Bible Thoughts

April 15, 2001

When man sinned in the garden of Eden, Jehovah immediately executed a plan whereby man could be restored to a state of approval in God's sight. The woman was promised that her seed would bruise the head of the serpent(Genesis 3:15). The need of a savior was recognized by God and promised to man from the point of his transgression.

The final execution of the plan of God occurred on the Mount of Olives, as he is betrayed by one of his own. The redeemer's entrance into this world, as pointed out by Luke, would bring great joy to all people. The sufferings of Christ, his trial and the victory over death, proved that he was the worthy sacrifice for the sins of mankind. "Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation"(Hebrews 5:8-9).

The marvelous benefits from that redeeming sacrifice can be shared by all of those who obey him(Hebrews 5:9). Those benefits include forgiveness of past sins(Acts 2:38), a new relationship with Christ(II Corinthians 6;17-18); the promise of eternal life(I John 2:25); addition to Christ's church(Acts 2:47), and all the spiritual blessings(Ephesians 1:3). The benefits obtained through the sacrifice of Christ can never be measured by the standards of men: nothing even close to what is offered in the death of Christ can ever be matched.

There is a responsibility placed on the individual who desires to make Christ one's own savior. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all of those who obey him(Hebrews 5:9). If one is alienated form Christ due to failure to follow him, forgiveness and acceptance by the Lord can be claimed by hearing the word of God, repenting of sins, confessing Christ before men, and being buried with Christ in water baptism(Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:10; Mark 16:16). After becoming a Christian through obedience, a disciple is to continue living a faithful, dedicated life to the Lord. No man can claim the Christ as his savior unless he will do as God commands.

If you have not accepted the benefits of Christ's death and made him your own by obedience, who not? Please consider the terrible consequences when you reject the sacrifice of Christ. Prepare through obedience before it is too late. Behold a savior did come! Have you made him yours?

What an awesome and incredible thought it is to have the force of creation helping us as we live our lives for good. We have all tried to live our lives on our own(Romans 3:23) and we can see the negatives which come as a result (Romans 6:23). To know that He who created all that we see and all that we touch, loves us and has extended His protection to us, gives us a sense of security and peace which is unmatched by any other means.

Do we recognize this? Do we praise our God and show our love of the Father by trusting in Him as He would have us? Does a baby ever refuse the care of its mother? What would happen if it did? How would it fair by itself? How would its mother feel? Do we see God as caring or as domineering?

When we ignore the Father's love by sinning and refusing to follow His commands we are hurting both ourselves and Him. In sin we only fail, in no way do we succeed in the positive. In sin we do not let God show His love and so hurt Him as well. We deprive Him of what He would choose to love.

So let us, this week, strive to do only that which is good. Let us persevere to learn the truth and follow it for not only for ourselves but also for our God who loves us.-Joe Cook

What is life all about, from the beginning what is it that most want? My sisters are still young, well at least younger than me. And I would sometimes hear them say that they wish they were older, older like me. If they were older they could do this or they could do that, but the point is that they wanted to be older. Now that is the young group, and we all know that nature always grants that wish to all even if you don’t want it, we all get older. Well then, what is the problem? You see the scales start to tip the other way and so your mind changes and you start to wish you were younger, so you can do this and that, again. Maybe the older are wiser, although my Grandfather can never know I said that. But, all at the end want to be that little child again, innocent, pure. May that come true, for all God's children. For as Jesus said, you have to receive the kingdom as a little child to enter.-Vaughn Botha

In a little town, just off the highway, is a modern cottage. The young people who built it evidently anticipated the "suggestions" that visitors generally make concerning a new house. Right over the front door they hung a neat sign plain for all to see: "Suits us." It was their house; they built it like they wanted it. That settled it. If others wanted a house built and arranged differently, they could go build them one; for "ours suits us." Jesus built himself a church(Matthew 16:18). He paid for it(Acts 20:28). It is his!(Colossians 2:17). Now, if Jesus had wanted Sabbath days in his church, he would have put them there. But he left them out! That ought to settle that!

A good many sectarian bodies teach that people are saved by direct operation of the Holy Spirit independent of preaching the word. But they do not believe it! They have their annual "revivals' to do the very thing they say the Holy Spirit will do without preaching. Why? They had learned by experience that it takes preaching and persuading to make converts. Then why not be honest and take it out of their creed? If we could get the creeds out the way, it would be much easier to get people to unite on the New Testament as the rule of faith and practice.-Batsell Baxter, Gospel Advocate, October 16, 1952, page 672.