Bible Thoughts

October 28, 2001

There are sacrifices that must be made before one can follow Jesus Christ. The Lord knew the heart of this young man and what stood in the way of his obtaining eternal life. The riches of this world held too great an attraction to this man and he was unwilling to sacrifice that which stood in the way of his willingness to follow the Lord. This man had been observing those things which were written in the Law of Moses. He was not a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, and he did not lie. Instead, he was a very moral person who gave attention to his conduct and would have been esteemed by those of his day(and today). There was one barrier to his having "eternal life." He was a rich man, one of great possessions. The Lord knew the heart of this young man and what stood in his way to acceptable service to God: his wealth! When Jesus told him to sell his possessions, and help the poor, "he went away sorrowful." The wealth, in itself, would not keep this young man from heaven. The attitude, however, that he had toward those material items would prevent him from obtaining eternal life. How sad that one who had so much going for him refused the Lord's instructions. His riches meant more to him than the eternal life offered by the Lord. Whether it be riches, fame, or any other attraction of this world, one must be willing to make certain sacrifices to have eternal life. Let nothing stand in your way: follow the Lord!

Cry Out

Cry out to the heavens,

And send to God your prayer.

Lament, my brother,

And send to God your prayer.

For all about us,

Yes, even within our numbers,

We are threatened by Evil Men.

The Lord God Almighty; even Jehovah,

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

Has sent his Son.

But men who stand not for

The righteousness of Christ,

Partake with the serpent in his deeds.

They seek our lives for Christ's sake,

From whom came Grace

And the Hope in which we live.

God, grant us this day a humble prayer.

To YOU be the glory, and your will be done

On Earth, as it is in Heaven.

-James D. Yopp, Jr.

There is a change in the religious atmosphere of this country. Not too long ago people would have steadfastly defended their religious affiliation, but increasingly there is a mindset of “unity in diversity”. Put simply, this idea is “let us set aside our differences and focus on our common belief” and that “common belief” is Christ. Accordingly, many people believe that if you claim Christ you are a Christian and are pleasing in the sight of God.

The initial reaction of a faithful Christian to the “unity in diversity” theme is usually negative. This negative response stems from Biblical passages such as “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”(2 Corinthians 6:14), and rightly so—but there is a positive side to “unity in diversity”. That positive side is this: people are placing less emphasis on specific doctrines, because doctrines divide, and more emphasis on the person and deity of Christ. Make no mistake, some have adopted this mindset because it allows them to worship as they choose without creating any uncomfortable conflicts. Even so, there are also some who have adopted this mindset because they are sincerely seeking Christ and they recognize that Christ is not the author of confusion. “Unity in diversity” is the world’s way of hiding the truth that Christ taught, but just because someone subscribes to this idea does not necessarily mean they do not desire Christ. It may mean that they have fallen prey to the lie because of their own ignorance of the word of God.

Christians must use this opportunity to teach Christ. It is the Christian’s duty to reach out to all who are reaching for Christ. Ours is the hand with which he has chosen to take hold of those seeking him. Often times Christians put undue emphasis on being a member of the Church of Christ; we recognize that only members of Christ’s church will be saved, but that membership comes as a part of believing in, and obeying Christ. When the proper emphasis is placed on living and teaching Christ, a new or prospective Christian's understanding of the role of the church will be clarified as a natural result of that teaching. Putting an undue emphasis on the church and its role is the same as preaching ourselves. Paul said “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” and that is what we should do.

When we speak with our fellow man, our friends, our neighbors—let us speak Christ. We must teach what he taught. Let us teach of his life and death, of his sacrifice, and of his resurrection from the dead. Let us teach of his heavenly reign, of his dominion and power. Let us teach his commandments and his demand for faithful obedience. Let us not teach ourselves and what we have done, but let us teach Christ and what he has done. If we do that, then those who truthfully seek Christ shall find him.

As Paul said “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”(2 Corinthians 4:6).-Scott Huston