Two Minutes With The Bible II

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

Many of you got used to reading Two Minutes With The Bible, posted daily here by Ambassador4Christ. I got such a blessing from it that I subscribed to it. It is something wonderful to add to your devotions and daily Bible Study.

I miss Ambassador4Christ and the many beautiful messages he posted here. I just got permission from the Berean Bible Society to keep posting Two Minutes With The Bible on Christians Unite. I will do my best to post it daily until Ambassador4Christ returns to Christians Unite.

In Christ,
Tom

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 18

WITHOUT THE LAW

In Rom. 3:21,22 we find a most striking statement:

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.
being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

"Even the righteousness of God, which is by.. .Jesus Christ. .. unto
all and upon all them that believe...."

The "righteousness of God," bestowed upon believers,
apart from the Law? Do you believe that? This is difficult
for many people, especially religious people, to accept, yet
here it is in the written Word of God: "Now the righteous-
ness of God without the law is manifested." And the passage
goes on to say that the Law and the prophets bear witness
that this is righteousness indeed, for it is the righteousness
of Christ freely conferred upon the believer.

But how shall we interpret the words "But now," in this
passage? When was this "bestowed righteousness" first
manifested or revealed? At Calvary? No, there it was pur-
chased for us, but not yet proclaimed. Under our Lord’s
"great commission" to His eleven apostles, then? No, not
one record of this commission contains one word about justi-
fication through the finished work of Christ at Calvary.

Was it at Pentecost, then, that Christ’s righteousness was
first proclaimed for the remission of sins? No, not even at
Pentecost. There convicted hearers were still told to "re-
pent, and be baptized... for the remission of sins" (Acts
2:38).

It was not until Paul that this blessed message went
forth. It was Paul, and no one until Paul, who declared:
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is mani-
fested."

This is appropriate, since Paul was the chief of sinners,
saved by grace, and through him God could now send forth
the glorious message that sinners may be saved by grace,
through faith in the One who died for their sins.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:   
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com      

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 19

CONDEMNATION AND DEATH -- RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE

Contrasting the New Covenant with the Old, the Apostle
points out that "the letter," with its requirements and pen-
alties, "killeth." Therefore the dispensation of the Law is
called "the ministration of condemnation" and "the ministra-
tion of death" (II Cor. 3:7,9).

The ministration of the Law began in a blaze of glory.
Mount Sinai was "altogether on a smoke... as the smoke of
a furnace." There were thunderings and lightnings and an
earthquake. There was the sound of a trumpet, "exceeding
loud." There was the glorious Shekinah cloud in which God
Himself appeared and "spake all these words" (Ex. 19:9-
20:1).

But ere Moses had even come down from the mount with
the tables of stone, the people were breaking the very first
commandment, dancing like heathen about a golden calf.

>From here on the administration of the Law took on
another aspect. Judgment had to be pronounced and pen-
alties inflicted. Nor could any escape its just sentence of
condemnation and death. What had begun in glory led but
to gloom, "because the law worketh wrath...“ (Rom. 4:15).

"...for it is written: cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. 3:10).

But there can be no gloom associated with the ministra-
tion of the New Covenant, says the Apostle, for under it
righteousness and life are administered to all who will re-
ceive them by faith. And this because the claims of the Old
Covenant were fully met by Christ at Calvary. Thus the
ministration of the New Covenant outshines the ministra-
tion of the Old in every respect.

But was not the New Covenant made "with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah," rather than with the
Church of our day? Yes, but with Israel’s rejection of Christ
and her temporary blindness the blessings of the New Cov-
enant are now bestowed by grace upon those who do receive
Christ. Hence, it was not Peter or the twelve, but Paul who,
with his associates, was made an "able minister of the New
Testament" (II Cor. 3:6).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 20

SIN KILLS -- CHRIST SAVES

The Bible clearly states that "as many as have sinned
without law shall also perish without law; and as many as
have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law" (Rom.
2:12).

Some people overlook or forget the fact that entirely
apart from the Law, sin kills. This is evident on every
hand. Envy, hate, vice and profligate living dissipate the
human frame and destroy it.

This is why so many in pagan lands barely live out half
their lives. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death"
entirely apart from law and judgment.

But Rom. 2:12 goes on to say that "as many as have sin-
ned in the law shall be judged by the law." Let’s think this
through too.

Here, let’s say, is a man who begins to take narcotics. He
gets deeper and deeper into drug addiction, and has to cheat
and steal to get the money to buy more. Soon his life is
ruined; he’s a human wreck -- entirely apart from the law.

But now the law catches up with him and there is a new
situation. He is taken to court and found guilty and sent to
jail. This is the legal penalty for his crime, a crime which
was destroying him anyway. So the Law is of no help to
sinners; it only adds the just condemnation of sin to the
natural -- and deplorable -- results of sin.

How wonderful, then, to know that the death of Christ is
so complete a solution to man’s twofold problem! Romans 5
explains how Christ, at Calvary, came to our rescue, both in
our helplessness and in the condemnation that spelled our
doom.

Ver. 6: "When we were yet without strength... Christ died for the
ungodly."

Ver. 8: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 21

THE NATURE OF GRACE

To a young Christian who kept bemoaning his failures
and lack of spiritual growth, and wondering how God could
love him, a more mature believer responded substantially
as follows:

"When I leave here and return to my home I will pick up
my little baby girl and put her on my knee. Tired as I am, I
will dandle her on my knee and, somehow, looking into that
darling face and those pretty blue eyes, I will soon feel
rested and refreshed.

"This is strange, in a way, for she does not love me. She
doesn’t even know what love is.

"She doesn’t appreciate my problems and has no sym-
pathy for me. My heart can be burdened with grief or filled
with anxiety, and my mind vexed with difficult problems,
but she doesn’t even know or care. She just keeps gurgling
and giggling at the attention I lavish upon her.

"She doesn’t contribute one cent toward the needs of our
family; indeed, she costs me a great deal of money and will
for years to come. Yet I love that child more than I can say.
There is no sacrifice I would not make for her; no good
thing I would not gladly give her."

Such is the grace of God toward us, His children. It does
not depend upon our faithfulness to Him or our apprecia-
tion of His love to us. He loves us with an unspeakable love
and keeps lavishing upon us "the riches of His grace" sim-
ply because we are His children in Christ, the Beloved One.

And strangely, is it not precisely this fact that proves to
be our greatest incentive to give ourselves to Him in loving
service and sacrifice as we grow in grace?

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 22

THE REIGN OF GRACE

It is amazing that God should still send forth the good
news of His grace in a world where His Word and will are
increasingly despised.

The growing wickedness of "this present evil age," of
course, only emphasizes the true character of grace, for
grace is the mercy and love of God toward those who do
not deserve it (See Eph. 2:2-6).

It is interesting to observe that while the four "Gospels"
and the Acts take up twice as much space in our Bibles as
the Epistles of St. Paul, yet the word "grace," in the orig-
inal, appears only 27 times in the "Gospels" and the Acts,
while it occurs 107 times in the Pauline epistles: a ratio
of 27 to 214 in favor of the Pauline epistles! Furthermore,
only a very few times in the "Gospels" and the Acts is the
doctrine of grace referred to, while in the Epistles of Paul
almost every reference has to do with the doctrine of God’s
love and favor to undeserving sinners.

True, "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," but it was
not manifested at His birth, or even during His earthly
life, for He lived and died under the Law (Gal. 4:4,5). As
"the law was given by Moses," not at his birth, nor when
a prince in Pharaoh’s court, nor yet when he served with
his father-in-law in the desert, nor even when he returned
to deliver Israel from Egypt, but years later at Sinai, so
"grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," not at His birth,
nor during His earthly ministry, nor even during His resur-
rection appearances, but after His ascension to heaven,
when He committed the dispensing of it to Paul (Eph. 3:
1-4).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[Royo]

Thank you so much Tom.
These are what I really miss about the Ambassador also. We all fellowship with each other, but so many times he would just throw the Word of God out there for us to read.

You have again shown yourself the Pastor of this forum. Keep up the good work, it is greatly appreciated. Especially these today: I love Romans.

Your brother in the Lord.  Roy.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Brother Roy,

You are most welcome. I hope that Two Minutes with the Bible blesses you as much as it does me. I think that a devotion and Bible Study is a good way to start the day and end the day. What happens between those times is then put into perspective by HIS WORD.

In Christ,
Tom

[Allinall]

Just call me perceptive...but when did A4C leave and where did he go?  

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 23

THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST

"...the righteousness of God... by [the] faith of Jesus Christ, unto
all and upon all them that believe" (Rom. 3:22).

Note, the Apostle Paul here does not refer to faith in
Christ, but the faith of Christ. Nor does he refer to what
Christ believed, but rather to His worthiness to be believed,
His fidelity, His trustworthiness.

We must not forget that faith is a reciprocal matter; it is
two-sided. One side is objective; it believes in another. The
other is subjective; it is a trustworthy character. One refers
to what a person does; the other to what he is. If I have
faith in you, you should keep faith with me; you should be
trustworthy.

Seven times in St. Paul’s epistles he refers to "the faith of
Christ" and each time his purpose is to emphasize our
Lord’s worthiness of our complete confidence. That he does
not refer to our faith in Christ is evident on the surface in
each case. In the passage above he declares that the right-
eousness of God, which is "by the faith of Christ," is con-
ferred "upon all them that believe" (Here’s your faith in
Him).

Similarly, in Gal. 3:22 he states that "the Scripture hath
concluded all under sin, that the promise, by faith of Jesus
Christ, might be given to "them that believe." Here again,
we believe because He is worthy of our confidence.

Again in Phil. 3:9, the Apostle expresses his desire for a
righteousness not of his own, "but that which is through the
faith of Christ" -- and then adds: "the righteousness which is
of God by faith." Here’s man’s faith again! He has faith in
Christ because Christ is completely faithful, completely
worthy to be believed in. He paid the full penalty for our
sins and is now in heaven dispensing the merits of Calvary
-- riches of grace, mercy and forgiveness.

But remember, "the faith of Christ" always precedes our
faith in Christ. What good would it do us to believe in Him
for salvation if He were not wholly to be relied upon for
this? But He can be trusted "to save... to the uttermost
[all] who come unto God by Him" (Heb. 7:25). This is why
Paul could say to the terrified jailor at Philippi: "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Just call me perceptive...but when did A4C leave and where did he go?  

Oklahoma Howdy to Allinall,

Ambassador4Christ and Brother Love both left the forum on September 17th. Neither one of them said where they were going, but both said they might be back next year.

I'm not aware of any problems, and I could only guess where they went. My best guess would be some sort of mission work or trip.

In Christ,
Tom

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 24

GRACE TODAY AND TOMORROW

Paul learned what thousands upon thousands of God’s
saints have learned from his day to ours: that it is often
more blessed to experience God’s grace in suffering than to
enjoy deliverance from suffering, for in the former case we
lean the harder and pray the more, and so are drawn closer
to Him. Moreover, we find that His strength is made perfect
in weakness and that when we are weak, then are we
strong (II Cor. 12:9,10).

But even better things are in store for God’s people:

Some day, "in the ages to come," God will display to all
the universe "the exceeding riches of His grace." How will
He do this? "In His kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

Dear reader, have you accepted the grace of God in Christ
Jesus? Do you believe that He loves you and that He "came
into the world" to bear all the blame and shame and pun-
ishment that was your due, so that you might be "justified
freely by His grace" (Rom. 3:24)?

If not, will you take Him at His Word now and come to
know the truth of II Cor. 4:15:

"For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."

Whatever your past; however great or many your sins,
take God at His Word. Believe that He loves you in spite of
all. Believe that He has already provided the payment for
your sins in Christ:

"In whom we have redemption. through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 25

A LITTLE LEAVEN AND LOST BLESSING

It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine from Paul’s
Epistle to the Galatians, just what the Galatian believers
thought the rite of circumcision would accomplish for them
spiritually. We doubt that they knew themselves, but the
Judaizers had come in among them and had captured their
attention so that these, who had been so gloriously saved by
grace, now "desired to be under the law" (Gal. 4:21). They
did not deny the efficacy of the finished work of Christ, but
they were interested -- just interested -- in submitting to a
religious ceremony which would in itself be a denial of the
all-sufficiency of His redemptive work (3:1; 5:2-4). Result:
the blessing was already vanishing (5:14) and the Apostle
had to warn them: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump" (5:9). You can’t admit a little leaven and expect it to
stop there.

With the Corinthians it was rather a case of countenanc-
ing moral wrong. One of their members had been living in
grievous sin. But then, their number was large, and he was
just one, and the congregation as a whole abounded in spir-
itual gifts. Feeling quite satisfied with themselves, there-
fore, they simply overlooked this disgrace to the name of
Christ. But listen to Paul’s -- God’s -- view of the matter:

"And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that
hath done this deed might be taken away from among you" (I Cor.
5:2).

"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a lithe leaven leav-
eneth the whole lump?

"Purge out therefore the old leaven..." (Vers. 6,7).

In these days when both spiritual error and moral wrong
are made so palatable, when apostate unbelief and worldli-
ness are presented so appetizingly, we do well to take heed
to the Spirit’s warning to quickly purge out the "little leav-
en" that threatens to permeate the whole loaf.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 26

STANDING WHATEVER THE COST

When the Babylonian multitudes prostrated themselves
in worship before the golden god which Nebuchadnezzar
had erected, three young Hebrews refused to bow and re-
mained standing, erect and alone.

When called before Nebuchadnezzar to answer for their
impudence and threatened with death in a fiery furnace,
they answered:

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us... but if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:17,18).

This is the stand every believer should take for God and
His truth. He is able to deliver us from persecution if we
stand true, but even if He does not see fit to do this we
should still stand alone, if necessary, for the light He has
given us from His Word.

Many have suffered temporary loss for standing for their
convictions. Hebrews 11 lists among the heroes of faith
some who were "tortured, not accepting deliverance," and
others who suffered "trial of cruel mockings and scourgings
...bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they
wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being desti-
tute, afflicted, tormented" (Heb. 11:35-37).

But we read that these all "obtained a good report" before
God and looked forward to "a better resurrection" (Vers.
35,39).

As the apostasy rises all about us and those who stand
for God’s truth are often ridiculed and despised, may God
give us the grace to stand true regardless of the cost, re-
membering that any sufferings for Christ are only tem-
porary while the rewards will be eternal.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750

[nChrist]

Subject: Two Minutes With The Bible - Sep 27

BAPTISM AND THE REMISSION OF SINS

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

The twelve apostles preached and practiced exactly this.
When Peter’s hearers at Pentecost were convicted of their
sins and asked: “Men and brethren, what shall we do” Peter
did not tell them that Christ had died for their sins and that
they could receive salvation as the gift of God’s grace, apart
from religion or works. Rather he said:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

Years ago, in a series of debates on dispensationalism,
the author asked his opponent: “Suppose, after a Sunday
evening service, some of your hearers were convicted of
their sins and asked you and your co-workers: 'Men and
brethren, what shall we do?' Would you tell them what
Peter told his convicted sinners at Pentecost?” “Why, of
course!” he exclaimed. “In those words?” I persisted. He
thought for a moment and then replied: “Well, I guess not
exactly in those words.” The fact is that this pastor would
not at all have said to his hearers what Peter said to his.
Even though a Baptist, he would not have said: “Repent
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins,” for he believed that sub-
jection to water baptism should be left to each person’s
conscience, and he did not believe that it had anything to do
with salvation. He would doubtless have said to any in-
quirers what Paul said when the convicted Gentile jailor
asked: “What must I do to be saved?” Like Paul, he would
have replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved.. .“ (Acts 16:31). Peter at Pentecost preached
what he was commanded to preach under his commission:
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark
16:16), but when God raised up Paul, that other apostle, He
sent him to proclaim “the gospel of the grace of God” and the
finished work of Christ.

Written by Pastor Stam

Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email:
berean@execpc.com

Telephone:   262-255-4750