2) The Myth (Shane Williams)
3) What Makes the Difference? (Bill Crews)
4) Whose Orders? (Bob Hines)
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![\"Phil1_6c\"](\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/phil1_6c.jpg?w=676\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n-1-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not Our Workmanship, But His<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bill Hall<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them\u201d (Ephesians 2:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When one is baptized he becomes a new creation, but he is not the creation of any man. He is the workmanship of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is not the workmanship of the person who converted him \u2014 not primarily, anyway. Man can teach, influence, persuade, and baptize; but only God can cleanse, and give him new life. He is God\u2019s creation \u2014 God\u2019s workmanship. Just as surely as no man could create an \u201cAdam,\u201d just that surely no man can create a new creature in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neither is one self-made. In Christ, one does not lift himself \u201cby his own bootstraps.\u201d Christianity is not a \u201cdo-it-yourself religion\u201d \u2014 not in the fullest sense. One does not effect his own salvation through his own merit. Rather, in obedience to the gospel and faithfulness as a Christian, he places himself as clay in God\u2019s hand, to become the work of the divine Potter, who molds, shapes, and perfects him that he might be fashioned in the image of His Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the workmanship of God because his salvation is \u201cby grace\u2026through faith,\u201d \u201cthe gift of\u201d God (Ephesians 2:8,9). If one\u2019s salvation were of meritorious works, he would not be the workmanship of God. This is the primary thrust of the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workmanship of God exists as a monument to the greatness of the Potter; as a beautiful painting is a monument to an artist, so a mature and perfected Christian is a monument to the marvelous power of God. Such a person is a product of God\u2019s grace and exists for \u201cthe praise of His glory\u201d (Ephesians 1:6,12,14; 3:14-19). That God could take a Peter, a John, a Saul of Tarsus, an Aquila, a Priscilla, a John Mark, and mold him or her into the lovely vessel each became is a manifestation of His greatness. That He could do the same for people this writer has known and observed equally manifests His greatness. That He can and will do the same for me if I will but submit myself to His care in humble obedience, trust, and prayer is the greatest marvel of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workmanship of God must be handled with care. Such a person is special, precious, priceless to God. As one is cautious in handling a family heirloom or rare piece of pottery fashioned by the hands of a master, so we must be cautious in our treatment of that creation which is the work of God. \u201cDo not destroy the work of God for the sake of food,\u201d Paul warned the Romans (Romans 14:20). That person toward whose tender conscience you are showing little regard or whose soul you are placing in jeopardy is the work of God. Love that person. Appreciate him. Be tender toward him. Recognize his value. Handle with care!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workmanship of God must never be content until it is brought to perfection. \u201cFinish then Thy new creation,\u201d Charles Wesley wrote in his familiar hymn, \u201cLove Divine.\u201d In keeping with this, Paul could express his confidence in the Philippian Christians, \u201cThat He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ\u201d (Philippians 1:6,7). Only those who remain in the Potter\u2019s hands until brought to completion and perfection become vessels of honor. All others become marred and fit only for destruction (II Timothy 2:19-21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let not man, then, boast of himself. Self-righteousness has no place in the heart of a Christian. If any man boast, \u201clet him glory in the Lord\u201d (I Corinthians 1:31) and \u201cin the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (Galatians 6:14). We are His workmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 via Gospel Power<\/em>, Vol. 13, No. 33, Aug. 13, 2006 -2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shane Williams<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we decide to obey God completely, it\u2019s easy to assume that the rest of our life will run smoothly. If it does, we think this proves that we\u2019re doing God\u2019s Will. If we run into obstacles, however, we\u2019re quick to conclude that we must be doing something wrong or God is unhappy with us. Rather than question our measuring stick, we question our dedication, and sometimes even God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a myth to believe that if we obey God, everything will always go well. Being dedicated to God means going with Him even when things don\u2019t go our way. In fact, as you consider the growth of the church in the first century, the Bible is clear that the gospel advanced during times of suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Paul was imprisoned when he wrote to the Philippians, his adversity didn\u2019t cause him concern. His objective was to preach the gospel and he didn\u2019t question that goal just because he had been arrested. He made the most of the circumstances and continued to proclaim Jesus even to his captors. His imprisonment furthered the gospel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear\u201d (Philippians 1:12-14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n How would you and I react if we were in Paul\u2019s shoes? Would we question our faithfulness, God\u2019s love for us, or perhaps question if there was even a God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be fooled by the misleading notion that life will be easy if you obey God. God doesn\u2019t always remove difficulties; He uses them for your good and for His glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 via The Lilbourn Light,<\/em> Vol. 9, Nos. 4,5, Aug\/Sept. 2008 -3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bill Crews<\/p>\n\n\n\n * If a man has money and is not willing to have it examined, people think it is counterfeit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n * If a man is afraid to take a lie detector test, people think he is guilty of crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n * If a man conducts a business and is unwilling to let anyone investigate it, folks think he is running a crooked business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, many preachers teach doctrines that under no circumstances will they test or allow to be tested by the Bible. Yet millions of people will accept them as upright, honest teachers of the truth, and will risk their salvation upon them. What makes the difference? The Bible instructs us to try the teachers (I John 4:1). The truth never fears investigation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via La Vista church of Christ -4-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bob Hines<\/p>\n\n\n\n Years ago I read notice of a horrible train wreck in which many people died painfully amid the twisted burning wreckage. The engineer was killed as well. But as he lay near death he showed those nearby a paper, saying, \u201cTake this. It will show I was given the wrong orders.\u201d And, they were the wrong orders. He had been on the wrong track, yet he was still dying, along with many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friend, you have an eternal soul. What orders are you following: God\u2019s, or man\u2019s idea of religion? Make sure, because sincerity is not enough!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 via The Beacon<\/em>, July 8, 2018 1) Hear<\/strong> the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street \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) Not Our Workmanship, But His (Bill Hall)2) The Myth (Shane Williams)3) What Makes the Difference? (Bill Crews)4) Whose Orders? […]<\/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-443","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\/443","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=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":444,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/woman-caught-in-rain.jpg?w=676\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Myth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes the Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhose Orders?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe<\/strong> in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent<\/strong> of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith<\/strong> in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized<\/strong> 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<\/strong>, 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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CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA\u00a0 31501
Sunday<\/strong> services:\u00a09:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday:\u00a0<\/strong>7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist\/editor:<\/strong>\u00a0Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a>
http:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go<\/a> (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http:\/\/tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org\/<\/a>
http:\/\/ThomasTEdwards.com\/audioser.html<\/a> (audio sermons)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"