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The Sermon Archives; Volume One
June 25, 2006 to July 22, 2007...
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This week's message:
July 22, 2007
"The Hope That Will Not Fail!!!"
1 Timothy 1 v 1
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;"
A person is on the very brink of suicide; why?
***They have lost all hope in self, family, friends, society, and religion! Truly a life without ‘true’ hope is miserable indeed!! And Satan at ever point does all that he can to destroy our hope..
In an age where we all desperately need something to have hope in, our message today gives much insight into ‘true’ hope; the hope that will not fail!!!
Paul in his opening salutation to Timothy gives us two prerequisites for the hope that will not fail; and he makes absolutely clear what that ‘hope’ is…
I remember very vividly the first time I ever saw my wife to be, Maureen
I was with a dear friend from Pakistan DM David; I was assisting him through registration at Nazarene Theological Seminary. Suddenly this young woman caught my eye. Brown curly hair, a very pretty dress, and brown tinted sunglasses that ever so slightly revealed her eyes. She was in a serious discussion with the registrar.
“Sorry you can not take that class until you take the prerequisite for it”, said the registrar.
“But, I don’t want a degree; I just want to take the classes I want to.”
Then my mind turned back to DM David, and we continued his efforts to register. For a brief moment however, my gaze turned one last time to the registrar’s table; as the beautiful young woman walked away.
The final words of the Registrar were:
“Boy are we going to have trouble with her.”
My point being, whether we like to accept it or not; prerequisites are often mandatory for our desires in life!!!
To have a hope that will never fail, Paul tells us; there are two essential prerequisites.
Prerequisite One:
“God our Savior”, God, Jesus Christ must be our Savior!!!
***We must have a love relationship with JESUS CHRIST!!!
Romans 10 v 9-10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
We must have understood and acknowledged our sinfulness; and accepted Jesus Christ’s blood sacrifice upon the cross for our sins; and believed (trusted in and obedience to) His works and resurrection on our behalf… And by sincerely declaring our belief in Jesus to others, we are saved by His grace…….
Prerequisite Two:
***Jesus must be Lord of your life!!!
Luke 6 v 46
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Saying “yes” to Jesus Christ as your Lord, God, and Savior; and verifying your love for Him by genuine submission to His will; fulfills all the requirements for the: HOPE that WILL NOT FAIL…
Now then, what or who is the Hope that will not fail? Jesus Christ is our eternal HOPE; the HOPE that WILL NOT FAIL!!!!!!!
John Wesley says,
“And Christ our hope — That is, the author, object, and ground, of all our hope.” All genuine hope has its beginning and ending in the person of Jesus Christ…
Adam Clarke describes it this way:
“Jesus Christ-our hope; Without Jesus, the world was hopeless; the expectation of being saved can only come to mankind by his Gospel. He is called our hope, as he is called our life, our peace, our righteousness, etc., because from him hope, life, peace, righteousness, and all other blessings proceed.”
Without Jesus there can be no hope, all would be lost. For Jesus is Our hope, Our life, Our peace, Our righteousness.
***All blessings, all victories, all successes, all healings; all that is worthy and good and justly hoped for flows from: JESUS CHRIST, and Him alone!!!!!!!
The ‘hope’ we refer to is not some fanciful wishful thinking, or a vague desired expectation; but a certain unconditional reality that will occur because of Jesus Christ who is not simply what we have our hope in; but He, Himself; is our living HOPE…
Our hope is grounded in and eternally assured in Jesus Christ’s completed work of redemption upon that blood drenched cross.
John 19 v 30B
“…It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
1) Our hope, is a blessed hope:
Titus 2 v 13
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
Our hope transcends our circumstances, that now exist or ever will exist; even in times of perceived overwhelming disaster our hope continues…
This hope has not only saved us from the eternal consequences of our past, present and future sins; but as William Barclay describes it:
“Jesus has redeemed us from the power of lawlessness, that power which makes us sin…The moral power of the Incarnation is a tremendous thought. Christ not only liberated us from the penalty of past sin; he can enable us to live the perfect life within this world of space and time; and he can so cleanse us that we become fit in the life to come to be the special possession of God.”
That is the hope we possess, that is the hope that cannot fail!!!
1 Peter 1 v 3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
2) Our hope is a lively hope.
By Christ’s resurrection we have hope that all things are possible…
Philippians 4 v 13
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
John Wesley says,
“An hope which implies true spiritual life, which revives the heart, and makes the soul lively and vigorous.”
***Our hope, gives: spiritual life, and has the fundamental ability to revive our hearts in our every day, moment by moment frustrations and in our most terrifying earthly experiences…
***Our hope can triumph over temptation, sickness, disaster, physical, mental and spiritual pain and depression.
***Our hope can survive through economic and emotional loss, loss of loved ones, loss of positions or stature, and anything else this old sinful world can take from us…
***Jesus Christ our Hope can electrify our souls, regenerate our fallen spirits and bring us back from the depths of suicidal despair to the pinnacle of joy and everlasting blessings!!!!!!!
Satan says,
“No hope, give up; kill yourself”
Jesus says,
“Your hope cannot be destroyed, it cannot be taken away from you; for: I AM YOUR HOPE…
The hope that cannot fail is not based on your strengths or weaknesses, or of those around you, or of wealth, or human wisdom; But the hope that cannot fail is the CREATOR OF ALL THE UNIVERSE, THE GREAT “I AM”, THE “AL MIGHTY’, THE “HA-ELOHIM”, THE ONE “TRUE” AND ONLY GOD!!!!!!!
Furthermore, we are SAVED by this HOPE…….
3) It is a saving hope:
Romans 8 v 24A
“For we are saved by hope:…"
We are saved by Jesus Christ, and by Him alone. We are saved by His atoning righteous works, and by nothing we can ever do or say…
Titus 3 v 5-7
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6. Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
4) It is an eternal, everlasting hope; that can never be taken away!!!!!!!
Philippians 1 v 6
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
John 6 v 39-40
“And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Romans 8 v 38-39
“For I am persuaded, that, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Our LORD, Our GOD, Our SAVIOR, Our FRIEND, OUR HOPE!!!!!!! 5-6) It is a glorious, joyful hope:
Colossians 1 v 27
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
We shall be glorified, and eternally be members of His glorious and ever eternal kingdom…
Romans 5 v 2
“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
All tears and sorrows will be wiped away, and joy will reign eternal…….
We can presently both glory in and have absolute joy in our hope, JESUS CHRIST… Today, now, at this very moment; and for eternity…
7) Our hope is a reasonable hope:
1 Peter 3 v 15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
Not blind hope, denying reality; but true, genuine realistic hope based on solid biblical evidence!!!!!!! On evidences founded in authenticity and faith in God…
8-9) Our hope is the reality of His Second Coming and in our future purity:
1 John 3 v 2-3
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
As sure as He is coming, we will be transformed to His likeness, and be holy as He is holy…
10) Our hope is an anchor:
Hebrews 6 v 19
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
No matter what our trials, our turmoils, our present or future conditions; homelessness, illness, loneliness, great emotional loss, minor or great defeat or suffering; our hope can steady us , keep us on track, keep us calm; hold us to a steady course…
***For our Hope is OUR ANCHOR; HE IS JESUS CHRIST…
And finally and always:
11) Our hope is good:
2 Thessalonians 2 v 16
“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,”
Our hope is good because it cannot fail…….
***Absolutely nothing, even ourselves, can ever separate us from our eternal hope in and who is: JESUS CHRIST; if we are truly His…
Revelation 3 v 8A
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:…”
For the genuine Christian, no matter how grave and terrible a situation; THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE…….
***FOR OUR HOPE IS: JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
A prophet of sorts once said:
“I can’t see! I can’t see!”
Why couldn’t he see, he had his eyes closed.
I realize in this day and age, and seeing many of the heinous fiery darts of Satan; a person, even a true Christian can experience the immensity, the bottomless pit of the magnitude of hopelessness! Yet, one more time, open your eyes; and JESUS CHRIST, the HOPE THAT WILL NEVER, NEVER, NEVER FAIL; WILL HELP YOU…….
Open your eyes, or ask Him to open them for you; and HE WILL…….
***How great your despair, always greater is your HOPE…….
He (JESUS CHRIST)
Overcomes
Problems
Eternally
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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May you Paul and Allie have a blessed, blessed life together!!!...7-7-07
July 15,2007
"A Gift For The Lord!!!”
Numbers 18 v 6
"And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.”
I am no different than most folks; I love to give presents to people I love and even just people in general at Christmas time. Oh how I like to surprise people, not with necessarily expensive gifts; but with gifts I really think they will enjoy…
***Giving gifts is quite fun!!!!!!!
Yes, even to today, I am always caught up in the hustle and bustle of giving gifts…
Yet, I have always thought it curious; we give great gifts to people at Christmas and other times throughout the year; but Christmas means “Christ’s Birth”; and do we ever talk about what He might enjoy as a gift from us???
We give gifts everyday to people, often just for the joy of it. ***But do we ever stop to think, “what gift would Jesus like???”
Today we will discuss; gifts Jesus would love from us…….
Genesis 3 v 8
“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
God created us for fellowship with Him; He loves nothing more than a wonderful, leisurely walk in a beautifully lavished garden, in the cool of the day with those He loves…
John 3 v 16A
“For God so loved the world,…”
It doesn’t matter what you’ve been told, it doesn’t matter what your experiences seem to have taught you; the bottom line is: No matter how minor or how great, or even how heinous your life or sins have been, GOD LOVES YOU, HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES US ALL!!!
He sent His only begotten Son, to die for us all; that by acceptance of His gift of salvation; once again we might stroll along that leaf carpeted garden, with Him; in the cool of the day!!!
First and foremost He wants us; and there is no better gift than to love Him back and wish and desire that blessed fellowship with Him…
***Gift Idea Number One:
Give your life to Jesus today!!!
This is what He wants; this is what the Creator of all the Universe, the creator of all that is desires; YOU, ME, TO BE HIS!!!!!!!
Think back to when you were a child, what gift most did you want? How did you feel when you actually received your heart’s desire?
Paul wrote in the epistle to the Romans:
Romans 10 v 1
“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”
Why, because Paul loved his people so much; their need for salvation consumed him.
***So too, God’s greatest desire is that all people might be saved!!!
2 Peter 3 v 9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
A trio of gifts for God,
1) Acknowledge your sinfulness
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Recognize your life, your behavior is not perfect, does not meet the standards of the Holy God…
Isaiah 53 v 6A
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;…”
Even Jesus says, from the smallest infant to the oldest man:
Matthew 19 v 17B
“…there is none good but one, that is, God:…”
Recognize and accept your need for a savior!!!
***But like a mechanical toy, the toy is worthless and unusable without the batteries included…
So too, our gift to God, acknowledging we need Him, we are sinners; needs an additional gift…
2) Repentance
Mark 1 v 14B-15
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
This verse is just one of many, yet it has a very significant statement; one that many evangelicals deny…
***Jesus Himself declares: “you must repent!!!”
There are those wily, cunning wolves among us that would say:
“All you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and YOU ARE SAVED!” “Jesus never said you must repent!!”
Lie, Lie, Lie; LIE OF SATAN…
Jesus says, repent and believe the gospel!!!!!!!
To repent means by the power and grace of God, that you and I must choose “no” to sin; essentially turn our back to it, and live to believe and obey the gospel message…
***Live to believe and obey Jesus Christ!!!
Repentance, is our gift to Jesus, our responsibility in our relationship with Him; to turn from our old ways, our selfish ways; and seek as I said by His Power, His Grace, His Strength: TO LIVE FOR HIM!!!
But, like the gift of the mechanical toy; you need the toy, the batteries, and one last thing: the knowledge to know how to use that toy; YOU NEED THE MANUAL…
3) Belief in the gospel Jesus said, repent and believe the gospel.
***Believe the Bible, the Word of God; what it says about Me, about who and what I am, about my loving blood sacrifice for you, and then: “DO WHAT IT SAYS!!!!!!!”
Luke 6 v 46
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
The gift of our belief in Him comes with the obligation of love to actually obey that which His Gospel, His Word, His only Bible teaches us to do…
James 1 v 22A
“But be ye doers of the word,…”
The third gift in our trio gift box is, to love Him, and to love all that He has created in a manner worthy of His immense love for us all!!!
1 John 3 v 18
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
This is Jesus number one gift on His gift list, that we can give to Him: The Trio Gift basket: Containing:
1) admitting we are sinners, we need Him to save us!!!
2) repenting, turning away from our sins!!! (Only possible with His help!!!)
3) Believing and obeying His Holy Bible; accept Him as : Our ONLY LORD, Our ONLY GOD, and ONLY SAVIOR!!!!!!! (Also only possible by His grace!!!)
Romans 10 v 9-10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Gift number one is simply to love God with all your mind, body, soul, and strength!!!
You’ve given Him your mind, body and soul; you have given Him, His number one gift; now what???
***Gift Idea Number Two:
1 Peter 2 v 21
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"
This gift is like the Every-ready Bunny, it keeps giving and giving, and giving…
This is our daily gifts, our moment by moment gifts; our on going gifts to Him, for ETERNITY…….
You have genuinely been “born again”, you are a true child of God, you love Him; You belong to Him and He belongs to you. You have given Him the main gift: YOURSELF.
Liken this to giving a Nintendo WII Game Console to a loved one. Now all you have to do in giving a gift is to give a new game, each time you give a gift to that person…
As Christians there are numerous gifts that the Bible tells us are on our Lord’s wish-list, for us to give to Him.
Matthew 5 v 48
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Jesus being fully a man, came to give us an example; as He lived on this earth, He calls us to follow in His foot steps; to be like Him…
Gift Number One:
Our Lord wants from us to pick up our cross daily, and to moment by moment live for Him….
Luke 9 v 23
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Each day, each moment; we can give our Lord continuous love and obedience to His WILL and His WORD…
Be perfect, give your, my, our gift of love to Him and one another daily, moment by each moment… And not just to our families, our neighbors, those who are like minded, those who believe as we do; but love all of mankind even those who hate and despise you or our God…
Matthew 5 v 44
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Suffer when you need to for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of the lost, for the sake of your brothers and sisters in Christ!!!
*Love your enemies
*Bless them
*Do good to them
*Pray for them
He wants us to be holy, as He is Holy…
1 Thessalonians 4 v 7-8
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
These are all gifts; stocking stuffers, we can give to God moment by moment!!! These are certainly gifts on Jesus’ wish-list, that; we should, we must give unto Him…….
Gift Number Two:
Matthew 28 v 19-20
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Do not simply read the Bible, simply go to Church, simply pray for those in spiritual or physical need; DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
It is not simply the pastor’s job; but:
“HE GETS PAID FOR IT…”
Your, my salvation was paid for, for a price!!!
The price: the bloody heinous death of Jesus Christ our Lord our Beloved, upon that cross to pay for each and every sin you or I or others have or ever will commit…….
If the pastor should share the love of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Jesus’ love with others; because: we pay him to do it!
***Then no Christian has an excuse, for JESUS CHRIST has bought us with a price; HE HAS PAID US WITH HIS SHED BLOOD AND GIVEN US SALVATION AS OUR SALARY: TO SHARE THE HUMILITY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST WITH OTHERS!!!!!!!
He first wants us to love Him; and secondly He wants us to love others has He does… The gift He next most wants after “ourselves” is our willingness to reach out to others, that; THEY TOO MIGHT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT HIM AS LORD, GOD, AND ETERNAL SAVIOR!!!
Oh, there are so many more wonderful and exciting gifts we can give to our Lord; and not just at Christmas time, but ever moment of ever day…….
*Ourselves
*Our desires
*Our goals
*Our dreams
*Our wills
*Our Love for Him
*Our Love for others
The only question is what will you give Him now?????
To the lost Jesus pleads, He jumps up and down with excitement: the gift He wants from you:
Revelation 3 v 20
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
HE WANTS YOU!!!
2 Corinthians 6 v 2
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
To the genuine, true Christian; Jesus wants:
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
He wants your sanctification, He wants your absolute trust and commitment to Him…….
HE WANTS YOU!!!!!!! HE WANTS YOU TO SERVE HIM AND MANKIND…….
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
Give Jesus a gift today…….
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July 8, 2007
"Am I “a” Child of God?"
1 John 2 v 29
"If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him."
We are saved by grace and grace alone; that is grace through faith in JESUS CHRIST!!!
But are there indicators in our lives that are clear signs we belong to God; as our text says: “born of Him”?
The answer of course is yes, and in today’s message we will discuss some of those signs, that point to the fact that we are truly and permanently born of Him, Children of God…
Indicator One:
Our main text says, “every one that doeth righteousness is BORN of HIM!!!”
Romans 2 v 13
“For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
Simply saying a prayer, does not declare your salvation! Going to church does not assert your personal commitment to Jesus Christ, reading your Bible does not affirm the reality of your faith!! They certainly will be the results of your faith, your salvation, your being born of Him; but many do such things and are not genuine Christians!
Our text says, as HE is RIGHTEOUS, HIS CHILDREN WILL BE RIGHTEOUS!!! It is not by calling yourself a Christian, or belonging to a local Church, or being a member of a Christian denomination that indicates your salvation, it is not even by believing every word of the Bible:
James 2 v 19B
“… the devils also believe, and tremble.”; rather it is by sincerely and earnestly seeking to be like Him…
Matthew 5 v 48
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
What does it mean to be perfect, to be righteous; as He is the ideal pattern of these traits?
Matthew 5 v 44-45A
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:..”
John Barclay the great Scottish Theologian says this about this perfection of God in us,
“We must note that this commandment is possible only for a Christian. Only the grace of Jesus Christ can enable a man to have this unconquerable benevolence and this invincible goodwill in his personal relationships with other people. It is only when Christ lives in our hearts that bitterness will die and this love spring to life. It is often said that this world would be perfect if only people would live according to the principles of the Sermon on the Mount; but the plain fact is that no one can even begin to live according to these principles without the help of Jesus Christ. We need Christ to enable us to obey Christ's command.”
Are we dead to self, do we live for God; is our first concern LOVING HIM, SERVING HIM, LIVING FOR HIM, PLEASING HIM, WILLINGLY LIVING TO SERVE OTHERS EVEN OUR ENEMIES???
Is our goal and grand objective of life to honor God, and bring the Lost to a saving knowledge of JESUS CHRIST???????
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Do we moment by moment become less like the sinful person we were and more like JESUS CHRIST WHO SUFFERED, DIED AND ROSE TO SAVE US???
John 3 v 30
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
If so, our text says, ”we are born of Him”; for we are righteous in his eyes!!!
Indicator Two and Three:
1 John 3 v 9
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
Two, whoever is born of God, a Child of God; WILL NOT COMMIT SIN!!!
***WOW!!!!!!!
That does not sound like me, what about you???
John Wesley says this means, the person, the Child of God; has been changed, transformed both inwardly and universally…
We no longer live to sin, but live to be Like JESUS CHRIST, the RIGHTEOUS ONE!!!
2 Corinthians 5 v 17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Adam Clarke says this about the genuine Child of God,
“Begotten of God, doth not commit sin: “that is,” say some, “as he used to do, he does not sin habitually as he formerly did.”
Sin is no longer the habit of our life, the acts that define who and what we are. *Instead, living and loving to be like Him, is our natural habit, our natural desire; pleasing Him and others in light of His word is our aspiration, our intention, our glorious passion rather than pleasing and serving ourselves…
The apostle Paul puts it this way:
Romans 7 v 16-17
“If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
We desire to please God as our love for Him ever continues to grow, yet at times, we sin; but not because we enjoy it, or want to, but because the flesh is weak…
Our natural desire as being a Child of God, is to live like Him; righteously. Yet, our flesh occasionally gives in to temptation…
Our entire being wishes to absolutely please God, but on occasion we do not live up to the standards He and we desire too…….
Third, a Christian cannot sin!!! Since the beloved Holy Spirit lives within the believer, the true Child of God, those genuinely born of Him; we can choose NOT TO SIN…….
John the apostle puts it this way,
1 John 2 v 1
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
The choice is ours, by our new nature, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can say “no” to temptation; those without Christ are prisoners of sin, and habitually give in to temptations…
Indicator Four:
1 John 4 v 7
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
Everyone “born of God”, everyone who is a sincere Child of God; will love as God loves!!!!!!!
As A. E. Brooke puts it:
"Human love is a reflection of something in the divine nature itself."
*** We are never nearer to God than when we love. Clement of Alexandria said in a startling phrase that the real Christian:
"practises being God."
He who dwells in love dwells in God:
1John 4 v 16
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
God is love, to be a Child of God, to be “born of Him”; one’s life would vividly REFECT GOD’S LOVE TOWARDS OTHERS IN OUR HEARTS’, MINDS’, SOULS’, AND THE DEEDS’ WE DO FOR OTHERS!!!!!!!
John 3 v 16-17
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Are we willing to risk everything to bring others to JESUS CHRIST; do we condemn the sinner; OR LOVE THE SINNER???
***If we seek salvation for the lost, truly love them, truly have compassion and empathy for their struggles with temptation and sin; this indicates WE ARE BORN OF HIM, WE ARE HIS CHILD, HIS CHILDREN!!!
Romans 5 v 8
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
If we desire judgment on them, we mock them, we ridicule them, we deliberately seek to hurt them; WE ARE NOT BORN OF HIM!!!!!!!
If we fail to warn them of sin and God’s ultimate judgment of sin; WE ARE NOT BORN OF HIM!!!!!!!
If we deny God’s Holy word the Bible; WE ARE NOT BORN OF HIM!!!!!!!
JESUS CHRIST, MOSES, AND PAUL ARE OUR GREATEST EXAMPLES OF GOD’S LOVE; HOW WILLING THEY WERE TO GIVE UP ALL; TO SAVE THE LOST…….
Luke 23 v 24
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
As we butchered JESUS upon the cross with our sins, HE PLEADED GOD THE FATHER’S FORGIVENESS UPON US!!! And we continued to devour Him with our evil desires…
Exodus 32 v 32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”
Romans 9 v 3
“For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
Moses and Paul showed the same love of God for the Lost, when they willing risked even their own salvation, in pleading forgiveness for the unsaved. And like JESUS CHRIST not just for those who appreciated them; but they risked eternity for those who not only hated them, but also wanted them destroyed!!!!!!!
This love is an indication of being “born of Him”, being a Child of God; of our eternal salvation!!! All this in direct relationship to OUR OWN LOVE OF GOD AND HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST, THIS LOVE INDICATES OUR SALVATION…….
Indicator Five:
1 John 1 v 5
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
John 1 v 12
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
Believing and knowing that JESUS CHRIST is the Moshiach, the Messiah of YHWH is an indication of our being born of God!!!!!!!
All that sincerely and genuinely Love JESUS CHRIST, MOST ETERNALLY CERTAINLY ARE “BORN OF HIM!!!!!!!
Indicator Six:
1 John 5 v 4-5
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Those who rise above their circumstances, their losses, their defeats, their pains, and sufferings; those that the fiery darts of Satan and the terrible anguishes of this sinful world cannot keep down, cannot destroy; this is an indicator of being “born of Him…
Indicator Seven:
1 John 5 v 18
“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
Being called a “Christian”, or the phrase being: “born again”; is taken far, far too lightly in our world even among so called Christian Denominations…….
The last indictor that a person is truly “born of Him”, a “Child of the King”, a “Child of God”; is that our love relationship with JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL, IS EVERLASTING, IS FOREVER, IS ABSOLUTELY AND WITHOUT ANY PHILOSOPHICAL RANTING : FOREVER PERMANENT!!!!!!!
WHY, BECAUSE GOD HAS SAVED US, AND SAVED US FROM OUR VERY SELVES!!!!!!!
Revelation 3 v 8
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
*******NO man, no person; NOT EVEN YOURSELF, ONCE YOU WALK INSIDE…. NO ONE CAN CLOSE!!!!!!!
Ephesians 2 v 8
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Salvation is a gift from God, we cannot earn it, we do not deserve it, we cannot live up to it…
Romans 11 v 29
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
We cannot change our mind once we sincerely say “yes”, nor will God change His mind; for He promises:
Philippians 1 v 6
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
The eternity of our salvation is in God’s hands not ours…….
It is all done by Him, we can only say yes or no to it; and even that is by His LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE… And once we GENUINELY say “yes”; IT IS A DONE DEAL!!!!!!!
*******FOR EVEN WE CANNOT WALK BACK THROUGH THAT OPEN DOOR…….
1 John 5 v 13
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Eternal is either eternal or it is nothing at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Henry M. Morris, PHD says this:
“...we need to realize that true regeneration is a permanent, life-transforming miracle accomplished by God Himself in a believer’s life.”
If salvation is not eternal, if it can be lost; then SALVATION IS NOT SALVATION AT ALL; only a faint, false dream by deluded minds…
Only God can save the Lost, and even He will not and cannot say “NO” to the genuinely repentant sinner…….
With God’s grace repent today; and truly today will be the day of your eternal salvation!!!!!!!
2 Corinthians 6 v 2
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
NOW… In closing Martin Luther was asked by a nun,
“Do you feel saved?” Luther replied,
“No, but God is greater than my feelings!”
Amen and Amen…
The seven indictors of our faith, our salvation, our being born of Him; and are only indictors are:
1) We obey God’s word, we do righteously…
2) We do not habitually sin…
3) We have the power not to sin, not just one time; but the power never to sin…
4) We love God and others as He does with every particle of who we are…
5) We believe and know by faith JESUS CHRIST is the Moshiach the one and only Messiah of YHWH…
6) We by God’s indwelling Holy Spirit in our hearts, have OVER COME THE WORLD AND SATAN…
7) We are forever and eternally saved; if we are genuinely “born again”…
***If any of these indicators are not in your life; YOU MUST TRULY ASK YOURSELF: AM I “BORN OF HIM” ***Then do the right thing…….
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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To My "Forever Only" Blessed '26' Wonderful Years of Marriage!!!
July 1, 2007
"Can a Jew Believe in Jesus Christ? Part Two”
or
"Is Jesus the Messiah?"
Matthew 16 v 16
"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Last week we laid the foundation for understanding the Jewish concept of the Messiah, their Moshiach; and what and why many believe as they do. We discussed how most Jews defined the Moshiach, the Messiah by their Torah proof texts. Then we went on to begin a continued study of the very same Torah and what it revealed about the ONE AND ONLY MOSHIACH, THE MESSIAH…***THE MESSIAH OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE!!!!!!!
Finally we discussed the Suffering Servant of the Torah, and how many Jews thought their nation Israel was that Suffering Servant, instead of who really was; the Jewish’, the world’s Moshiach, the Messiah… We studied in depth the first hymn of the Suffering Servant and how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Suffering Servant-Moshiach of God!!!
Now we will continue and finish the final four hymns of the Suffering Servant……. And answer the question according to the inerrant, infallible word of God, the Torah and God’s New Testament, which make up all sixty-six books of God’s Holy Bible…….
Second Hymn of the suffering Servant:
Isaiah 49 v 1-6
“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a Polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 3. And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 4. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. 5. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. 6. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”
Verse Two , Jesus fulfilled in all He said, did, and will do in the future.
Revelation 1 v 16
“And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
Revelation 12 v 5
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
Revelation 19 v 15
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
Isaiah 11 v 4
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
Psalms 2 v 6
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”
Yes, He is the Word of God:
John 1 v 1, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
With His sword of love and justice: With the two edges of Revelation chapter one and verse sixteen, his suffering and his humility... with his sufferings on the Cross he is conquering the world little by little, there are already 2 billion Christians!...
***Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord, God, and Savior; the Moshiach of YHWH!!!!!!! With his humility and servant hood Jesus the Moshiach, Jesus the one true Messiah is breaking the pride of many a sinner in this world.
Verse three, Jesus has fulfilled:
Luke 2 v 32
“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
Colossians 1 v 13-20
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
Colossians 2 v 14-15
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
The Suffering Servant here is the Messiah, the Moshiach, doing precisely what verses five and six of Isaiah chapter forty-nine proclaims, to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself...
This is Jesus:
Matthew 23 v 37-39
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
This servant is not Israel but Jesus the Messiah, the Moshiach of YHWH, precisely to gather Israel to himself... to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. And still more, this Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, is for the salvation of the whole world, I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Third Hymn of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 50 v 4-10
“The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. 9. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.”
Verse six is fulfilled by Jesus Christ:
Matthew 26 v 67
“Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,”
Matthew 27 v 30
“And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.”
Mark 14 v 65
“And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.”
Mark 15 v 19
“And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.”
Luke 22 v 63
“And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.”
Yes, these prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus Christ, as each one of all the other prophecies were just fulfilled: The flagellation, the pulling of the His beard, the mocking, the spiting.
Verse ten was fulfilled by Jesus the Moshiach
John 14 v 15, 21, 23
“If ye love me, keep my commandments… 21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him… 23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
John 15 v 10, 12
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love…12. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
If we have faith in Jesus, we will want to obey Him, to do what He desires, as if we have faith in our Doctor we do what he desires of us.
Fourth Hymn of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 52 v 7-15
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. 9. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. 12. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and God of Israel will be your rereward. 13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15. So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.”
The preaching of the good news with the crucified Lord... He wants you and I to be evangelists, to help others to go to Heaven, with our word and our deeds, with our life!... to be co-redeemers with Christ, to help our children and relatives and friends to know and live the glorious live of the Immanuel, of Jesus Christ in us!.
As Paul claims, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
Colossians 1 v 24
“Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:”
Verse seven is fulfilled in Jesus.
Romans 10 v 15
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Ephesians 6 v 15
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
Verse ten of this hymn was fulfilled by Jesus Christ in:
Luke 2 v 32
“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
The Salvation is universal in intent and purpose, all the ends of the earth, with retroactive value, since Adam!
Can a Jew or a Muslim or a Hindu go to Heaven? Absolutely, if their allegiance is in and to Jesus Christ…….
Verse thirt-teen is shown to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ the “anointed one:…
Philippians 2 v 8-11
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”
Verse fourteen, fulfilled by Jesus the Moshiach of God…
John 19 v 1, 17-18
“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him...17. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:..18. Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst."
Isaiah 53 v 2-3
“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Psalms 22 v 6
“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”
Fifth Hymn of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53 v 1-12
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Verse one fulfilled by Jesus
John 12 v 38
“That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Romans 10 v 16
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?”
Verse three fulfilled by Jesus in: John 19, Luke 23, Mark 15, and Matthew 27
Verse four was fulfilled by Jesus
Matthew 8 v 17
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
Verse five was fulfilled by Jesus in John 19, Luke 23, Mark 15, Matthew 27………….
Verse six was fulfilled by Jesus in
Mark 10 v 33-34
“Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
Verse seven was fulfilled by Jesus
Matthew 26 v 63
“But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”
Matthew 27 v 12-14
“And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14. And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”
Mark 14 v 61
“But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
Mark 15 v 5
“But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.”
Luke 23 v 9
“Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.”
John 19 v 9
“And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.”
Acts 8 v 22
“And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.”
Revelation 5 v 6
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
Verse eight was fulfilled by Jesus in:
Matthew 8 v 17
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
Matthew 26 v 67-68
“Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68. Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”
Matthew 27 v 26, 29, 31
“Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified….29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!...31. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”
Verse nine is fulfilled by Jesus the one and only true Moshiach in:
Matthew 27 v 57-60
“When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60. And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”
And:
1 Peter 2 v 22
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
Isaiah chapter fifty-three is the climax of the works of the Suffering Servant, the Immanuel ( God with us ), the Moshiach; the job of Jesus on the Cross: He redeemed us completely, our body, our soul, and our spirit:
1) Our Body: He paid for our sorrows... and for the factories to make our sorrows: For our sicknesses, problems, weaknesses, distresses...
2) Our Soul: He paid for our sins... and for the factories to make sins: Our iniquities, our bad habits, our addictions...
3) Our Spirit: Peace with God and in ourselves, no matter what happens around us.
All the prophecies made on this Suffering Servant are fulfilled to the letter in Jesus the Christ, and not all of them in Judaism or Christianity.
All the prophecies made in the Jewish Bible on the Passion are also fulfilled to the letter in Jesus Christ and not in Israel as a nation, or as a remnant.
And finally, all prophecies made on the Messiah in the Jewish Bible, the Old Testament, are fulfilled to the letter in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah in Hebrew.
*** In the 5 Hymns or Songs , the Passion Prophecies , 120 Prophecies of Isaiah fulfilled in Jesus, and in the 90 Prophecies of the Psalms fulfilled in Jesus, ALL ARE PROPHIES OF THE MOSHIACH OF YHWH; THE ONE AND ONLY, THE TRUE, AND EVERSO: JESUS THE MESSIAH!!!!!!!
***THE MOSHIACH HAS COME, AND WILL COME AGAIN; AND THIS TIME, JESUS WILL NOT COME AS HE DID THE FIRST TIME, AS THE SUFFERING SERVANT, THE REDEEMER OF BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE; BUT THIS TIME HE WILL COME AS THE LION OF JUDAH, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS; THE JUDGE OF ALL CREATION!!!!!!!
Revelation 19 v 11-21
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
The question is not “Can a Jew be a believer of Jesus Christ; but rather the answer is: ***We all must have absolute faith in the Moshiach of YHWH, the Messiah; JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS ONE ; WHO WILL AT HIS SECOND COMING USHER IN THE ETERNAL: ‘GOLDEN AGE OF MANKIND’…….
*******YHWH THROUGH HIS TORAH TELLS US SO!!!!!!! In conclusion from JEWS WHO KNOW JESUS TO BE THE MESSIAH, THEY SAY THIS:
“Messianic Judaism is a Biblically-based movement of people who, as committed Jews, believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Jewish Messiah of Israel of whom the Jewish Law and Prophets spoke. To many this seems a glaring contradiction. Christians are Christians, Jews are decidedly not Christian. So goes the understanding that has prevailed through nearly two thousand years of history. Messianic Jews call this a mistaken - and even anti-Scriptural - understanding. Historical and Biblical evidence demonstrates that following Yeshua was initially an entirely Jewish concept. Decades upon decades of persecution, division, and confused theology all contributed to the dichotomy between Jews and believers in Yeshua that many take for granted today.”
All who know and accept Jesus, Yeshua the Moshiach, as their LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR ARE SPIRITUAL JEWS, INCLUDING ALL GENTILE BELIEVERS!!!!!!!
TO BE A GENUINE CHRISTIAN: IS TO BE A JEW IN THE TRUEST SENSE!!!!!!!.......
Praise always Yeshua, Jesus Christ our Savior……………………………………………….. Our Moshiach
Submitted by: a spiritual jew… chris smith
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June 24, 2007
"Can a Jew Believe in Jesus Christ?"
or
"Is Jesus the Messiah?"
Matthew 16 v 16
"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
This message was inspired by the Holy Spirit through the meeting and speaking with Raquel a Jewish lady who is immensely proud of her Jewish heritage; and I might add, she should be… It was quite beautiful to hear who read the language of God’s Holy word!!!
In her effort to convince me why a ‘real’ Jew could not be a believer in Jesus as the long expected Messiah, she provided me with a book, and a magazine that stated her understanding of the Moshiach, the anointed one of God, the Christ, and the Messiah. In summary the book made two points.
The first, the Messiah, the Moshiach is to restore the dominance of the Jewish nation; he would come as the Lion of Judah and literally vanquish all of Israel’s enemies. This would immediately begin the “Golden Age of Man”, where love, peace, joy, and above all, the sinless age of humanity would be the norm of society… Clearly, the chapter pointed out, “any reading of a present day newspaper vividly exposes the present sinfulness, and unrest of the human condition.” It went on, “It has been over 2,000 years since the coming of Jesus, and still the fulfillment of the “Golden Age of Man has not occurred.”
Their conclusion, Jesus was not the Lion of Judah, and obviously his coming did not ‘immediately’ bring on the “Golden Age of Man”.
The second point simply stated, is, once a Jew believes in Jesus as the “true” Moshiach: THEY ARE NOLONGER JEWS!!
This is the same so called logic that dictates, if a Black person votes Republican, they are an ‘Uncle Tom’; meaning they have sided with the alleged enemy and they are no longer part of their race…
*******The fact is, all the original believers and followers of Jesus as the ‘one and only’ Moshiach, Messiah : WERE JEWS!!!!!!!
*******Fact two, there are many, many Jews today, that openly and proudly declare their Jewish faith, their Jewish heritage, and that: JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONE AND ONLY MESSIAH, THE MOSHIACH OF G_D…….
YHWH’s Moshiach!!!!!!!
Bluntly, the article’s second point has no intrinsic value, it is based exclusively on just denying and distorting the facts to prove their belief’s…
The first point, is based in the Torah, and is a valid point, one that must be considered, if, our faith in Jesus is honest and based in fact!!!!!!!
So then, who is the Moshiach, Messiah according to Jewish understanding?
The predominant Jewish view of the moschiach (messiah/christ) is based on the writings of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides, or Rambam.
"Do not imagine that the anointed King must perform miracles and signs and create new things in the world or resurrect the dead and so on."
"The Moshiach will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with the fear of G_d."
proof text;
Isaiah 11 v 2
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;”
"It is heretical for any man to claim to be part of G_d, or even to be G_d himself."
*Most Orthodox Jews are obligated to accept Maimonides's 13 Principles of Faith; Hasidic Jews agree with Maimonides's view that the messiah will be a "human"
messiah, they differ in that they believe he will perform some supernatural miracles.
"The Jewish Messiah is to be a mortal human being born to two mortal parents. He is neither G_d, nor a man born of supernatural or virgin birth. There is nothing in the Bible that states that the Messiah would be a god or G_d-like. The concept of G_d becoming a man cotradicts the Jewish belief that G_d is above and beyond taking on a human form and its limitations."
"Ultimately, redemption comes from G_d alone, and the Messiah is only an instrument in His hands. He is a human being, consisting of flesh and blood like all mortals. He is, however, the finest of the human race, and as such, must be crowned with the highest virtues that a mortal man can attain."
"Although the Messiah may achieve the upper limit of human perfection, he is still human."
"Although the Messiah may occupy a central place in the "Kingdom of Heaven", he is still not the primary figure. This position can only belong to G_d Himself."
"The notion of an innocent, divine or semi-divine being who will sacrifice himself to save us from the consequences of our own sin is purely a Christian concept that has NO BASIS IN JEWISH THOUGHT."
"He will be a great judge , who makes righteous decisions(Jeremiah 33 v15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being."
"The Moshiach will be a great prophet, his level of prophecy will be higher than any other prophet, EXCEPT MOSES."
What the Moshiach is NOT
*Moshiach will be a normal human being born of human parents. He will not be a god, or a "son of G_d".
*Moshiach will be mortal. He will not live forever. When he dies he will be succeeded by his son, like any normal king.
*Moshiach will not atone for our sins. Every person must atone for his own sins.
"We must recognize that the Moshiach is only a person who is a messenger of G_d. He is not a redeemer, for redemption only comes from G_d. The Moshiach will be like Moses...Moses served as a prophet...the Moshiach will serve that same function."
The Moshiach will be like Moses, as Moses delivered the Jews from Egyptian captivity, the Moshiach will deliver the Jewish nation, the Jewish race once and for all times from the rule of gentiles and their world dominance. With his’ victories he will usher in: YHWH’s “Golden Age for Mankind”.
The former was a brief summary of the most common understanding of the Jewish people in regards to the Moshiach, the Messiah.
Though time does not permit here to discuss in detail each of the Jewish proof texts used to define the Moshiach, the latter are their proof texts:
Isaiah 1 v 26; 2 v 4; 2 v 27; 11 v 1 (1 Chronicles 22 v 8-10); 11 v 2,4,9-10,12; 25 v 8; 26 v 19; 51 v 11; 52 v 7; 52 v13-15; 56 v3-7 Zechariah 8 v 23 Ezekiel 16 v 55; 39 v 9; 40 Zephaniah 3 v 9 Psalms 31 v 33; 37 v 4 Isaiah 51 v 3 Amos 9 v 13-15 Ezekiel 36 v 29-30 Isaiah 11 v 6-9 Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48 v 47; 49 v 39 Hosea 3 v 4-5 Micah 4 Zechariah 14 v 9 Daniel 10 v 14
If we are genuine searchers for the truth, then though we will not read or present each text here; it is us up to each one of us to study them, to see and understand what the truth of God really is…
Acts 17 v 11
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
This admonition of God is not just to the gentile world, but to Jew and Gentile alike!!! And not just to those who do not know, but even to those who sincerely believe they know the truth…
1 Corinthians 10 v 12
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
We all must study God’s word to show ourselves approved by GOD!!!!!!!
2 Timothy 2 v 15
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
***The Unger's Bible Dictionary says this: "What Messiah did the Jews expect, is one question and what should the Old Testament revelation have led them to expect is another." p178
*******Clearly, the Jewish concept of the Messiah was that he was an extraordinary man, but never more than just a man. And that is why Peter's confession in our opening text was supernatural in authorship!!!
“...the Son of the living God."
*******Absolutely foreign to Jewish thought at the time was that the Messiah WOULD BE YHWH!!!
That is what makes Peter's statement so powerful and so breathtaking, and the foundation of the Christian faith...
A.B. Bruce the world renowned Christian Theologian states:
"The Messiah looked for by the Jews in general was merely a man, though a very superior one, the ideal man endowed with extraordinary gifts."
The Training of the Twelve, AB Bruce p 163-172 (A masterful work in my opinion!!!)
If what the Jews expected of the Moshiach was only partially true, what then does the: Torah actually reveal about the Moshiach of G_D???
The Torah, is actually two sets of works;
The “Written Torah” consisting of” 1. Five Books of Moses (Chumashe Torah) 2. Prophets (Nevi'im) 3. Writings (Ketuvim)
The Written Torah is often called the Tanakh, which stands for Torah. The Five Books of Moses (also called Chumashe Torah or Chumash from the Hebrew word for five) were given to the Jewish People at Mount Sinai during their exodus from Egypt approximately 3500 years ago. They include Genesis (Beresheet), Exodus (Shemot), Vayikra (Leviticus), Numbers (Bamidbar), and Deuteronomy (Devarim). Prophets (Nevi'im) are direct prophecies or recordings of what God said to the prophets. Writings (Ketuvim) are books written by the prophets with the guidance of God.
Oral Torah
The Oral Torah, commentary on the Written Torah, was originally passed down verbally from generation to generation. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 AD), it was decided the Oral Torah should be written down so it would not be forgotten. In the 2nd century AD, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and a group of Sages compiled the Mishnah. The Mishnah is a written outline of the Oral Torah. Over the next few centuries, Jewish scholars studied the Mishnah. Their discussions, questions and decisions became known as the Gemara. The Gemara is commentaries elaborating on the Mishnah. The Talmud is the combination of the Mishnah and Gemara together. In the 4th century, the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in Israel. In the 5th century, the Babylonian Talmud was compiled in Babylon. The Babylonian Talmud is studied and used more than the Jerusalem Talmud because it is more comprehensive.
***For our continued study of the requirements of the Moshiach, one must read completely and thoroughly in the Torah, specifically in the Book of Isaiah.
( Read every word!!!!!!!)
The Suffering Servant For most Jews, the Servant as depicted in the Torah could not be the Moshiach because he is seen as suffering. Most, ignore the passages in Isaiah related to the Suffering Servant in their teachings because they see this figure as to mysterious to be comprehended. The Jewish Moshiach, Messiah for them, is exclusively a triumphant military and political figure whose coming marks the end of the present era of sin and immorality and as previously stated ushers in immediately the “Golden Age of Mankind.
Judaism often argues that the suffering servant is not a person but Israel itself. They argue that Israel is "despised and we esteemed it not."
***The gentile world hates Jews, and so they suffer…
Judaism claims that Israel and Jacob are called "servant" in many passages of Isaiah, including, at least six times, in the chapters of the Suffering Servant: Isaiah 41 v 8-9, 44 v 1-2, 21, 45 v 4, 48 v 20, 49:3...
If we read further Isaiah 49 v 3, we see that the Servant, though called Israel, isn't the nation but instead the Redeemer who will bring the nation of Israel back to God, as the following verses state, to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself...to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
Isaiah 49 v 4-5
“Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. 5. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.”
The redeeming aspects of the passage are explained as follows: Israel will atone for its own sins and those of all humanity though its suffering, and everyone will eventually see that Israel is the chosen one of God and God is real. Humanity will eventually come to God through the sufferings and example of Israel as a nation, or through the Remnant of Israel.
But what does the Torah reveal about the Sufferin Servant???
There are Five Hymns or Songs of the Suffering Servant: They describe the person and character of the 'Servant of the Lord', the Moshiach, the suffering Messiah, the Immanuel (God with us), born from a Virgin. Each Hymn sings the work of the Moshiach, the Immanuel, the Christ in Greek... and sings also what God expects from a servant community, what God hopes for, what the Creator is trying to accomplish in working with us, using our hands and hearts and minds.
First Hymn of the Suffering Servant, the Moshiach
Isaiah 42 v 1-7
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”
Verse One is Fulfilled by Jesus in:
Matthew 3 v 16
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”
Luke 4 v 18-21
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Isaiah 11 v 2
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;”
Isaiah 59 v 21
“As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.”
Isaiah 61 v 1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
Verse Two is fulfilled by Jesus in:
Matthew 12 v 19-20
“He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”
Psalms 72 v 2, 4
“He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment…4. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.”
Psalms 96 v 13 “Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”
Verse six is fulfilled by Jesus in:
Luke 2 v 32
“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
Acts 13 v 47
“For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”
Acts 26 v 23
“That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.”
Isaiah 49 v 6, 8
“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth…8. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;”
Isaiah 51 v 4
“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.”
Isaiah 60 v 1-3
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”
Verse seven is fulfilled by Jesus in:
Luke 4 v 18
“he Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”
Luke 7 v 18-23
“And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. 19. And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 20. When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21. And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. 22. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
Matthew 11 v 2-6
“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3. And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4. Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
The Suffering Servant is the Moshiach, the Immanuel, Jesus the Christ...
Next week, Lord willing, we will conclude our brief study of “Can a Jew believe in Jesus Christ?”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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June 17, 2007
"Jesus and the Four Thieves"
John 10 v 10
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Thieves, crooks, or sinners; come in all shapes and sizes. They come from all types of backgrounds, and from as many ethnic groups that exist or ever will exist. The types and severity of sins is also diverse. In the time and earthly life of Jesus Christ, He met many a thief, many a sinner. *Our message today deals with four such thieves that were closely involved in the events surrounding Jesus’ death and crucifixion.
The First Thief
John 12 v 6
“This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
This of course is referring to Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve; an apostle of Jesus Christ. We are told nothing of Judas or his character prior to his being called by Jesus to be one of His apostles, to be one of His intimate friends.
Matthew 10 v 2-4A
“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3. Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot…”
Luke 6 v 13-16A
“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14. Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15. Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16. And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot,…”
Judas, according to the scriptures was first a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is a learner, a student of a specific teacher. In Judas case he was a student of Jesus Christ, and as such he was to accept absolutely the teachings of his master, and to live them out in his daily life by the authority of his teacher, master, and rabbi. Jesus personally picked twelve of His most devoted disciples to be His apostles. Judas was one of them. An apostle has a much more intimate and close relationship with their teacher-master. Usually including a mutually deep, trust, and respect for each other. A very close friendship develops. Much time is spent with each other, and the apostle is given the authority to speak for his teacher-master. Judas outwardly must have exhibited much of the qualities of the other chosen apostles, like Peter, James, and John…
Jesus gave Judas the responsibility of protecting and keeping account of the group’s finances, by making him (Judas) the group’s treasurer…*The keeper of the bag…
***Judas, a disciple, a trusted apostle, an intimate friend of Jesus Christ.
The Second Thief
Mark 15 v 7
“And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.”
Barabbas, is the second thief who was involved in the events leading up to Jesus’ death and crucifixion. Of Barabbas we know nothing other than what we read in the gospel story. He was not a petty thief, he was a brigand. He did not rob exclusively for self gain or covetousness. He was a murderer who killed who ever he deemed an enemy of the Jewish nation.*Perhaps we may guess what he was. Palestine was filled with insurrections; many a individual or group were bound together to destroy the occupying forces of the Roman Empire and all who would support that occupation . It was an inflammable land. In particular there was one group of Jews called the Sicarii, which means the dagger-bearers, who were violent, fanatical nationalists. They were pledged to murder and assassination. They carried their daggers beneath their cloaks and used them as often as they could. It is very likely that Barabbas was a man like that, and, thief though he was, he was a brave man, a patriot according to his lights, and it is understandable that he was popular with the mob. He apparently had a rough audacity about him that appealed to the crowd.
Luke 23 v 19
“(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)”
The Third Thief
Luke 23 v 39
“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
The third thief, we know very little about. He hung on a cross, on one side of Jesus. By the Greek we know, he was a common criminal both legitimately guilty of his crimes and completely worthy of the death penalty. Selfish and cowardly, he was dying for his crimes.
The Fourth Thief
Matthew 27 v 38
“Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.”
The fourth thief hung on the other side of Jesus, on his own cross. A cross, equally of his making; as the third thief. He too, was a common felon, guilty of his deeds and truly worthy of the sentence he was experiencing…
***Both thieves as they hung on their crosses, showed no compassion for the innocent blood that was flowing away from the battered body of the dying Jesus Christ…
As the Pharisees and many of the Roman soldiers mocked and ridiculed Jesus, so did these two thieves.
Matthew 27 v 39-44
“And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40. And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42. He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.” (saying the same insults)
These are the four thieves Jesus met as He journeyed toward His death and crucifixion.
These are four individuals that symbolize us, the fallen human race…
All were thieves, deserving punishment and death for their crimes of breaking the laws.
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
All were sinners, lost in a world of death and decay.
Romans 6 v 23A
“For the wages of sin is death;…”
The First Thief, Judas Iscariot, claimed to be a friend, and a believer of Jesus Christ, God incarnate. God in the flesh…Was a betrayer…
Psalms 41 v 9
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
But he used his friendship, and used his position of responsibility to betray his friend, his teacher. His master and his God…
Matthew 26 v 14-16
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15. And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”
For a petty thirty pieces of silver he betrayed his master, with a lover’s kiss…
Matthew 26 v 49
“And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.”
As a result of his act of betrayal, he anguished inside, despising the things he coveted and gained by his heinous acts of sin; but instead of turning back to his friend and asking for forgiveness, he took things into his own hands and killed himself…
Matthew 27 v 5
“And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
The Second Thief, Barabbas, was a beneficiary even if for only a moment; though soon to be crucified himself, Jesus Christ died in his place…And Barabbas walked away completely free…
Mark 15 v 15
“And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”
The Third Thief, upon the cross; was a barrater and continued to mock and revile Jesus, seeking redemption without repentance…
Luke 23 v 39
“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
And:
The Fourth Thief, also upon the cross; was a believer, repented of his sins; rebuked the other thief, and asked Jesus to save him.
Luke 23 v 40-43
“But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
A Betrayer, a Beneficiary, a Barrater, and a true Believer ; four thieves, four sinners; all destined to Hell.
The Betrayer, a person, much like some of us. We claim to be His, we make great effort to be like Him; yet with our actions we betray Him. He teaches us to love our enemies, to do good to those who persecute and abuse us, to pray for their good and their salvation. Yet, we hold on to grudges, we grow bitter towards others, we seek our good far more than seeking others’ good. Things must be our way, instead of allowing others to express their ways. We betray Him with each and every sin we make…
The Beneficiary, we gladly accept the blessings of His creation, the protection of His love and grace; but we walk away from Him when He needs us, when He asks us to obey Him; to give up our ways, our desires, our lives for Him or others…
The Barrater, with each and every word we speak that denies His power, His teachings, His Bible; we mock Him and deny Him…
Isaiah 53 v 6
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
We are all thieves, all liars, all sinners; Jesus encountered each and every one of us, as He journeyed towards that cross, His physical death; for our sins…
Yet, the great news of the gospel is this:
John 10 v 10B
“…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Jesus who received the penalty for thievery, our thievery and sin; came to give eternal life to each one of us, and that we would have life more abundantly…
But unlike Judas, we cannot, we must not take things into our own hands; but must seek Jesus and His grace and forgiveness, for only His righteous deeds can cover our sins. And make us as white as snow…
But unlike Barabbas, we cannot, we must not accept Jesus’ acts of love and turn and simply walk away. We must instead turn towards Him, and accept Him; as our LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR…
Unlike the thief who berated Jesus, we must instead praise Him, adore Him; we must serve Him in faith…
***Like the second thief upon the cross, we must repent of our sins, believe in our hearts that Jesus died for us, and live every moment of our lives that we have left for JESUS CHRIST!!!
Which thief are you, a Betrayer, a temporaryBeneficiary, a Barrater or a BELIEVER???
Today, this moment, this very second; YOU CAN BE HIS FOR EVER MORE…
Revelation 3 v 20
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
***Jesus says open the door of your heart, and I will become your’s and you will be mine…
2 Corinthians 6 v 2
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
***Jesus says, Today I offer you eternal life, salvation, a life of JOY EVERLASTING…
And to conclude, John declares with all certainty:
1 John 5 v 13
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Which Thief are you???????
Betrayer, temporary Beneficiary, Barrater, or a BELIEVER???????
It’s up to YOU!!!!!!!
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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June 10, 2007
"Family"
Mark 3 v 31-35
"There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34. And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
It seems I often start out a message with the same statement:
“We live in an age…”
But its true, we live in an age when we have lost our understanding of what a ‘real ‘ family is. We often call people friends that in the past, we would not have even thought them to be close acquaintances. We are desperate for intimacy, and companionship, so many of us have grown up in broken homes, or what the politically correct people choose to say: “dysfunctional families”…
As a result we have lost the sense of this closeness, this deep intimacy and what it really is. Jesus had been ministering to the crowds of people seeking to know who He really was. As He spoke to many, His Mother and other family members came to Him, and as our text says:
“…thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.”
Jesus uses this incident, to ask a question which is as pertinent now, today, as it was then.
“Who is my mother, or my brethren? “
We have parents that brutalize, torture, and murder their children. We have children, who have no problem with killing their parents. We have families, siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, etc; that literally can’t stand each other.
My sister Pat’s family is an example. I had always envied them because they were a family of seven brothers and sisters. I was raised as the youngest child, with my siblings grown and on their own, so I longed for the closeness of a big family. *However as they grew, they grew apart, even from their parents; and not just in physical distance, but in emotional and spiritual distance as well. They are family by blood, but in living experience, they are not family at all. So very sad…
Our churches are filled with people suffering from this lack of understanding, this lack of knowing and experiencing family intimacy. So even our Church families often lack this cohesion, this unity, this solidity, of what makes a family a family…
So then back to the question Jesus posed,
“Who is my mother, or my brethren? “
Jesus by even posing this question, points out, the conditions of a true family. He shows, it is not solely a matter of flesh and blood.
It can happen that a person is really nearer to someone who is no blood relation to themselves at all.
What then, is a genuine family, more precisely, an authentic Church family?
A Common Experience
One quality of a good family is a common experience. Especially experiences or circumstances, that demand a common resolution.
It has been said that two people really become friends when they are able to say to each other, "Do you remember?" and then to go on and talk about the things they have come through together.
My dearest friend, Reverend Fred Tarlton and I went to seminary together, lived together, struggled financially together, met our future wives at the same church(Chapel Hill Church of the Nazarene) and we each married in 1981, July (me), October (him), and in the same location: Kansas City, Missouri.
We have been separated for many years (15+) because of where God in His divine wisdom chose to send us to serve and minister. Yet, we still consider ourselves “best” friends!!! Why, because we can sit back and reminisce about the past, the past that we both were so intimately involved with and experienced together. Those early years of the 1980’s and 1990’s so molded us and so left us fundamentally changed, that we forever are bound and bonded together as eternal friends.
He hurts when I hurt, he feels joy when I feel joy, his loss is my loss and his gain is my gain. That is family, that is relationship, that is philia: brotherly love...
Why, because of our common experiences, that made us the people we are today…
Someone tells the story of meeting an elderly black woman. An acquaintance of hers had died. "You will be sorry," he said, "that Mrs. So-and-so is dead." "Yes," she said but without showing any great grief. "I saw you just last week," he said, "laughing and talking with each other. You must have been great friends." "Yes," she said, "I was friendly with her. I used to laugh with her; but to be real friends folk have got to weep together."
In our age we often substitute, pot-lucks, and outings, and workshops, and work relationships, and sexual encounters, as intimacy and closeness. ***But it is the experiences that draw people together in need or sorrow, that truly bind people together as family, as genuine friends…
In this day and age, it seems we try so hard to hide, to conceal, our pain, sorrow, and disappointments; especially from those we ‘call’ our friends, our family…
***But genuine family, a genuine friend, will actually be those who willingly experience both joy and sorrow with their loved ones!
This being so, as Christians, we should be the closest of friends, the closest of families; because: we share the greatest of common experiences!!!
We, if we are ‘real’ Christians, we all have shared in the common experience of: being loved, spared, and saved from our sins by the shed blood of Jesus Christ…….
We have agonized over the immensity of our own sinfulness. We have wept and sorrowed deeply because of the evil we so willing had thought or done. We have struggled with the intoxicating, addictive seduction of temptation. We have mourned to the point of inner cataclysm, till by the grace of God; WE FOUND JESUS!!!
As Christians, we all share the common experience of being raised from spiritual death, to life everlasting, as Children of God…
No longer Sinners lost in sin; but Saints saved, sanctified, new creations in Jesus Christ the First and the Last, the worthy lamb of God!!!!!!!
1 Corinthians 6 v 11
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Corinthians 5 v 17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
As Christians we share the common experience of being rescued from our carnal sinful nature, by the LOVE OF GOD…
A Common Interest
Secondly, a great quality of a great family, or a tremendous relationship, is a common interest. Doing things together, enjoying things together, wanting and liking the same things. Seeking the same things…
A. M. Chirgwin tells us a very interesting thing in The Bible in World Evangelism. One of the greatest difficulties that distributors of the Scriptures have is not so much to sell their books as to keep people reading them. He goes on,
“A distributor in pre-Communist China had for years been in the habit of going from shop to shop and house to house. But he was often disappointed because many of his new Bible readers lost their zeal, until he hit upon the plan of putting them in touch with one another and forming them into a worshipping group which in time became a duly organized Church.”
Only when these isolated units became part of a group which was bound together by a common interest did real family, real fellowship, a real relationship come into being.
Christians have that common interest because they are all people who desire to know more about Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5 v 6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
As real Christians, we hunger (HUNGER!!!) as a starving child hungers for food; we hunger to know Jesus and His precious word the Bible.
As actual Christians, we thirst (THIRST!!!) as a lost wanderer in the hottest, driest desert seeks water to drink, a drink to save his life; we thirst to know, understand, and to live our lives in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6 v 33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Luke 12 v 31
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Putting the old desires of the heart and mind behind us, we as Christians share the common interest of knowing and living for God!!!!!!!
We seek Him, at Church, in our quiet times, in our prayer life, in our daily reading of the Bible, in our relationships with other Christians; all to know more about Jesus and how to live a loving, serving life as He did and still does!!!!!!!
As Christians we have the greatest common interest, that of knowing Jesus Christ…
A Common Submission
Thirdly, a wonderful quality of a family, of a true friendship is a common submission…
The disciples were a very diverse group of individuals. All sorts of beliefs and opinions were mixed up among them. A tax-collector like Matthew and a passionate nationalist like Simon the Zealot ought to have hated each other like poison and no doubt at one time did. But they were bound together because both had accepted Jesus Christ as Master and Lord. They submitted their lives to Him, and lived for Him…
Any platoon of soldiers will be made up of men and women from different backgrounds and from different walks of life and holding very different opinions; yet, if they are long enough together, they will be welded into a band of comrades because of the common submission which they all share. People can become friends of each other when they share a common master.
People can love each other only when they all love Jesus Christ.
Both Fred and I were saved by Jesus Christ, both he and I were called to be servants of Jesus Christ, we were both called to be ministers of Jesus Christ, we were both called by a common submission; a love relationship with Jesus Christ!
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
As Christians, we all live not to suit our old sinful nature, but to submit to our new nature born by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ . To submit our minds, bodies, and souls, EVERYTHING WITHIN US, to LOVE AND SERVE HIM AND HIS CREATION!!!!!!!
As Christians, we have the common submission to the will and authority of our Lord, God, and eternal Savior: JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
A Common Endeavor
Fourth, and finally, a glorious and essentially precious quality of a beautiful family or intimate friendship is a common endeavor. There is nothing so binding of people together like a common endeavor.
Here there is a great lesson for the church. A. M. Chirgwin, talking of renewed interest in the Bible, asked,
"Does this point to the possibility of a new approach to the ecumenical problems based on biblical rather than on ecclesiastical considerations?"
Our churches will never become genuine, growing families with truly intimate friendships for all, so long as we squabble about the ordination of our ministers, the structure of church government, the administration of the sacraments, the type of music for worship, or the length of a service and all the rest of it.
***The one thing on which we can all come together is the fact that all of us are seeking to win the Lost (all people) for Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28 v 19-20
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Loving people so much, as Jesus Christ did, THAT WE ARE WILLING TO RISK ALL THAT WE HAVE AND POSSESS TO BRING THE LOST TO A SAVING REPENTENCE!!!!!!!
John 15 v 13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
***All people, everywhere, to a LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!!!
2 Peter 3 v 9B
“…but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Willing to risk even our eternal souls for those needing Jesus’ saving grace…….
Even those who would seek to destroy us…
Matthew 5 v 43-45
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Not merely people who dislike us, but even those who would kill us:
Exodus 32 v 31-32
“And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”
Romans 9 v 2-3
“That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
God the FATHER, God the SON, God the Holy Spirit; even mere men like Moses and Paul, are willing to do all they can for the goal, the loving endeavor to bring all to salvation in a love relationship with Jesus Christ!!!
As Christians we have the fabulous and magnificent opportunity to succeed at the supreme endeavor of eternity, that of bringing by the power and grace of God, eternal salvation to the world; to all those willing to accept Jesus Christ as their LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR!!!!!!!
To be unified in intimate oneness with God, His angels, and with all our fellow Christians, in bringing even just one lost soul to a love relationship with Jesus Christ!!!
Luke 15 v 7A
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth…”
As Christians we are the only human beings that can actively participate in “our common endeavor”, that of sharing Jesus Christ with others.
Truly, truly, if having a common endeavor is a quality of a wonderful family, of a fantastic relationship; then most certainly we above all people should possess and be the greatest examples of a loving family and a splendid and joyous and most intimate of loving relationships…
If the true qualities of a family or of an intense and intimate relationship comes from a Common Experience, a Common Interest, a Common Submission, and a Common Endeavor, then Christians above all mankind possess its secrets, for all are seeking to know Christ better and to bring others within His Kingdom.
*******However else we may differ or disagree, AS GENUINE CHRISTIANS WE CAN, WE MUST AGREE ON THIS…….
Mark 3 v 35
“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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June 3, 2007
"Doctrine of the Holy Spirit"
(Part Two)
Matthew 28 v 19
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
Adrian Rogers wrote:
"Try to define the Trinity and you'll lose your mind. Deny it and you'll lose your soul."
Last week in a very systematic manor we showed that the Bible without a doubt teaches that, One, the Holy Spirit is a living, eternal, self-aware, distinct personage. Two, that the Bible makes absolutely plain, the Holy Spirit is “the” true God!!!
This week we will continue to study the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit as, HE relates to the Trinity and HIS works or offices as the third person of the Trinity. ***Three persons, but ABSOLUTELY ONE AND ONLY ONE GOD!!!
Deuteronomy 4 v 39
“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
1 Kings 8 v 60
“That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”
Isaiah 43 v 10
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”
Isaiah 44 v 6
“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Isaiah 45 v 5
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:”
This must be made VERY CLEAR, the position of the True Christian Church is: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ONLY ONE GOD!!!
***Yet He is found in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the THREE PERSONS OF THE TRINITY…
The Trinity does not simply share a ‘divine spark’, but THEY ARE THE DIVINE SPARK. The Trinity is not simply three manifestations of God at different times, but THEY ARE ALWAYS AND ETERNALY “THE” ONE TRUE GOD...Each, yet one, are, the exact essence of divinity. ***What makes God, God, the Divine, Divine is the fundamental nature of the Trinity, and THE TRINITY ALONE…
***GOD IS, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT , THEY ARE ONE, AND THERE IS NO OTHER!!!
Now what is the relationship of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity?
Proposition Three: the Holy Spirit as He relates to the Trinity…
The understanding of the Holy Spirit as He relates to the Holy Trinity developed slowly in the Christian faith. Not because the fact of the Trinity was ever in doubt, but to explain this dogma or doctrine was exceptionally difficult considering our limited abilities and knowledge as fallen- human- beings!
1 Corinthians 13 v 12A
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;…”
Again, Adrian Rogers writes:
“The doctrine of the Trinity is not beyond logic and reason, JUST ABOVE IT…”
Over four plus centuries the understanding of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit’s relation to it were studied and clarified by the Church.
The Council at Nicaea (AD 325) (mentioned in Part One), simply added the clause to the Christian creed of belief:
“…the third person in the Trinity….and…we believe in the Holy Spirit”
The second Council at Constantinople (AD 381) included the words:
“the Lord the giver of life who proceeds from the Father, who is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son, and spake through the prophets.”
At the third Synod of Toledo (AD 589), the words “filio que” (and the Son) were added, so as to assert the procession of the Holy Spirit (ghost) from the Son as well as the Father.
In-other-words:
“the Lord the giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and spake through the prophets.”
This addition, for those who are interested, caused the split between the Western and Eastern Churches. The former maintaining, the later denying, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.
The majority of Christianity upholds and teaches:
1) The Holy Spirit is the same substance (essence) and equal to in every way in the power, and the glory of the Father and the Son.
2) He is, never-the-less, as to mode of subsistence and operation, subordinate to both the Father and Son, as He proceeds from them and is sent by them, and They operate through Him.
John 15 v 26
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16 v 15
“All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.”
John 14 v 26
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Philippians 1 v 19
“For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,”
Acts 11 v 17
“Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?”
All that simplified,
“as Jesus voluntarily submits to the Father’s will, so too, the Holy Spirit voluntarily submits to the Father and the Son’s will; that the Trinity, the One God in three distinct persons, submits ALL THINGS UNTO THEIR WILL!!!!!!!
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit(GOD)
(GOD)……..and everything else must voluntarily submit to Them , or face judgment…
As we move on to proposition four, we conclude this brief discussion on the Holy Spirit as He relates to the Trinity, by saying this:
“God the Father is all there is, God the Son has done it all, and God the Holy Spirit gives us all the opportunity to know and love them all!!!!!!! (to love each other as well)
Proposition Four: the works or offices of the Holy Spirit…
With out detracting from the colossal importance of the first three propositions the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit, the fourth is of supreme consequence, the works and/or offices of the Holy Spirit.
1) The Holy Spirit is the immediate source of ALL CREATED LIFE, both physical and intellectual…
Psalms 104 v 29
“Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.”
Isaiah 32 v 14-15
“Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; 15. Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.”
Job 32 v 8
“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”
Job 33 v 4
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
Genesis 2 v 7
“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 soul.”
Numbers 11 v 17
“And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.”
2) The Holy Spirit bore a very important part in the coming of God the Son (Jesus Christ) in the flesh and the qualifying of Jesus’ human nature for His work of redemption…
Luke 1 v 35
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
John 3 v 34
“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
John 1 v 32
“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”
3) The Holy Spirit is the revealer of ALL TRUTH…
***The Holy Scriptures, the Bible is especially the creation of the Holy Spirit…
Micah 3 v 8
“But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.”
John 14 v 26
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 16 v 13
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”
1 Corinthians 2 v 10-13
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual”
2 Timothy 3 v 16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
4) The Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts and minds of mankind, revealing God’s truth in power wherever God is known, and even when God is not known, He gives gracious opportunities and influence (grace) that the divine light can be seen by those willing to open their spiritual eyes by the power of the grace freely given…
Acts 2 v 17
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”
John 16 v 8-11
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9. Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
1 Corinthians 2 v 4
“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power:”
5) The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, aids those convicted of sin in repenting of their sins, assists in the gift of Faith, regenerates willing sinners; comforts, sanctifies believers; bears witness to their reconciliation with God, and their eternal adoption as children of God; and dwells within all genuine born again believers as the power to live holy lives, and is the guarantee (earnest) of their eternal, permanent salvation…***HE SEALS THE SAINT’S FATE, FOREVER!!!
In addition to many of the scriptures previously quoted:
Romans 8 v 14-16
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
1 Corinthians 6 v 19
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
2 Corinthians 3 v 18
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Ephesians 1 v 13-14
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
6) The Holy Spirit also exercises direction in the nurture of the Church, by calling men and women to various offices and responsibilities within God’s Church, and providing such called persons with the spiritual gifts and intellect to perform their tasks in their duties…
Acts 13 v 2
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”
1 Corinthians 12 v 4-11
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
Though we have mentioned it in general, the Holy Spirit has a special work in the Christian. In our present age the Holy Spirit has a unique work in the life and heart of the genuine Christian.
1 Corinthians 12 v 13
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
At Pentecost to the glorification of the Church at the Rapture, the Holy Spirit unifies the Church, the true believers, with Jesus Christ, and exercises saving faith and sanctification (consecration to God and God alone) of the believers…
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Romans 6 v 3-4
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Ephesians 5 v 18
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
The Holy Spirit fills each true believer with the power and strength to serve and live every moment for God…
He teaches, He encourages. He motivates, and He gives us each special gifts to accomplish the individual and collective goals He has for His Children…….***Each one of us, who love Him…
He, the Holy Spirit equips each child of God with ALL THAT WE NEED TO BE HIS ON THIS EARTH AND IN ETERNITY TO COME!!!!!!!
How???
Acts 1 v 5
“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”
Acts 11 v 14-16
“Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.”
The Holy Spirit baptizes us with His ever-lasting indwelling presence within the believer, and bestows upon us His gifts, to help us ever grow in God’s grace, love, mercy and sanctification…
Philippians 4 v 8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Yes, God the Father, God the Son, and most certainly God the Holy Spirit are essential in the life and growth of God’s creation…
This is the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit!!!!!!!
He, the spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit leaves you with this:
Revelation 22 v 17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
2 Corinthians 6 v 2
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
Submitted by: the Holy Spirit……………………………………………
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May 27, 2007
"The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit"
(Part One)
Genesis 1 v 2
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
There has been much discussion on this very verse.
What does it mean “the Spirit of God”?
Some commentators think this statement refers to a violent wind, because jwr, or transliterated ruach often signifies wind as well as spirit, as pneuma, pneuma does in Greek; and the term God is connected with it merely, as they think, to express the superlative (exceptional) magnitude of the wind. Others, the sun, penetrating and drying up the earth with it’s rays. Simply, elementary fire, others, the angels, who were supposed to have been used by God as agents in creation. Even others suggest, a certain occult principle, termed the “anima mundi” or soul of the world. To some this statement represented the magnetic attraction, by which all things were caused to gravitate to a common center.
Some have speculated the “Spirit of God” is the invisible ‘power ‘ of God’s will and its operation on creation. It is the creative force from God, which compels all created substances to submit ultimately to the heart and will of God. Not unlike gravity, this understanding of the spirit of God, is an energy, a non-living power that interacts with it’s environment without self-thought or self-awareness, not having any life of it’s own.
Today we will turn to the Biblical Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, is it a ‘what’ or is He a ‘being’?
One of the first creeds of the Christian faith was recorded by Irenaeus:
SECOND CENTURY, AS RECORDED BY IRENAEUS:
“. . .this faith: in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth and the seas and all the things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who made known through the prophets the plan of salvation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and his future appearing from heaven in the glory of the Father to sum up all things and to raise anew all flesh of the whole human race…”
The Apostles Creed
Legend has it that the Apostles wrote this creed on the tenth day after Christ’s ascension into heaven . . . each of the doctrines found in the creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.”
The Nicene Creed (325 AD)
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
***These 3 early creeds of the Christian faith differ in completeness of content, but all three agree, the Holy Spirit was not simply a non-living force from God; but in fact the Holy Spirit is alive and is a distinct being from the Father and the Son!
As Jesus Christ has been revealed progressively beginning in the Old Testament and elaborated upon in the New Testament, the same is true of the Holy Spirit. As the incarnate Son is the Redeemer of mankind by virtue of His atoning work upon the cross as gradually revealed from the Old Testament to the New Testament; the Holy Spirit is gradually revealed as the Administrator of that redemption.
We will look at the four propositions of the development of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
Proposition One: The Holy Spirit is a person…
Matthew 3 v 16
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”
Throughout scripture the statement the “Spirit of God” is referring to the Holy Spirit as first seen in our original text today.
Matthew 28 v 19
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
In Matthew we see, the distinction between the person of the Father and Son, and Holy Spirit (ghost).
John 14 v 16-17
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
The name Comforter and the Spirit of the Truth also refer to the person of the Holy Spirit, and are associated with the pronouns ‘him’ and ‘he’.
John 15 v 26
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
The pronouns used in reference to the Holy Spirit are invariably personal pronouns:
John 16 v 13-14
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
Acts 13 v 2-3
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
The Holy Spirit, Himself, speaks!
”Separate ME…..I have called them”
The very attributes of personality, self-consciousness, and freedom are ascribed to the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 2 v 10
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
1 Corinthians 12 v 11
“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The relationship between the Holy Spirit and mankind suggest HIS personality:
Genesis 6 v 3
“And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”
The Holy Spirit instructs man, regenerates man, sanctifies man, and comforts believers:
John 16 v 13
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
John 3 v 5
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 14 v 16
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”
1 Peter 1 v 2
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
***We are warned not to sin against, not to grieve, nor to quench the Holy Spirit!!!
Matthew 12 v 31-32
“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
Acts 7 v 51
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
1 Thessalonians 5 v 19
“Quench not the Spirit.”
***The Holy Spirit is a distinct person, a living being!!!!!!!
Proposition Two: The Holy Spirit is Deity (God)…
All the genuine Christian denominations of the world agree that the Holy Spirit is in deed a living person, and unanimously they further recognize the Bible’s teaching that the Holy Spirit is God!!! And not ‘a’ God, one of three, or a lesser god; but part of the triune God head: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!!!!!!!
***One God and One God alone, yet in three distinct persons…….
Holy Spirit is manifestly called God, and names are given to Him that properly belong to God and GOD ONLY!
Acts 5 v 3-4
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.“
Isaiah 6 v 9
“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”
In light of:
Acts 28 v 25
“And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,”
Jeremiah 31 v 31-34
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Hebrews 10 v 15
“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,”
2 Corinthians 3 v 17-18
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
The Bible undoubtedly gives attributes to the Holy Spirit that ONLY GOD has:
1 Corinthians 2 v 11
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
The Holy Spirit has knowledge and wisdom that ONLY GOD POSSESSES!!!
1 Corinthians 12 v 11
“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The Holy Spirit is SOVEREIGN (ruler) AS ONLY GOD IS!!!
Hebrews 9 v 14
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
The Holy Spirit is ETERNAL, from EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, AS ONLY GOD IS!!!
***A being with NO BEGINNING AND NO END, NOT CREATED BUT EVER EXISTING!!!
The divine works of creation and the New Birth are attributed to the Holy Spirit as well:
Genesis 1 v 2
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
Job 26 v 13
“By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.”
John 3 v 3, 8
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
We are to worship and give homage to God and God alone; and the Bible shows these too belong to the Holy Spirit…
Isaiah 6 v 3-10
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
In light of:
Acts 28 v 25-27
“And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26. Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
2 Corinthians 13 v 14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
***The grace of God the Son (Jesus Christ), the love of God the Father, and the communion with God the Holy Spirit!!!!!!!
***God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the holy TRINITY!!!
Since we will not even finish our study of the Holy Spirit this week, but hopefully will finish next week; a more in-depth study of the Doctrine of the Trinity will be left for another time.
Needless to say however, God the Holy Spirit in relation to the Trinity has caused controversy throughout the ages.
But this and more will be discussed next week, when we continue with the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. When we conclude our study of this next week we will consider the last two propositions as seen in the Bible:
Proposition Three: The Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity… and Proposition Four: The Works or Offices of the Holy Spirit…
In summary of today’s lesson, there are two propositions as seen in the Bible, that are BIBLE FACTS, and Christian DOCTRINES THAT ARE ABSOLUTES:
One: The Holy Spirit is a living, distinct, person!!! Not a what, but a living, self-aware, being!!!!!!!
Two: The Holy Spirit is God!!! Not one of three, not ‘a’ little god, but the third distinct person of the triune Godhead:
Co-eternal, NOT CREATED, BUT EVER EXISTENT…
Co-equal in every way, omnificent (all knowing), omnipresent (everywhere), Omnipotent (all powerful); God of God, true God of true God…….
***”The” God, the ONLY GOD, YET IN THREE PERSONS…
***If, you are a genuine Christian today, THESE ARE TWO OF THE ABSOLUTE FACTS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…….
Anything, contrary to what the Bible teaches, IS OF THE DEVIL, and MUST BE REJECTED AND DENIED, or is vain speculation and worth nothing…Leading many to destruction!!!
May the One True God, be with us all…
Isaiah 8 v 20
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Galatians 1 v 8
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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May 20, 2007
"Seek God First ALWAYS!!!"
Matthew 6 v 33
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
We live in a world full of ‘things’, material things such as cars, houses, boats, fancy and expensive clothes, acreage for sale, antiques, large screen TV’s, flat screen TV’s, laptop computers, desktop computers, expensive vacations to exotic locations, the ‘things’ and luxuries of this age seem so alluring and there appears to be no end of the new and more electrifying ‘things’ to have and possess!
We have an endless supply of spectacular and exhilarating activities to take our mind off the problems of our humanity and to fill the ever increasing leisure time we dedicate to ourselves and our families. We have sporting events, baseball, basketball, soccer, football, ice hockey, field hockey, both professional and those we and our children often participate in. There are movies, and plays, and opera, comedy clubs, night clubs for dancing and drinking. Bars loaded with liquor, food buffet lines full of juicy and sweet, and terribly seductive delicacies for ever type of craving and appetite.
We have in our society people obsessed with the ‘joys’ of sex and the temporary, yet, the intimacy we all yearn for and desire. We have a plethora of educational opportunities which can lead to positions of great power, wealth, and prestige.
Our minds are bombarded with concerns and worries of keeping our jobs, keeping our health, ever extending our lives and the quality of our lives!! Many of our society are addicted to drugs, both legal and illegal for the short-term (veneer) reprieve from the pains and sorrows of their lives. Most of us have families, friends, children, all kinds of enormous responsibilities that EVER require OUR TIME and ENERGY!
Bills, bills, bills, dead-lines, dead-lines, deadlines; constant and never ceasing demands upon our thoughts and time…
We all, even professing Christians are deluged, flooded with the torrents of EVER INCREASING DEMANDS UPON OUR BODY, MINDS, SOULS and SPIRITS…
***So it becomes very effortless for us as believers in Jesus Christ, to forget, ignore, and even deny, the challenge, and even the righteous demand our text today has upon us and our moment by moment lives…
Jesus says:
Matthew 6 v 31
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”
***Jesus is telling us not to focus on the cares and worries of this world. These ‘things’ may have value but TO HAVE OUR MINDS and ENERGY FOCUSED ON THESE ‘THINGS’ INSTEAD OF GOD, IS A DANGER TO OUR VERY ETERNAL SOULS…
John Wesley wrote about this:
“Do thyself no harm! Let us not be so ungrateful to him, nor so injurious to ourselves, as to harass and oppress our minds with that burden of anxiety, which he has so graciously taken off.”
As Christians, John Wesley further states:
“We will not borrow the anxieties and distresses of the morrow, to aggravate those of the present day.”
In other words ALL THESE ‘THINGS’ are mere distractions, Satan’s way of taking OUR MINDS and FAITH OFF OF GOD and instead FOCUSING OUR HEARTS and THOUGHTS ON OURSELVES and this world.
Worldly-mindedness is a universal and fatal warning sign of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the person. Something we desire, that we must have, or we want to do, which we look upon as the best thing, a good thing, a family thing, a needful thing; in which we receive pleasure and confidence in, rather than in God.
Matthew 13 v 22
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
These ‘things’ like thorns can deceive us, consume us, choke us so that we CANNOT BE FRUITFUL FOR GOD!
William Barclay the great Scottish Theologian declares:
“There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often ensnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich.”
All these ‘things’ we regularly worry about can so capture and imprison our hearts and minds, that we are never able to grow in God’s LOVE and GRACE as HE INTENDED…
1 Corinthians 3 v 1-3
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
***There are those of us who profess to be Christian, who’s lives are so cluttered and absorbed with the worries and legitimate concerns of this life that we cannot grow in God’s grace beyond our salvation.
Being so overwhelmed with the ‘things’ of this world, of this age of man; WE ARE UNABLE TO COMPREHEND and ACCEPT THE JOYOUS RESPONSIBILITIES and the GLOURIOUS SACRIFICES of being a “mature” Christian.
A “mature” Christian, one growing in the LOVE and GRACE of GOD, or as the Bible calls it SANCTIFICATION.
***DIEING TO SELF and BECOMING MORE and MORE LIKE JESUS CHRIST…
John 3 v 30
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Mature Christians live each moment of their lives to glorify God and to SERVE HIM and OUR FELLOW MAN, as best we can in these tainted ‘carnal’ bodies with the scares of our fallen nature.
“Carnal” Christians are those who are “Born Again”, yet like the preceding context of our passage for today, they are consumed with the concerns and desires of this world, and which leaves them little time to establish themselves in their Faith, or to truly dedicate themselves to serving and living for God and then for others.
***IMPORTANT NOTE: Those who ‘appear’ to be ‘CARNAL’ Christians may VERY WELL BE MERELY ONLY POSSING AS CHRISTIANS!! ( CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY ) **Deceiving others, or deceiving themselves…
***This person MUST look within, and SEEK the HOLY SPIRIT’S GUIDENCE!!!!!!!
Psalms 139 v 23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Jesus again responding to those living for the thoughts and desires of this world says:
Matthew 6 v 24
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
**We cannot LOVE GOD and VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT OURSELVES ABSOLUTELY to HIM, IF, WE ARE IMMERSED IN THE CARES AND DESIRES OF THIS WORLDY AGE…Even the ‘things’, we are morally and legitimately responsible for as good stewards of God…
WE WILL EITHER BE IMMERSED IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD, or immersed in the god of this sinful age: Satan…
Most so consumed, will NEVER BE SAVED, and many that are SAVED WILL NEVER LIVE UP TO THEIR GOD GIVEN POTENTIAL, for THIS, OUR EARTHLY EXISTENCE…
“SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM of GOD”
This simple yet poignant phrase makes it VERY CLEAR where our priorities as the human race SHOULD BE and ultimately MUST BE!!!
The word ‘seek’ implies EFFORT on OUR PART , we are to genuinely and with OUR WHOLE MIND, BODY, SPIRIT, SOUL, and STRENGTH, SEARCH OUT and LOVE GOD, AND SEEK WITH ALL THAT IS WITHIN US; TO BE LIKE HIM, TO BE PERFECT and LOVE AS HE DOES, by the POWER OF HIS GRACE…….
Matthew 5 v 48
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5 v 43-45
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
This is the meat of the Gospel, to be Holy as God is Holy, and manifest that perfection by LOVING ALL GOD’S CREATION…….
But most people will say this is not possible, and fully believe they have every right to hate those that hurt them, and those they cannot understand. Especially those who do not believe as they do!
They can ACCEPT the MILK of SALVATION by GOD’S GRACE and MERCY FOR THEMSELVES, but would deny that same opportunity for those they deem as unsavable.
The meat of the Gospel:
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
*******ALL of US MURDERED and BUTCHERED JESUS CHRIST UPON THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS!!! ***NO ONE IS GOOD, NO ONE, but GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!
THIS IS ALSO THE MEAT OF THE GOSPEL…
Luke 18 v 19
“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.”
Our children, our beloved little ones, and EVERYONE ELSE TOO IS WORTHY of DEATH!!! DESERVING of ETERNAL DAMNATION!!!
***Therefore with His atonement for our sins, and by HIS GRACE and MERCY SUPPLIED AS A GIFT to ALL MANKIND,
***WE MUST SEEK HIM!!!!!!!
***But merely seeking Him is NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST SEEK HIM FIRST.
***We MUST SEEK TO KNOW HIM FIRST!!!
***WE MUST SEEK TO LOVE HIM FIRST!!!
***WE MUST SERVE HIM FIRST!!!
***WE MUST CONFORM TO HIM FIRST!!!!!!! (((AND HIM ONLY!!!)))
***WE MUST ADORE HIM FIRST!!!
***WE MUST BE HIS: FIRST AND ETERNALLY FOREMOST HIS!!!!!!!
Matthew 10 v 37-39
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Seeking GOD is MAKING HIM ABSOLUTELY and WITHOUT QUESTION: FIRST IN OUR LIVES!!!!!!!
***This also is the MEAT of the GOSPEL…
So then, is He first in our lives???
Do we seek Him first, before anything else???
Do we seek Him first, do we love Him first, when the things of this world are far more upon our thoughts than He is???
Does prayer take second place to our chores and tasks, and desires of the day???
Does reading God’s Holy Bible, come in second, third, or even not as good as our desires to watch television, reading a novel, attending school, or our priorities of work???
Does attending Church only happen when we feel up to it, even though we go to work, or attend our children’s sporting events whether we feel like it or not???
Do we refuse to share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ because we are afraid to offend other people, because we want to be politically correct, because we don’t want to lose our jobs, our friends, because our faith is too personal to share with others, yet we will shout from the highest mountain tops for our favorite baseball team, we are willing to tackle people down to exhibit our pride for our grandchildren, by showing our movies and pictures of them over and over again???
How many miss Church for the sake of attending our children’s sporting events, for movies, for luncheons, or family dinners, for surprised guests from out of town, for overtime at work, for any other reasonable excuse???
***How do our actions live up to what we claim we believe, or what we SHOULD BELIEVE???
***What does such actual behavior teach, Our Spouses, Our Children, Our Families, Our Friends, Our Co-workers, Our neighbors, Our world as a whole, Our brothers and sisters in Christ, or GOD HIMSELF???????
“SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS”
Luke 12 v 31
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
How does He become first in our lives???????
First, by ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST, AS OUR LORD, GOD and ETERNAL SAVIOR!!!!!!!
Romans 10 v 9-10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
LOVING HIM WITH EVERY FIBER AND MOLECULE OF OUR BEING!!!
1 John 4 v 19
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
Having ABSOLUTE FAITH and TRUST IN HIM…….
Romans 10 v 17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
We do this by prayer:
1 Thessalonians 5 v 17
“Pray without ceasing.”
We do this by studying His HOLY, INNERRANT, INFALLIBLE WORD: THE HOLY BIBLE…
And not minimally reading it, but studying it diligently!!!
Acts 17 v 11
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Readiness of mind, EXPECTING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TEACH YOU AND REVEAL ALL TRUTH UNTO YOU.
Searching the Scriptures not some times, occasionally, reading it once through; BUT EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES, WHEN IT IS GENUINELY POSSIBLE TO DO SO!!!!!!!
By attending church as often as is realistically possible.
Hebrews 10 v 25
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
***And not simply going to church, or reading the Bible, BUT LIVING, AND SERVING EVERY MOMENT AS THE BIBLE TEACHES, AND THE SERMON EXPLAINS, AND THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER ELABORATES ON…
***ALL IN SUBMISSIN TO WHAT THE HOLY BIBLE TEACHES, THROUGH THE REVELATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, in full agreement with God’s BIBLE!!!
James 1 v 22
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Do, Live, be, what the Bible tells you to be; and YOU WILL BE SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: (((((((FIRST)))))))
Do this Jesus says, and all your ‘true’ needs and many of your sinless hopes and dreams will also be given to you!!!
Romans 10 v 11
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness — Singly aim at this, that God, reigning in your heart, may fill it with the righteousness above described. And indeed whosoever seeks this first, will soon come to seek this only.
And yet God promises to bless you abundantly, FOR ETERNITY!!!!!!!
“SEEK HIM FIRST”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
1 Thessalonians 4 v 7-8
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
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May 13, 2007
"That Your Love May Abound!"
Philippians 1 v 9-11
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10. That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
Paul is saying my overriding prayer for you all is that your Love will EVER INCREASE for God, for your brothers and sisters in Christ, and the REST OF MANKIND…
Adam Clarke described the meaning and extent of Paul’s prayer for the Philippians-Christians’ Love (all Christians in principle) in verse 9 as:
“it may be like a river, perpetually fed with rain and fresh streams so that it continues to swell and increase till it fills all its banks, and floods the adjacent plains.”
As Christians, OUR LOVE for others should be so immense that like a sea of powerful, inescapable flood waters, OUR LOVE MANIFESTED IN OUR ACTIONS SHOULD LITERALLY CARRY PEOPLE AWAY WITH A YEARNING TO HAVE AND BE WHAT WE ARE, CHILDREN OF GOD!!!
*No true Christian, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, and having received God’s LOVE and ETERNAL FORGIVENESS, should do or say anything that would legitimately turn people off to JESUS CHRIST!!!
Like those who profess a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with JESUS CHRIST, yet by their actions and words CONDEMN, and ridicule the LOST, the SINNER, instead of drawing them towards the LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE of JESUS CHRIST the RIGHTEOUS ONE…
The HATE-MONGERS that as ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing, professing to be Christians yet hating EVERONE WHO DOES NOT THINK and BELIEVE AS THEY DO!
***These are those that the world looks at and condemns ALL CHRISTIANS, EVEN GENUINE ‘Born Again’ believers; as evil, haters of humanity, and as self-righteous bigots… So Paul prays that ALL TRULY GENUINE CHRISTIAN’S QUALITIES of LOVE would EVER INCREASE, EVER MATURE, EVER BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST, OUR GOD and OUR KINDHEARTED SAVIOR!!!
John Wesley wrote:
“The fire which burned in the apostle never says, It is enough. In knowledge and in all spiritual sense — Which is the ground of all spiritual knowledge….”
The foundation of ALL SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE and RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT IS IN OUR ABILITY TO EVER GROW IN GOD’S LOVE and GRACE FOR HIM and for ALL of GOD’S CREATION, ESPECIAL HUMANITY!!!
Matthew Henry writes:
“A small measure of Christian love, knowledge, and fruitfulness should not satisfy any.”
Simply being called a Christian, attending Church only when we take the time, reading the Bible only when we have nothing else to do, helping others only when we ‘feel’ like it or when it does not take much time or personal sacrifice on our part, or having the pastor do our witnessing for us, because:”He gets paid for it.” SHOULD SATISFY NO GENUINE CHRISTIANS’ LOVE FOR GOD or OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS…
James 1 v 22
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
That is Paul’s and more importantly God’s prayer for us!!!
If we really love Jesus, we will be sensitive to his will and his desires; the more we love him; the more we will instinctively shrink from what is evil and desire what is right.
"That love, which was not merely a sentimental thing, was to grow in knowledge and in sensitive perception so that they would be more and more able to distinguish between right and wrong. Love is always the way to knowledge. If we love any subject, we want to learn more about it; if we love any person, we want to learn more about him; if we love Jesus, we will want to learn more about him and about his truth.”
William Barclay
The LOVE we as Christians are to live, moment by moment EVER GROWING and MATURING in, is not simply syrupy, an overly romantic idealism of LOVE, but is Love that seeks out the knowledge and wisdom of God!
Matthew Henry continues:
“Try things which differ; that we may approve the things which are excellent. The truths and laws of Christ are excellent; and they recommend themselves as such to any attentive mind.”
The Christian LOVE is not a blind LOVE accepting everything claiming to be of God, but rather is a TRUE LOVE, that seeks LOVE as it REALLY SHOULD BE.
1 John 4 v 1
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
God expects us to search out the TRUTH of any matter, whether it be of FAITH, of LOVE, in our secular schooling, or in society in general. GOD wants us to seek the absolute TRUTH. The TRUTH about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the TRUTH about the Holy Spirit, the TRUTH about the Bible.*** He gave us a mind and a brain to think, to SEEK OUT ALL TRUTH, and to LIVE BY IT…
This quest for KNOWLEDGE and TRUTH is also the product of our LOVE as Christians…
2 Timothy 3 v 16-17
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Our quest for ALL TRUTH BEGINS WITH THE INERRANT, INFALLIBLE: “WORD of GOD” the BIBLE!!!!!!!
Acts 17 v 11
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Our LOVE for God and His creation ONLY GROWS and MATURES if we SEEK JESUS DAILY in reading the BIBLE and in PRAYER and in LIVING WHAT the HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES US THROUGH the BIBLE!!!
Adam Clarke states:
“Of God’s nature, perfections, your own duty and interest, his work upon your souls, and his great designs in the Gospel.”
That LOVE and KNOWLEDGE and EVER SANCTIFYING (maturing) in SPIRITUAL WISDOM COMES FROM GOD’S GRACE…***IT IS GOD”S GIFT TO “TRUE” BELIEVERS…
Through LOVING HIM WE LEARN TO DESCERN ‘RIGHT’ from ‘WRONG’, ‘GOOD’ from ‘EVIL’, and ‘MORAL’ from ‘IMMORAL’… WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO JUDGE SIN from RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!
John 7 v 24
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
As Christians, as LOVERS of God, as LOVERS of God’s creation, WE ARE SAVED TO WARN PEOPLE FROM RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD FROM SIN…
***Yes, by God’s GRACE, FORGIVENESS. and LOVE, WE ARE CALLED TO WARN AGAINST SIN and the DEADLY CONSEQUENCES of SIN, EVEN IF THOSE WE ARE TO LOVE (HUMANITY) DECLARE THEY DO NOT WANT TO HEAR…
Ezekiel 3 v 11
“And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”
We are to warn ALL THOSE WHO ARE PRISONERS of SIN, ALL WHO ARE CAPTIVES, in HOPES THAT THEY WILL LISTEN, REPENT, AND THEY ALLOW the TRUTH TO SET THEMSELVES FREE by the GRACE of God...
***FREE from SIN and DAMNATION!!!
John 8 v 32
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
As Christians filled with God’s LOVE and with the HOLY SPIRIT DWELLING WITHIN the SINCERE BELIEVER, OUR BEHAVIOR SHOULD CONTINUELY MANIFEST GOD’S LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY UNTIL JESUS CHRIST COMES FOR HIS CHURCH and ALL WHO ARE SAVED, BOTH LIVING and DEAD. ***Then being TRANSFORMED in a twinkling of an eye to a state of ABSOLUTE SINLESSNESS, HEALED, and SANCTIFIED FOR EVER!!!!!!!
John Wesley describes these “Fruits of Righteousness” as:
1. It must bear fruits, the fruits of righteousness, all inward and outward holiness, all good tempers, words, and works; and that so abundantly, that we may be filled with them.
2. The branch and the fruits must derive both their virtue and their very being from the all — supporting, all — supplying root, Jesus Christ.
3. As all these flow from the grace of Christ, so they must issue in the glory and praise of God.
The “Fruits of Righteousness in the GENUINE CHRISTIAN are: inward and outward desires to be as holy (perfect) as possible in this life.
Matthew 5 v 44-45, 48
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust…48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
***Holiness and Perfection manifested in LOVING BOTH SAINT and SINNER; and ALWAYS SEEKING BLESSINGS and SALVATION for OTHERS, EVEN THOSE WHO SEEM TO BE YOUR’S and GOD’S ENEMIES…***FOR:
John 3 v 16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Realizing that anything, GOOD, or RIGHT, or NOBLE in US IS ONLY BY THE GRACE and POWER of GOD…
As John the apostle said:
1 John 2 v 5
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
Further John says:
1 John 4 v 7
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
*Is it any wonder Paul’s SUPREME prayer for his fellow Christians is to LOVE as GOD LOVES?
Matthew 5 v 16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
OUR LOVE MANIFESTED IN OUR ACTIONS will glorify GOD OUR FATHER…….
God’s LOVE GROWING WITHIN the CHRISTIAN IS THE FULFILLMENT of the LAWS of GOD!!!
Matthew 22 v 37-40
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
***Being a genuine true Christian is a whole lot more than a quick prayer for salvation, ITS LOVING AS GOD LOVES…….
I close with an example, that I would pray I could live up too, but I do not know if I could???
Several years ago, a 17 year old Christian girl was violently raped over and over again, brutalized for days, and then murdered. The man was caught and given life imprisonment without a chance of parole. Months went by and the mother of the slain girl was consumed with thoughts of: "Why my little girl?”
Finally she decided to right the man who destroyed her daughter’s earthly life, she wrote, and asked:
“Why, why my little girl?"
The mother hoped to receive some answer that could some how rationalize her daughter’s death and her immense heart ache for her great loss.
*But the man simply wrote back and said:
“She was there, I got her, and that was it.”
Her daughter had suffered enormously and died in tremendous agony, because of a simple chance meeting.
The man continued to write the young innocent girl’s mother, and she wrote back.
Throughout the months, the mother shared her faith and her daughter’s faith in JESUS CHRIST. *******And one day the man wrote back and said:
“You have written throughout the months, and you have shared your faith with me, and your belief that your daughter is now in the presence of God. Only at first did I read a sense of anger in your words. And believe me, I know you have ever right to hate me. And I had hoped you would hate me, but instead you showed me kindness and understanding. I almost felt love in your letters towards me. ***Today I asked the prison Chaplain to pray with me. I asked JESUS CHRIST into my heart I begged Him to forgive me. And I promise Him and you, I will spend the rest of my life, whatever time I have, in living to honor and glorify Him who died for me, and your precious daughter… Oh I am so sorry, I am so sorry………………”
His letter ended, because he was over come with Godly sorrow for his evil, evil ways…
The Mother and her younger daughter appeared on a talk show about survivors of families who had lost loved ones to violent crimes. On the show, I heard perhaps one of the greatest examples of God’s LOVE in the LIFE of a GENUINE CHRISTIAN!
***The daughter speaking, with her mother nodding in agreement said:
“We struggled to make sense of why my sister was murdered and hurt so savagely. ***Then the murderer wrote to my Mom, and after months of correspondence, that guy who killed my sister, ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST as his LORD, GOD and SAVIOR.”
(with tremendous tears and cracklings in her voice, she continued)
“Then we understood why, why it was my sister, my mother’s daughter who had been chosen to die. ***It was so one more of God’s lost sheep might find Mercy, Grace, Love, Forgiveness, and ETERNAL LIFE, by the miraculous shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus who died for me, my sister, my Mom, our entire family, and for THE SINS OF THE WORLD. For this my sister was born, to bring one who was lost an opportunity to be SAVED.”
The LOVE of God that TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, THAT WHICH Paul prays, THAT EACH AND EVERY CHRISTIAN MIGHT MANIFEST IN THEIR, OUR LIVES…….
A genuine Christian is not an easy person to be, but, by the GRACE, LOVE, and POWER of GOD; MAY WE ALL SUCH BE.
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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May 6, 2007
*Happy Birthday: Pvt. Robert 'Tommy' Anderson (US Army National Guard)
"The Doctrine of the Atonement"
(Part Three)
John 1 v 29
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
To All those who are NOT GENUINELY of the Christian faith; those who are Atheists, Agnostics, members of other faiths, of your own faith, those who hate organized religion, and those who simply don’t care:
“God put a cross between YOU and hell. If You want to go to hell, YOU will have to crawl over the CROSS of JESUS…”
That in essence is the Doctrine of the Atonement…
For three weeks now we have been studying this most important dogma of the Bible, of Our Faith as Christians.
***A doctrine that transcends ALL Faiths, ALL Cultures, ALL the Ages of Man; FOR IT IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!!!
*******GOD’S ONLY WAY OF SALVATION…
***We can choose not to accept it, but we cannot choose the consequences of our rejection of it!!!
We have covered most of the Biblical and Theological points of the Atonement, and today we will consider the definition of the Atonement. We will conclude with the Nature and Extent of the Doctrine of the Atonement…
Definitions…Atonement
“The satisfaction offered to divine justice by the death of Christ for the sins of mankind, by virtue of which all true penitents who believe in Christ are personally reconciled to God, are freed from the penalties of their sins, and are entitled to eternal life.”
Watson Bible Dictionary
“The Atonement is the satisfaction made to God for the sins of all mankind, original and actual, by the mediation of Christ, and especially by His passion and death, so that pardon might be granted to all, while divine perfections are kept in harmony, the authority of the Sovereign is upheld, and the strongest motives are brought to bear upon sinners to lead them to repentance, to faith in Christ, the necessary conditions of pardon, and to a life of obedience, by the gracious aid of the Holy Spirit.”
Summer’s Systematic Theology
“Atonement is the covering over of the sin, the reconciliation between God and man, accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrificial sufferings and death by virtue of which all who exercise proper penitence and faith receive forgiveness of their sins and obtain peace with God.”
Unger Bible Dictionary
And one last Theologian’s effort to define this foundational doctrine is:
“The vicarious sufferings of Christ are an atonement for sin as a conditional substitute for the penalty, fulfilling, on the forgiveness of sin, the obligation of justice and the office of penalty in moral government.”
Dr. Miley: “The Atonement in Christ”
So we hear words and phrases like: satisfaction, divine justice, death of Christ, penitents, sin of all mankind, penalties, eternal life, original and actual, mediation, pardon, divine perfections, harmony, Sovereign, motives, repentance, covering, reconciliation, vicarious, faith in Christ, forgiveness, peace, conditional substitute, penalty in moral government, vicarious, etc…….
It all sounds, well it all sounds very Theological…….
So in terms that I would pray, most of us can identify with, and most of us can listen to or read without falling asleep, the Doctrine of the Atonement is:
Out of God’s immense love for humanity, He Himself provided the actual costs for our sinfulness. His beloved Son, Jesus Christ took ALL the PENALTIES and ALL the PUNISHMENTS for OUR SINS (Past, Present, and Future) and paid them voluntarily (willingly) with His own brutally heinous death upon the cross. Justice was served because the penalty for ALL OUR SINS was PAID…( by His PURE, INNOCENT, and GRACIOUS BLOOD!!!)
***To take benefit from His payment, each individual must choose to accept what ONLY JESUS COULD HAVE DONE, and use this gracious gift of God to genuinely decide with God’s help to stop wanting to sin, and in time discontinue the evil practice all together…
Accepting Jesus Christ’s LOVE and LOVING HIM as YOUR: LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR, allows the covering, to indeed cover your life and restores mutual Love, Peace, and Harmony with GOD and the individual…….
The Atonement is grounded in the divine magnificence of God. *By His very nature, He could have NO FELLOWSHIP with SINFUL BEINGS;
Habakkuk 1 v 13A
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:..”
Yet His LOVE yearned for the creatures HE HAD MADE…
***It was our sin that pierced Jesus’ side upon the cross, but it is our damnation that, that slices through His heart…
We may now with human hearts attempt to more fully comprehend this profound truth. As sinners we are orphans, and our spiritual deaths left OUR SOVEREIGN GOD BEREAVED…
Propitiation became necessary in order to furnish a common ground of meeting, if Holy fellowship was again to be established between God and man…
The Atonement, therefore, had it’s genesis (beginning) in God, and propitiation satisfies the infinite depths of His nature as Holy Love. Therefore the Atonement satisfies both His Holy Judgment as well as His Holy Love.
The Atonement is also grounded in a moral government necessity.
*God as the infinite moral Being, He is characterized by the absoluteESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES of the TRUE, the RIGHT, the PERFECT, and the GOOD…
As the source of morality, God CANNOT dispense with the moral laws, THEY ARE IMMUTABLE (unchallengeable) and ETERNAL. He MUST either punish the sinner (US), or maintain justice by providing a substitute (JESUS CHRIST) to be punished…
A vital principle of the Doctrine of the Atonement is that the Eternal Pre-existing LOGOS MUST BECOME MAN to provide the RECONCILIATION between GOD and MAN.
Romans 3 v 24-26
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Colossians 1 v 14-22
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”
***Thus the incarnation (God coming in the flesh) MUST be regarded as the SUPREME EMBODIMENT of the MORAL IDEAL in HUMAN form…
Jesus’ death on the cross was the overcoming of the principle sin and death in the race, and establishing of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ the whole range of the Moral Law was FULLFILLED. The Moral Law in general, including the Mosaic expression of it.
***The principles ofTRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PERFECTION, and GOODNESS were embodied in Him as a PERFECT EXPRESSION of the MORAL IDEAL…
Hebrews 4 v 15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
2 Corinthians 5 v 21
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus by taking on the sinful flesh CAME UNDER the OPERATION of the LAW of SIN and DEATH.
***He bore on Himself the CONSEQUENCES of humanity’s sins…
Isaiah 53 v 5-9
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
***Jesus obeyed the Law of Filial (child’s love for his parent) Love and devotion in His life and sufferings.
***Thus He fulfilled at once the claims of LOVE and JUSTICE…….
The price of sin was paid, and God’s mercy and forgiveness were accomplished for those who would accept it…
Jesus Atonement for OUR SINS DELIVERS US from the LAW…
Galatians 4 v 4-5
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
***We are no more orphans, but rather ADOPTED SONS and DAUGHTERS of the LIVING GOD!!!!!!!
The term Justification by Faith is God’s plan of enabling sinful humanity to pass from the Legal to the Filial consciousness---a Redemption from the Law in order to become adopted Children of God…
***God is no more bereaved because of our spiritual death, but is filled and overjoyed with magnificent delight for OUR REDEMTION and SALVATION in Christ Jesus the only atoner for OUR SINS…….
The reality of the Atonement gives opportunity for ALL FALLEN HUMAN to be FORGIVEN, SAVED and ETERNALLY RECONCILED TO ALMIGHTY GOD: YHWH “The” GOD!!!!!!!
***The only God…….
In Theological terms the Atonement is universal, NOT THAT EVERYONE WILL BE SAVED, but rather that Jesus’ atoning blood is made available for any and all who would accept His Loving sacrifice.
Jesus has paid the price for every sinner, but the SINNER MUST AGREE TO ACCEPT THE RESULT of Jesus’ LOVE…….
Matthew 20 v 28
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
1 Timothy 2 v 6
“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
2 Peter 3 v 9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Ezekiel 33 v 11
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
God Loves and desires that ALL FALLEN HUMANITY WOULD BE SAVED, but each of us must decide for ourselves to accept Jesus Christ and His Atonement…
This is the Word of the Lord, this is the truth of the Doctrine of the Atonement…….
As Job questioned:
Job 14 v 4
“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.”
The Atonement by JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
Submitted by: a servant…….
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April 29, 2007
"The Doctrine of the Atonement"
(Part Two)
Genesis 22 v 8A
"And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:..”
My wife slowly opened her eyes as I finished “The Doctrine of the Atonement: Part One”, yes she opened her eyes. She said to me:
“You’ve said it all, how can you make two sermons out of the study of the Atonement?” I said: “You’ll see.”
***And so will all of us this week…
Last time we discussed the development of the Doctrine of the Atonement as it could be seen in the Old Testament. We pointed out first the necessity of the Atonement, ALL HUMANITY HAS SINNED AGAINST OUR HOLY GOD.
***His Holy Law demanded punishment for OUR SINS. ***We as fallen human beings cannot pay OUR DEBT of SIN in ANY WAY!!! Since His Law required past, present, and future obedience, we have no deeds that can pay for OUR SINS…Our eternal lives were to be lives of perfect obedience, so any Good WORKS we HAVE DONE OR WILL DO are what WE ALREADY OWED GOD…
***Therefore God’s Law demanded an Atonement for OUR SINS, a covering a payment in full for Our debts OF sin.
Secondly, the concept of the Atonement was revealed to us gradually in three stages.
Stage One: The Primitive Sacrifices, were divinely sanctioned, as long as they were voluntarily done as an act of Faith in the participant. The animal’s blood was EXPIATORY in CHARACTER, it was a type of atoning covering for ALL of the participant’s SINS…In studying the various primitive sacrifices in the Old Testament we determined that the consequence or response of God toward the sincere participant was to: PARDON, ACCEPT, and FORGIVE the one being atoned for…
Stage Two: The Sacrificial Law, God is Holy so in order to have a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with HIM, WE MUST BE HOLY…… ***Therefore God’s Law demanded a way for HUMANITY to be FORGIVEN…
Stage Three: The Predictions of the Prophets, in predicting the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah and other prophets of God foretold that the Messiah would come, suffer and die at humanity’s hand, but this was God’s plan of Atonement…
****Since we as a fallen race could NEVER EVER pay for OUR DEBT of SINS, GOD WOULD PROVIDE HIS LAMB, A LAMB PERFECT and WITHOUT SIN: THE MESSIAH of HUMANITY…….
THE SAVIOR of the WORLD!!!
Romans 3 v 21-26
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Today we will see how God’s revealed word in the New Testament sheds light on and completes the understanding of the Doctrine of the Atonement…
God’s motive for the Atonement…
Why He wants to forgive us…
John 3 v 16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
No matter what the world says, or what our low self-esteems can imagine; believe it or not: GOD LOVES US!!!!!!! When God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac his son; GOD PROVIDED HIS LAMB, HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON…JESUS the CHRIST, the MESSIAH of the WORLD…….
***God did not send His Son into the world to condemn us, but rather because of HIS GREAT LOVE for US, HE SENT HIS SON, THAT IF WE BELIEVED and in faith ACCEPTED JESUS to be OUR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR: WE WOULD BE SAVED---BEING GIVEN EVERLASTING LIFE…
Romans 5 v 8
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God sees beyond our sinful nature, He sees beyond our coarse exteriors, He knows and understands the heart of humanity; and while we were all still drenched and covered in our own perverted and polluted sins, the blessed and righteous Lord Jesus died for a covering, an atonement for ALL OUR SINS…….
1 John 4 v 9-10
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
It was not our acts of love manifested in our good or righteous deeds that saves us; but rather because of GOD’S ACTS of LOVE as manifested in HIS SON’S BLOOD SACRIFICE for the entire PAYMENT in FULL, for OUR SINS…
***JESUS CHRIST’S life and death are expressions of God the Father’s, God the Son’s, and God the Holy Spirit’s immense LOVE for US!!!!!!!
The Atonement, the Sacrifice for our sins was vicarious in nature…
In the words of Mr. Watson the Theologian:
“Christ suffered in our room and stead, or as a proper substitute for us.”
John 11 v 50
“Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
Caiaphas, being the high priest prophesied that Jesus Christ would die in the place of the nation of Israel. ***Jesus would die as a substitute for us…***He would pay the full debt for OUR SINS…
Romans 5 v 6
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
***JESUS CHRIST died for the ungodly, the lost, ALL SINNERS; US ALL…
2 Corinthians 5 v 14-15, 21
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again…21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
***JESUS CHRIST died for OUR SINS instead of US. HE PAID OUR DEBT for OUR SINS…THE WHOLE DEBT…WHEN WE BY THE POWER of HIS GRACE ACCEPT HIM as LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR: WE ARE MADE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE OUR HOLY GOD…
Galatians 1 v 4
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”
Jesus voluntarily died for full payment for the debt of OUR SINS, that by FAITH and TRUST in HIM and HIS WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS: WE WOULD BE SAVED FROM THIS WORLD of SIN and the DESTRUCTION of that which is UNHOLY…
Galatians 3 v 13
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Jesus Christ has redeemed (Greek: buy back) us, by dieing on the cross instead of us…
***He died that we may live, that we would NEVER AGAIN EXPERIENCE SEPARATION from GOD…….
Ephesians 5 v 2, 25
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour….25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
Jesus out of HIS LOVE for US, voluntarily died to pay the entire price for OUR SINS, THAT WE WOULD NEVER, NEVER HAVE TO!!!!!!!(((FOR WE COULD NOT PAY THE PRICE!!!!!!!)))
1 Thessalonians 5 v 9-10
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
***God does not want any of us to pay the price for OUR SINS,
***He DOES NOT want US to SUFFER…
***But God is Holy, He is Righteous, He is Just; a PRICE MUST BE PAID!!!
***So He allowed JESUS CHRIST to die for US, to die and suffer in our place, to take on OUR SENTENCE for OUR OWN SIN UPON HIMSELF, and PAY in FULL WHAT THE LAW REQUIRED of US to PAY…….
***He paid instead, He served OUR TIME, that WE MIGHT BE SET FREE…
***That we should have fellowship with Him, if we accept His act of Atonement for us…
1 Timothy 2 v 6
“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
***JESUS ONLY, paid the ransom (the sum or price paid or demanded) for OUR SINS…
Acts 4 v 12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
***JESUS ONLY SAVES US…
***JESUS ONLY ATONED for OUR SINS…
Hebrews 2 v 9
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
***JESUS died for EVERYONE…
***JESUS died for EVERY SIN…
***JESUS died, in stead of US…
***JESUS died to give US EVERLASTING LIFE…
John 3 v 16B
“…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Matthew 20 v 28
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10 v 45
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
***JESUS’ purpose for coming to earth, becoming a man; was so THROUGH HIS SHED BLOOD, OUR RANSOM, OUR DEBT for OUR SINS WOULD BE PAID COMPLETELY, BY HIS WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS…….
The Blessed, inerrant, infallible “WORD” of GOD the Bible teaches that the sufferings of Jesus Christ are a propitiation, a redemption, and the method for reconciliation for and because of OUR SINS…….
Since humanity is born totally depraved (spiritually dead), WE are GUILTY and DESERVE the WRATH of GOD; but in JESUS CHRIST OUR GUILT is EXPIATIATED (atoned for) and the WRATH of GOD PROPITIATED…
***Propitiation is a term drawn from the KAPPORETH or MERCY-SEAT as used in the Old Testament. ***It means to appease or atone for offenses…
1 John 4 v 10
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
***JESUS pays (IS THE APPEASEMENT FOR) the debt for OUR SINS, not you or I…….
1 John 2 v 2
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
***JESUS covers (ATONES FOR) our sins, HE makes US CLEAN, RIGHTEOUS…
***JESUS IS THE APPEASEMENT…
***JESUS IS THE ATONEMENT…
Romans 3 v 25
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
***JESUS IS THE MERCY-SEAT…***JESUS MAKES THE RECONCILIATION…….
Hebrews 2 v 17
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”
***Redemption is literally the word which means: “to buy back”…
The Greek words LUTROO and APOLUTROSIS mean to REDEEM and REDEMPTION correspondingly, they were used to signify the act of setting a captive free through a payment or redemptive price paid by someone other than the captive…
Romans 3 v 24
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
1 Corinthians 6 v 20
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
***JESUS’ atoning blood sacrifice was the price paid…
Ephesians 1 v 7
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
***By JESUS’ blood sacrifice, OUR SINS WERE PAID for in FULL. ***Through accepting of HIS GRACE WE ARE FORGIVEN!!!
1 Peter 1 v 18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;”
***We were not set free, redeemed by any value we have, or we have done; for our good works are filthy rags…
Revelation 5 v 9
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
***JESUS’ death paid back OUR DEBT to GOD for OUR BREAKING of HIS HOLY COVENANT with US…
***And NOT JUST JEWS and people who were raised in a Christian culture; BUT ONLY THOSE FROM EVERY SEGMENT OF HUMANITY THAT LOVE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR ARE REDEEMED…….
***Reconciliation is from the Greek verbs KATALLASSO or APOKATALLASSO, both of which are correctly translated “to reconcile”.
***It is a change from enmity (hostility) to one of intimate friendship…
Reconciliation is removing the sin from humanity (those that are saved), so that man and God can once again walk in the garden with each other in perfect LOVE and perfect HARMONY…….
Romans 5 v 10-11
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
***By JESUS death and risen life after the cross, Saved Humanity has intimate fellowship with GOD…We have NOW RECEIVED THE COVERING, THE ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS…
2 Corinthians 5 v 18-19
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
The act of reconciliation was accomplished by God through His Son JESUS CHRIST’S BLOOD SACRIFICE THAT ATONED FOR THE SINS OF HUMANITY…
Ephesians 2 v 16
“And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
***By JESUS death on the cross, God not man, slew, destroyed the hostility He had against US; Christ’s blood covered us from ALL OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS…
***His work upon the cross SAVED US, nothing we have done and nothing we could ever do could have paid Our debt for OUR DEPRAVITY…….
Colossians 1 v 20-22
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”
***We have peace through the shed blood of JESUS CHRIST upon the cross.
***We were alienated from God, but through FAITH in JESUS’ atoning work WE DECLARED HOLY AND FORGIVEN IN GOD’S SIGHT!!!!!!!
But reconciliation means more than merely laying aside our enmity with God. The relation is a legal one, and it is this judicial discrepancy between God and US that is referred to in the idea of reconciliation…
***We are legally set free, pronounced innocent, and accepted as righteous before our GOD; ALLOWING US TO REGAIN OUR INTIMATE LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM…….
Today you have an opportunity to discard you old fallen ways. You are being offered by God a way to truly be forgiven for all your sins.
***No matter what you have done, whether it be a heinous sin in the eyes of men, or whether it is something man kind might consider almost nothing at all.
***God is very willing to forgive you!!!
Mark 1 v 15
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Jesus says ‘repent’, by His grace He will help you turn from your sins. Believe in His redeeming shed blood on your behalf, accept Him as your LORD, GOD, and Savior…
Romans 10 v 9-10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Confess your faith and love for Him, and YOU ARE HIS BELOVED CHILD!!! The Bible says:
Luke 15 v 7
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
This day by your acceptance of the truth of the gospel in Jesus Christ’s atoning act for your sins, ALL THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN WILL REJOICE…….
Rejection of His Love, and claiming that you MUST PAY YOUR DEBT FOR YOUR SIN, GOD WILL ALLOW YOU TO PAY ON YOUR DEBT.
***Unfortunately you will pay for eternity in Hell, and you will finely comprehend: “Only Jesus Christ could have paid for YOUR SINS.
***But in death, in Hell it, WILL BE TOO LATE…
”Now, this very moment YOU can ask JESUS CHRIST to be YOUR ADVOCATE…
***But a time is coming, when He can no longer be your advocate; but rather, HE MUST BE YOUR JUDGE.
*** Revelation 19 v 11
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
Will JESUS be YOUR JUDGE or YOUR SAVIOR?????????????????
Next week we will finish our study of: The Doctrine of the Atonement…
God bless you all…….
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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April 22, 2007
"The Doctrine of the Atonement"
(Part One)
We live in an age that has unlimited sources for information. Some of this information is true, but the vast majority is a combination of facts, half truths, honest errors, deliberate deceit, wishful thinking, hyper-intellectualism and just plain fantasy!
Our schools teach everything under the sun, except, morality and faith in God.
Television, radio, news papers, and the majority of all media outlets disperse secularism and propaganda that under minds and ridicules the Judeo-Christian faith…
2 Thessalonians 2 v 3
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
God tells us in the period just preceding the appearance of the Anti-Christ upon the world scene, THERE WILL BE A FALLING AWAY.
***Those that fall away will be the vast majority of professing Christians, most of the worldwide church membership roles will reject the truth; for THEY HAD NEVER GENUINELY ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR, and HUMANITIES ONLY LORD, GOD and SAVIOR!!!!!!!
This falling away will be characterized by a rise in false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, false religious leaders, false religions, and especially a rise in false doctrine!!!
1 John 4 v 1
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
The spirit of the Anti-Christ is in the world TODAY, and it is his goal to HAVE EACH and EVERY ONE OF US DAMNED FOR ALL ETERNITY…
***This falling away will be due to receiving and accepting false doctrine…
***In most cases VERY WILLINGLY:
2 Timothy 4 v 3-4
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Many will refuse unconsciously and consciously to accept the truth, and will ONLY LISTEN TO TEACHERS WHO WILL TEACH WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO HEAR AND BELIEVE…
***These doctrines will make sense to them, they will be understandable to them, these doctrines will be logical and rational to them. These doctrines will clarify for them what their deceived hearts have already wanted to believe…
Others because of their ignorance and their apathy towards events around them will unknowingly be deceived by subtle lies and by doctrines and ‘works’ THAT APPEAR GOOD, AND MORAL, AND LOVING; BUT IN REALITY ARE MEANT TO MISLEAD AND ULTIMATELY TO DESTROY HUMANITY!!!
What I have thus far said has certainly bothered some of you. But what I am about to declare in and by the NAME OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, WILL ANGER MANY OF YOU.
***For those who will be angry, I will be thought of as a bigot, a nut, a religious fanatic, a judgmental moron, evil, a self-righteous hypocrite, a false teacher, and a fool; just to name a few…
Be that as it may, I do not simply claim this message is from God; but I declare by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
“THUS SAITH THE LORD!!!!!!!”
For the next several weeks we will discuss several essential doctrines of the Christian faith.
***Essential in that THEY ARE THE DOCTRINES OF GOD…
***Essential in that THEY ARE THE DOCTRINES OF GOD’S HOLY WORD, the BIBLE…
***Essential in that to deny them is to deny GOD HIMSELF…
I do not mean we can not differ in semantics or presentation, but to DENY THE THEIR FUNDAMENTAL MEANING IS TO DENY GOD…
LISTEN TO GOD,
“THUS SAITH THE LORD”:
The Doctrine of the Atonement
The Necessity for the Atonement
C.S Lewis wrote:
“Look for yourself and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay.”
Martin Luther wrote:
“Man must come to a knowledge of himself, to be terrified of himself…”
When Adam and Eve chose to doubt God and disobey Him, humanity lost it’s relationship with God.
***We ALL were separated from Him…
Genesis 3 v 23A-24A
“Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden…24. So he drove out the man…”
Mankind inherits not the sins’ of the parents, but rather the inclination and desire to sin from our parents…
***We all choose to sin…
Genesis 5 v 3
“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:”
***All humanity has been procreated in the likeness of our fathers, OUR HUMAN PARENTS ‘FALLEN’ HUMAN NATURE…
We ALL INHERIT a MORALLY TAINTED and VITIATED NATURE; a NATURE in which NO INCLINATION to do ANYTHING TRULY GOOD EXISTS, but which, as soon as OUR DISPOSITIONS or TENDENCIES BEGIN to unfold themselves, shows ITSELF EVIL in the productions of EVIL THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND ACTIONS…
Psalms 58 v 3
“Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.” NIV
***ALL HUMANITY FROM CONCEPTION IS INCLINED to SIN and given the opportunity: WILL SIN by OUR OWN CHOICE!!!!!!!
Psalms 51 v 5
“Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” NIV
Psalms 14 v 2-3
“The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” NIV
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
All these scriptures make VERY CLEAR our biases or tendencies are toward SIN, no matter how those sins manifest themselves in our actions, they belong to OUR FALLEN HUMAN NATURE which we INHERIT from OUR PARENTS…
***Mankind therefore according to God through his HOLY BIBLE, is conceived in complete and TOTAL DEPRAVITY. TOTAL DEPRAVITY in that it affects the entire being of MANKIND.
***SIN POLLUTES EVERY POWER and FACULTY of SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY in US… ***Our affections are alienated from God, OUR intellect darkened, and Our WILL PERVERTED…
Isaiah 1 v 5B
“…Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.”
***Since God is Holy, He WILL NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH SINNERS. Since the wages of sin are DEATH and SEPARATION from GOD:
Romans 6 V 23A
“For the wages of sin is death…”
Job asks the CRUCIAL question:
Job 14 v 4A
“Who can bring what is pure from the impure?...” NIV
***All of HUMANITY is LOST, CORRUPT, FULL of SIN; because of this there is a DEBT to be paid for OUR BEHAVIOR; OUR SINS MUST BE ATONED FOR…
The prediction of the Atonement in the Old Testament was gradually revealed to the world in three stages.
Stage One:
The Primitive Sacrifices
In the time of the patriarchs the altar is ALWAYS prominent. The altar is regarded as an essential element in any approach to God. The strongest argument of the divine origin of blood sacrifices is in the historical record of the particular sacrifices as found in the BIBLE.
Genesis 4 v 3-4
“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:”
This text taken in context with:
Hebrews 11 v 4
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”
Reveals two facts:
1) The blood sacrifice of an animal was offered in FAITH.
2) The blood sacrifice was divinely approved.
Genesis 8 v 20-21
“And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”
In this scripture it is asserted that Noah’s blood sacrifice of an animal was marked by divine approbation. *Approbation---praise, commendation, approval, or sanction…
Genesis 15 v 8-10
“And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9. And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.”
Here it is expressly stated Abraham offered up an animal sacrifice in OBEDIENCE to the COMMAND of GOD.
***These sacrifices were regarded as EXPIATORY in CHARACTER. (Expiatory means: by which an atonement is made.)
Genesis 9 v 4-6
“But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 5. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. 6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
The Mosaic explanation was that the BLOOD was the ATONEMENT of OUR SINS…
***The consequence of Abel’s animal blood sacrifice was PARDON and ACCEPTANCE by GOD…
***In Noah’s animal blood sacrifice the ground was NO MORE CURSED for Man’s sin.
***It is said of Abraham, that he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Romans 4 v 3
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Stage Two:
The Sacrificial Law
***The Law of God demands holiness!!!
Leviticus 18 v 5
“Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 11 v 44A
“For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy…”
***To have a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with God, WE MUST be HOLY as HE IS HOLY…….
God’s Law without exception ETERNALLY DEMANDS PAST OBEDIENCE as well as PRESENT and FUTURE OBEDIENCE!!!
*******PRESENT and FUTURE OBEDIENCE is REQUIRED by the LAW, therefore OUR WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN NEVER COVER or pay OUR DEBT for OUR SINS…….
*******Therefore the LAW demanded a way to cover (atone) for past, present, and future sins; the LAW of GOD REQUIRED a WAY to OBTAIN FORGIVINESS…….
Stage Three:
The Predictions of the Prophets
God through His chosen prophets more fully developed the Messianic idea and with it the knowledge of the Messiah’s sacrificial sufferings and the shedding of His BLOOD in ATONING for OUR DEBTS of SIN (the BREAKING of His COVENANTS by US)…
Isaiah 53 v 4-6
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
***The Messiah WILL BE RESPONSIBLE for OUR ENTIRE DEBT, for ALL of OUR SINS!!!
***The Messiah WILL PAY ALL the DEBT for OUR SINS, by HIS DEATH, HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE will COMPLETELY ATONE FOR ALL of OUR SINS ETERNALLY!!!!!!!
***The Messiah will CARRY ALL OUR SINS UPON HIMSELF, HE WILL PAY OUR TOTAL DEBT OFF by HIS DEATH, and by His LOVING BLOOD SACRIFICE.
***Those who genuinely LOVE HIM: WILL BE ETERNALLY SAVED!!!!!!!
Isaiah 53 v 10-11
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
In all of written language NOTHING GREATER HAS EVER BEEN SAID…
***By the Messiah’s works of righteousness (His BLOOD SACRIFICE), we will be pronounced justified, LEGALLY FORGIVEN FOR OUR SINS…
***ALL OUR DEBTS PAID in FULL!!!!!!!
“THUS SAITH THE LORD”
***The Messiah will bear ALL YOUR PUNISHMENT for ALL YOUR SINS. His BLOOD SACRIFICE will be VICARIOUS (performed for you, He will be a substitute for you) and EXPIATORY (atoning, He will cover your sins). He was stricken, wounded, bruised, and chastised; He received the PENAL (legal) punishment (sentence) for ALL YOUR DEBTS for SIN…
***By His stripes YOU CAN BE HEALED, therefore His death in the truest sense is propitiatory… Meaning, by His ATONING BLOOD SACRIFICE HE RECONCILES US BACK TO GOD; HE MAKES APPEASEMENT TO GOD FOR ALL OUR SINS. ***He makes the receiver of His grace favorable to OUR HOLY GOD…….
We are clean, we are forgiven, WE ARE SAVED!!!!!!!
Thus the New Testament conception of JESUS CHRIST’S ATONING BLOOD SACRIFICE is simply the completion of the predictions of the Atonement as seen in the Old Testament…
Next time we will discuss the New Testament teaching on the Doctrine of the Atonement. We will define the Doctrine of the Atonement in the ‘light’ of the revelation and wisdom of God as found in the New Testament. We will conclude our study of the Doctrine of the Atonement by revealing the nature and extent of this doctrine…
And remember this is not what I teach, or necessarily what the Baptist church teaches; it is the WORD of GOD!!!!!!!
Today you have an opportunity to sincerely accept JESUS CHRIST as YOUR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR.
***Accept His LOVE for YOU, His ATONING blood sacrifice for YOUR SINS…
***His complete and total payment for your sins. Acknowledge your need for His saving grace, repent of your sins by the Power of His Grace; acknowledge YOUR INABILITY to do anything to save yourself…
***For in so doing, JESUS has ATONED for ALL YOUR SINS!!!!!!!
Romans 9 v 33
“As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
John 1 v 12
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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April 15, 2007
"Your Good Works Will Never Save You!!!"
Mark 10 v 17
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
There are those who sincerely profess to have faith in Jesus Christ that base their whole religion on the very question posed in our text: ‘What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’
The very reasonable and thoroughly logical concept behind this question is: ‘We must pay our own debts for our own sin’…
If we choose not to study in school, is there not a price we have to pay? Does someone else taking our final exam and getting an “A+” put their knowledge in our head? If we break the law of the land, is it not our responsibility to pay our debt to society? When our children do wrong, do we not teach them that they must make up for it? If they steal should they not go back to the store, and pay the price for their wrong? If they hurt someone, do we not expect them to do whatever it takes to correct their hurt of another?
So when we sin against God is it not rational to ask: ‘what shall I do to pay for my debt of sin?’
For those that genuinely believe they must pay their debt to God, it makes ABSOLUTE SENSE! It’s a concept that they can clearly see from their own experiences in their daily lives. They can understand: ‘ a debtor must pay his debt!!!!!! And frankly, if I’m honest, and if the rest of us Baptists are honest; it DOES MAKE ABSOLUTE SENSE!!!
Those who believe they must pay their own debt to God lean on what they can SEE and what they can UNDERSTAND. And unfortunately many wonderful people interpret and often deny what the Word of God (The Bible) says based on what they SEE and by what they UNDERSTAND…
***But God makes it VERY PLAIN, WE ARE NOT SAVED BY WHAT WE “SEE”.
2 Corinthians 5 v 7
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
God defines Faith as:
Hebrews 11 v 1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith in God is something far beyond what we can comprehend by what we see, or by what we can understand by our human thoughts.
God says:
Isaiah 55 v 8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
***Salvation, eternal life is by GRACE through Faith!!!
Ephesians 2 v 8A
“For by grace are ye saved through faith…”
God tells us through Paul that our human intellect and understanding CANNOT FULLY SEE or COMPREHEND GOD’s WAYS:
1 Corinthians 13 v 12
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
God continues in Isaiah:
Isaiah 55 v 9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
***So it is really unreasonable and un-Biblical to demand that we as ‘fallen’ human beings, MUST UNDERSTAND by human reason and logic ALL THE DOCTRINES GOD HAS REVEALED TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY, INERRANT, AND INFALLIBLE WORD, THE BIBLE!!!!!!! By God’s own decree, it is by FAITH, not by human intellect or experience that we can have ETERNAL LIFE…
***There are just some things we MUST TAKE BY FAITH and FAITH ALONE…
To many of those who ask the question: ‘what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’, Jesus himself has answered:
Mark 10 v 21
“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
This man had lived a righteous life, but Jesus said he lacked one thing. First JESUS said: ‘Your faith and hope is in your wealth, what you can see and touch. For you, you need to get rid of it. ***Then you can have ETERNAL LIFE, by putting your FAITH NOT IN YOU AND YOUR DEEDS, BUT RATHER IN MY SACRIFICE and the PRICE I PAID FOR YOU!!!!!!!’ “
Follow me, believe in me, have FAITH in me!!!”
Again Jesus was asked:
John 6 v 28
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”
‘What shall we do’, and Jesus responds:
John 6 v 29
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
Jesus again says,’ the ONLY WORK YOU MUST DO TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS TO BELIEVE, HAVE FAITH, ACCEPT MY SACRIFICE, MY PAYMENT FOR YOUR SINS…….’
‘LISTEN TO MY FATHER!!!’
John 1 v 12-13
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
The POWER of SALVATION, of ETERNAL LIFE, the POWER, the WORK THAT makes YOU A CHILD OF GOD is: YOUR FAITH AND LOVE of the PERSON and SACRIFICIAL DEATH AND PAYMENT FOR YOUR SIN BY JESUS CHRIST…….
A lawyer asked Jesus the same question:
Luke 10 v 25
“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
A lawyer one who believes in the law, the law of consequences for sin and the payment for such by the perpetrator.
Jesus asks the lawyer how he understands the scriptures, the lawyer answer is:
Luke 10 v 27
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Love God, accept Him, His works, HIS DEEDS, HIS PAYMENT FOR YOUR SINS. AND SHARE THAT SAME LOVE AND TRUTH WITH THE WORLD!!!
And JESUS responds:
Luke 10 v 28
“And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
Jesus says: ‘Yes, it is about a love relationship with me, an ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO ME AND WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!!!!!!!
As the Holy Spirit spoke through Peter on the day of Pentecost, the crowd was pricked in their hearts for they were under conviction by the power of the Holy Spirit for their deeds that crucified Jesus upon the cross.
Acts 2 v 37
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
The crowd under conviction of the Holy Spirit for their own sins, asked: ‘what shall we do to save ourselves, to atone for our own sins?’
Peter speaks up:
Acts 2 v 38-39
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Peter says: ‘Acknowledge your sins before God, seek His help and power to turn away from YOUR SINS. Ask Him to come into your heart, accept JESUS’ BLOOD SACRIFICE for the PAYMENT FOR YOUR SINS. Be baptized as a symbol of your death to self and sin, and arise as a symbol of YOUR NEW LIFE THAT WAS PAID FOR BY THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST!!!’
Further Peter says: ‘Eternal life is not just for you, but for ALL WHO BY FAITH IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S PAYMENT FOR THEIR SINS, WILL BE SAVED IF THEY LOVE HIM.’
What they had to do, what we ALL HAVE TO DO is an inward act of repentance powered and initiated not of ourselves but by the Holy Spirit, and acceptance of JESUS CHRIST as OUR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR!!!
***Savior for the price He paid for our sins, THE PRICE ONLY HE COULD PAY…….
Isaiah 53 v 5
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
JESUS was wounded for OUR TRANSGRESSIONS.
JESUS was bruised for OUR INIQUITIES.
JESUS was CHASTISED in payment for our reconciliation with GOD.
JESUS was beaten and killed, that we WOULD BE HEALED in payment by HIS WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!
Isaiah 43 v 25
“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
God declares it is ‘MY WORKS THAT BLOT OUT YOUR SINS, and I WILL REMEMBER THEM NO MORE…’
Isaiah 44 v 22
“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
God says: ‘It is I who atone for YOUR SINS, it is I who pay the way for YOUR FORGIVENESS, I and ONLY I REDEEM YOU!!!!!!!’
***’YOU CAN DO NOTHING TO SAVE YOURSELVES!!!!!!!’
In Philippi one night a jailer asked his prisoner the apostle Paul:
Acts 16 v 30
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
Paul answers:
Acts 16 v 31
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Paul says: ‘What YOU MUST DO TO BE SAVED IS TO BELIEVE ON WHAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DID FOR YOU, ACCEPT HIS ATONING BLOOD SACRIFICE AS THE FULL PAYMENT FOR YOUR HEINOUS SINS, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED…Teach this to others, that they by acceptance CAN BE SAVED TOO!!!!!!!’
“What must I do to be saved?”
“What WORKS MUST I DO TO SAVE MYSELF?”
Romans 10 v 9-10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Confess your sins, repent by the power of God’s grace, acknowledge His payment for those sins, by Faith love and trust Him…AND YOU ARE ETERNALLY SAVED!!!!!!!
***There are ABSOLUTELY NO WORKS YOU CAN EVER DO TO SAVE YOURSELF!!!!!!!
Acts 4 v 12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’
JESUS CHRIST ONLY CAN PAY THE PRICE FOR YOUR SINS!!!
“Must I wait till I die, or until judgment day to find out if I have eternal life?”
John writes:
1 John 5 v 13
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
For those who love JESUS CHRIST, THEY CAN KNOW THEY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE…
“We can know, but the question is when can we know?”
2 Corinthians 6 v 2
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
***The Day you accept JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR; IS THE VERY DAY OF YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION…….
For ETERNITY GOD DEMANDED OUR PERFECTION, OUR ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE TO HIM.
***We can never pay the price of our redemption, we can never make up for breaking His laws, for sinning even the slightest sin. The reason, ETERNITY IS THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. ANY DEED OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WE EVER DO HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDAINED OF GOD, SO WE HAVE NO EXTRA DEEDS TO MAKE UP FOR OUR SINS…
All of our deeds throughout ETERNITY have been taken into account…And we have been found guilty!!!
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
***Eternally short of the glory of God!!!!!!!
***Only He who is ETERNALLY RIGHTEOUS, ONLY HE WHO TRANSCENDS ETERNITY, ONLY HE WHO HAD RIGHTEOUSNESS TO SPARE, ONLY HE COULD PAY THE PRICE OF OUR REDEMPTION!!!!!!!
***FOR THE DEBT WAS NOT HIS, SO THROUGH HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE UPON THE CROSS, HE HAD THE ABILITY TO SAVE US!!!
Our perfect life is a ‘7’, with each sin we take away from that perfect life. Yet we only have the original ‘7’, we have no other account of our own to bring the balance back to ‘7’.
***But God has paid the price through His Righteousness, for His account has no limit…
"Your Good Works Will Never Save You!!!"
But praise be to God who sent His only begotten Son:
John 3 v 16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“But even the Bible says we all will be judged according to our works, answer that!!!!!”
Those who die never accepting JESUS CHRIST as THEIR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR; WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS…
The true saved born again believer has no sins that will ever be seen again.
Psalm 103 v 12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
Jeremiah 50 v 20
“In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.”
***But the Christians’ good works will be judged whether they be worthy of rewards…
1 Corinthians 3 v 13-15
“Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
Our works of righteousness will be judged based on the true love they express in what we do. If they be done out of a heart of Love, we shall be rewarded.
If they be done to appear righteous, or simply as a duty of our religious order or beliefs they will be burned up in fire as unworthy…
***Yet as Christians, with or without works of our own, WE WILL NEVER LOSE OUR SALVATION THROUGH THE FAITH and BELIEF IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST…….
"Your Good Works Will Never Save You!!!"
Romans 10 v 11
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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April 8, 2007
"It is So!!!"
or
“The Resurrection”
John 20 v 8
"Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed."
What had the disciple seen, and what did he believe?
In answering those questions, let's go back to that scene nearly 2,000 years ago. That eerie night in the garden of Gethsemane, betrayed by a friend with a lover’s kiss, as a blood-thirsty mob came and arrested Jesus Christ. He was brought before Pilate, and there in plain view, Jesus Christ was spit upon, cursed, he was laughed at, whipped viciously with a cat-of-nine tails ripping and brutally tarring His flesh, beaten nearly to death. He was branded a blasphemer. And He was sentenced to die by the most extreme, shameful form of capital punishment ever devised — crucifixion.
Galatians 3 v 13
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Jesus Christ died a curse. He died as a common criminal. He died in open shame and humiliation. In the eyes of the world, Jesus Christ died a total disgrace!
And there stood His apostles in stunned unbelief. Here was their hope. Here were 11 men that had forsaken all and followed this man. They believed in and lived with this man over 3 years.
*Can you imagine what was going on in their devastated, disillusioned minds?
Didn't He heal the sick? Didn't we see Him walk on water? Didn't we see Him raise people from the dead? Didn't we see Him still the raging storm? And to end like this? THAT NIGHT, THERE STOOD 11 DEFEATED AND CONFUSED MEN! They had given up everything for naught. And then to die like He did. Beaten. Smitten. Humiliated. Guilty. A Blasphemer. In complete dishonor!!!
Mark 14 v 50
“And they all forsook him, and fled.”
There was the apostle Peter, the one who boasted, just days earlier, "Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee."
Matthew 26 v 35
“Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
There Peter was that night, standing in the mob, defeated, confused, and hurt. One of the women saw Peter and said, "you were one of them, you were with that man: Jesus of Nazareth".
The Bible says "he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak."
Mark 14 v 71
“But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.”
Three times Peter denied the Lord, cursing and swearing, "I know not this man".
"And they all forsook him, and fled!"
The apostle Thomas was so emptied and shattered by his Master’s crucifixion that he could not bear to meet with his other brother apostles.
John 20 v 24A
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them…”
Many in times of immense agony cannot share their tremendous anguish with others…They must suffer alone and in isolation…
One killed himself because of his own heinous betrayal of his friend, and eleven were in stunned despair that their beloved Lord was NO MORE!!!!!!!
His life was gone, and their hopes and dreams were dashed asunder! ***They were emotionally DEAD!!!!!!!
*******But something happened on the morning of the third day…
THAT SOMETHING WOULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MANKIND FOREVER…….
So then back to our main text: ‘What had the disciple seen, and what did he believe?’
John 20 v 1-2
“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2.Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”
Very early on the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene with the other Mary went to the grave of Jesus their beloved teacher…
Now, like the eye witness reports immediately following the bombing of Pearle Harbor, and far more recently the astonishing catastrophe of September 11th , the apostles are flooded with mixed reports.
Some reported Mary Magdalene came running to the apostles and said as John 20 verse 2 declares:
“…They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”
Matthew 28 v 9-10
“And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”
Other reports stated the most astounding thing in all of human History, both Mary’s claimed to have actually seen Their beloved Lord, alive, NOT DEAD!!!
***WOW***
That is impossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yet another report said, it was not two women but three who had seen JESUS ALIVE!
Mark 16 v 1-2
“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.”
Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and Salome all went to the tomb of Jesus…
Mark continues that their living Lord, JESUS CHRIST, first appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Mark 16 v 9A
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene…”
She ran as if her feet had wings, to tell the apostles…
***But the apostles were not stupid ignorant men. Dead was DEAD!!!!!!! AS MUCH AS THEY LOVED JESUS, HE WAS DEAD AND NOTHING COULD BRING HIM BACK!!!!!!!
So they taking the reality of His brutal last hours and their eye witness knowledge of His excruciating and cruel death upon a cross, COULD NOT BELIEVE…***HE WAS DEAD, and that was it: DEAD…
John however with Peter ran to the tomb to see what if anything the women had actually seen. Perhaps someone posing to be Jesus as a cruel and unthinkable joke. Perhaps a grave robber, trying to hide his thievery. Maybe a Roman soldier mocking Jesus. Possibly the Romans or guards of the Chief Priest stealing the body to desecrate the memory of Jesus…Or maybe they saw nothing at all, they had imagined the whole thing…
Anything, but Jesus, cause they knew of a human certainty: JESUS WAS: DEAD, DEAD, DEAD…
Be honest, have you ever seen a dead person live again???
Death is a reality of life, and the reality of death is, THEY DON’T COME OUT OF THEIR GRAVE ALIVE…
So again, ‘What had the disciple seen, and what did he believe?’
Then Peter and John immediately set out for the tomb. They went at a run; and John, who must have been a younger man than Peter since he lived on until the end of the century, outstripped Peter in this breathless race. When they came to the tomb, John looked in but went no farther. Peter with typical impulsiveness not only looked in, but went in. For the moment Peter was only amazed at the empty tomb; but things began to happen in John's mind. If someone had removed Jesus' body, if tomb-robbers had been at work, why should they leave the grave-clothes?
Then something else struck him--the grave-clothes were not disarranged. They were lying there still in their folds--that is what the Greek means--the clothes for the body where the body had been; the napkin where the head had lain. The whole point of the description is that the grave-clothes did not look as if they had been put off or taken off; they were lying there in their regular folds as if the body of Jesus had simply evaporated out of them.
The sight suddenly penetrated John's mind; he realized what had happened--and he believed.
It was not what he had read in scripture which convinced him that Jesus had risen, it was not what he had been told that he chose to believe nor what others had claimed to see; it was what he saw with his own eyes.
And soon others would see: “IT is SO!!!”
Something happened to that small band of frightened and humiliated men. . .
Less than two months later — they went back into Jerusalem boldly preaching, at the threat of death, that — JESUS CHRIST WAS ALIVE!
Listen to a portion of what Peter said in Acts chapter 2 said:
Acts 2 v 22, 24, 26, 32
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: …24. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it… 26. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:…32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
This man who had lost ALL HOPE, his fellow brothers in JESUS CHRIST who had seen JESUS bloody death, ALL WHO KNEW HE WAS DEAD FOR EVER!!!
***Were transformed, NOT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BELIEVE, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD TO BELIEVE, NOT BECAUSE THEY HELD ON TO FANCIFUL IGNORANT SUPERSTITIONS, NOT BECAUSE OF FOOLISH BLIND FAITH, THEY KNEW THE TRUTH BECAUSE THEY ALL SAW JESUS ALIVE IN THE FLESH…
***They were all EYE WITNESSES, not sentimental religious nuts…
They knew JESUS when He was alive, THEY saw Him Die, and THEY saw Him alive out of the tomb, with ALL THE SCARS and MARKS of THAT BLOODY GRUESOME DEATH!!!
***And HE WAS ALIVE!!!!!!!
Acts 4 v 18-20
“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
JESUS ALIVE, was what they had SEEN and HEARD…
Luke 1 v 2
“Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;”
The resurrecting is based in EYE WITNESS REPORTS, not simply by faith of the New Testament saints…
They SAW JESUS CHRIST ALIVE…
1 John 1 v 1
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”
***Not only had they seen, but many as Thomas had, had actually touched and inspected the wounds and body of JESUS CHRIST!!!
It was not blind faith, but honest, decent people, investigating and actually having seen JESUS ALIVE…
For as our experiences have been, MOST OF THEM HAD NEVER SEEN THE DEAD ALIVE AGAIN…
They needed genuine, absolutely undeniable facts to believe Jesus was NOW ALIVE…
AND THEY GOT IT!!!!!!!
2 Peter 1 v 16
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
They would not accept stupid, foolish stories, made up by religious zealots,
THEY KNEW JESUS WAS ALIVE because THEY SAW HIM!!!
Not just one or two, but ALL THE APOSTLES SAW JESUS ALIVE…
And not just the apostles saw JESUS ALIVE…
Saul, who hated JESUS CHRIST, and tracked down Christians like rabid dogs, saw JESUS CHRIST ALIVE; and ultimately became Paul the apostle to the gentiles…
Acts 8 v 3
“As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”
Acts 9 v 1
“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,”
Acts 9 v 4-5A
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…”
In 67 AD approximately, Saul, Paul died for his FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…
Acts 1 v 3
“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”
***OVER 500 FOLLOWERS SAW JESUS ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!
1 CORINTHIANS 15 V 6
“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
Gilbert West and Lord Lyttleton, two Oxford students, believed Christianity was a "tale gone mad" and they determined to refute the Christian faith. Lyttleton resolved to disprove the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and West would refute the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They figured a careful, rational, examination of the evidence would easily disprove the Christian faith. But after examining the evidence — they both separately came to the opposite conclusion! Lyttleton concluded that Saul of Tarsus did, in fact, convert to the Apostle Paul through Jesus Christ. And Gilbert West concluded that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was among the best established facts in all of history! West went on to write a book entitled, "Observations on the History and Evidences of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ".
Professor Thomas Arnold, former chair of history at Oxford, and author of the famous volumes, History of Rome, was skillfully educated in the study of historical facts. Professor Arnold, stated,
"I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is PROVED BY BETTER AND FULLER EVIDENCE of every sort, than the great sign which God has given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead."
After investigating the evidence of the resurrection, Lord Darling, former Chief Justice of England, stated,
". . . there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true."
“If the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.”
F. F. Bruce, Manchester University
“For the New Testament of Acts, the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. Any attempt to reject its basic historicity, even in matters of detail, must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted.”
A. N. Sherwin-White, Classical Roman Historian
The Historical and eye witness evidence of the Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST is very resolute, JESUS THE CHRIST IS ALIVE AND WELL…
Many have believed because they have seen and touched the VERY Person of JESUS CHRIST…
John 20 v 28-29
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Jesus says:
”Many will believe in me by Faith in the abundant eye witnesses who have seen me, and their testimonies of me in My BIBLE”…….
***But LOVE is most certainly a part of faith in the RESSURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST…
The part that love plays in this story is extraordinary. It was Mary, who loved Jesus so much, who was first at the tomb. It was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, who was first to believe in the Resurrection. That must always be John's great glory. He was the first man to understand and to believe. Love gave him eyes to read the signs and a mind to understand. Here we have the great law of life.
In any kind of work it is true that we cannot really interpret the thought of another person, unless between us and him there is a bond of empathy.
It is at once clear, for instance, when the conductor of an orchestra is in empathy with the music of the composer whose work he is conducting.
Love is the great interpreter. Love can grasp the truth when intellect is left groping and uncertain.
Love can realize the meaning of a thing when research is blind.
Once a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to Dore for his verdict. Dore was slow to give it; but at last he did so in one sentence:
"You don't love him, or you would paint him better."
We can neither understand Jesus nor help others to understand him, unless we take our hearts to him as well as our minds.
What did they see, what did they believe:
The GLORY of the LIVING GOD, THE RESURRECTED, and ETERNALLY ALIVE: JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD, GOD and SAVIOR…
***For THOSE who LOVE HIM and BELIEVE:
“IT is SO!!!!!!!”
No one ever loved Jesus so much as Mary Magdalene. He had done something for her that no one else could ever do, and she could never forget. Tradition has always had it that Mary was a scarlet sinner, whom Jesus reclaimed and forgave and purified.
Henry Kingsley has a lovely poem about her:
"Magdalene at Michael's gate Tirled at the pin;
On Joseph's thorn sang the blackbird, `Let her in! Let her in!' `
Hast thou seen the wounds?' said Michael, `Knowest thou thy sin?' `It is evening, evening,'
sang the blackbird, `Let her in! Let her in!'
`Yes, I have seen the wounds, And I know my sin.' `She knows it well, well, well,'
sang the blackbird. `Let her in! Let her in!' `
Thou bringest no offerings,' said Michael, `Nought save sin.'
And the blackbird sang, `She is sorry, sorry, sorry.' `Let her in! Let her in!'
When he had sung himself to sleep, And night did begin, One came and opened Michael's gate, And Magdalene went in."
Mary had sinned much and she loved much; and love was all she had to bring.
What do you bring???
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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April 1, 2007
"The Saints of God"
1 Corinthians 1 v 2
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"
I have a dear friend named Patricia Frisbie we both worked at Disabled Resource Services, Inc of Fort Collins, Colorado in the 1990’s. Patricia is a devoted Christian, and one day she shared with me something I was surprised at. She said she could not call herself a saint. That was for others who were (my words) more saintly. Over the years I have found this attitude to be common among many Christians. We have somehow adopted the Roman Catholics Church’s definition of a saint. A person officially recognized, especially by canonization, as being entitled to public veneration and capable of interceding for people on earth. Veneration due them for being more holy than most, having done amazing things in the name of the Lord.
***But that definition is simply NOT TRUE!!! In the first place we ALL ARE SAVED BY GRACE AND GRACE ALONE…
Ephesians 2 v 8-9
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Titus 3 v 5
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
That being the case, that our good works do not save us, THEN WE DO NOT BECOME SAINTS BY HOW RIGHTEOUS OUR LIVES ARE EITHER…
There are two groups of human beings in this world, and just two…
The ‘Sinner’, ALL WHO HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST, AS THEIR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR.
The ‘Saint’, ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR!!!
***ALL SAINTS WERE ONCE ‘SINNERS’:
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
So EVERY HUMAN BEING, living or dead has been a SINNER!
We ALL have been BORN SPIRITUALLY DEAD, and as such as ‘Sinners’, WE ALL WERE CHILDREN OF SATAN, NOT CHILDREN OF GOD…
John 8 v 44
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Sinner is a noun, and that is who WE ALL WERE: SINNERS…
***We only become children of God if:
John 1 v 12
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
***The children of God are those, and only those who have been “born again”…
John 3 v 3
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Without being “born again”, without LOVING JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE LOST, we are SINNERS…
1 Corinthians 6 v 9-11
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
***But the child of God has been washed, SANCTIFIED, justified by the BLOOD SACRIFICE of JESUS CHRIST, through the working of the HOLY SPIRIT…
“…but ye are sanctified,…”…This statement is very important in that ALL CHRISTIANS, AND ONLY CHRISTIANS (children of God) ARE: SANCTIFIED!!!!!!!!
Why???
The Greek word we translate “Saint” literally means: ‘one who is sanctified’!!! *One who has been ‘set apart’ to serve God, THE CHILDREN OF GOD, HIS CHRISTIANS!
“…to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…”
Further in the original Greek, the words ‘to be’ are not present. So the verse literally reads:
“…to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, CALLED SAINTS…”
***In other words ALL WHO ARE SANCTIFIED ARE: SAINTS!!!
***ALL CHRISTIANS…EVERY CHRISTIAN…
Not by our works, but by God’s grace, we are SAVED, SANCTIFIED, and are SAINTS!
*IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD…
Saint is also a noun, IT IS WHO WE ARE, if we are HIS!!!!!!!
A Sinner sins…
A Saint serves God…
A Sinner is known for sinning…
A Saint, though we are not without sin, ARE KNOWN FOR SERVING GOD…….
1 John 1 v 8
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Now that we have visibly established that ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS ARE SAINTS; What then is the ministry of the Saints?
Acts 1 v 8
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
ALL SAINTS, are to be God’s witnesses…
Matthew 28 v 19-20
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
The light of the gospel has been put in EVERY SAINT, and God has meant for THAT LIGHT TO BE SEEN…
Matthew 5 v 14-16
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
The Saint glorifies God through their, our, good works of LOVE…
As someone has well said,
"There can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy."
A Saint is to be a WITNESS to ALL and:
2 Corinthians 5 v 20
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
As such we Saints are Christ’s ambassadors, representing Him here on earth… Pleading with Sinners to be reconciled to God…
As Saints we may be the only Bible that some will ever see, and therefore we MUST BE GENUINE, TRULY LOVING, AND BOLD in sharing the gospel of JESUS CHRIST…
2 Corinthians 3 v 3
“Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
Saints are not the law written in stone, or the word written with ink. But Saints are God’s word written upon our hearts…
As Saints WE ARE THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD!!!
1 Corinthians 12 v 27
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
As such:
2 Timothy 3 v 15
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
The Church is the household (oikos) of God. First and foremost it must be a family.
In a dispatch written after one of his great naval victories, Nelson ascribed his victory to the fact that he:
"had the happiness to command a band of brothers."
*Unless a church is a band of brothers it is not a true church at all.
Love of God can exist only where brotherly love exists.
A Saint LOVES HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST!
The Church, the Saint is the assembly (ekklesia) of the living God. The word ekklesia literally means a company of people who have been called out. It does not mean that they have been selected or picked out.
In Athens the ekklesia was the governing body of the city; and its membership consisted of all the citizens met in assembly. But, very naturally, at no time did all attend. The summons went out to come to the Assembly of the City, but only some citizens answered it and came.
God's call has gone out to every man; but only some have accepted it; and they are the ekklesia, the Church, the Saints. It is not that God has been selective. The invitation comes to all; but to an invitation there must be a response.
The Church, the Saint is the pillar of the truth (stulos).
In Ephesus was the Temple of Diana or Artemis. It was one of the seven wonders of the world. One of its features was its pillars. It contained one hundred and twenty-seven pillars, every one of them the gift of a king. All were made of marble, and some were studded with jewels and overlaid with gold.
*The idea here is that the Church's duty, the Saint’s duty is to hold up the truth in such a way that all men may see it.
The Church, the Saint is the buttress (hedraioma) of the truth.
The buttress is the support of the building. It keeps it standing intact. In a world which does not wish to face the truth, the Church, the Saint holds it up for all to see. In a world which would often gladly eliminate unwelcome truth, the Church, the Saint supports it against all who would seek to destroy it.
*The Saint supports, shares, and has absolute faith and trust in God’s holy word, the BIBLE!!!
2 Corinthians 11 v 2
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
As the Church, the Saints are those who have been purified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ…
Revelation 1 v 6
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
And as Saints, ALL CHRISTIANS will one day be: Kings, and now and FOREVER WE ARE HIS PRIESTS!
We are Christians!!!!!!!
We are HIS SAINTS!!!!!!!
That is who we are in HIM…….
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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March 25, 2007
“Strip Off”
1 Peter 2 v 1-3
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
No one who is "born again" can remain as he/she was. We must submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit that now lives within us. There are behaviors according to our text that we as Christians, for love sake, we must strip off (put away), with conscious effort, these are:
1. Malice (kakia--evil), anything of this world that is not approved of by God.
2. Guile, deceitfulness (dolos), deliberate deception, to tell lies.
3. Hypocrisy (hupokrisis), a person who answers "yes" to God, but does not really mean it in his/her heart. Talks the talk, but does not walk the walk. Pretends to be something they are not.
4. Envy (phthonos), wanting to have or do what someone else has or does.
Mark 10 v 35- 41
“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37. They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. 38. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39. And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40. But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.”
James and John asked of Jesus that they might have special roles in His kingdom, the other apostles hearing this became angry. Where envy exists brotherly love is hindered. Where envy exists the unity of the body of believers is in danger of destruction!
Luke 22 v 24
“And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.”
So often in most churches today self is still in control of individual professing Christians.......
E.G. Selwyn states:
"Envy is the constant plague of all voluntary organizations, not least in religious organizations. "
“My way or the highway”, “I know what’s best for my church”....
C.E.B. Cranfield says:
"we do not have to be engaged in 'church work' very long to discover what a perennial source of trouble envy is."
"There is so much politics in this church", Tommy Anderson as well as others.....
In the church there is no room for individual egos, we must live to serve God, and to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Our goals and dreams are not our own, but they must be His goals, His dreams. Our life is His Life, His humility is our humility! For we were bought with a price, the price of Jesus’ own shed blood.
5. Distractions, disparaging, slander (katalalia), evil speaking; gossip. Saying things about others to cause pain, problems, or to feel better about oneself, because you think you are better than they are.
So often much time is spent in church meetings or pot lucks in talking about members who are not there, or that are not living up to the arbitrary standards we pick.
Often envy and or bitterness is the cause of this......
To these Peter says as Christians, we must put them away, strip them off as you would dirty clothes. And replace them permanently with clean clothes....
And how do we accomplish this???
With pure spiritual milk!!!!!!!
Pure (adolos), absolutely without blemish, inerrant, infallible, without error....Nothing harmful.
Spiritual ( logikos ), meaning:
1 Peter 1 v 23-25
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Milk, as a new born baby cries out for nourishment, for food, for life, as Christians we must yearn for the spiritual milk of the ‘Word’ of God; “THE BIBLE” !!!!!!!!!
Psalm 42 v 1
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Psalm 119 v 74
“They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.”
Matthew 5 v 6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
And why do we consciously, willfully put forth the effort to do this???????????????
We have accepted the Love and blood sacrifice of our faithful , true, and eternal Lord, God, and Savior : Yoshua ben Yoseph , Jesus Christ,,,,,,,,, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the one and only God, forever and ever..........................Amen!!!
Conclusion:
James 1 v 22
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
True Christians not only drink the pure milk of the ‘Word’ of God, but we take EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE BY IT!!!
1 John 3 v 18
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Talk is cheap, merely saying we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, or simply claiming we love our fellow man is worthless. True love helps those in need, and willingly and enthusiastically shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who need it, with no thought of ourselves…
Romans 2 v 13
“For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
Going to church is important, but if we do not live what we’ve been taught in church, then going to church is pointless…
Luke 11 v 28
“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”
Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord, God, and Savior does not end with a prayer; but rather WITH A LIFE THAT IS DEDICATED TO LIVING THE REALITY OF OUR PROFESSION!!! ***By doing the good works God has ordained us to do!!!
Ephesians 2 v 10
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
All this takes deliberate effort by us, God saves us, provides His grace, provides His Holy Spirit to give us the power to succeed, but we must, as Paul says:
Philippians 2 v 12B
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
The Christian must give continual evidence in his daily life that he is indeed working out his own salvation; day by day it must be more fully accomplished. The great tragedy of so many of us is that we are never really any further on. We continue to be victims of the same habits and slaves of the same temptations, and guilty of the same failures. But the truly Christian life must be a continual progress, for it is a journey towards God.
“…with fear and trembling”
This is not the fear and trembling of the slave cringing before his master; nor fear and trembling at the prospect of punishment. It comes from two things.
It comes, first, from a sense of our own creatureliness and our own powerlessness to deal with life triumphantly. That is to say, it is not the fear and trembling which drives us to hide from God, but rather the fear and trembling which drives us to seek God, in the certainty that without his help we cannot effectively face life.
It comes, second, from a horror of grieving God. When we really love a person, we are not afraid of what he may do to us; we are afraid of what we may do to him. The Christian's great fear is of crucifying Christ again.
Being a true Christian takes a conscious and genuine decision to Love Jesus Christ, and a premeditated act of our will to strip off our old ways of sin, and instead, living what the pure milk of the ‘Word’ of God teaches us to do…….
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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March 18, 2007
"The Beatitudes, the Way of Salvation"
Matthew 5 v 3-9
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
I have thought what it would be like to be an Army Chaplain, and perhaps one serving in Iraq. Its Sunday morning service and you know your men and women will be going into battle that day. Say today. What would you, what could you share with them that would not only teach the qualities in a ‘real’ Christian, but also the way of salvation? Giving both opportunities to live for Christ and to be saved by Christ?
Today we will explorer the beatitudes as they describe the ‘way of salvation’.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit:…”
The first step in becoming a Christian is to realize YOU ARE POOR IN SPIRIT… What does Jesus mean a person must be poor in spirit? The Greek word in our text translated ‘poor’ is ptochos. It is a word that means significantly more than not having much. It means a person completely destitute of anything good. A person who is totally depraved, being spiritually dead and having ABSOLUTELY NO GOODNESS WITHIN THEM…
Matthew 7 v 21-23
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Jesus sees the heart of every human being, and without Him we ARE ALL EVIL INCARNET…*Each and everyone of us!!!!!!!
Genesis 6 v 5
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
The first step in becoming a Christian is this self-awareness of oneself. The poor spirit will not say: ‘I’m not so bad, I never used drugs, I couldn’t imagine doing something like that. I would never do this or that. *The person poor in spirit will see themselves as they really are, VOID OF ANY GOOD, and CAPABLE OF ANY SIN!!!
The person on his or her way to salvation sees themselves, as Paul did of himself.
1 Timothy 1 v 15
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
To be ‘poor in spirit’ is to see only YOUR SIN, and to be broken by it. To see in and of yourself you have ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE OR RIGHT of REDEMPTION FROM WITHIN… To realize your ONLY HOPE OF SALVATION COMES FROM AN ACT OF GOD!!!!!!!
Psalms 34 v 18
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
But this is only the first step in becoming a Christian. There are many who see their own sinfulness, its what you do with that knowledge that brings you closer to reconciliation with God.
“Blessed are they that mourn…”
Martin Luther Wrote:
“Man must come to a knowledge of himself, be terrified of himself, and be crushed as a prelude to receiving and appreciating God’s grace, forgiveness, and new life in Jesus Christ.”
Luther uses the term ‘crushed’ in response to this self-knowledge of one’s evilness. Our response is step two. WE MUST UTTERLY MOURN, GRIEVE OVER HOW SINNFUL WE ARE WITHOUT Jesus Christ. We must genuinely be sorry for our sins, not that we were caught, but that we SINCERELY HATE OUR SINS AND LAMENT OVER THEM!
This person does not take sin lightly, but realizes he is responsible for the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross. FOR IT IS OUR SINS THAT HE DIED!!!
Isaiah 53 v 5
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
It’s a glorious truth that if YOU OR I WERE THE ONLY SINNER, HE WOULD HAVE WILLING DIED JUST FOR US. But that reality brings us a very poignant certainty, that YOU and I ARE HIS MURDERERS!!!!!!! And that, we MUST MOST ASSUREDLY MOURN…
Again however, there are many who mourn over their sinfulness, but they NEVER GO BEYOND ACCEPTING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT nor beyond DESPISING THEMSELVES FOR IT.
Judas Iscariot realized his sin and took the money back to the religious leaders.
Matthew 27 v 3-5
“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4. Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
The scriptures even say he repented of what he had done. He showed great sorrow and remorse. *Yet, he took his salvation in his own hands and instead of turning to Jesus; he killed himself…
Though we mourn because of our sins, we must go another step towards salvation. The third step in the ‘way of salvation’ according to Jesus here in the beatitudes is:
“Blessed are the meek…”
Our self-awareness of our total depravity leads to mourning over our evilness, and this leads to a change of heart. Our proud and self-centered nature turns to meekness. We are absolutely humbled by the reality of our sins. The humble person realizes they deserve damnation, not redemption. They deserve whatever evil happens to them in this life. They do not blame God for their circumstances, but rather ask God if it is His will, they might be delivered.
They realize NO ONE IS MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR JESUS’ DEATH THAN THEY ARE. And they humbly and loving reach out to the lost, not as judges, but as RECONCILERS…
2 Corinthians 5 v 18
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
Reconciling those in sin through the ‘new birth’ in Jesus Christ, to a LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!!!!!!! That man may again walk with God in Love, Peace, and Eternal Harmony.
The meek are those who realize EVER PERSON IS LOVED BY GOD, EVER PERSON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCECT JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD, GOD AND ETERNAL SAVIOR!!!
The very nature of the meek person is one of submission to God, and MUTUAL RESPECT AND HONOR TO ALL OTHERS. They treat ALL WITH THE RESPECT THEY WOULD WISH FOR THEMSELVES, and understanding if anyone deserves disrespect it is themselves alone…
The truly meek person, would NEVER INSULT OR CONDEMN ANOTHER PERSON FOR THEIR SIN…
And the fourth step is:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness…”
If we are absolutely aware of our own depravity, and we lament and repent of our evilness, our spirit, our nature is changed to meekness: the humility of Jesus Christ. And as a result of that we hunger like a starving person hungers over a tiny morsel of food. We hunger to Love God, to know God, to be with God, to please Him, to adore Him, to serve Him for all eternity!!!!!!!
As a person dying of thirst must have that last drop of water, WE THIRST FOR THE WATER THAT COMES FROM KNOWING AND LOVING JESUS CHRIST.
John 4 v 14
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
These four steps are by the grace of God, there is nothing we can do, or be to save ourselves. These traits are spiritual traits that come NOT OF NATURAL MEANS BUT BY THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that we either accept or reject.
Ephesians 2 v 8-9
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
“Blessed are the merciful…”
Those who have loved and who have received such love from God, will by their very nature be transformed. Instead of condemning the lost, they for love sake: ***would rather seek the salvation of ALL, at ALL COSTS…
Exodus 32 v 32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”
Moses was willing to give up his salvation for the very Jews that disobeyed him and sought to kill him…
Paul felt the same way about those who sought to destroy him.
Romans 9 v 3
“For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
The true believer Loves God, and seeks the salvation of the Lost, because as God does, THEY LOVE THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE IN NEED OF SALVATION!!!
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
The new nature of the Christian is a pure heart, that will ever be growing more like Jesus Christ. And through it all we will seek the peace and redemption of mankind with our Beloved God!!!!!!!
Ephesians 2 v 10
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We are saved. we are blessed, we are honored, we are ordained to DO GOOD WORKS!!!!!!! The good works of LOVING and SERVING GOD, and by LOVING and SERVING ALL HE DIED FOR, BOTH CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALIKE, *******FOR HE DIED FOR US ALL!!!!!!! ********AND DIED BECAUSE OF US ALL!
“THE WAYS OF SALVATION”
1) realizing our sinfulness
2) mourning, repenting of our sins
3) receiving the meekness, the humility of Jesus Christ in our new nature.
4) with every fiber of our being hungering and thirsting to love Him, serve Him, to please Him for all eternity…
If we can genuinely recite these beatitudes in the light of this meaning, and wanting to have them as a reality of our nature; WE ARE SAVED!!!!!!!
Ask Jesus to make them a reality in your life today, for it is now that He is inviting you to be His.
Revelation 3 v 20
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
To the Christian Jesus says: ‘these ways of salvation should ever be present in our hearts and minds.”
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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March 11, 2007
"A Prayer of Confession"
James 5 v 16
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
"Oh Lord, my God, how I have attempted to deceive you, My Beloved Savior. When I was lost you found me, when I was rejected by this world you purchased me with your precious blood. When no one could get through to me, you tenderly and lovingly sought after me. When there was no right to mercy, grace, or forgiveness; you sent your beloved and only begotten Son to save me!!! While I was unborn you created the world and the universe for me, and all humanity. You’ve done everything perfectly and righteously, and you are the only true God, and “Justice” is your name.
I wish I could speak like David in the Psalms or the other writers of the Bible, to speak words of Love, Devotion, and Worship to you!!! But alas I am only me, and in EVERY way I am so unworthy of you…
As a Christian I have been far from even “ok”, at almost every point I have doubted or questioned you. I have constantly tried to live “my” life and solve “my” problems in “my“ own ways and by “my” own power. And have utterly failed… You saw my kind in the Church at Philadelphia…
Revelation 3 v 8
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
As a man I have had little moral or spiritual strength, yet by your hand my sins by and large remain only in my thoughts. You have delivered my victims and me from my evil folly…
Yet I come to you because of my ‘great’ sin, of doubt, and incompetence!!!!!!!
I have so much wanted to serve you, but I have done so little to make you proud of me. Paul had a thorn in his flesh, where you said: “my grace is sufficient”. But I fear, it is not sufficient for me. I have cried to you day after day, night after night, year after year, and yet I am plagued by my own inner weakness. OH Lord I fear, I am terrified of what is before me. When I’ve prayed, am I sincere, or only saying the words??? As I speak now, am I only trying to deceive you??? Oh God, the God, help me…Help me!!! Save me from myself. Help me. My lack of faith in you consumes me, I despise myself. Why, why have I fallen so? Help me Oh Lord, help me… I deserve damnation more than anyone, but I do not want to be damned. I deserve all that has be fallen me, but I cannot bear the burden….
Lord hear my prayer"
If we truly look within, in our own words, this would be our prayer…
ITS MINE.
Isaiah 65 v 24
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
SUBMITED: chris
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March 4, 2007
Genesis 5
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 2. Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. 6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: 7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: 8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. 9. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: 10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: 11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. 12. And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel: 13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: 14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: 16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: 17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. 18. And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. 25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. 26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. 28. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29. And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. 30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. 32. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
To may especially the American a long reading of a genealogy can be very tedious and quite boring. But for most Jews it is a picture of their beloved ancestry, and who they are…
But in God’s economy and wisdom, each and every word has a place in the Bible, and His doing is nothing less than miraculous!!! Even the Jewish Rabbis agree, THERE IS NO COINCIDENCE IN THE BIBLE… GOD HAS PUT IT THERE!!!!!!!
Genesis 5
The Genealogy of Adam to Noah It has been said, in the Old Testament Christ is concealed and in the New Testament Christ is revealed. We shall see that Christ's Gospel is revealed in the Old Testament as well.
Noah is a type of Christ Jesus. As we are saved by Christ’s obedience to the cross, that many so believing will be redeemed. So too because of Noah’s obedience to God in building of the Ark; a remnant of mankind was saved through the flood…
As you may know names have meanings. For example, Thomas means twin, Jesus means God saves, Emmanuel means God with us, etc. So too in the genealogy of Adam to Noah each name has a meaning.
1. Adam…….Man
2. Seth………appointed
3. Enos………mortal
4. Kenan……sorrow
5. Mahalaleel..the blessed God
6. Jared……….shall come down
7. Enoch……...teaching
8. Methuselah..his death shall bring
9. Lamech…….the despairing
10. Noah………comfort
MAN has been APPOINTED MORTAL SORROW,THE BLESSED GOD SHALL COME DOWN, TEACHING HIS DEATH SHALL BRING THE DESPARING COMFORT…
Man will weep because the result of his sin leads to death. But Jesus Christ will come down in the flesh. He will teach that His blood sacrifice shall give man in his hopeless estate opportunity for salvation that brings comfort through peace and forgiveness with God…
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans 6 v 23A
“For the wages of sin is death;…”
John 1 v 14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Matthew 16 v 21
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
Romans 6 v 23
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
*******In the very names of the men in Adam’s genealogy to Noah as recorded in Genesis chapter 5; THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
In addition to this, Methuselah as stated means: his death shall bring. In the very year Methuselah died, the flood came. *His death shall bring the flood… In recorded History Methuselah lived longer than any other man; 969 years…Knowing the lost would die in the flood in the year of Methuselah’s death, was it simply coincidence that Methuselah lived so long? Or was it God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace???
Lamech means despairing, He symbolizes the lost in sin. Yet by God’s grace the despairing can have comfort, can be saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The despairing can become the ‘children of God’. The number of man is ‘6’ , the number of the anti-Christ is ‘666’… Lamech the despairing, becomes the child of God, Lamech lived 777 years; 7 means completeness, perfection.
***Would those who are saved by grace be numbered ‘777’???
Coincidence???
Truly the Bible is God’s holy word…….
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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February 25, 2007
"The Reality of Hell"
Psalms 9 v 17
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Without exception there are few non-believers and Christians alike that enjoy talking about the doctrine or belief in Hell. Does Hell exist, how long will it exist, who will go there, for how long? Are there degrees of Hell, would Jesus the God of love even ponder such a place? The questions are endless…
This week we will attempt to answer many of the most asked questions about Hell. Hell---a term in common usage designating the place of future punishment for the wicked.
In the Bible with only one exception there are only three words that are translated from the original languages into Hell in English.
First there is SHEOL, this word appears in the Old Testament 65 times. It’s general meaning is the ‘place of the dead’. By this the tomb is not meant but rather the place where those who have departed from life reside. This word refers to both where the wicked and righteous go when they leave this physical life and is where they await final judgment.
Psalms 16 v 10
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Psalms 30 v 3
“O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”
Isaiah 38 v 10
“I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.”
The second word translated Hell is HADES. We find its usage in the New Testament. It is quite similar to the meaning of sheol from the Old Testament. It refers to the underworld, or region of the departed, the intermediate state between death and the resurrection. It is found 11 times in the New Testament.
Matthew 11 v 23A
“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell:”
Matthew 16 v 18
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Luke 16 v 23
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
1 Corinthians 15 v 55
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
Revelation 1 v 18
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
The final word translated as hell in the New Testament is GEHENNA. This word is where we get our common concept of hell and the commonest Christian doctrine of hell. Gehenna appears 12 times in the New Testament. Literally this word refers to the Valley of Hinnom. A place where the Jewish apostasy, the rites of Moloch took place. Child sacrifices were practiced.
1 Kings 11 v 7
“Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.”
It was converted by king Josiah into a place of absolute abomination, where dead bodies were thrown and burnt up. Where all things that were unholy were taken and destroyed. All the human filth of society was taken, it was even the Jerusalem garbage dump…
2 Kings 23 v 13-14
“And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 14. And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.”
Thus Gehenna serves as a symbol, and its reference now refers to the dwelling of the lost and eternally damned spirits. ***This is how Jesus Christ used the term…
Matthew 5 v 22
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Matthew 5 v 29-30
“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
Matthew 10 v 28
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 18 v 9
“And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
Matthew 23 v 15
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
James 3 v 6
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
***These distinctions in the words for hell are important because understanding their usage is necessary in comprehending the doctrine of Hell as seen in the Bible…
These are only a few of the passages of Bible that literally have the word hell in them. In addition there are phrases throughout the scriptures that clearly are implying the concept of hell.
“Unquenchable fire”
Matthew 3 v 12
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
“The blackness of darkness”
Jude v 13
“Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
“Furnace of fire”
Matthew 13 v 42
“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13 v 50
“And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
“Torment in fire and brimstone”
Psalms 11 v 6
“Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
Revelation 14 v 10
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”
“Lake of fire”
Revelation 19 v 20
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Revelation 20 v 10
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20 v 15
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
“Where their worm dieth not”
Mark 9 v 44; 46
“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched… 46. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Though these phrases are images of what Hell will be like, the reality of Hell for those who ultimately experience it will be far more devastating and overwhelming than even the wickest heart of man can ever dream of envisioning…
I could now turn to what Theologians teach of Hell, or what I believe, or what the small and great philosophers of life teach, but instead; let us see what JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH SAID AND TAUGHT, and as such, is ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND WITHOUT RIGHT TO DISPUTE!!!!!!!
*******JESUS speaks of Hell numerous times…
Matthew 5 v 22
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Jesus says who ever is angry with his brother is in danger of ‘hell’ fire. If Hell does not exist, Jesus’ warning here is worthless.
Matthew 10 v 28
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Jesus says there is no real need to fear those who can only kill you, destroy you. ***Jesus says fear God, who can both destroy body and soul in Hell. Once again, if there is no Hell, Jesus’ point is meaningless. In fact if there is no Hell, what can God do above what man already does to himself???
Matthew 23 v 33
“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Jesus question in this verse is pointless if there is no Hell. There would be nothing to escape from. ***But Jesus teaches: ‘you will not escape Hell’…
Mark 9 v 43-46
“And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Jesus teaches here in Mark that the fires of Hell will NEVER be QUENCHED. THEY WILL BURN FOR EVER, AND BY IMPLICATION THE FUEL THEY ARE BURNING WILL NEVER BE BURNED UP!!!
The soul, the body Jesus says: will be tormented by a worm that will NEVER DIE. Again by implication, that which the worm torments will be ETERNALLY TORMENTED!
Jesus’ Hell, Gehenna, is identical to the “Lake of fire”.
Revelation 20 v 10
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Hell is for the Devil, the beast and the false prophet of the Tribulation. And it will be: “for ever and ever”, the text says!!!!!!!
Revelation 20 v 15
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
And ALL those who are NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, WILL BE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE, HELL for EVER and EVER!!!!!!!
So Hell:
1) Is real, IT EXISTS…
2) It is for ALL creatures that reject JESUS…
3) It exists FOR EVER!!!!!!!
4) ALL THOSE WHO ARE THERE WILL BE PUNISHED AND TORMENTED FOR EVER!!!!!!!
5) Those tormented will understand their torment, because:
Matthew 8 v 12
“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 13 v 28A
“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,…”
ETERNAL WEEPINING, ETERNAL PAIN AND AGONY (NASHING OF TEETH)…….
***HELL***
Reverend Richard Klimkowski described Hell this way:
“If you found your own Mother in Hell, she’d scratch your eyes out.”
That is: “The Reality of Hell”!!!!!!!
Psalms 9 v 17
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
REPENT AND BE SAVED!!!!!!!
“Oh people of America remember, for our entire nation is in danger of HELL FIRE!!!”
Submitted by: Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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February 18, 2007
"Sow Without Ceasing!" or “Share Without Ceasing!”
Ecclesiastes 11 v 6
"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”
Years ago I applied for the position of senior pastor at a proclaimed: Southern Baptist Church in Colorado. They so believed in the doctrine of predestination (God decides by divine-fiat who will be saved and who will be damned) that it was their church’s position that witnessing or sharing the Gospel was NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH.
Since God had pre-decided who would be saved it was simply a waist of their and the universal church’s time to do so.
First, God has predestined the Way of Salvation (not the recepient), by the acceptance and Love relationship with Jesus Christ by GRACE through FAITH…
We as individuals are given the responsibility to say: ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to Jesus. Those who accept Him, will be saved, for they have submitted themselves to the “predestined ‘Way of Salvation”. Those who will NEVER LOVE HIM will spend eternity away from Him in Hell, as a direct result of them choosing not to love Him. They are ‘lost’, ‘damned’ because they have eternally rejected God’s predestined ‘Way of Salvation”; His plan for salvation…His ONLY PLAN!!!
Acts 4 v 12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Hebrews 10 v 26B
“…there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins”
Their in only one Savior, His name is JESUS!!!!!!! There is ONLY ONE SACRIFICE (JESUS UPON the CROSS); and rejecting these truths leads to ETERNAL DAMNATION; WITH NO OTHER OPTION!!!!!!!
The result of that church’s false doctrine, besides losing me as their pastoral candidate, lead them to a VERY SERIOUS and CRITICAL ERROR!!! They allowed their human tradition to make null and void the “Word” of God and deny our obligation of Love to OUR FELLOW MAN…
Today’s message is uncomplicated; we will discuss when we should share the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO OTHERS…
Many, probably most Christians today feel it is NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY or RIGHT to share their faith with others.
“Christ is my way, but certainly I have no right to force my opinion upon someone else!”
Forcing even the truth upon someone else is not appropriate, however in love giving someone what you know to be the correct plan and letting them have the information so that they can make an educated decision is ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.
So our motive is not to demand that a person believe but rather to share with them their NEED TO BELIEVE.
As I was working my way through seminary, I had the opportunity to clean this one particular lady’s carpet. As was often the case, the customer would watch and talk to me while I worked. During the course of our conversation she informed me that she was Southern Baptist. This excited me, and I shared with her how my carpet cleaning job gave me opportunity to share the Gospel with others.
To my ‘great’ surprise she became VERY ANGRY with me.
“How dare you” she said. She continued: “Forcing your faith on others. Faith is a personal thing and no one has the right to share it with others.”
Literally I was stunned at such an opinion of a professing Southern Baptist.
***But there are many professing Christians of all denominations that feel exactly the same way. And there are those who simply say,
“Sharing, discipling is the responsibility of the clergy. THAT’S WHAT THEY GET PAID FOR.”
*But Jesus has called EVERY BELIEVER the LIGHT of the WORLD:
Matthew 5 v 14-15
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”
And as such it is part of our new nature, it is written upon our mind, bodies, and souls to SHARE the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST. It is who we are, it defines us; WE ARE COMPELLED BY OUR INNATE CHARACTER TO SHARE JESUS CHRIST WITH OTHERS!!!!!!! Its as natural as taking a breath…
***LIGHT IS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE SEEN…
To be seen is an attribute of light, if it is not seen, is it still light? If our faith is God’s light in us, and no one sees that light; do we genuinely have faith??? So it is both our obligation of Love and the natural actions of our new nature in Jesus Christ to share the Gospel with others.
When then is the appropriate to sow God’s seed in others?
“In the morning sow thy seed.”
When we first get up in the morning we should be sharing, sowing God’s “Word” in the hearts of others. In our family’s lives, in our neighbor’s lives, in our co-workers’ lives, in the life of whomever God puts in our path. As soon as we open our eyes to meet the new day of triumph in Jesus we should be prepared to share with others… Sowing by our behavior, our morals, or hidden and outward actions, by literally sharing God’s Holy Bible with others…….
Getting up in the morning with a prayerful spirit. Looking for moment by moment opportunities to be the Christians and the light God wants us to be. Taking the time to read God’s “Word”, to listen to that still small voice that His Holy Spirit speaks to us with. And not just hoping to but in focused attitudes to live this very day for Him!!! Unlike farmers who sow agricultural seeds, as Christians we should sow are seeds EVERYWHERE and PERPETURALLY.
Ecclesiastes 11 v 1
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
Though we may not see any results, nor any opportunities to share, do what you can; and as bread cast upon waters someday returns with the tide; SO TOO OUR LOVING LIVING and OUR SINCERE SHARING OF God’s Love and “Word” will return with the results God had intended!
Isaiah 55 v 10-11
“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
God’s “WORD” CANNOT RETURN VOID, IT CANNOT!!!!!!!
The sowing, the sharing can often be difficult. You will be met with people who sincerely disagree with you, people who will hate you and despise your sharing of God’s truth. People may threaten you, and do or imply all manner of potential persecutions on you. Threaten you with firing, law suits, economic troubles, and perhaps even supernatural physical problems. Friends may turn on you, your family may deny you, your spouse laugh at you, your children reject you, and your words of God. ***But the sowing is necessary before the fruit can grow, and God makes this promise:
Psalms 126 v 5-6
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Wow, what a promise!!!!!!!
Our sowing WILL NOT BE IN VAIN!!!!!!!
1 Corinthians 15 v 58
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD… OUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN, IF IT IS GOD’S WAY…
Often one may sow and others reap the fruit of your efforts, but that is alright, for Christ Himself said:
John 4 v 36-37
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.”
Paul the Apostle experienced that very phenomenon:
1 Corinthians 3 v 6
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”
Some seed, faithfully sown, may not seem to grow at all. In our loved ones, our children, in our friends and other relatives, etc. Yet we are to sow…….Making sure we sow good seed…
THE SEED OF GOD’S HOLY BIBLE, and IT ALONE!!!
We do this by prayer and sober, sincere, and aggressive study of God’s “Word”…
2 Timothy 2 v 15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
“and in the evening”
Sow in the morning, throughout the day, and even into late in the evening. For you know not what God has planned for you, and through you for others. Sow without ceasing, share without ceasing; for that is your JOY, YOUR OPPRTUNITY, YOUR OBLIGATION OF LOVE!!!!!!!
*******Trust God to bring about the fruit.*******
Isaiah 32 v 20
“Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.”
Sow, share God’s LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE CEASLESSLY, in the morning, throughout the day, and till sleep catches up with you; and GOD IN THE PERFECT AND PROPER TIME WILL PROSPER YOUR, OUR, FAITHFUL SERVICE; in HIS OWN GOOD WAY AND TIME!!!!!!!
SOW-SHARE…….
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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February 11, 2007
"The Fourth Garden"
Revelation 22 v 1-2
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
Just the other day the sun was shinning, and for a few brief hours the winter cold gave way to spring like weather. My wife was lite upon her feet and all was well with the world. She said to me:
“The weather is so nice I feel like starting a garden.”
To her working in a garden brought joyful and creative memories to mind. Visions of peace, solitude, and wondrous pleasure lifted her soul above the limitations of this world. And so do many see a garden a place of sweat repose, and the activity found therein to be one of joy!
As I thought about this, I pondered what memories a garden would bring to the mind of the one true God. And that is the source of our message for this week.
Let us turn to the very first garden, the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 2 v 8
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
God created man and woman in His own image, and had planned that the joys and peace of a garden would be our eternal destiny, our daily delight…
Genesis 2 v 9
“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
The first garden would supply all our physical needs for food, and water. It would be a place to call our home…
It was in this first garden that man first met woman. Where we would find human completeness in each other. Where we would first experience the blessed joys of love for each other; man for woman and woman for man. And where we too could experience the satisfaction of creating things. By giving birth by natural means of procreation. The first garden would be the neighborhood of our sons and daughters…
And it would be where we would find our greatest fellowship, our greatest opportunities to commune with God Himself!!!
Genesis 3 v 8
“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
It was here in the Garden of Eden where daily God was known to fellowship with mankind. The One true God would visit us daily and we would experience great intimacy with our heavenly Father!!! ***In the cool of the day!
And too, this first garden would be where His precious human creation would doubt Him, trust Satan’s word over God’s glorious and life giving word: THE BIBLE!!!
And where man would first sin against God Himself.
The second garden, found Jesus praying for His own.
John 18 v 1
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.”
The second garden, the garden at the Mount of Olives: Gethsemane…
Matthew 26 v 31
“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”
It was here in this second garden that Jesus would seek His final rest before His passion upon that bloody Roman cross. He would think of how His beloved disciples would flee in terror, and would be scattered as sheep who’s Shepherd has been killed.
It would be in the privacy of this garden that His closest disciples would be trained and where they would ask Him many questions.
Matthew 24 v 23
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
In this garden Jesus would discuss the future judgment of the world and the salvation of the remnant of Israel.
Luke 19 v 37-38
“And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38. Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.’
It would be in this garden where a multitude of His disciples would give praise to God for all that Jesus had done. It is here where His disciples would recognize Jesus to be the King, the long expected Messiah…
It would be in this garden that Jesus would go, after spending many hours in the Temple teaching all those who would listen; to rest and pray…
Luke 21 v 37
“And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.”
Mark 14 v 35
“And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.”
It would be in this garden that Jesus would see so clearly the agony and passion of death… So painful and sorrowful, that He would ask God the Father to provide another way for our conversion and salvation.
Yet, not His fears and doubts be done, but GOD’S WILL BE DONE.
Mark 14 v 36
“And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
It would be here in this garden that His closest friends: Peter, James and John would not be able to stay awake with Him, to share in His sorrow…
Mark 14 v 37
“And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?”
It would be here in this garden that Jesus would encounter feelings of profound loneliness…
It is here in this garden, that Jesus prays for Himself:
John 17 v 5
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
It is here in this garden Jesus prays for His known disciples.
John 17 v 9
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
And it is here in Gethsemane; in that hour of His greatest anguish He prayed for ALL BELIEVERS…
John 17 v 20
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”
It was here in this place of solitude, here in this garden, here in Gethsemane that Jesus’ suffering was so immense, that literally He sweat enormous drops of blood!!!
Luke 22 v 44
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
***And it was here in this garden, that the supreme act of evil was ever perpetrated…
Mark 14 v 44-45
“And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 45. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.”
It was here in this garden, as Adam and Eve had betrayed God’s love in the first garden, it was here in the second garden, Gethsemane; that Judas Iscariot, an Apostle, a friend, BETRAYED JESUS WITH A KISS…….
***And not just a little kiss, but the Greek word says: a LOVER’S KISS…
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus in this garden with a passionate, deep, ravenous kiss…….
Psalms 41 v 9
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
***We all betrayed Jesus in that hour, in that garden; by OUR OWN SINS!!!!!!!
The third garden, the place of the skull, laid a tomb that had never been used by man.
John 19 v 41
“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.”
In the first garden, in the Garden of Eden JESUS HAD SAUGHT HIS OWN.
In the second garden, the Garden of Gethsemane JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS OWN.
In the third garden, the place of the skull JESUS DIED FOR HIS OWN.
It was in this third garden that the lifeless, brutally beaten body of Jesus Christ was placed by mankind to rot, and be no more.
***But it was this, the third garden, where Jesus proved His power to save, where He demonstrated He is the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS; HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!! It is here in this lowly, place of death, that JESUS RAISED HIMSELF FROM THE GRAVE AND BECOME THE FIRST OF THOSE WHO WERE RESURRECTED FOR ETERNITY…….
John 2 v 19, 21
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up…21. But he spake of the temple of his body.”
Colossians 1 v 15B
“…the firstborn of every creature:”
The firstborn from the dead to never die again…
This leaves the garden that ALL CHILDREN OF GOD are waiting for.
The fourth garden…
Revelation 22 v 1-2
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
The garden of God…….
The garden that EVER POSSESSES the WATER OF LIFE…
The garden that is PURE AS CRYSTAL, for GOD’S THRONE IS EVER THERE. ***FOR HE IS EVER THERE…
The garden where our GREAT SAVIOR IS EVER THERE…
The garden where ALL LIFE LIVES FOR EVER THERE!!!
The garden where SIN AND TEMPTATION ARE NEVER THERE!!!
The garden where there is no need for a sun or a moon, FOR GOD IS EVER THE LIGHT THERE!!!
The garden where THERE ARE NO MORE TEARS OF SORROW THERE!!!!
The Garden where THERE WILL NEVER BE DEATH THERE!!!!!
This the FOURTH AND FINAL GARDEN, WHERE THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED GOD'S OFFER OF ETERNAL SALVATION ARE EVER THERE!!!!!!!
REVELATION 22 V 17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
In the fourth garden, WHERE JESUS LIVES AND HIS CHILDREN LIVE ETERNALLY, FOR ALL THOSE WHO GENUINELY LOVE HIM, BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!!!!!!
Revelation 22 v 21
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
In the first garden, in the Garden of Eden JESUS HAD SAUGHT HIS OWN.
In the second garden, the Garden of Gethsemane JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS OWN.
In the third garden, the place of the skull JESUS DIED FOR HIS OWN.
In the fourth garden, the garden of God JESUS WILL LIVE WITH HIS OWN!!!!!!!
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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February 4, 2007
"Trust!!!!!!!"
Hebrews 11 v 6
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Last week we discussed doubt, this week we will look at the fundamental nature of Faith, which is “TRUST”, the opposite of doubt…
Faith and Trust are two sides of the same coin. It is truly impossible to have one without the other. They are the foundation of any personal relationship, whether it be between spouses, friends, co-workers, or the Love relationship we ALL need with God.
In fact trust is a synonym for faith, as is: belief, hope, conviction, confidence, reliance, and dependence to name a few.
Our main text tells us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without TRUST (FAITH) in Him. In other words the lack of trust can greatly hinder our ability to serve and glorify God…
When I was a child, my Daddy made a valiant effort to teach me to swim. We’d go out in the water of Kensington Lake to about my shoulders in depth. My Dad would then ask me to lay back into his arms, this would ultimately lift my feet off the ground. As a result my Dad would have absolute control for holding me above the water; keeping me alive! I could never fully trust my Dad in this action, and as a direct consequence of that lack of faith and trust, to this day I can barely keep myself afloat in the water.
Salvation is like that. Unless we can trust Jesus enough to give Him absolute control or authority over our lives, we are predestined to either never be saved or to never fully experience the fullness of joy in our salvation during this life!
To consistently question our salvation, or living as if God does not forgive ALL our sins, to doubt He truly wants to help and support us in THIS LIFE, or simply to deny we are loved and worthy of love because of His love for us; is lack of TRUST in HIM!!!
So let us look at some scriptures that mention trust.
2 Samuel 22 v 3
“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: He is my shield, and the Horn Of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
We can trust in God because He is our rock. A rock is ancient as God is eternal; a rock is not affected by the storms of this world, as God can be our firm foundation, in times of great tribulations in this world.
We can trust in Him because He is our shield, He will protect us from all the fiery darts of Satan.
Ephesians 6 v 16
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
We can trust in Him because He is the only source of our salvation.
Acts 4 v 12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
***Jesus only is our Savior!!!!!!!
2 Samuel 22 v 31
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.”
We can trust in God because His ways, His laws are perfect, righteous and just. His WORD has been proven by History, time, and experience to be WHOLLY TRUE and without error!!!
Psalms 5 v 11
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.”
Those who trust in God will always rejoice, for God Himself will defend them.
Psalms 9 v 10
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
Those who trust in Him will NEVER be FORESAKEN by HIM…
Matthew 28 v 20B
“…I will be with you always, even unto the end of the age.”
Psalms 20 v 7
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
Some trust in human power, human wisdom, in wealth and other material things that can be seen and touched, BUT OUR TRUST SHOULD BE IN THE LORD…
Psalms 34 v 22
“The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”
We can trust in the Lord because He DOES HAVE THE POWER TO SAVE. And none who trust Him will be deserted.
Psalms 37 v 5
“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Those who put God first in their hearts’ and lives’ will see ultimate success.
Psalms 52 v 8B
“…I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.”
We can trust in God’s mercy and grace for EVER AND EVER!!!
Psalms 56 v 3
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
In times of great danger and fear we CAN TRUST in HIM…
Psalms 62 v 8
“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
We can trust Him with our most intimate and sensitive of thoughts, for He is OUR SANCTUARY, OUR REFUGE…
Proverbs 3 v 5
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Trust God completely, and seek not to comprehend Him with human wisdom, human logic, or human philosophies…
Isaiah 12 v 2
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
TRUST in Him for He is OUR SALVATION, there is no need to be afraid, for God is OUR STRENGTH, OUR SAVIOR!!!
Philippians 4 v 13
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Isaiah 26 v 4
“Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:”
We can trust in Him because His strength is EVERLASTING, ETERNAL…
Romans 4 v 3
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Trust in God is so vitally important, that Abraham’s BELIEF, TRUST in God was counted as righteousness to his character…
2 Corinthians 5 v 7
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
Our daily walk should be based on our trust in Him, not by what we logically see…
How then does our faith, our trust in Him grow and develop?
One, by sincere, genuine study of God’s Holy word the Bible.
Romans 10 v 17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
TRUST grows, increases by personal study, by attending Church as often as possible, and by fellowship with other believers.
Two, by asking for it in prayer.
Mark 9 v 24B
“…Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Matthew 7 v 7A
“Ask, and it shall be given you…”
Three, by making a personal decision to put God FIRST IN YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!
Matthew 6 v 33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Luke 12 v 31
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Putting God first ALWAYS, will increase your faith and trust in Him…
If He is not first in your life, if you are not fervently seeking the truth about Him; THEN DO NOT EXPECT TO TRUST HIM, you will only lose what trust you may have had…….
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.
Refrain
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Refrain
But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we’ll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.
Words by: John H. Sammis 1887
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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January 28, 2007
"Doubt"
James 1 v 5-6
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
The word in our text translated ‘wavering’ is literally meaning ‘doubting’.
"But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
We have discussed both in private and in public before how ‘doubting’ God’s Word the Bible was the VERY FIRST SIN…
Genesis 1 v 6A
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said…”???
The Bible says:
1 Timothy 6 v 10A
“For the love of money is the root of all evil…”
This being so, then surely ‘doubt’ is the origin for that love of money…
James seeks to teach us in our main passage here, two aspects of God’s nature in relation to our trust in Him.
First, James seeks to strengthen in us, to reassure us: that GOD HAS THE POWER TO GIVE to us.
God is the Creator, by His word He created all things out of nothingness…
Genesis 1 v 3
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
AND THERE WAS LIGHT!!!!!!!
Genesis 1 v 6-7
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.”
AND IT WAS SO!!!!!!!
Genesis 1 v 11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
AND IT WAS SO!!!!!!!
Genesis 1 v 27
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
God spoke, AND IT WAS SO!!!!!!!
***From the smallest of molecules to the greatest of creatures GOD HAS CREATED ALL THAT HAS OR ALL THAT EVER WILL BE CREATED!!!!!!!
***HE DID IT ALL!!!!!!!
Genesis 17 v 1B
“…the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;”
Revelation 19 v 6
“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
Omnipotent_______ALL POWERFUL!!!!!!!
Genesis 18 v 14A
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?...”
NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE LORD!!!!!!!
Psalms 102 v 27
“But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”
God will ALWAYS BE HERE!!!!!!!
God is:
El-------The Strong One; the one that overcomes ALL OBSTACLES…
Exodus 15 v 2
“The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.”
Deuteronomy 7 v 9
“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”
El Elyon-------The God Most High; He is Sovereign, in whom WE CAN PUT OUR TRUST…
Psalms 78 v 35
“And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.”
Daniel 4 v 34
“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:”
Elohim-------The All-Powerful One; CREATOR of EVERYTHING THAT WAS CREATED, He knows all things, He is everywhere at all times…
Deuteronomy 10 v 17
“For the Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:”
Ha-Elohim-------The Personal God, the God who is our friend!
Isaiah 41 v 8
“But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.”
El Shaddai-------The All Sufficient One, the God of Mountains, GOD ALMIGHTY…
Genesis 49 v 25
“Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:”
El Roi-------The God who sees all; God sees all our needs and all our troubles…
Psalms 139 v 7-12
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
Jehovah-Jireh-------The Lord will PROVIDE; God will MEET ALL OUR NEEDS…….
Genesis 22 v 13-14
“ And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.”
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem-------The Lord who Sanctifies; He cleanses us from sin, and sanctifies us…….
Exodus 31 v 12-13
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 13. Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
Jehovah-Nissi-------The Lord my Banner; The One who gives VICTORY…
Exodus 17 v 15-16
“And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16. For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 20 v 3-4
“And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4. For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
Jehovah-Rapha-------The Lord who Heals; God heals the spirit, the physical, and the emotional needs of His people...
Psalms 147 v 3
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
Jehovah-Shammah-------The Lord is there, The Lord MY Companion; GOD IS WITH US…
Ezekiel 48 v 35
“It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, the Lord is there.”
Psalms 46
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
Matthew 28 v 20B
“…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
He has absolute power to supply all that He has to us…….
***HE HAS ABSOLUTE POWER TO GIVE…….
Secondly, not only does God have the POWER TO GIVE, HE ALSO HAS THE DESIRE TO GIVE…….
John 3 v 16A
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,…”
His biggest gift was His Son…….
He gave us our very being when He created us…….
He gives us our very breath…….
Psalms 2 v 8 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”
Psalms 29 v 11
“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
Psalms 85 v 12
“Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase”
Psalms 91 v 11
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”
Psalms 105 v 39
“He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.”
Proverbs 4 v 2
“For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.”
Isaiah 7 v 14
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 30 v 23
“Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.”
Isaiah 45 v 3
“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”
Jeremiah 3 v 15
“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Matthew 7 v 7-8
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Matthew 11 v 28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
He gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to the dead, healing to the sick, the ability to walk to the lame, comfort to those who need comfort, salvation to the lost, and joy to those who sorrow…….
***Not only does He want us to know and believe in Him, but also He wants us to know HE WILL REWARD HIS FOLLOWERS…….
Hebrews 11 v 6
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
We are joint heirs with Christ!!!!!!!
Romans 8 v 17
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Titus 3 v 7
“That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Hebrews 6 v 17
“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:”
God has both the absolute power to give, He also WANTS TO GIVE TO US!!!!!!! James tells us to focus on God, His POWER, His LOVE….
But Satan says: “Does God really care, does He really have any power to do anything?
James goes on to compare a person who ‘doubts’, to a wave of the sea.
Waves can be affected by the wind, and they have no power of their own to stand firm. A wave cannot stay in one place, but surges forward towards the shore then recedes back to where it began. It rises up and sinks down. It contains much froth, as well as great energy. But it’s energy cannot be harnessed for good, however it has astonishing potential to cause immense damage.
So much like a so-so Christian. Their joy rises and falls at the slightest wind, the slightest external force. Impulses to do good, yet never ever reaching their potential. Great energy released, but nothing lasting to come of it. Like the wave a doubter, may have fantastic spiritual highs, but they ultimately sink to their lowest depths of depravity. Unable to be counted on, they can not be trusted, nor should they be. They will be the first to deny sound doctrine when any one opposes it. They are those who perpetually doubt their salvation, they doubt God’s ability to forgive and wipe away their sin. One day they are saved, the next day, they are lost. One day they are a child of the King, the next they are unworthy to live…Unworthy to be loved, SO THEY THINK…….
They lose sight of God and His holiness, and focus on themselves and their imperfections.
James warns those who doubt like this:
James 1 v 7
“For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”
When we question our salvation, once we have genuinely asked Jesus to save us, and when we are obsessed with our past sins, once God has forgiven them; THEN WE CALL GOD A LIAR, AND WE DENY ABSOLUTELY HIS POWER TO GIVE. AND WE DENY ABSOLUTELY HIS LOVE FOR US…….
If we deny Him, why would He answer our prayer, a prayer of insult to Him.
Matthew 13 v 58
“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Mark 9 v 24
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Lord help all of us, give us FAITH ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your faith grows by obedience to God’s word. By keeping Him first, ABSOLUTELY…
Keep you eyes upon Him, not upon the fiery darts Satan may put in your path. Doubt is only sin when it leads to disobedience against the word of God. When you allow your emotions or feelings to deny the reality of your faith in Him…
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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January 21, 2007
"God Will Shut The Door!!!"
Genesis 7 v 16
"And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in."
The final ticks of the clock are clanging; the night of human history is coming to a close… Jesus says:
Revelation 3 v 20
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Jesus is crying out from the highest mountain tops:
Matthew 11 v 28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Come, accept His plan of redemption, reconciliation, and eternal salvation…
Proverbs 8 v 1-3
“Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2. She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.”
God’s word, the living LOGOS, Jesus Christ calls out to the lost and needy wherever they can be found. In their paths of life He calls out, from the house tops He calls out, from the city gates, Jesus calls out: ‘be saved, be saved!!!’ The doors are opened to His eternal kingdom, ‘pray come in, come in!!!’
Matthew 22 v 2-3A
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding…”
And Jesus spoke to them in a parable and said the kingdom of God is like a wedding; as the king or the head of the household invites many to the wedding feast; so too God opens a door of invitation to many to come into His glorious kingdom. Jesus from that old rugged torturous cross declared:
Luke 23 v 34A
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…”
Jesus as we butchered Him upon a man-made cross, beat Him with a cat-of-nine-tails, mocked Him, spat upon Him, humiliated the Son of the Living God; He asked God the Father to forgive us!!!
In essence He said: ‘Here is an open door, a door of Mercy, a door of Grace, a door of Hope, a door of Love, a door of Forgiveness and Reunion; I beg you ENTER IN…’
For this reason He came into the world…
1 Timothy 1 v 15A
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”
John 8 v 10-11
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
As the woman lay on the ground, awaiting to be stoned for adultery, Jesus saved her. And tells her, though she was guilty; I DO NOT CONDEMN YOU. ***Not denying the sinfulness of the woman, He says: “Go and sin no more.”
Again, opening a door for a second chance, a chance, an opportunity to repent and be saved!
Constantly I hear people saying Jesus is a man of Love, a man of Compassion, and the God of Mercy and Grace to all mankind.
“Certainly, Jesus will forgive me and others when the time comes, when we die.” “I won’t accept Him now, I have some wild oats to sow, but one day, one day I will say yes to Him”, “I have to change a few things in my life, once I get it straight I’ll make the decision for Jesus.”
Even in the scriptures people have excuses for not making a decision for Jesus.
Matthew 8 v 21
“And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.”
“I would walk through the door with you, but give me some time to take care of the responsibilities of burying my Father, my Mother, my child, my loved ones.”
Luke 9 v 61
“And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.”
“I will walk through the door with you, but first let me take care of the needs of my family, the needs of those I am responsible for…”
“That’s morally right, isn’t it?”
We have too much money, not enough money, our clothing is far to ragged, we don’t have the right kind of clothes. We’re not good enough, we’re to evil. The church is too big, too small. The choir is not good enough. No kids for our kids, no teens, too many teens, no senior citizens, its too old a church, etc, etc, etc …
Anything and everything to postpone walking through that door Jesus has opened for us…….
Will that door always be open?
Once before people were deeply in need of a savior, they were lost in thought, word and deed. In the days of Noah, the people were full of sin and evil…
Genesis 6 v 5
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
All of many except for Noah and his family were wicked and their hearts were totally depraved…
Genesis 6 v 12
“And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
All flesh was corrupt and full of violence and deserving damnation… So God had Noah build an ark, a mammoth ship to save Noah’s family and the animals that God had ordained to be saved. And when all that God had chosen to enter in did so, He, God: SHUT THE DOOR!!!!!!! And only those upon the ark were saved from the wrath and righteous judgment of the Almighty…
It’s a lie of Satan to assume we have all the time in the world to accept or reject Jesus Christ.
The door of Salvation is now open, but will it be in the next few seconds??? Will it be open to the final click of the clock??? And if it is, when will that be??? And if not, when???
At this very moment I see the open door, its open to you and open to me. Jesus is our friend, our advocate before God the Father, He is ready, willing and able to Forgive and Save us!!!
But death as the Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night…
1 Thessalonians 5 v 2
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
***At an hour NO ONE BUT GOD KNOWS.
2 Peter 3 v 10
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
And in that hour all that we presently know and understand will pass away, and all things shall be changed.
Revelation 3 v 3
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
Jesus says: “Watch and Remember, repent of your sins, turn to me and be saved.”
***If you don’t: “I will come as a thief at an hour you know not and at a time of my choosing not your’s, and CLOSE THE DOOR FOR EVER!!!!!!!”
ARE YOU READY FOR THAT DOOR TO BE CLOSED???
Now Jesus stands at the door waiting for you to walk in. Now He can be your Savior, now He can be your Advocate, your defense attorney.
But one day He will not be any of those things: HE WILL BE YOUR JUDGE!!!
Revelation 19 v 11-14
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
***Accept Jesus as your LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR RIGHT NOW…
***WHILE THE DOOR IS OPEN…
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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January 14, 2007
“Things We Cannot Be Without”
Hebrews 12 v 14
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
As Christians there are various ‘things’ that we cannot do without. This week’s message will explore several of these.
John 3 v 3
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
First and foremost Jesus Himself teaches us that to be a Christian we CANNOT BE WITHOUT BEING: BORN AGAIN!
You are not saved simply because you are raised in a Christian home. You are not saved because you attend a local Bible believing church. You are not saved because one or even both your parents are. You are not saved because you were blessed to be born in a “Christian” nation. Nor are you saved, a child of God because you are a believer in one God…
James 2 v 19
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
And you are not saved merely because you have said a few words and prayed… Jesus says it is fundamental that you MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!
Now what does Jesus mean by you MUST BE BORN AGAIN?
One, you MUST REALIZE YOU ARE A SINNER!
Romans 3 v 23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
And because of that knowledge you MUST deeply understand your absolute and indispensable NEED FOR A SAVIOR…*You are vividly aware of how totally void you are of any goodness within yourself.
Matthew 5 v 3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Two, you MUST GENUINELY MOURN OVER YOUR SINFULNESS…
Matthew 5 v 4
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
If the knowledge that you are a sinner, TOTALLY DEPRAVED, does not move you to sincere sorrow, then you are not ready to progress in your ‘rebirth’.
Three, your mourning MUST AFFECT YOUR CHARACTER.
Matthew 5 v 5
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
You MUST BE STRIPPED OF ‘SELF’ PRIDE. And your spirit MUST BE ONE OF authentic HUMILITY!!!
Psalms 34 v 18
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Humility does not save you. This newly created humility, Must lead you to SEEK GOD and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Matthew 5 v 6
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
You MUST REPENT, REJECT YOUR SINFULL PAST AND SEEK TO KNOW AND BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST…
This entire process God helps you with by freely giving you His GRACE, the gift of God!!! ***This is being “BORN AGAIN”…
Galatians 2 v 20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Being “BORN AGAIN” means you no longer live for self, but are born from above and you live to serve Jesus Christ and to share His love with the world…
Next, we CANNOT BE WITHOUT the shed blood of Jesus Christ, if we want to be His children…
Hebrews 9 v 22
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Only by Jesus blood sacrifice are we able to be “BORN AGAIN”, be His children.
1 Peter 1 v 18-19
“For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
And clearly this blood sacrifice can only be given by JESUS CHRIST…***We CANNOT BE WITHOUT JESUS!!!!!!!
Acts 4 v 12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
For this blood sacrifice, that brings opportunity for reconciliation and forgiveness from God must be a perfect and holy sacrifice…
Therefore we CANNOT BE WITHOUT the sinlessness of JESUS CHRIST…
Hebrews 4 v 15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Since knowledge and trust in Jesus Christ is essential to being a Christian, we CANNOT BE WITHOUT FAITH IN JESUS…
Hebrews 11 v 6
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
We MUST HAVE FAITH IN BOTH HIS POWER TO SAVE, and in HIS ABILITY TO REWARD His true followers…….SALVATION AND REWARDS!!!!!!! ***BOTH, NOT ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT BOTH…
We obtain this FAITH by:
Romans 10 v 17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith comes as a gift from God by our committed effort to seek and know Him intimately, by going to church as often as possible.
Hebrews 10 v 25
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Growing in FAITH by studying His word the Bible as habitually as reasonable:
Acts 17 v 11
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Faith comes from reading and seriously studying the Bible daily…
Matthew 6 v 33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Faith comes from making Jesus Christ our FIRST LOVE, and fervently and without ceasing seeking Him…
Faith comes from confessing our sins and by prayer.
James 5 v 16
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Merely having FAITH is not enough. As Christians, our FAITH CANNOT BE WITHOUT “WORKS”!!!!!!!
James 2 v 20
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
Notice the scripture does not say we must have works to be saved, nor does it say that we must have works to have faith. ***But practically speaking, and spiritually speaking; Salvation or true Faith that does not lead to ‘good’ works, has only value to oneself…
God calls us to share our Salvation, to share our Faith.
Ephesians 2 v 8-10
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Salvation and Faith lead us, motivate us, to do the ‘good’ works that God had planned for us to DO…
Even Paul, the man of grace, declares our fruit of faith and salvation is in doing God’s will.
James 1 v 22
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Romans 2 v 13
“(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
Our Salvation, our Faith should be full of thoughts and acts of “good” will…
Philippians 4 v 8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
As Christians we CANNOT BE WITHOUT Holiness…
Hebrews 12 v 14
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
Without holiness that leads to the Love of all mankind, we shall not be able to know or comprehend God.
Matthew 5 v 48
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
In context, perfection means:
Matthew 5 v 43-44
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Holiness the perfection we can have now (in our fallen bodies) is the genuine ability to LOVE OUR FELLOW MAN, EVEN OUR DEADLIEST OF ENEMIES; as both Jesus does and His Father who is in Heaven does…
Matthew 19 v 21
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”
Our holiness is seen in our sincere acts of LOVE for God, each other (other Christians), and our fellow man (everyone else).
1 Thessalonians 4 v 7-8
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
God calls us to be holy, and if we deny this we deny the will of God for our lives here on earth…We deny His will for the HERE and NOW!!!
***God provides the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the believer, to assist us in living a HOLY, PERFECT, LOVING LIFE…
As Christians we CANNOT BE WITHOUT the desire to share the gospel with others. ***The exclusive gospel of sharing JESUS CHRIST, and Him only as the means of Salvation…
John 14 v 6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Matthew 7 v 13-14
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
The gate is strait, the way is narrow, because salvation, eternal life is EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, and HIM ONLY…….
Matthew 5 v 13-16
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
As Christians we are SALT, as salt we are meant to help control the sin and decay of this world. *We do this by the lives we live and by sharing God’s LOVE with the people around us. Not just ministers, but EVERY PROFESSING BELIEVER, as God give us the ability to do so.
As Christians we are the LIGHT of the world, that light is God’s spirit and salvation within us. And GOD WANTS THAT LIGHT TO BE SEEN…….
And the final thing we look at today is: we CANNOT BE WITHOUT God’s CHASTISEMENT…
Hebrews 12 v 8
“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
God disciplines His children, if God does not discipline you to correct you and change your ways, YOU ARE NOT HIS LEGITIMATE CHILD.
Hebrews 12 v 5-6
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
God profoundly loves who He chastises, who He disciplines…
As Christians there are several things we CANNOT BE WITHOUT, today we have seen:
WE CANNOT BE WITHOUT:
* BEING: BORN AGAIN!
* the shed blood of Jesus Christ
* JESUS!!!!!!!
* the sinlessness of JESUS CHRIST…
* FAITH IN JESUS
* “WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”
* Personal Holiness
* the desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only source of SALVATION…
And:
* God’s CHASTISEMENT of those He LOVES!!!
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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January 7, 2007
"God Sanctify Us Wholly"
1 Thessalonians 5 v 23-28
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 25. Brethren, pray for us. 26. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. 28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
The November-December-January Holiday Seasons of 2006 are now behind us, it is now time to get back to the real world, the world of our New Year: 2007…
What we attempt and aspire to do this New Year whether it simply be keeping our self-proclaimed New Year resolutions or truly getting serious about our Faith and Life in Jesus Christ, is up to us and our commitment. What we actually accomplish is up to the Lord!!!
As the first epistle to Thessalonica draws to a close, Paul speaks this blessing upon his readers and to himself. As we start this New Year I believe it is equally important and essential that we too live under this blessing!!!
First Paul calls on the God of Peace…
The very God who sent His only begotten Son to live, be terribly beaten and ruthlessly humiliated for you and I, who died a heinous death on our behalf, and was truly resurrected for us, He who has designed a plan for your redemption, and your reconciliation of peace with Him, that leads to ETERNAL PEACE, ETERNAL LIFE… May that God of Peace sanctify us wholly.
Adam Clarke said this about this God of Peace:
“That same God who is the author of peace, the giver of peace; and who has sent, for the redemption of the world, the Prince of peace; may that very God sanctify you wholly; leave no more evil in your hearts than his precepts tolerate evil in your conduct.”
Paul asks the God of our salvation to sanctify us (to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate), to cleanse us from all our sins and make us worthy and ‘usable’ for His Glory and for purposes of His kingdom… Sanctify us not partially, but WHOLLY, COMPLETELY.
Again Adam Clarke says this:
“May he sanctify you to the end and to the uttermost, that, as sin hath reigned unto death, even so may grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Paul goes on to define wholly as in Spirit, Soul, and Body. This threefold nature of our being reflects, to a certain degree, to the tri-une nature of our God. Wholly God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Whole yet distinct…We exist in spirit, soul, and body yet we are but one being…As God is one God…….
Next Paul declares God is faithful and will accomplish our sanctification. (Faithful is he that calleth you..)
Philippians 1 v 6
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Then Paul says something, as William Barclay put it:
“It is a wonderful thing that the greatest saint of them all should feel that he was strengthened by the prayers of the humblest Christians.”
“Brethren, pray for us.”
As Paul pronounces BLESSING and PRAYER upon us, he asks us to pray for him; and ACTUALLY TO PRAY FOR ALL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN JESUS CHRIST!!!
Most certainly as we begin this New Year, we should continually keep others in our prayers…
1 Thessalonians 5 v 17
“Pray without ceasing.”
And by so doing we spare many the pit of Hell…
James 5 v 16B
“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
It has been said by many; “It is EXTREMELY hard for a sinner to go to Hell, IF SOMEONE IS LOVINGLY AND GENUINELY PRAYING FOR THEIR SALVATION.”
As Paul, each of us need someone praying for us!!!
Paul continues (Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.) We all need affection, warmth, and acceptance from others. It is by our very nature that we need encouragement and praise from our peers and loved ones. We may think the Pastor, or our Father, or Mother, or even our children are very stoic and self-assured, but they, as we, need to be told how wonderful and grateful we are for their efforts and acts of love…
Tell people, show people, shout from the highest housetops how you genuinely appreciate them, and this WILL BE A BLESSED NEW YEAR FOR THEM…
“I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.” Paul declares that this epistle, that ALL OF GOD’S HOLY WORD, the BIBLE should be read and heard as often as possible by not only Christians, but by EVERYONE WHO NEEDS TO SEEK THE LORD…….
Romans 10 v 17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
The more we read, the more we study fervently and sincerely the Holy Bible, the more blessed faith we will receive from God…
And finally Paul prays: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
The grace that brings hope out of darkness and loss, the grace that brings the power to survive the fiery darts of Satan, the grace that brings joy out of despair, the grace that brings light out of great ignorance, the grace that brings reconciliation and peace to a world lost in sin, the grace that brought us the Love, Mercy, and Justice from our Lord Jesus Christ, the grace that gave us His Holy inerrant and infallible word: The Bible, May that GRACE BE WITH US ALL!!!!!!!
And we all said: AMEN!!!!!!!
Two-thousand and seven will be a great and glorious year, if we as Christians do wholly submit our Spirit, Soul, and Body to our Beloved SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. And in so doing we reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer, encouragement, love, and in HIS mercy. And reach out to ALL WHO ARE IN NEED WITH THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION, AND THE GOSPEL OF DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS, ALL OTHERS, AS GOD’S GRACE ALLOWS US TO!!!!!!! THROUGH THE READING AND DOING OF GOD’S HOLY BIBLE!!! OF WHICH WE RECEIVE HIS ETERNAL GRACE…….
*******LET US BEGIN THIS NEW YEAR!!!!!!!*******
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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New Year's 2007
"A Time for Every Season"
At the end of each year we look back with retrospect on the ending year. We think of our goals and dreams, our hopes and desires, what we had wanted to happen and what actually did happen. What we had reason to believe could and would happen, and those things which completely took us by surprise… We think of our joys and sorrows, our victories and defeats, our gains and our losses…We think of the world and how it is the same and how it has changed… And we turn to the new year with new hopes, and new expectations…
Ecclesiastes 3 v 1-8
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
The year 2007 will find some of us in plenty and some of us in great need. Some of us will discover our purposes in life, some of us will continue to search for our place in the sun. Many new ones will be born into this world.
Couples will become parents, and parents will become grandparents, there will be new godfathers and godmothers. There will be new students, and one’s graduating…
As the new come into the world, others will be leaving this world. Loved one’s killed in war, by illness or accident, some destroyed by vicious and thoughtless evil ones. Some will die from natural causes, some that are listening to this message right now, may not be here for next Christmas, for our next new year, for the next message.
In 2007 there will be great opportunities to share the love of Jesus Christ with others, and there will be many who are found not to be part of God’s kingdom…
There will be times when we must go to war, when we must protect ourselves and others from harm. There will be times when some must die for their sins and others who will die because of someone else’s sins.
There will be opportunities in 2007 to heal others by what we say and by what we do…….
There will be a time when the killing must stop, and people must find the peace of God…….
There will be times of uncontrollable weeping and pain and sorrow. There will be times of glorious joy and miraculous victories, times of unbelievable happiness, and times of tremendous loss for some… Times to laugh and times to cry, times to dance, and times we cannot. There will be times when we must give up much, and times we must give much to others.
Times when we must not judge, and times when we must judge…
There will be times when with all God’s love we must embrace others, and times because of God’s love we must not embrace others…
There will be times of loss, and times of gain…Times to give up and times to refuse to give up……. There will be times we must turn our back, and other times we must stand firm with others…
There will be times in 2007 that we must speak up even if it appears we are intolerant or hurtful to others. There will be other times we will burst if we do not speak up, yet for God’s purposes we must be silent…
There will be times we must declare the Love of God, and times we must declare His Judgment on sin……. There will be times of great opportunity to reconcile fallen mankind to God and bring peace into their lives, our lives, and there will be times when that must give way to God’s justice on sin….
A time of PEACE and a time of WAR; a time for SALVATION and a time for DAMNATION…….
Only God knows what is in store for each one of us in 2007, but as surely as He is a LOVING, COMPASSIONATE GOD; those who are truly His can have absolute faith that He will go with us…That He WILL NEVER EVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US…….
Matthew 28 v 20B
“…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
By the WILL, LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY of GOD!!!!!!!
Blessed New Year 2007!!!!!!!
Moadaron Productions
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December 24, 2006
Isaiah 7 v 14
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Immanuel, GOD WITH US...
Isaiah 9 v 6-7
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."
This child of a virgin birth, shall be the Messiah of the world. His name shall be: WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, and the PRINCE OF PEACE (the SAVIOR)...His rule and kingdom will have no end...
Matthew 1 v 18-25
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."
Matthew 2 v 1-12
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
Luke 2 v 1-20
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."
Yes Christmas is the beginning of Jesus' earthly human life and coldly and soberly leads to His DEATH and blood sacrifice upon the cross for all the world's sins. Finalizing on Easter Sunday, when Jesus resurrects Himself from the dead, giving all an opportunity to accept Him as LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR......
But Christmas Day is set aside; it is not about fear, it is not about death, it is not about judgment ...It is about LOVE, and HOPE, and GREAT JOY for all the world...
This is the theme, the goal, of Christmas Day:
Luke 2 v 10-11
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Blessed Christmas to all, In Jesus precious name, from all of us to all the world.......
Moadaron Productions 2006
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December 17, 2006
"A Christmas Story"
Luke 14 v 13
"But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:"
The snow was falling, the air was chilled, the night was upon us. I was sitting in my warm cozy home in Evanston, Wyoming in front of the sparkling fire. The only noise to be heard was the crackling pops from the fiery ambers before me. The room was filled with the subtle fragrance of burning wood, a light smoke gave a slight mist in the air. My wife Maureen was working late that night at the Wyoming State Hospital. Aaron our youngest had long since moved to Los Angeles, California. Adam our oldest was in his room preparing to leave for work, working with the developmentally disabled in and around Evanston. Our dogs had taken refuge upon the couch, lying as if it were their home and not my own. I was sitting in my Lazy-boy chair, my feet raised, and reading God’s holy word the Bible.
When I turned to Luke chapter fourteen and verse thirteen and read: “But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:"
It was if I had read this passage of scripture for the very first time. I felt flushed, and a very somber feeling fell upon me. I read the text over and over again. What was God trying to tell me, what was He wanting me to see, what was He wanting me to do? “Oh God”, I prayed, “Help me see, help me have the faith, the love, the mercy, and the grace to do whatever You call me to do?” As I prayed, as I read, as I pondered my thoughts, I began to sense a presence in the room. A presence that seemed kind and tender hearted, a spirit that seemed like the spirit of the very Son of God…
Jesus Christ…
As the night turned to late evening, my eyes began to feel very heavy, and the sand-man had made me very drowsy. As I sat, my eyes opened and closed as a fluttering of a feather, but I refused to succumb to sleep until my pondering was solved. At the very last, I knew what God would have me do. As my eyes closed for the night of blessed sleep, I could feel a smile coming upon my face. And, I heard a voice ever so tranquil, say: ‘Good night’. And, I feel asleep……………………….
The next morning I arose bursting with energy and with great anticipation upon my spirit. I dressed, and took no time for breakfast; I was off… First stop, the printers on main street. I opened the door, and as if lighter than air, I galloped to the counter, and asked: “Do you do formal invitations?” The clerk very friendly, said: “Of course we do”, and I handed her the engraving I wanted. It read: “By invitation of Jesus, you are cordially invited to my home this Saturday night, for dinner and other holiday wonders. Be ready to be picked up where we spoke, at 5:30 PM on Saturday. I am most honored to have you…” The clerk looked at me, and I could see she wanted to say something, but instead, she simply told me the cost and said they could be picked up the Tuesday morning before the date of the invitation. I leaped with excitement as I left the store. With a gleam on my face, I thought to myself; ‘so much to do, with so little time to do it.’
Boy was I psyched!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I felt so alive, so full of joy, a truck could hit me, and I WOULD NOT FEEL A THING… I spent the day in preparation for Saturday. Later that evening I came home and explained all that God wanted me to do, to my wife and son. They looked at each other, over and over again; then asked the question the clerk had thought of asking, but never did. “Are you ok, do you know what you are doing? Do you understand what you are saying? Have you considered the cost, the time, the commitment, the dedication you will need?” I simply smiled and said: ‘the Lord’s will be done.’ Though they were a bit apprehensive, they did all they could to help me…
Tuesday came, and with it a bounce in my step, and a physical vigor I had not felt in years, I picked up the invitations, and immediately began passing them out.
To the family that lived in Meadow Vista in a trailer half demolished by a summer fire. A loving mother, a Father devoted to his children, yet struck with multiple sclerosis an unable to work. Four beautiful children, yet with clothes stained from smoke from the fire, with faith only children can have…
To the young man who walks up and down front street, always stopping to say ‘hi’ to people he meets. Then discussing the most intimate of details of his mental health issues with those strangers, because our social service systems are over worked and often not truly caring. Nor even the people who really know him are willing to take the time to listen…
To the young couple that live in subsidized housing, that few will visit because they say they smell of cigarette smoke, and the hygiene leaves much to be desired.
To the people who live in the cardboard village south of town, hidden in the Wasatch National Forest. The ones no true Church goers would ever dare to invite to THEIR church… They stink, they smell, they don’t want to work, they live like filthy animals, some say…
To the mother who is hooked on meth, that our culture despises and helps by simply putting her in jail, and making her attend workshops on self-awareness and good parenting skills. But never really takes a loving hand to know and understand her needs, her hurts, her desires. Simple answers for simple people, without regard to the reality of their lives…
To the woman who is too sick to work, yet told she is far too healthy to get Federal assistance, so she must live on $229.00 a month. Who is told by her charity caseworker: ’YOU MUST LEARN TO BUDGET YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ She is told this in a community that the average studio rental is $500.00 a month, with a three year waiting period for rental assistance. Quick answers that answer nothing…
To the family of four, a father, a mother, and two precious little girls, who live under the bridge. A father who faithfully worked for his farmer boss for 10 years, who were forced into homelessness because of a debilitating work accident. The farmer gave them three months, but needed the home for his healthy employee…
To the old lady that lives alone, ignored by any family she may have, and denied fellowship with her local church, because the pastor told her: ‘WE DON’T WANT YOUR KIND IN OUR CHURCH’…
To the young man who struggles with his sexuality, laughed at and mocked by our society, called an abomination and pervert by many who should seek his salvation…
Many more invitations I passed out that day, in the name of Jesus. These invitations that seemed quite curious especially to those who received them. As I walked away, I heard such comments as:
‘is he nuts?’, ‘is he for real?’, ‘is he one of those Jesus’ freaks?’, ‘is he one of those do gooders, that really thinks he is better than us?’ ‘Who is this guy?’ Some people were clearly frightened, and most were certainly perplexed.
As I drove home that night, satisfied that I was doing right, I wondered just how many would come to my house that Saturday night? The rest of the week was filled with daily chores of work, and continued preparation for Saturday.
The invitations I had given out were of the finest paper, the engraving of pure gold; all done that those invited would know just how wonderful and special they were and are.
And on Saturday they would be surprised when the stretch limousines I had rented from Salt Lake City, would arrive to pick them up.
As 5:30 PM approached, as Scrooge had expressed in “A Christmas Carol”, I felt as gitty as a school boy, my hands were moist with sweat, my mouth was dry, but I was as high as a kite… “
The Lord’s will be done!”
The first limousine pulled up at my door at 5:38 PM, followed closely behind by another. My house is not a mansion, but for these my invited guests, it was a place of warmth and peace… The children immediately ran and fell on their knees in front of my 6 ½ foot Christmas tree. Loaded with presents, the children exclaimed: “Are these for us, are these for us!” Their parents quickly ran after them, and they too, were breathless with the sight of that tree full of Christmas cheer. “Children, children”, they said, “This is not our home, be polite. Wait and see what happens”.
I had to tell them, because I could not bear to make them wait. “Yes guys”, I said, “After dinner we can open the presents. There’s enough for everybody.” They shouted with a joy they had not experienced in years, and you could see tears of gladness in many of their parents’ eyes, as we all went into the dinning room to be seated. Each had a place setting, each with their own name. A formal crystal and china place setting lay before them.
Placed upon their plates, to the children were wrapped in spectacular gift paper, children’s Bibles; and for the adults in equally stunning paper were adult Holy Bibles…
Though I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the wonder on their eyes, I began to speak:
“The food will be served in a minute, I just wanted you to know, you are all honored guests not by me, but of the Lord Jesus Christ! It is His birth we should be celebrating this time of year. I am so extremely happy to have you in my home, the home Jesus has so graciously allowed me to have for now. The Bibles you have opened and received are from Jesus, and are given to you in hope that you might seek to know Him better. *But right now enough talk, lets pray and dig in.”
As we finished the prayer; Turkey, Fried Chicken, Ham and Roast Beef were brought into be placed, along with all the side orders you can imagine. Green beans, corn on the cob, creamed corn, potatoes of every kind, salad of many nations, yams with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, salsas, radishes, carrots, on and on. Cheeses and fresh baked breads of every description and taste. Coffee, tea, milk, pop, almost anything a person could desire.
And for these who had often went to bed without anything to eat, it seemed as if they had died and gone to heaven… At first they just stared at this magnificent feast provided by Jesus, but children being children, did not wait to be told; they held their breaths for a brief moment in awe, and then chowed down. We the adults all laughed, and left formality behind and began to enjoy this Christmas meal…
I listened as we eat and was surprised at what I heard. Many were not so concerned about their needs, their situations, but rather of others who had not been invited, others who had chose not to come.
“Was Willie with the terrible cough, going to make it to the New Year?” “Was Sarah finally going to get approved for disability?” “Was Johnny going to be able to go to public school without a home address?” “Where would the Smiths get the money to repair their car, so they could move to Nevada, so Tommy Smith could start his new job?”
Their conversations were not about themselves, but rather of the needs and concerns of others. Not like typical parties, that were full of gossip and self-concern.
“We hope to go to Hawaii next spring, I believe it may be our last because it is so built up and commercialized there?” My one year lease on my car is up, and I’m really concerned with what I will replace it with?” “Their problems are an act of God I tell you.” “I better get that raise, I’m totally worth it!”
As I could see we all were about to burst, I suggested we return to the Christmas tree. (The children were all for that)
As the children opened their presents, I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and the adults as well. I share how God loves us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for us. That by His death and resurrection the opportunity for salvation was made accessible to all sinners. An I made abundantly clear, all of us were sinners, unless we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, God and Savior.
We discussed many other questions about the Bible that night.
Suddenly we were interrupted by a child talking to his mother. “Mommy we’ll have to get the lights turned on now, or I will not be able to play with my Wii Nintendo game system.”
The mother began to cry…
I spoke up:
“I hope you all realize that this night doesn’t end tonight. That after you all go home, Jesus, and myself will forget about your all. On the contrary, as we speak, those of you who have unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, are having those bills paid. And all your utilities will be turned on before you get home. Those of you who have no place to stay, know, you now do have a place to stay. You can stay either with me, or I have motels ready for you until we find you more permanent housing. Those of you who can work, will have jobs that you can be proud of, we just need a few weeks to get each of you a job you enjoy and that you are trained to do. If you need training or education, we will also see that you get all that you need. For those of you who cannot work, Jesus has provided for you as well. This will all take some time and I look forward to talking more intimately with each one of you. And Lord willing, perhaps we can become close friends. But in any event, tonight is only the beginning, and if you choose my assistance, by the will and grace of God, I will spend my life serving God, by helping you.”
Dessert was served, and even the adults got to open their presents.
The Mom that cried because her child did not have electricity for her Christmas present, came up to me and in a soft spoken voice said to me: “Your providing the electricity for my child is all the present I need.”
“That may be”, I said, “but this is Christmas, the season of unwarranted and abundant LOVE and GRACE.” As I handed her the keys to the car she needed to take the job she had been offered…
My wife and I stood at the door as we said good night to each of our BELOVED GUESTS. Each giving their own words of appreciation.
One asking us to pray with them, as they gave their very being to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as their Savior for ever more.
Oh and remember the young man with sexual orientation concerns? He confessed to me, that he had had a gun in his pocket that day when I gave him the invitation. He had planned to kill himself that very night, but then waited to see what would happen this night. As he hugged me good night with tears in his eyes, he handed me the gun, and said:
“Jesus has given me hope this night, hope of Love, hope of Mercy, hope of Grace, hope of Forgiveness, and Hope that I CAN OVERCOME MY SIN”… “God bless you he said as he stepped outside.
He was the last to leave that night, and I was so glad. For though I had had misty eyes throughout the evening, my eyes were now swelled with tears of unbelievable praise and joy for God and His Son Jesus Christ…My tears filled the room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That night as I sat in front of the fire, with my legs up, reclined in my lazy-boy chair; the snow once again falling, my eyes giving way to blessed rest, I heard an ever so still voice say:
“Well done my, good and faithful servant.”
And once again, I felt a smile breaking out upon my face, and in the corner by the fire, I thought I saw: JESUS, and He too had a smile, upon His face……………………………………………..
As consciousness gave way to sleep that Christmas night, As reality gave way to dreams, I heard:
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
The Christmas story I have just shared of course was only a wonderful narrative.
*But why? Why can’t we read the word of God, this Christmas and every day of the year, take God at His word, and do as the Love of God would HAVE US DO???????
Then and only then will Tiny Tim’s prayer come to pass: “God bless us, bless us everyone!!!!!!!”
Dr Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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December 10, 2006
As we prepare our hearts and minds for this Christmas season I am reminded of Christmases past. Though I was not yet born, and probably most of us were not. I remember the world famous letter to the editor of the New York Sun Newspaper back in 1897; the headline read: 'Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus!'.
I wonder what would have been said, if the the headline had read:
"Yes Virginia, There is a God!!!"
Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. So many little friends I know and most of their parents too say there is no real God. That people only made him up because of their fears of death and the over powering dread of life alone. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a real God?
Virginia…
Virginia, your little friends are wrong and most certainly their doubting parents are as well. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a God. And He can most certainly be seen in His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no God! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in God Almighty! You might as well not believe in Truth, Honesty, Justice, Purity, Loveliness, Grace, Mercy or Peace.
You might get your papa to start reading the Holy Bible and taking you not only to Church, but Sunday School as well. Seek God out while He may be found, be watchful for Him in the daily experiences and tasks of life. See Him in the eyes of your friends and the people around you, not because they believe, but rather because God believes in them, He believes in you. Because He is the creator of all that we see and all that we cannot see and so often take for granted.
Know that this is why there is a Christmas Eve to celebrate, with songs of joy, presents of anticipation, and wonderful times with family and friends; the night of our dear, dear Saviour’s birth.
But even if we cannot enjoy as so many do, because of our own loneliness or loss, or perhaps we do not seem to see God because of the evil of our age, our enemies and sorrows around us…
What does that mean?
What if nobody believed in God, would that, could that change the truth of His existence?
The most real things in the world and the universe around us are those things which neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see the wind dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but would that prove once and for all that there is no wind?
Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in this world or in the one to come.
You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart.
Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No God! Ridiculous!!! Of course there is a God!!! Thank God for His existence! He lives as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He lives, and loves us just as the Holy Bible says He does.
He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years and eternally beyond,
He will continue to reach out to you and me and all who are truly willing to accept His Son Jesus Christ in faith that believes and in hearts of love for Him.
Yes Virginia, most certainly as I speak, that you or I exist, that the beauties of His majestic creation surrounds us, THERE IS A GOD, and He most indisputably: loves us ALL!!!
Submitted by: HCS
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December 3, 2006
"Not For the Wise, Thank God!"
Matthew 11 v 25
"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
We, the human race put a great deal of importance on wisdom and prudence. Even those who profess to be Christians consider these traits as essential for our leaders and our friends.
We see poor people, and though we may not verbalize it, we think “trailer trash”. We see homeless people and we see “bums”, “crazy people”, “lazy people”, etc… We see people with un-kept dress or hygiene as undesirables or sick people. We see people unschooled as “unintelligent”, “obtuse”, or “ignorant”.
We see “Whites” as crackers, “Blacks” as________, “Italians’ as wops, “Irish” as drunkards, “Germans” as Jew haters, on and on it goes…***EVERY day we make judgments on people and circumstances on first impressions and past experiences. And we consider this wisdom and prudence.
Wisdom, because it protects us from some who would harm us, some who would be as we imagine. Wisdom because our leaders must look the part, they must appear competent, people others want to respect.
Prudent because we must be practical, we must choose our friends and acquaintances wisely. We have limited resources and time; we must make needed decisions…
And in this world and the world to come we should be wise and we should be prudent…
***But far too often worldly wisdom and worldly prudence blinds us from the truths and realities of God. This worldly wisdom and prudence too often is dependent on perceived appearance and perceived understanding of visible and physical facts…
It is possible to be too clever. It is possible to be so learned that in the end we cannot see the wood for the trees. Someone has said that the test of a really great scholar is how much he is able to forget.
Christianity does not mean knowing all the theories about the New Testament; still less does it mean knowing all the theologies and the Christologies. Christianity does not mean knowing about Christ, it means knowing Christ; and to do that requires not earthly wisdom but heavenly grace. Heavenly wisdom!!!
Jesus is speaking in our text from facts He has experienced… The experience that, the Rabbis and the wise men rejected Him, and the average people accepted Him. The intelligent had no use for Him; but the humble welcomed Him.
We must be careful to see clearly what Jesus meant here. He is very far from condemning rational influence; what he is condemning is human pride.
As Plummer has it,
"The heart, not the head, is the home of the gospel."
It is not cleverness which shuts out; it is pride. It is not stupidity which admits; it is humility. A man may be as wise as Solomon, but if he has not the plainness, the trust, the transparency of the childlike heart, he shuts himself out.
Once Arnold Bennett said,
"The only way to write a great book is to write it with the eyes of a child who sees things for the first time."
Henry M. Morris, PHD says this:
“…worldly wisdom and pragmatic prudence are incapable in themselves of comprehending the spiritual concepts in the plan of God.”
The world deeply prizes human intellect, human logic and a formal education; yet none of these are essential in finding God…
And for this there is reason for great rejoicing. No matter what your stature in this life, or in worldly attitudes the lack there of; YOU STILL CAN FIND JESUS and be SAVED by HIM…
In fact Jesus makes plain:
Matthew 18 v 3
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
All the human wisdom and understanding CANNOT SAVE YOU, or GET YOU ANY CLOSER TO GOD…
The true wisdom and true prudence comes from God, and Him alone. To be truly wise, to be truly prudent is to know Jesus, and accept Him as YOUR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR.
Anything less, is NOT WISDOM, is NOT PRODENCE…
A brilliant mind, a great family, tremendous financial success is NO SUBSTITUE FOR BEING HIS!!!
The fact that most of the world’s scholars, and most of the world’s inhabitants reject JESUS CHRIST, should not be surprising. In fact it should be expected…
1 Corinthians 1 v 19-21
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Genuine wisdom and prudence are found through the revealed Word of God as proclaimed in the HOLY BIBLE…….
Ephesians 1 v 8
“Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;”
The world only sees the foolishness of the cross.
1 Corinthians 1 v 1
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Worldly wisdom DOES NOT and CANNOT UNDERSTAND the GOSPEL of LOVE, MERCY and HOPE…
1 Corinthians 2 v 1
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
God desires our faith should be dependant on HIS WORD the BIBLE, and not on our human experiences or feelings, or what we feel, or by what we think we see…
2 Corinthians 5 v 7
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
Romans 10 v 17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
1 Corinthians 2 v 5-10
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
The world may reject us in every way, we may not be liked, we may not be respected, we may not be honored with important positions or financial prowess, our words may be laughed at and scorned, our books may never be read; our sermons and witnessing may fall on deaf ears, even upon those ears we expect will hear; but this is to be EXPECTED…
The world rejected Him and His prophets of old, and the world will reject us…
Matthew 5 v 11-12
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
This world judges by appearance, for human sight and human insight is ALL THEY HAVE…
They will never find God with human wisdom, nor will they find a lovable person in those the world despises…
But we must judge by the wisdom of God…
John 7 v 24
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
That righteousness and that heavenly wisdom that only comes from a LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD!!!
Romans 3 v 22
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”
Thank God, that even I, that even you, CAN HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…The ONE and ONLY SAVIOR of the HUMAN RACE…
As we enter this Christmas season, may each of us, KNOW JESUS, and in the humility and wisdom of HIS LOVE, share the GOSPEL of His REDEMPTIVE WORK to ALL WHO NEED HIM…***Which is ALL OF US…
May we offer a helping hand to anyone in need…
As we hunt for that perfect present for our loved ones, may we share the PERFECT SAVIOR WITH ALL OF US!!!!!!!
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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November 26, 2006
"Jesus is God!"
John 20 v 28
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God."
Throughout my years of ministry one of the most miss-understood concepts about Jesus of Nazareth is His ‘divinity’. Jesus is GOD!!!
Many professing Christians will say: ‘he is the Son of God, but he is certainly not God.” My wife’s brother, who professes to be a Catholic, makes this distinction. He maintains Jesus is the son of God, as we are all the children of God…Jesus was a special teacher, a moral man, a great philosopher, perhaps even a great prophet, but there is no divinity in him. Frankly, Moslems believe as much; and all who believe as such; are in enormous ERROR!!!!!!!
Last week we discussed Jesus the man, this week we will discuss Jesus ‘The’ God…
"Our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same God, perfect in divinity, and perfect in humanity, true God and true human ... Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, manifested in two natures without any confusion, change, division or separation. The union does not destroy the difference of the two natures, but on the contrary the properties of each are kept, and both are joined in one person." (Quoted in The Story of Christianity, volume 1 by Justo L. Gonzalez, HarperSanFrancisco, 1984). [Chalcedon in A.D. 451]
Jesus is the expected Messiah, He is the anointed one of God, Isaiah says this about the Messiah:
Isaiah 9 v 6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The Messiah will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God.
Judeo-Christian doctrine teaches that there is ONLY ONE GOD; we are what Theologians call a mono-theistic faith. WE BELIEVE THERE IS JUST ONE DIVINITY, ONE GOD, ONE BEING WHO IS GOD…
Exodus 8 v 10
“And he said, to morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.”
*Notice the One God is called Lord, in the original language: YHWH…
Deuteronomy 4 v 35
“Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.”
The word “Lord” is literally: “YHWH”…
Deuteronomy 4 v 39
“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
Deuteronomy 32 v 39
“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”
2 Samuel 7 v 22
“Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
According to all the Bible says, there is ABSOLUTELY ONLY ONE GOD…
1 Kings 8 v 60
“That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”
Again Lord (YHWH), THERE IS NO ONE ELSE…No other God…
2 Kings 19 v 15
“And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the Cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.”
The ONLY GOD, is the ONLY CREATOR…
Nehemiah 9 v 6
“Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”
This ONLY GOD, this ONLY CREATOR; is the ONLY ONE to be WORSHIPPED…
Psalms 18 v 31
“For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?”
The ONLY GOD is OUR ONLY LORD, HE is OUR ONLY ROCK; HE ALONE IS OUR GOD…….
Isaiah 43 v 10-11
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”
God declares us to be His witnesses that there is ONLY ONE GOD, THERE WILL NEVER, NEVER BE ANOTHER GOD!!! And there is ONLY ONE SAVIOR, ONLY ONE, and HE ALONE IS ETERNALLY GOD!!!!!!! ***Our ONLY GOD, and OUR ONLY SAVIOR…….
No faith, no religion, no denomination, no doctrine of men or of angels, nor any book that declares ‘we shall become as God’s’ one day is true…***From eternity unto eternity THERE IS BUT ONLY ONE GOD, AND YHWH IS HIS NAME!!!
Isaiah 44 v 6
“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
This ONE and ONLY GOD, is Lord, King, Redeemer, and the ‘First and the Last; and there is NO OTHER GOD but HE!!!!!!!
Isaiah 45 v 5
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:”
Isaiah 45 v 21
“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”
This ONLY GOD, is BOTH ONLY LORD and ONLY SAVIOR…
Zechariah 14 v 9
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.”
And in the ‘End of Days’, this ONLY GOD, will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ONLY GOD, ONLY KING, ONLY LORD… ***YHWH IS HIS NAME…….
The Messiah will be called ‘mighty God’, and ‘everlasting Father’ and ‘Prince of Peace’…
Now, what does the New Testament say about Jesus of Nazareth?
He is called the Christ, in Hebrew: Messiah, the anointed one of God…
Matthew 1 v 1
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Matthew 1 v 18
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
John 1 v 17
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
John 17 v 3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Acts 2 v 38
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 3 v 6
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Acts 3 v 20
“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:”
Between Acts chapter three and verse twenty to the last time Jesus is referred to as Jesus Christ, He is called the Messiah, in the Greek Christ over 190 times.
The last verse in the Bible reads:
Revelation 22 v 21
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Jesus accepted this title, Christ, Messiah; with it He accepted what it clearly implied. ***That He, JESUS, is the ONE TRUE GOD…
Jesus was called the “Word”; God, the ONLY GOD, IS THE “WORD”…
John 1 v 1-3
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
From the very beginning the “Word” was and eternally is GOD…And the ONLY CREATOR…
John 1 v 14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
That “Word”, that God, the ONLY GOD; was and is JESUS CHRIST… Jesus did all manner of miracles, and even nature was under His control…
Mark 4 v 39-41
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
These men who had been so close to Jesus feared, why? They as Jews knew only GOD has the power to control the winds and nature…
They were learning, this man called Jesus, their friend and Lord, was more than just a man!
Jesus had the power and authority to raise people from the dead…
God raised Jesus from the dead, JESUS RAISED HIMSELF from the dead…
John 2 19-21
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21. But he spake of the temple of his body.”
God is His Father, Jesus said He and His Father were ONE…
John 14 v 9-11
“Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10.Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.”
John 10 v 30-31
“I and my Father are one. 31. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”
Some would say, Jesus is only saying God the Father is in Him, as He can be in all of us…
But the Jews standing there unmistakably understood Jesus was calling Himself God, for immediately they picked up stones to kill the man claiming to be God…
Jesus accepted the title Lord.. Even calling Himself Lord.
Matthew 4 v 7
“Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Matthew 7 v 21
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 8 v 2
“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”
***Notice the leper both worshipped Jesus and called Him Lord… And Jesus accepts this from the man, even though Jesus Himself said:
Matthew 4 v 10B
“…for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Only God is Lord, and ONLY GOD should be worshipped…
Matthew 8 v 25
“And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.”
Matthew 9 v 28
“And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.”
Jesus says this about Himself…
Matthew 12 v 8
“For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
Matthew 13 v 51
“Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.”
Mark 9 v 24
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Over and over again throughout the gospels Jesus not only allowed, but agreed, that people should call Him Lord.
***God alone is Lord… God alone is Savior…Jesus is our Savior!!!
Luke 2 v 11
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Jesus is Savior, Christ (Messiah), and Lord (YHWH in the Old Testament)…
John 4 v 42
“And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”
Acts 5 v 30-31
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 13 v 23
“Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:”
Ephesians 5 v 23B
“…even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”
Jesus as Christ (Messiah) is both head of the Church and Savior…
God alone is head of the Church, and God alone is SAVIOR!!!
Philippians 3 v 20
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”
1 Timothy 1 v 1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;”
Jesus Christ by commandment of God, is OUR SAVIOR…By that same God who said of Himself, He was OUR ONLY SAVIOR…
Jesus , OUR SAVIOR, OUR GOD!!!
1 Timothy 2 v 3
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”
God is OUR SAVIOR, JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR…
1 Timothy 4 v 10
“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”
2 Timothy 1 v 10
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”
Jesus OUR SAVIOR, has ABOLISHED DEATH and given those who accept His blood sacrifice, ETERNAL LIFE…
Titus 1 v 3
“But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;”
Again God is our Savior; JESUS is both OUR GOD, AND SAVIOR!!!!!!!
Titus 3 v 6
“Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”
1 Peter 1 v 1
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”
2 Peter 2 v 20A
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…”
2 Peter 3 v 18
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
Peter declares the glory that belongs to God, BELONGS TO JESUS!!! ***Why???
JESUS IS GOD…….
Jude 1 v 25
“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
The ONLY WISE GOD, OUR SAVIOR: JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
Jesus who was ABSOLUTE GOOD, ASKED:
Matthew 19 v 17A
“And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God…”
I am good, therefore I AM GOD…FOR ONLY GOD IS TRULY GOOD!!!
These are only the beginning of the scriptural proofs that Jesus is truly God incarnate, God with us…
Matthew 1 v 23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Quoting Psalms 104; the writer of Hebrews says:
Hebrews 1 v 8
“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
Thy throne my Jesus, my Savior, my God, IS FOR EVER AND EVER!!!!!!! THY KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END…
Yes, the Church, the witness of the Apostles, the holy Bible itself, by command of God the Father Himself, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and by the testimony of Jesus; JESUS IS GOD…
***Both fully GOD, and fully man…
Revelation 22 v 13
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
I AM GOD…….
John 20 v 28
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God."
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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November 19, 2006
"Jesus the Man"
John 1 v 14
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Today we are going to discuss Jesus as ‘a’ man, a human being. His humanity!!!
This is not to say that Jesus is not fully God, we will discuss Jesus the God next week…The only God…
The church council that met in Chalcedon in A.D. 451 produced one of the most complete statements of this doctrine. It reads in part:
"Our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same God, perfect in divinity, and perfect in humanity, true God and true human ... Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, manifested in two natures without any confusion, change, division or separation. The union does not destroy the difference of the two natures, but on the contrary the properties of each are kept, and both are joined in one person." (Quoted in The Story of Christianity, volume 1 by Justo L. Gonzalez, HarperSanFrancisco, 1984).
Jesus the Man…
The Old Testament says of the Messiah:
Isaiah 53 v 2
“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
As any man, the Messiah would grow up through childhood, through puberty, through those tense and hormone filled teen years, until he would be a man. And as a man, he would have no special look, no unique physical appearance that he would stand out in a crowd. In fact, he would be quite common looking, a typical man, and a typical man of Jewish ancestry… A Man…
Matthew 1 v 1
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Like any man, he was part of a human genealogy, of human descent…
He had a mother who undoubtedly went through labor pains giving physical birth to him.
Matthew 1 v 21A
“And she shall bring forth a son…”
Luke 2 v 7
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Like so many births, Jesus’ came at a time that did not appear to be perfect timing for His earthly parents. On a trip, where there were so many travelers, Mary had to give birth in a manger, because the young babe had no special reservations at the Inn…
My sister Dorothy gave birth to her first born, while the car she was in was stopped on railroad tracks.
Matthew 4 v 2
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.”
Jesus the babe, Jesus the man suffered hunger, and required food to live and grow… Jesus could be discouraged and depressed…
Matthew 26 v 38
“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
He could get frustrated:
Matthew 17 v 17A
“Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?...”
Jesus could be surprised…
Matthew 8 v 10A
“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled…”
Mark 6 v 6
“And he marvelled because of their unbelief.”
Jesus got thirsty…
Luke 19 v 28B
“…I thirst.”
Hebrews 4 v 15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
He could be tempted, just like any man. Tempted to be lazy, tempted to do things his way instead of his Father’s way. Tempted with physical, sexual, and spiritual lusts…Just as we are!
Philippians 2 v 8
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
As a man, he who could die and did die…….
As a man he needed encouragement…
Luke 9 v 29-31
“And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31. Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Matthew 3 v 17
“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 17 v 5
“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
Luke 3 v 22
“And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
1 Peter 1 v 17
“For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
As a man, as we, he NEEDED LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT…
As a man, he needed human companionship. He sought 12 men to have close intimate fellowship with. And as he prepared to die, as a man, he wanted his closest friends to be with him…
Matthew 26 v 37-38
“And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
And just like a man, he needed to be alone as well…
Matthew 26 v 39A
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed…”
Close but not too close…
As a man, he had fears and doubts about his life and death.
Luke 22 v 41-42A
“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me…”
Hebrews 2 v 14-18
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
As we partake of a mortal and finite physical life, Jesus became man and did the same. He experienced joy and sorrow, heartbreak and delight, friendship and loneliness, loyalty and betrayal…
Psalms 41 v 9
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
And Judas Iscariot betrayed his friend for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave…
Knowing and living our humanity, He was willing to die for His friends. That through His sinless, self-sacrificing life and death; He might give us opportunity to be reconciled to God…
John 15 v 13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
1 Peter 2 v 24
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
So important is this truth that Jesus was a man, God through John the apostle declared belief in Jesus’ humanity was ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN TRULY BEING A CHRISTIAN, a Child of God…….
1 John 4 v 2-3
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
Only those who believe in his Humanity and Deity, and accept Him as their Lord, God, and Savior are legitimate and genuine Children of God!!!!!!!
John 1 v 12
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
What can we learn from Jesus’ humanity?
First, it makes us all the more responsible for our sins. We cannot say, ‘I am only human’…For Jesus could say: ‘I am human’. It is not our humanness that causes us to sin, it is our heart that chooses to sin. Jesus was fully man, yet he always, without exception submitted to the will of his Father. He obeyed the Holy Spirit, and had absolute TRUST, HOPE, and FAITH in God’s Holy word the BIBLE!!!!!!!
All of which we have available to us, especially we who are Christians. Yet we still do not always stand firm in our faith and often we fall short of His righteousness…
By his humanity we are FOUND ETERNALLY GUILITY…
Secondly, by His humanity he shows his perfect understanding of who and what we are. He makes known His empathy, compassion, and mercy of our FALLEN human nature. He identifies Himself with us, and gives us the perfect and obtainable example of how to live a perfect and sinless life, by the grace and indwelling of the Holy Spirit…The same spirit and grace that Jesus the man lived by…
The same spirit and grace that gave him the power to be tempted in every way as we, YET WITHOUT EVER SINNING!!!!!!!
Third, by his humanity, he was able to be the faultless and innocent sacrifice for our sins…
Able to die, to pay the price of atonement for our grievous sins…
He is our God, our Savior, our Friend, and as a Man, our Example of how to live, worship, and serve: Him and our fellow human beings.
JESUS the Man…***What a Man, what a Savior, what a God!!!!!!!
Harold Smith, sbc
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November 12, 2006
"Anger Right or Wrong?"
Ephesians 4 v 26-27
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath : 27. Neither give place to the devil.”
Anger: a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire. In-other-words a response characterized by irritation and often violent behavior provoked by a perceived wrong.
Over the years my wife has suggested topics for my messages; this is one of them…
It is EXTREMELY important to comprehend what Paul is saying here. Paul is not saying that ANGER is immoral or a failing. *In fact, Paul is saying: there ‘MUST BE ANGER’ in the Christian’s life, but it ‘MUST BE THE RIGHT KIND OF ANGER”.
John 2 v 13-17
“And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”
The Bible teaches that Jesus NEVER sinned.
Hebrews 14 v 15B
“…but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
In John we see a vivid example of Jesus exhibiting anger, and His having anger and acting upon it, IS NOT SIN!!! Therefore not all ANGER is inappropriate, or wrong.
Bad temper and irritability are without justification; but there is an anger without which the world would be a poorer place.
John Wesley states:
“Anger at sin is not evil; but we should feel only pity to the sinner. If we are angry at the person, as well as the fault, we sin.”
Where anger becomes a sin, is when it is directed at the person who is perceived as the offender, rather than the righteous indignation at the act of the sin…
Notice in the example of Jesus’ anger, He was angered at the wrong done to His Father’s house. And though He made a whip, and over turned inanimate objects, He NEVER actually struck any of the wrong doers. His actions were intended to express His outrage at the sin, not at those perpetrating the sin!
Adam Clarke states:
“…for he should be displeased with every thing which is not for the glory of God, and the good of mankind…”
A Christian should be discontented with anything and everything that does not bring glory to God, or is not for the welfare of mankind.
Matthew Henry said in response to our text:
“…If there is just occasion to express displeasure at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it be without sin.”
Matthew Henry clearly implies that there are APPROPRIATE times to declare displeasure with wrong behavior, that there is a time to reprove poor behavior. To reprove means to rebuke or reprimand an act of wrong or sin…In today’s modern English there are times to scold forcefully or to slap on the wrist a person or persons to affirm displeasure with wrong behavior.
Ecclesiastes 3 v 3B
“…a time to break down, and a time to build up;”
According to the preacher of Ecclesiastes there is a time to show support and uplift an individual; yet there are times one MUST make clear what sin is, even if it seems to attack the doer of the actions. There are times when we ‘MUST say BAD, and times when we MUST say GOOD.”
The world would have lost much without the blazing anger of Wilberforce against the slave trade or of Shaftesbury against the labor conditions of the nineteenth century in England.
There was a certain harsh honesty about Dr. Johnson. When he thought a thing was wrong, he said so with force. When he was about to publish the Tour to the Hebrides, Hannah More asked him to moderate some of its asperities. She tells that his answer was: "I will not cut off my claws, nor make my tiger a cat, to please anybody." There is a place for the tiger in life; and when the tiger becomes a tabby cat, something is lost.
***There is a time to be VERY ANGRY, (But too often this is made an excuse for petulant and self-centered irritation), yet WE MUST NOT SIN!!!
Mark 3 v 5
“And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”
Jesus was angry when the scribes and Pharisees were watching to see if he would heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day. It was not their criticism of himself at which he was angry; he was angry that their rigid orthodoxy desired to impose unnecessary suffering on a fellow creature.
F. W. Robertson of Brighton tells in one of his letters that he bit his lips until they bled when he met on the street a certain man whom he knew to be luring a pure young girl to destruction.
John Wesley said:
"Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but God, and who hate nothing but sin, and who know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, and I will shake the world."
The anger which is self-seeking and hysterical is a sinful and spiteful thing, which must be banished from the Christian life. But the self-sacrificing anger which is closely controlled for the service of Christ and of our fellow men is one of the great dynamic forces of the world.
The anger that is directed at a person or persons for malevolence or to hurt them is wrong, and IS SIN!!! This is what Paul is warning against.
***Anger that is directed at the act or the sin itself, to expose the wrong in hopes of it being corrected, is APPROPRIATE and often quite NECESSARY…
Paul goes on to say that the Christian must never let the sun set upon his wrath.
Plutarch tells us that the disciples of Pythagoras had a rule of their society, that if, during the day, anger had made them speak insultingly to each other, before the sun set they shook hands and kissed each other and were reconciled.
There was a Jewish Rabbi whose prayer it was that he might never go to sleep with any bitter thought against a brother man within his mind.
Paul's advice is sound, because the longer we defer to patch-up a quarrel; the less likely we are ever to mend it. If there is trouble between us and anyone else, if there is trouble in a Church or a fellowship or any society where men meet, the only way to deal with it is at once. The longer it is left to flourish, the more bitter it will grow. If we have been in the wrong, we must pray to God to give us grace to admit that it was so; and even if we have been right, we must pray to God to give us the graciousness which will enable us to take the first step to put matters right.
Along with this phrase Paul puts another command. The Greek can equally well mean two things. It can mean: "Don't give the devil his opportunity." An unhealed breach is a superb opportunity for the devil to sow discord. Many a time a Church has been torn into factions because two people quarreled and let the sun set upon their anger. But there is another meaning which this phrase can have. The word for devil in Greek is diabolos; but diabolos is also the normal Greek for a slanderer.
Luther, for instance, took this to mean:
"Give the slanderer no place in your life."
It may well be that this is the true meaning of what Paul wishes to say. No one in this world can do more damage than the slanderous tale-bearer.
As Coleridge wrote in Christabel:
"Alas! they had been friends in youth; But whispering tongues can poison truth,"
The key; is your anger meant to retaliate or hurt the other person or is it your goal to expose the wrong in hopes to repair the breach between bad behavior and good behavior? Righteous anger is meant to resolve differences by means of truth. Sinful anger is meant to hurt and disrupt reconciliation…
One is meant to genuinely heal the wrong, the other is meant simply to attack the perceived wrong doer…
James 1 v 19
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
James gives us three basic steps to control our anger.
First, listen, listen, listen!!!!!!!
In particular the wise men were impressed by the necessity of being slow to speak.
Rabbi Simeon said,
"All my days I have grown up among the wise, and have not found aught good for a man but silence...Whoso multiplies words occasions sin."
Jesus, the son of Sirach, writes,
"Be swift to hear the word that thou mayest understand...If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbour; if not, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, lest thou be surprised in an unskilful word, and be confounded" (Sir.5:11-12).
Proverbs is full of the perils of too hasty speech.
Proverbs 10 v 19
“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
Proverbs 13 v 3
“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”
Proverbs 17 v 28
“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
Proverbs 29 v 20
“Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”
There are few wise men who have not been impressed by the dangers of being too quick to speak and too unwilling to listen. A most interesting list could be compiled of the things in which it is well to be quick and the things in which it is well to be slow.
In the Sayings of the Jewish Fathers we read:
"There are four characters in scholars. Quick to hear and quick to forget; his gain is cancelled by his loss. Slow to hear and slow to forget; his loss is cancelled by his gain. Quick to hear and. slow to forget; he is wise. Slow to hear and quick to forget; this is an evil lot."
Ovid bids men to be slow to punish, but swift to reward.
Philo bids a man to be swift to benefit others, and slow to harm them.
Hort says that the really good man will be much more anxious to listen to God than arrogantly, garrulously and stridently to shout his own opinions.
The classical writers had the same idea. Zeno said,
"We have two ears but only one mouth, that we may hear more and speak less."
When Demonax was asked how a man might rule best, he answered,
"Without anger, speaking little, and listening much."
Bias said,
"If you hate quick speaking, you will not fall into error."
The tribute was once paid to a great linguist that he could be silent in seven different languages. Many of us would do well to listen more and to speak less.
***If you spend more time listening and truly desiring to understand the other person’s needs and deeds, instead of waiting with baited breath to declare your thoughts; you will be in a far better position to sincerely want and seek their good…
Secondly, ‘if’ you speak, take adequate time to consider what you are going to say. The count to ten principle, but not merely counting; but genuinely considering what you ‘should’ say. NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. Be SOBER MINDED!!!
Be sure you are correct, be SURE……. Taking the effort and time to be sure what you will say, will, de-escalate any uncontrolled irritation, and will prepare you to say, if anything, the proper words to speak…
The time you take to think, may be the time needed for healing…
And finally James says: ‘Be slow to judge’…Slow to anger…
The teacher will be tempted to be angry with the slow and backward and still more with the slothful scholar. But, except on the rarest occasions, he will achieve more by encouragement than by the lash of the tongue.
The preacher will be tempted to anger. But "don't scold" is always good advice to him; he loses his power whenever he does not make it clear by every word and gesture that he loves his people. ***When anger gives the impression in the pulpit of dislike or contempt it will not convert the souls of men.
The parent will be tempted to anger. But a parent's anger is much more likely to produce a still more stubborn resistance than it is to control and direct.
The spouse will be tempted to be angry with their mate over almost anything. Yet, ‘I love you’, will often do more good…
The tone of voice of love always has more power than the inflection of anger; and when anger becomes constant irritability, petulant annoyance, carping nagging, it always does more harm than good.
To be slow to speak, slow to anger, quick to listen is always good policy for life.
In the end the Bible says:
Matthew 7 v 3-5
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”
As Davy Crockett said: “Be sure your right, then go ahead.”
Even our righteous anger, MUST BE IN SUBMISSION to the WILL of GOD…….
“BE ANGRY, BUT SIN NOT”!
God help us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. Harold Chris Smith, sbc
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November 5, 2006
"Blessed are the Dead?"
Revelation 14 v 13
"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."
What???
Have you ever been to a funeral? My sister Theresa died December 5, 1972 of Leukemia, I was 12…
And since, both my parents, all my uncles and most of my aunts have died. Most people would say: “Boy this sounds like a downer, this message is certainly morbid”.
People simply try to avoid the discussion of death, and even as Christians though we claim a Christian funeral should be a joyful event, we still often walk away with immense tears of anguish.
And it is not wrong as Christians to show sorrow or grief over the loss of a Christian's loved one…
John 11 v 35
“Jesus wept.”
Even Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus…
And I believe at that moment, Jesus not only wept for the untimely death of His dear friend, but for all those who had and all those who would die through the ages of mankind.
He wept, because it was never meant for mankind to die, or grieve over illness, old age, or death. Pain and suffering were never meant for His creation. But death entered this world because of sin, our sin…
When Adam and Eve transgressed the Law of God, by first doubting the truth of it:
Genesis 3 v 1
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
and that doubt, that lack of faith lead to disobedience.
Romans 14 v 23B
“…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
And because of man’s sin through Adam, death and decay entered God’s creation, and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ!!!
Romans 5 v 12
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Jesus wept!!!
Our text today however states: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord”, this is an astonishing proclamation! Amazing!!!
So what is God telling us?
First, He is referring to those who die during the tribulation for the sake of God’s gracious and glorious gospel…Blessed are those who die as true witnesses for my TRUTH…
Secondly, by principle, blessed are all true Christians who die…
BLESSED!!!!!!!
Blessed is not the same as happy. Happy comes from the Greek word ‘hap’, meaning chance. *Happiness is based on our circumstances, if we have a good day, we are happy; if we have a frustrating or bad day, we are unhappy, we lose our temporary joy. Happiness is temporary and fleeting…
Blessedness transcends our conditions, even in the midst of dreadful circumstances blessedness, the joy of God in the one who is blessed is EVERLASTING…*Joy that permeates the entire being…
So our text says our joy as Christians transcends this mortal life, and death cannot destroy our joy, our blessings!!!
How??? What???
First, and this must be made very, very clear, physical death is not death for the Christian…
Luke 23 v 43
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt th
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