Bible Thoughts

December 30, 2001

Men seek constantly for some new experience, as the Athenians sought new knowledge. They miss the obvious. The greatest knowledge that one can possess is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That gospel is as needed, and as relevant, for those who live in our time as it was in the days of the apostles of Christ.

The gospel is the power of God, not only for the unbelieving, but is the power to keep a Christian in a safe position. While we have heard occasional remarks that infer the gospel is for the unbeliever, Paul preached the word to saints, and longed to preach such to other saints, as shown in the passage quoted above. Does it take more gospel to keep him saved than to convert him? Is, in fact, the majority of the New Testament addressed to those who have already obeyed the first principles of the gospel? Check and see.

The Devil wants as many souls as possible. He is greedy! Satan's efforts do not stop with the alien, but he is continually seeking to ensnare the Christian. Pictured as a "roaring lion" and one who "transforms himself into an angel of light," he never rests. Only the "sword of the Spirit" can protect the disciple against the efforts of the evil one.

The world is alluring. Even Moses felt the draw of its pleasure. Only by keeping one's eyes on heaven by a constant study and application of the gospel can one escape the attractiveness of sin. Think of a place in which death does not occur, tears never flow, the wail of mourning is not heard, and the grip of pain cannot torment. This world does not offer such, but the eternal home of the soul shuts out all of those unpleasant experiences.

The Lord's people believe the gospel is for today. While earthly concerns must have our attention, they are secondary to "seeking first the kingdom of God." The Christian takes time to meditate upon the word of God and takes advantage of the opportunities to meet with other saints to continue the spiritual fellowship offered. The gospel has meaning for the faithful because it controls his life.

The gospel is for today as it serves to provide the parent with the material to guide a child in the way which is right. Magazines and newspapers abound with columns which claim to have the answers to the needs of today's youth. Books have been written that swell the shelves of the gullible. Still men search! Only a small investment would provide a copy of the book of books. The principles of morality, respect, kindness, goodness, self-control, honesty, love, etc., are seen on every page of God's book. The greatest philosopher in the world could not have stated these principles better that the Lord did! The most vain of individuals can be humbled by its truths. When your child is directed toward his search for knowledge, head the list of his reading material with the Bible.

The gospel will have even more meaning and application to your child if you take him to study with the saints in the services of the kingdom. It is not wise to speak of the greatness of God's word and deliberately choose an activity over the opportunity to study the word of God with others. The offerings of men may prepare him for a secular life; only the word of God will prepare him for eternity.

The gospel is for today! For me, for you, for your family, your friends, your neighbors and ALL MEN!

One of the most important things a Christian can do is try to understand the viewpoints of other people. It is vitally important that Christians do not become so set in their ways and their beliefs that they are unwilling or unable to consider what others have to say about the scriptures. There is no book of official "Church Doctrine" or "Church Creed" that can be referred to give the correct interpretation of the Bible. It is up to each individual to seek knowledge for himself or herself so that he or she might give a good account on the day of judgment. Everyone is equally responsible for seeking out the truth of God's word. With that thought in mind, it should be apparent why a Christian must be willing to consider the viewpoints of others. If we become close- minded our ears will be dull of hearing when God is speaking to us through his providence.

Consider the quoted passage from II Timothy. There are a number of people in the religious community that believe the Bible teaches "Perseverance of the Saints." In common language that would be known as "once saved, always saved." This is one passage used to prove that point. Norman Geisler, a noted Christian apologist, in his book Chosen But Free(Bethany House Publishers, 2001, Second Edition, p. 124) states thatII Timothy 2:13 means "Even if our faith falters, His faithfulness does not. In order for us to lose our salvation God would have to 'disown himself.' He would have to cease being God." It may be understood from Geisler's interpretation that even when we lose our faith, as is commonly warned about in the Epistles, God will still be faithful to us(because he cannot deny himself) hence we will still have our salvation. As Geisler is both a prolific author and was once(possibly still is) Dean of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, his interpretation is likely shared by many others.

Is Geisler's explanation the best explanation? Every individual must determine that for themselves but consider this: verse 13 is a sentence fragment. The entire thought, beginning in verse 11, reads like this: "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." Another explanation, in contrast to the one provided by Mr. Geisler, is that God has given us a conditional promise. We can obey Christ, deny sin(be dead with him), be persecuted as a Christian(suffer) and in so demonstrating our faith we receive life and reign with him. Or after having vowed allegiance to Christ by obeying his commandments we can become faithless and deny him--but no matter which choice we choose--God will remain faithful to his word, for he cannot deny himself: if we deny him, he will deny us. One would not think it unreasonable to suppose that the full passage actually refutes Geisler's explanation.

Nonetheless, every individual should study out these things to determine the truth. We cannot rely on the opinions of others, we must make up our own minds. Nor should we let the "learning" of certain prominent persons intimidate us. Each of us is the "expert" on our own beliefs. We should know them, be able to explain them, and if need be, defend them. As we study, if we find that we need to refine what we believe or change what we believe to better grasp the truth then let it be so. God expects that of us.-Scott Huston