A Minute With The Bible Aired during January, 2000 "And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in Jehovah"(Psalm 40:3). We are in a new year. It holds hopes and promises; it holds sadness and tears. It holds victories; it holds defeats. The Psalmist wanted a "new song" that would enable him to praise the God that made him. He wanted others to fear the same God that he feared. The focus of all, including the writer of this Psalm, was to put one's trust in Jehovah. Is it not true at the present? Is not the word of God "new" each time we study and follow it? What could be more enlightening than the words found in the Bible? What could bring more happiness in the new year than making oneself right with God by obedience to the gospel and living a new life? One could truly put a "new song" in his heart by becoming a Christian.
"O sing unto Jehovah a new song: Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth"(Psalm 96:1). The new song of the Psalmist would encourage all humanity to declare his glory. The God the Psalmist served was to be praised and feared above all the gods that men invent. As pointed out, they are idols(mere works of men, without life or substance). Idols did not make the heavens, Jehovah did. The one who created the first human beings still reigns in the heavens. He makes the sea to roar, the field to produce, the trees to "sing with joy." Someday, the living God will judge the peoples of the earth. The basis for that judgment will be righteousness and truth. Those who listen to the "new song" of the Lord as revealed in his New Testament will be prepared to sing a happy song when all men of every age must answer to Him who made us.
"O sing unto Jehovah a new song; for he hath done marvelous things; His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation for him"(Psalm 98:1). The Psalmist would express the ways of Jehovah in his new song that follows these words. The Lord would reveal his plans for man's salvation. He would openly show his righteousness to all the nations. All of God's creation would give evidence of the existence and power of Jehovah, causing honest men and women to accept what he reveals to mankind. While the Hebrews would rejoice, as the author reveals, there is a greater cause for us to sing a new song today because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came forth from the grave to give us a new life, a new way to righteousness, and a new hope. Are you able to sing the new song this new year because you obey the New Testament?
"Praise ye Jehovah, Sing unto Jehovah a new song, And his praise in the assembly of the saints"(Psalm 149:1). The children of Israel had cause to rejoice: Jehovah made them. They could be joyful in having Jehovah as their king. As they praised him, Jehovah would take pleasure in his people. The Hebrews are not the only ones who could have cause to rejoice: that joy can belong to every person who is willing to accept the teachings of the New Testament. The old year, yea--the past, is gone. We are in the new year and our future lies in front of us. What kind of song will we sing? One of sadness because we did not follow the word of God? Or, of joy because we learned the teachings of the New Testament and obeyed it? You have the future in your hands; it is up to you to decide what kind of life you will live. We will be glad to help you to gain that new life through the gospel of Christ.
'Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh"(Hebrews 10:19-20). Our thoughts this week have been on a new song, with applications to how we live the new year. It is fitting that we close this week's lessons by reminding each of us how that we can sing a new song in a "new and living way." That way, as Paul states, was opened by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. To claim the benefits of that sacrifice, one must obey his gospel by believing in Jesus as the Son of God, repenting of one's sins, confessing Jesus as the Christ before men, being immersed in water for the remission of sins, and living a life of faithfulness to the commands of God. The Lord will make you a new Christian upon your obedience, accepting you into His kingdom.
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you"(Colossians 1:3) is the statement of the apostle Paul. The apostle identifies the one to whom we should pray. Note that God as the Creator and Sustainer of life is the appropriate one to whom we address prayers. One is not to address Mary in prayer or any other mortal. Only deity, the Father and the Son, are those to whom Christians pray. Paul would also say that we "thank God through Jesus Christ for you all"(Romans 1:8). He further taught that we give "thanks to God and the Father through him"(Colossians 3:17). One does not pray to dead "saints" for help and guidance: one prays to the God who created and sustains us. Follow the word of God and pray only to deity. Remember also: the privilege of prayer belongs to the obedient.
"This is the confidence we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him"(I John 5:14-15). When one prays unto God, it must be a prayer of faith. We must believe that God will grant our requests, if they be according to His will. That is the standard: "according to his will." Many approach God and ask for favor who have not, and often will not, submit to His will. John has made it very plain that one must have a willingness to follow what the Lord commands in order for a prayer to be heard(answered). The same apostle makes such plain by stating, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments..."(I John 3:22). Is this not plain enough? The obedient have the right of prayer because they are keeping "his commandments."
"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil"(I Peter 3:12). Do you want the Lord to hear and answer your prayers? Then you must first be obedient to God. Peter makes this plain: "his ears are open unto their prayers." One cannot continue in rebellion to God's commands and be one who is acceptable to the Lord. There is not one passage in the New Testament that directs the alien sinner(one who has never obeyed the gospel) to pray, in spite of the teachings of many denominations. Peter says the Lord's ears are open to the obedient. Hence, first obey the gospel and then begin to pray to Jehovah. That is God's order, not man's order. Do not let someone mix it up. The privilege of talking with the Lord belongs to His children. One gains that privilege by becoming a Christian.
"We know that God heareth not sinners" is a statement made to Jesus Christ in John 9:31. We know that what the man spoke is the truth because prayer is a privilege of one who is a child of God. No alien sinner was ever instructed to "pray through" as taught by some sectarians. Alien sinners were taught the gospel, God's power to save(Romans 1:16). After obedience, they were instructed to pray. Even in the Old Testament, it was said, "He that turneth away his ear form hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination"(Proverb 28:9). And, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the upright is his delight"(Proverb 15:8). There are many passages in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that teach one must first be obedient to God and then one has the privilege of prayer. Do you have that privilege?
"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight"(I John 3:22). The condition for acceptable prayer is outlined by the apostle. One much keep the commands and do what is pleasing to God to be heard by Jehovah. A person becomes a child of God by obedience to the gospel(Romans 1:16). The child has a right to make requests to the father. When a person becomes a Christian, the privilege(and responsibility) of prayer is available. The alien sinner(one not obedient to the Lord) does not have such favor until submission to the gospel commands. In the gospel of Christ, no one was instructed to pray before that person obeyed the truth and became a disciple. The same is true today since we live under that New Covenant.
"This is the confidence we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him"(I John 5:14-15). When one prays unto God, it must be a prayer of faith. We must believe that God will grant our requests, if they be according to His will. That is the standard: "according to his will." Many approach God and ask for favor who have not, and often will not, submit to His will. John has made it very plain that one must have a willingness to follow what the Lord commands in order for a prayer to be heard(answered). The same apostle makes such plain by stating, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments..."(I John 3:22). Is this not plain enough? The obedient have the right of prayer because they are keeping "his commandments."
"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil"(I Peter 3:12). Do you want the Lord to hear and answer your prayers? Then you must first be obedient to God. Peter makes this plain: "his ears are open unto their prayers." One cannot continue in rebellion to God's commands and be one who is acceptable to the Lord. There is not one passage in the New Testament that directs the alien sinner(one who has never obeyed the gospel) to pray, in spite of the teachings of many denominations. Peter says the Lord's ears are open to the obedient. Hence, first obey the gospel and then begin to pray to Jehovah. That is God's order, not man's order. Do not let someone mix it up. The privilege of talking with the Lord belongs to His children. One gains that privilege by becoming a Christian.
"We know that God heareth not sinners" is a statement made to Jesus Christ in John 9:31. We know that what the man spoke is the truth because prayer is a privilege of one who is a child of God. No alien sinner was ever instructed to "pray through" as taught by some sectarians. Alien sinners were taught the gospel, God's power to save(Romans 1:16). After obedience, they were instructed to pray. Even in the Old Testament, it was said, "He that turneth away his ear form hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination"(Proverb 28:9). And, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the upright is his delight"(Proverb 15:8). There are many passages in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that teach one must first be obedient to God and then one has the privilege of prayer. Do you have that privilege?
"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight"(I John 3:22). The condition for acceptable prayer is outlined by the apostle. One much keep the commands and do what is pleasing to God to be heard by Jehovah. A person becomes a child of God by obedience to the gospel(Romans 1:16). The child has a right to make requests to the father. When a person becomes a Christian, the privilege(and responsibility) of prayer is available. The alien sinner(one not obedient to the Lord) does not have such favor until submission to the gospel commands. In the gospel of Christ, no one was instructed to pray before that person obeyed the truth and became a disciple. The same is true today since we live under that New Covenant.
"For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was"(James 1:23). There are many who will listen to someone preach the word; there are few who will apply the principles that are taught. It is one thing to listen; it is another to obey. It takes both listening(learning) and responding for one to be acceptable to God. Once a person learns the gospel of Christ, understanding the commands of God, that one should obey the word of God and make every effort to be faithful. The same writer, James, would say, "Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith"(2:24). Works are made possible by faith; faith is manifest in works. Of course, those works must be those commanded by God for faith only will not save.
"But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing"(James 2:25). It is unfortunate that some religious teachers will tell a person that "works" have nothing to do with salvation. It is true that the works commanded by men, i. e., those that come from denominations creeds and doctrines, have nothing to do with one being saved, and, in fact, will cause one to be lost. However, the commands of God are given for humans to obey in order to please God. Their very existence in the gospel proves their necessity. One must be a "doer that worketh" in order to be acceptable to God. James emphasized that such a one "would be blessed in his doing"(obeying). Let no one deceive you into believing that one does not have to obey the commands of God. That is what a command is for: to obey.
"If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his own tongue, but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain"(James 1:27). A "vain" religion is an empty religion. It does not have any value in God's sight. One may think that he is all right in the Lord's eyes, but James, an inspired man, says otherwise. A person can trust his heart and believe he is OK in the sight of God, but that does not make it true. Notice that James is speaking of one who "thinketh himself to be religious." One's personal thinking is not the standard; God's word is the standard. However much one's heart or conscience approves one's conduct, only the standard God reveals through the Gospel is the power to be saved. All appeals to what is in one's heart is vain unless based upon the revealed word of God.
"Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world"(James 1:27). We live in an institutional oriented society. One is given the opportunity to send a few dollars to some human institution and the conscience is salved because he is practicing "pure religion." That is not what this passage is teaching. Rather, James is teaching that one has an obligation as an individual to do what he/she can in relieving the needs of others. Providing a hungry person with a meal; seeing that a fatherless child has clothing and shelter; relieving the needs of those who are widowed, this is what the scriptures teach. What I do as an individual is what God looks at. James added that one is to live an "unspotted" life of righteousness. What kind of religion do you practice?
"Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"(James 1:21). When one desires to please God, all wickedness must be renounced. It is to be replaced by the guidance of the word of God. Only in this manner can one be saved. As one continues to walk the pathways of life, the implanted word will daily guide one in the paths of righteousness. It is the only guide that we have; it is the only guide that we need in regard to spiritual matters and religious principles since the aim of the word of God is to save one from sin. When one believes the gospel, repents of one's sins, confesses Christ before men, and is baptized for the remission of sins, a journey toward heaven is begun because one has renounced sin and the word of God is saving one's soul. Have you started on that journey?
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled"(Matthew 5:6). Jesus came into the world to satisfy the spiritual needs of mankind. He offers salvation through the practice of righteousness. It is offered freely to all mankind. Whatever one's status in life, whatever one's background, and, however badly one has behaved in the past, the Lord is willing to accept that person upon the person's acceptance of the gospel of Christ and obedience to His commands. However, one must desire, that is, thirst after righteousness as Jesus said, before any effort will be made to fill one's life with the good things found in obedience to the Lord's will. Jesus offers eternal life through his death. But one must be motivated to walk in the paths of righteousness. After what do you hunger and thirst?
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). It is not easy to offer mercy to one who has offended or hurt you. Yet, God was merciful enough to sinful humanity to send his only begotten Son into this sin-cursed world to die for you and me, as well as the rest of humanity. The quality of mercy separates the righteous from the unrighteous. To be like the Lord wants humans to be, one must cultivate this quality. When one has sinned against you, hurt you, and despised you, yet-- asks for mercy, it is only right to extend such. Jesus has pointed out that when one sins against a disciple, he must be willing to continue to forgive upon the person's repentance. This is true mercy. Consider: how could I ask God for his mercy unless I am willing to be merciful to others? Start practicing mercy today by forgiving those who hurt you.
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). To cleanse one's heart of evil desires and ambitions is the goal of a righteous person. The pure in heart of whom Jesus speaks prepare themselves to someday "see God" or dwell with God in eternity. The New Testament emphasizes in many passages the necessity of a pure heart and a pure life. In a society that seems bent on approving every sin and justifying all kinds of immoral activity, it is not easy to remain "pure in heart." Yet, one can, with the help of God through submission to his will, be purified and resolve to live a life of pure thoughts and righteous actions. In addition, when we slip into impurities, the same Lord is willing to receive us back into his graces if we will give up that which made us impure. Are you striving to be pure in God's sight?
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God"(Matthew 5:9). No right thinking person enjoys strife. Peace is the goal of those who would please the God of heaven. That peace comes from God through our obedience to His will. One can make peace with God; make peace with self; and make peace with others. This absence of conflict will motivate a person to be productive in the practice of righteousness. Jesus has been called "the prince of Peace." He did what no human could do. He provided a way to have peace with God by mankind following His will. He provided a way to have peace with others by teaching, through his example and words, how to live among fellow humans. The plan for peace in all areas has been revealed by God's Son through the New Testament. It teaches a way of peace. Do you know that peace?
"Peace be unto you all that are in Christ" were the final words of the apostle Peter in his first book(I Peter 5:14). Peace is the absence of conflict. Peter desired that Christians live in peace with God, with their brethren, and, whenever possible, with those in the world. Jesus is the great peacemaker for he can, through his will, provide peace of mind and heart to those who are willing to obey Him. Do you have that peace of mind? Can you pillow your head at night in peace, knowing that should you never see another day, you can face God in judgment with the knowledge that you served him faithfully? While men seek peace in many different ways, the only way to have spiritual peace for one's soul is through the gospel of Christ. we urge you to learn the will of Christ as revealed in the gospel and follow that way of peace for all of your life.