{"id":426,"date":"2018-11-25T10:37:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-25T15:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/?p=426"},"modified":"2020-04-21T10:40:51","modified_gmt":"2020-04-21T14:40:51","slug":"the-gospel-observer-73","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2018\/11\/25\/the-gospel-observer-73\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gospel Observer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations\u2026teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1) When A Person Is Baptized (Bill Crews)<br>2) The Forgotten Rule (David Sproule)<br>3) Our Way Day by Day (Dan Shipley)<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/mark16_16.jpg?w=676\" alt=\"Mark16_16\" class=\"wp-image-2291\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>-1-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When A Person Is Baptized<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bill Crews<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When a person is baptized as God requires, or as the Bible teaches:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. He has already heard the gospel (good news) of Christ, so he has been taught. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 18:8.&nbsp; In the New Testament every instance of baptism is preceded by teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. He has already believed that gospel, thus he has already believed with all of his heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 15:7; 18:8; 8:35-38<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. He has already repented of his sins against God, for this repentance is both essential and precedes baptism. Acts 2:37-38; 3:19; 17:30<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. He has already confessed who Jesus is, the Christ, the Son of God, our Lord; and this confession precedes baptism. Acts 8:35-38; Romans 10:9-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. He receives salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21), remission of sins (Acts 2:38). He has his sins washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5; 7:14). He enters Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27) and the spiritual body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). He dies to sin (Romans 6:1-4). He becomes a disciple of Christ (Matthew 28: 19; Acts 14:21). He becomes a child of God (Galatians 3:26-27). He enters the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of Christ (John 3:3, 5; Colossians 1:13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. He has obeyed<em> \u201cfrom the heart\u201d<\/em> that<em> \u201cform of teaching (or doctrine)\u201d<\/em> unto which he was delivered (Romans 6:17-18). Just as Christ for our salvation experienced a death, burial and resurrection, so he has had a similar experience in dying to sin, being buried with Christ in baptism, and being raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). Thus, it was the decision and desire of that person, done because he wanted to, done not to please any man, but God himself (Galatians 1:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7. It should be a happy, joyous occasion (Acts 8:38).<em> \u201c\u2019Tis done this great transaction\u2019s done; I am my Lord\u2019s, and He is mine.\u201d \u201cHappy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away.\u201d <\/em>(From the song, \u201cO Happy Day.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. He is now ready to change his life because he has become a new creature, old things have passed away, and all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians 3:1-17<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9. He has a new master, Christ; self has been dethroned, and Christ has been enthroned in that person\u2019s heart and life; his life is now committed to doing the will of Christ in all things (Galatians 2:20; Matthew 16:24). He is now the Lord\u2019s bondservant (Romans 6:16-18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10. He has begun a journey, embarked upon a voyage, entered a race, enlisted for life in an active army (2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3-4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please take time to read these verses and to digest these thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Via <em>The Roanridge Reader, <\/em>Volume 33, Issue 45, Page 03.<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/matthew7_12.jpg?w=676\" alt=\"Matthew7_12\" class=\"wp-image-2292\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>-2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Forgotten Rule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>David Sproule<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It used to be one of the most recognized rules in our society. People knew it. People could quote it. And people even practiced it. (At least, many did.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paraphrased version says, \u201cDo unto others as you would have them do unto you.\u201d The Golden Rule. Unfortunately, the gold in that rule seems to have become tarnished in recent years in our nation. The very thought of \u201cthinking about what someone else might need\u201d or \u201cthinking about what might be best for another person\u201d is COMPLETELY foreign to many in our land today. All that many folks can seem to think about is SELF and what will satisfy SELF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which rule do you live by? Jesus\u2019 \u201crule\u201d: \u201cDo unto OTHERS\u201d (Matt. 7:12)? Or man\u2019s rule: \u201cDo unto SELF\u201d? One rule will create harmony and peace in our homes and in our country. The other rule will destroy harmony and peace in our homes and in our country. It takes genuine effort, but may God help us to \u201cesteem others better than\u201d ourselves (Phil. 2:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Via the Weekly Bulletin of the church of Christ in Santa Clara, California, September 30, 2018<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/col3_9-10.jpg?w=676\" alt=\"Col3_9-10\" class=\"wp-image-2293\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>-3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our Way Day by Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dan Shipley<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day\u201d (2 Cor. 4:16). The \u201coutward man\u201d is simply the house of the inward man. Day by day that house is \u201cdecaying\u201d and wasting away. Who, past forty, needs reminding? Nevertheless, with relentless rapping on the door of our minds come the messengers of aging; the hoary head, the stooped shoulders, the wrinkled skin, the dimmed vision, and all the other infirmities that won\u2019t let us forget what Paul says. All men know that much. But God\u2019s people know something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They know that just as surely as the outward man is decaying, the inward man is being renewed day by day. They know that for the faithful Christian, growing older means growing better. He is growing better because he is growing in the knowledge of God\u2019s word. As the newborn babe, he continually longs for the \u201cspiritual milk which is without guile\u201d (1 Pet. 2:2). As he grows in knowledge of the word, he also grows in the faith that is produced by the word (Rom. 10:17). As he grows in knowledge and faith, he also grows in usefulness to the cause of Christ. He is renewed in his determination to live closer to the Lord, to do what is right and oppose all wrong. In his spiritual growth, the aging Christian has learned that death is not the end, but merely a transition to something very far better. The happy anticipation of being in the Father\u2019s house makes leaving this worn-out tabernacle a welcomed blessing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why the apostle Paul saw death as gain. But death is gain only when living is for the Lord. Every living man knows that he will keep his appointment with death (Heb. 9:27). He should know that living for the Lord is living at its best because it is living that prepares for death. Though the outward man is perishing and bound for the dust, we nourish and cherish him; we spare no expense to care for him and tend to his needs. Will we neglect the needs of the inward man that we know will survive the grave? With every tick of the clock and every beat of the heart we are getting closer to the end of this life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question is, are we getting closer to heaven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Via <em>The Auburn Beacon<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/em><br><br>\u201cO give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting\u201d (1 Chronicles 16: 34, NASB).<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>1) <strong>Hear&nbsp;<\/strong>the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).<br>2) <strong>Believe<\/strong>&nbsp;in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).<br>3) <strong>Repent<\/strong>&nbsp;of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).<br>4) <strong>Confess faith<\/strong>&nbsp;in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).<br>5) <strong>Be baptized<\/strong>&nbsp;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).<br>6) <strong>Continue in the faith<\/strong>,&nbsp;living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).<br>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tebeau Street<br>CHURCH OF CHRIST<br>1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA\u00a0 31501<br><strong>Sunday services:\u00a09:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. &amp; 5 p.m. (worship)<br>Wednesday:<\/strong>\u00a07 p.m. (Bible class)<br><strong>evangelist\/editor:<\/strong>\u00a0Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917<br><a href=\"mailto:Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com\">Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\">http:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go<\/a> (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)<br><a href=\"http:\/\/tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org\/\">http:\/\/tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org\/<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/ThomasTEdwards.com\/audioser.html\">http:\/\/ThomasTEdwards.com\/audioser.html<\/a> (audio sermons)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations\u2026teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 Contents: 1) When A Person Is Baptized (Bill Crews)2) The Forgotten Rule (David Sproule)3) Our Way Day by Day (Dan Shipley)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426\/revisions\/427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}