men more than the praise of God (Jn. 12:43). Many exchange their souls for the love of the world (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Then there are those who trade their souls for error and the false philosophies of men (Col. 2:8). Others trade their souls for material prosperity (Lk. 12:16-21).
  4. Whatever the exchange, it is foolish and costly. The world and all that is in it can never satisfy the deep, vital need of the soul in order to be at peace with God. This world and all its material contents will ultimately be destroyed by fire (2 Pet. 3:10). At death we must leave everything behind. The Apostle Paul stated: “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7).
  5. There is no loss as tragic as that of the soul. The loss of health, of a child, of one’s family, of one’s life in attempting to gain the “whole world” would be tragic enough, but they are not comparable to the losing of one’s soul. The damnation of the soul is a multiple loss: the beauties of heaven are forfeited and the agonies of hell must be endured forever. A lost soul in hell is everlastingly abandoned “from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thes. 1:9); there is no help or hope for such a horrible condition. A soul in hell is lost for all eternity! What could possibly be more important to us than to obey “the gospel of Christ…the power of God to salvation” (Rom. 1:16) and do whatever the Lord commands and teaches in the New Testament for our soul’s eternal salvation. Jesus, while on earth, stated: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10).

— Via the Facebook site for the Southside church of Christ, Gonzales, LA, May 25, 2017
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Satan’s Blinders

Eric Reynolds

If the devil can get someone headed in the wrong direction, I imagine his next move is to insulate that person from any calls to turn back. Some common deceptions that harden us against the truth:

1) “Anyone who criticizes me is a ‘hater.’” Instead of hearing what they have to say, I’ll just assume they are bitter, jealous, etc.

2) “Those who rebuke me are hypocrites.” This dismisses any rebuke because of flaws (real or imagined) in the rebuker.

3) “Admonitions are attacks!” Those who criticize are seen as the enemy, and their words are personal attacks. I must shield myself from their hurtful words (and any truth they might contain).

4) “Only God can judge me.” Who do these people think they are, trying to correct me? They should focus on themselves and leave me alone.

5) “True friends are those who support me.” I will choose to focus on the opinions of those who agree with me.

If someone adopts these attitudes toward admonitions, they will be impervious to correction. Isn’t that exactly what the devil would want? Here are five truths from God regarding criticism (quotations from the ESV):

1) “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6). Someone who agrees all the time might not be our friend. A true friend says what we need to hear, even if it hurts.

2) “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). If a criticism is founded in God’s word, we should accept it regardless of who the messenger is.

3) “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). Just because someone says something we don’t want to hear does not make them an enemy. The important question is: are they speaking the truth?

4) “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). Preaching the word includes not only encouragement but also reproof and rebukes.

5) “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death” (James 5:19-20). We are our brothers’ keeper.

It could be that someone who is criticizing me is indeed just an enemy, attacking me with hateful, false words. But it may also be that the very one I think is my enemy is being a true friend, reaching out with the truth to turn me from heading in the wrong direction. How can I know? By listening to their words and then evaluating myself based on God’s word to see if the criticism is valid or not. It may just be that God is using that person to help me.

— via The Auburn Beacon

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Psalm 119:41-48

Vav

41May Your loving devotion come to me, O LORD, Your salvation, according to Your promise.

42Then I can answer him who taunts, for I trust in Your word.

43Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments.

44I will always obey Your law, forever and ever.

45And I will walk in freedom, for I have sought Your precepts.

46I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.

47I delight in Your commandments because I love them.

48I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes.

— Berean Study Bible

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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 (except for last of the month Song Service)
and 10 a.m. Worship Service
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.)