A Minute With The Bible Aired during November, 2001 Colossians 3: 19 states, "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." The message in the New Testament is very plain: love your mate! The primary reason that the majority of marriages of today will end in divorce is because of the lack of love. What you love, you treasure. What you love, you keep. What you love, you care about and want nothing unpleasant to happen to the object of your affection. My young friend, make sure that you love the one whom you intend to marry. According to the Lord's word, it is a lifetime relationship. The building of animosity between mates grows over months(and years), until there is a point that two people will no longer live together. To avoid such a condition, love your mate, care for their needs, encourage them in despair, and always treat them as you would be treated. It works--there are many Christians who can prove the truth of this statement.
Jesus said plainly, "If you love me, ye will keep my commandments"(John 14:15). When you love someone, you try to please them. When one loves Jesus Christ, he will do all within his/her power to follow the will of the Lord. In daily lives, in the home, at work, at play, at rest, or any other time, one who loves the Lord will observe his Word, following his will. It is not possible to love one whom we do not respect. When we show due reverence to the Lord, we will search out and obey his will. A child shows love by obeying parents. A citizen shows respect to the government by obedience. A mate demonstrates affection through the treatment of one's spouse. Even parents extend love to their children, when they must be corrected and punished. Is it any less important for us to show our love to the God who made us by obeying what He revealed in the New Testament?
The apostle Paul was "opening and alleging that it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ"(Acts 17:3). The apostle is addressing those Hebrews as he describes the Lord, and the sacrifice that he made for them. All was not lost, Jesus rose from the dead never to die again. To those who listened, he would become their savior through obedience to His will. Whether one was a Hebrew or a Gentile, both needed the saving power of the resurrection. It is not different in our day. The only hope that we have for eternal salvation is in Jesus Christ. He suffered and died for each one of us. In that death, he opened the path to salvation by which all of us, through obedience to His will, can obtain eternal life. Yes, there is hope after death--that hope rests in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. Will you obey him for that hope?
The Lord assured disciples that they should not be "...afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell"(Matthew 10:28). The teachings of Christ often conflict with the ideas of men. Too many place a great value on physical life while neglecting to prepare the soul for eternal life. Men may destroy the physical but the soul will continue to exist. There is a proper kind of fear: the fear that one may not be pleasing to God, hence, unprepared for the judgment. While there is a natural fear as a result of being in the flesh, there should be a greater fear of the consequences of not pleasing God while in the flesh. The church of Christ preaches the gospel of Christ in its purity and simplicity, pleading with mankind to accept the teachings of the Lord and follow his commands and save one's soul.
Jesus Christ told the church at Laodicea, "As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent"(Revelation 3:19). The Lord, out of a love for the souls of men, is warning this congregation that they needed to correct their attitudes. They supposed themselves to be "rich" and did not have need of anything, but, in reality, they were "lukewarm" and must repent in order to be pleasing to Jehovah. He reproved them because he cared for their souls. Even in this life, we reprove or rebuke those for whom we care. If they are in danger, we immediately try to protect them. If they are hurting, we try to encourage them. When a Christian rebukes or reproves, it is with the desire to guide one in the paths of righteousness. The church of Christ follows the New Testament and encourages all others to do so as well. Hence, we reprove and chasten those in sin with the goal of saving their souls in eternity.
As the apostle Paul preached to a man and his wife, "he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come" and the man "was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me"(Acts 24:25). When one hears the gospel, the time to respond is immediately. Do not wait for a convenient season to change your life: do it now! Our world is fragile, at best. Our lives are fragile, at best. We do not know the future of this world; we do not know how long we have to live upon this earth. Recent events should cause us to focus upon those things that are spiritual and prepare for the future. At best, we live upon this earth for a period of a "few days of trouble," then--we are gone. Felix was terrified and did not immediately respond to Paul's teaching. Do not be like Felix!
Genesis 2:15 reveals: "And Jehovah God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." The first gardener was Adam. It was his assigned task to work in Eden and see that God's earthly paradise was well kept. There are those who would seem to view work as a curse. Obviously, such is not true. It is honorable to work the soil that God made, it is honorable to groom and care for that which grows in the soil, and it is honorable to take the responsibility of following the instructions of Jehovah. Even Adam's children(Cain and Abel) were to work. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. Both occupations were honorable then and they are honorable at present. The soil and the animals supply our needed nourishments. An honorable occupation is part of the life of a Christian. Paul said it, "...let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good" (Ephesians 4:28).
Genesis 3:12-13 states, "And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat...and the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Excuses are not new ideas. They existed from the beginning as this couple tried to excuse themselves for violating the commands of God. Excuses are offered in every realm of life. They are most detrimental when it comes to moral and religious conduct. Eve was not excused; Adam was not excused. They did what God had forbidden; now they must pay the penalty. No excuse would cancel their fate; they would be cast forth from the garden and denied access to the tree of life. The excuses offered today by those who refuse to follow the instructions of God will not prevail in the day of judgment. Do not make excuses for sinful behavior: admit the sin, accept the guilt and resolve to do what God commands to make such right.
Genesis 6:5-6 reveals, "And Jehovah 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. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Sin had been introduced into the world by the eating of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve. As time progressed, the hearts of men became more evil and sin ruled the multitudes. They became so evil that God determined to destroy man from the face of the earth. Sin always exacts a price: if not in this life, in the next. This ancient problem still exists. Even the examples we find in the Bible of the punishment of iniquity seem to have little, if any, effect on the multitude. Each one of us are moral creatures, with the power to choose between what is right and what is sin. We encourage you to always make the right choice.
Genesis 11:8-9 reveals, "So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence against the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city. Therefore the name of it is called Babel; because Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth: and for thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth." The flood had occurred; the population of the earth was increasing; those who were now on the earth wanted to stay together to "make us a name." It was God's will that they populate the earth following the flood. What they proposed opposed the will of God and the Lord created different languages(means of communication) in order for them to "scatter" and do as He had commanded. The result: the earth was populated and the will of God was fulfilled. The lesson for us is plain: the Lord's will is to be followed. We encourage you to read and study the New Testament; then, accept and obey the commands.
The first marriage is revealed in Genesis 1:23, "And the man said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Henceforth, Eve is referred to as Adam's wife. It is evident God desired that the first two be compatible to one another. He could not find any other creature that would be suitable for a human. Thus, he took a rib from Adam's side and created a woman. Then, she was brought to the man and became his wife. Marriage is an honorable estate because Jehovah created it. When men respect what God said and what God did, marriage can be a taste of paradise upon the earth. When men tamper with the will of God in regard to marriage, only disaster will result. The Lord made one woman for one man for a lifetime. The Lord has not changed his will but many of our time have ignored the plain instructions of God and bring upon themselves much misery.
The apostle Paul taught, in Colossians 3:18-19, "Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." What a needed passage at present. The Lord designed the home and gave responsibilities to each member of the home. The Word of God states that wives are to be subject to husbands. Paul is not teaching that a husband is some sort of taskmaster, holding the mate under one's thumb. Rather, he is discussing the order in the home. Note that he went on to say that husbands are to love their wives and treat them accordingly. The Lord's plan is the best plan. It solves problems, enhances marriages, and draws husband and wife closer together. Whatever problems arise would be solved in the hearts of the mates, not in a divorce court. It is a tragedy in our time that broken homes exist in every community. How sad for the children who suffer because God's word is ignored.
Colossians 3:21 states, "Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged." The word provoke carries the idea of stirring up, to excite(in a wrong sense). It is right to stir up children to achieve in a right way; it is wrong to stir up a child by continually aggravating and harassing a child. It is right to excite children in order to help them accomplish tasks and ambitions; it is wrong to antagonize to the point they are so frustrated they cannot achieve their capabilities. Many a child has been discouraged because of the expectations of parents. When parents expect more of a child than the child can achieve, such is wrong. When parents try to make a child in their own image rather than understanding the capabilities of the child, such is wrong. Children have a right to be encouraged; they have a right to be guided; they have a right to be accepted. When children are properly treated and appreciated for their own abilities, they will be self-motivated.
The apostle Paul, in Colossians 4:1, stated, "Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven." Jesus taught that "whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them." If you are an employer, how would you want your employee to treat you if the role was reversed? Proper treatment of those over whom we have "power" is the correct way to deal with others. The Lord wants us to be just in all situations. He desires that we treat all men with the fairness Paul expressed in this passage. Someday, we will stand in the presence of Jehovah. How do you and I want the Lord to treat us? Would we desire mercy or harshness? Will we want to be judged as we have judged others? Such sobering thoughts should bring each of us to a self-examination of our treatment of others. How would we score?
When Adam and Eve were in the garden, after they sinned, the Lord confronted them about their transgression. Adam responded by saying, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate"(Genesis 3:12). Blaming others for our mistakes and sins has followed every generation to the present age. It is not easy to acknowledge what I have done that is not pleasing to God, but it is right. When one makes a mistake, simply confess to the error. When one sins against God, acknowledge the wrong. Do not try to blame others for what I have done, but face up to what has occurred. The result will make one a better person and cause one to realize his or her own failures. Trying to excuse oneself from sin or error solves nothing. Learning to face up to one's weakness opens up an avenue to improve. Whom did you blame today for your mistakes?
The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 2:8, stated, "For by grace you have been saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." All of the meritorious works that one might perform cannot, and will not, make one righteous in God's sight. It takes more that simply being a person who goes about life helping and assisting others. It takes more than the sacrifices that are made for those whom we love or even our enemies. Such works benefit the giver; such works benefit the receiver, but that does not insure one pleases God. Faith must be present in order for one to satisfy the requirements set forth in God's word. Faith will lead one to obey the truth, continue faithful to the New Testament, and practice what God commands. Faith alone avails nothing(even the demons believe); a working faith that obeys the will of Christ is a saving faith. The grace of God offers salvation to mankind; a willingness to accept that grace through obedience obtains salvation.
The apostle Paul recognized he needed the Lord and His mercy when he wrote in I Timothy 1:13, "...even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief." The mercy was extended to Saul of Tarsus because he was willing to accept his guilt when he learned that Jesus Christ was his savior. When he harmed disciples of Christ, he did it in ignorant zeal, believing he was doing God service. In the mercy of the Lord, when Saul of Tarsus turned from his transgressions, accepting and obeying the gospel of Christ, he was forgiven. Recognizing the mercy of God, he is now Paul the apostle. For the rest of his life, he would remember how merciful Jehovah had been to him. Paul did not hesitate to speak of that mercy and how he benefited from the Lord's care for him and for all of mankind. The church of Christ accepts and teaches what the scriptures reveal about God's mercy.
The Christians at Colossae were told by the apostle Paul, in Colossians 1:14, "...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." These disciples understood that God, and God alone, can forgive our sins. No human, whether a pontiff, a priest, or a preacher, can absolve one of those sins. Only the blood of Christ can bring that redemption, through obedience to God. For one to receive the remission of sins, the sinner must believe in Jesus Christ, turn from transgressions in repentance, confess Christ before men, be buried in water baptism, resolving to live a faithful life, dedicated to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul and all the inspired men taught this plan in order to obtain remission of sins. Have you followed the plan revealed in the New Testament?July, 1999 August, 1999 September, 1999 October, 1999 November, 1999 December, 1999 January, 2000 June, 2000 July, 2000 August, 2000 September, 2000 October, 2000 December, 2000 January, 2001 February, 2001 March, 2001 April, 2001 May, 2001 June, 2001 July, 2001 August, 2001 September, 2001 October, 2001 December, 2001 January, 2002 February, 2002 March, 2002 April, 2002 May, 2002