Daily Inspirational

[Brother Love]

WHAT IS GRACE?





"The father of lies" always hates the truth, but he does not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of light, sug-gesting that surely a God of love will not condemn Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11 teach that "[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"? And thus God Him-self is supposed to have conceived the idea of sin as "a gracious means to a glorious
end," and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He might finally save him from it!

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is
not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility for it -- except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for man.

God calls sinners "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:2,3), explain-ing in the clearest language that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God
should remember that He proclaimed His standards of righteousness in the Law "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God"
(Rom. 3:19).

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the undeserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners "children of disobed-ience" and therefore "children of wrath," the Apostle  Paul goes on to say:

"BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith He loved us... hath quickened us... raised us up... and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ  Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).

By C.R. Stam
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

THE WAY OF LIFE
by Charles Wages







 

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth Speaking the Truth in Love


 

         “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Lystra; what persecutions I endured; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” (2Tim. 3:10-11)

            If there is one aspect of human life that all agree on, it is that all human beings are different.  In other words, there are individual differences among all people. However, there are similarities as well.  In our text the apostle Paul enumerates seven characteristics of his “manner of life.”  They are doctrine (teaching), way of living, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity (love), and patience.  These pretty well sum up a person’s personality as well as way or manner of living.  In Acts 26:1-5 the apostle, in his appearance before King Agrippa, told of his early life as a Jew and Pharisee.  This, no doubt affected his life almost completely before his dramatic conversion and salvation as recorded in Acts chapter nine.  He was among those who “had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof” as stated in 2 Timothy 3:5.  However, the seven virtues mentioned in our text were a part of his life as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

            It is more than interesting that he mentions, “teaching” first.  You see, his early life was influ-enced by his religious teachings as a Hebrew and as a Pharisee.  A person’s life is greatly influenced by their early years especially in a certain religion.  That is the reason so many religions want children born into their group or at least, at an early age.  However, when one is born into God’s family, especially at an early age, his or her manner of life is greatly changed.  However, they must be taught to really live for the Lord.  The teaching of Script-ure is extremely important in determining our “manner of life.”

            This “mnner of life” can be divided into three areas:
1.                  Act of living – this is how others see us.
2.                  Way of living – this is our desires and actions that we have within ourselves, whether anyone sees us or not.
3.                  Manner of living – this involves our purpose and reason for living.


           All of these three are closely related and important, but we need to know how to live.  That’s where the teachings of God’s Word plays the vital role.  However, each individual is responsible how he or she acts or reacts to the teachings of God’s Word.  Also, we all need all the help we can get to live the life God desires for us.  Paul had to learn before he could say what he did to the Philippians:

          “I can do all things through Christ who strength-eneth me.”  (Phil. 4:13)

           Paul was faithful in telling his son in the faith, Timothy,

         “Let no man despise they youth; but be thou an example of the believer in word, in conversation (manner of life), in charity (love), in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  (1Tim. 4:12)

         Also, in order to have a godly “manner of life” we need the help of others, that is, other believers who love the Lord and His Word.  These “helps” can and should include:

·        Communion
·        Companionship
·        Comfort

         The “Communion” that is really spiritual and Scriptural is wonderfully described in Philippians 2:1-2,

          “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

            Communion is the sharing of common exper-iences and interests by Christians.  It is having in common, not only the joys, but the sufferings of “others of like precious faith.”  Companionship is not only sharing, but serving with other believers, and comfort is what we can give to those who suffer as we all do.

            Finally, we need to share this manner of life, this way of living, with the lost of this world.  This wonderful life can become a selfish life if we are not careful.  We must not only share our blessings, we must share our beliefs.
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

TRUE LIBERTY





As true Americans celebrate their liberty, true Christians should rejoice in the even greater liberty which they have in Christ.

Our Lord said: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" and "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:32,36). Likewise St. Paul de-clares that believers in Christ have been made "free from sin" and have become "ser- vants to God," who deals with us in grace (Rom. 6:22).

It is strange that so many sincere religious people actually wish to be in bondage to the Mosaic Law, which can only judge and con-demn them for their sins. Peter called the law: "a yoke... which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15:10). Paul called it "the handwriting of decrees, that was against us, which was contrary to us" (Col. 2:14). He called it "the ministration of death" and "the ministration of condemnation" (II Cor. 3:7,9).

He challenged those who "desired" to be under the law:

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?" (Gal. 4:21).

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; 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).

Thank God, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13). Man always responds better to grace than to law. The law was "added
because of transgressions" (Gal. 3:19). "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). But Christ died for our sins and now true believers serve God from gratitude and love.
Hence Rom. 6:14 says: "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace." Since Christ has re-deemed us from the law (Gal. 4:5) God says to every true believer:

"Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty where-with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal.5:1).

By C. R. Stam
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Daily Inspirational

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW




"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight..." (Rom. 3:20).

It is strange that so many sincere people can so misunderstand God’s written Word as to suppose that He gave the Law "to help us to be good" or "as a rule of life."

The Law was not given to help us to be good, but rather to show us that we are sinners and need a Savior. Rom. 3:22,23 says that "there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." How foolish, then, to look to the Law for help. Though the Law provides for just trial it does not help the criminal; it condemns him. Thus the Bible teaches that the Law was given:

"That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19).

"For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20).

"The law entered that the offense might abound" (Rom. 5:20).

"That sin by the commandment might be-come exceeding sinful" (Rom. 7:13).

"It was added because of transgressions" (Gal. 3:19).

This leads us to St. Paul’s great conclusion:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (Rom. 3:20).

This makes sense, for doing a few "good" things cannot right the wrongs we have done. Good is what we should do, hence we should not expect to be rewarded for it.

But, thank God, "Christ died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and "by Him all who believe are justified" (Acts 13:39).

"Therefore we conclude that a man is ustified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28).

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts16:31).

By C.R. Stam
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Daily Inspirational

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

THE APOSTLE OF GRACE





Did you know that St. Paul was chosen by God as the apostle of grace? He was God’s great example of grace, the "chief of sinners" saved by grace (1 Tim. 1:12-16). To him was committed "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph.3:2). He was sent forth to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

Paul wrote far more about grace than any other Bible writer. All his epistles open or close (or both) with the salutation "Grace be to you." He declares: "We have redemption through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). He shows how this grace was planned for believers in ages past:

"Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and [His own] grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

He shows how this grace will be ours in ages to come:
"That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

He shows how this grace is greater than all our sins:
"Where sin abounded grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).

He shows how grace gives us a righteous standing before God: "Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

He shows how God’s grace has given be-lievers a position in heaven: "[He] hath... made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus... for by grace are ye saved, through faith...." (Eph. 2:6,8).

He shows how God’s grace is sufficient for our difficulties and can help us to live con-sistent Christian lives: "My grace is sufficient for thee" (II Cor. 12:9). "And God is able to
make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (II Cor. 9:.

Accept salvation "by grace, through faith" as "the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8,9), and eternal life is yours.

By C. R. Stam
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Daily Inspirational

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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

GOD'S GRACE & OUR SALVATION
By Pastor James R Gray



Ephesians 2:8-10 is the cornerstone of salvation in this age of grace. It should be near and dear to every believer. Let us grasp these truths:



GOD’S GRACE IS THE SOURCE OF OUR SALVATION.

Our salvation is not of works, but entirely and solely the result of the Grace of God! Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God toward those who do not deserve it. Grace is not withheld nor lessen because of our demerit (Rom. 6:20). It is not owed us, but freely comes to us to be accepted.

God is not indebted to manifest His grace. He does so because He wills to do so. John Eadie reminds us that:

God was under no obligation to save man, for His law might have taken its natural course and the penalty manaced and deserved might have been fully inflicted. Grace springs from His sovereign will, not for His essential nature. It is not an attribute, which must always manifest itself, but a prerogative either to be exercised or held in abeyance.1

GOD’S GRACE IS REVEALED.

God chooses to manifest His grace. Grace is revealed in two ways:

First, it was made known in an event of history. The Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God’s Grace. Titus 2:11, 3:4 tells us that the Grace of God “appeared” to man. The Greek word (epiphaino) is an indicative aorist passive, meaning that it was revealed in a point of time. The reference is to an historical event. This event was the coming of Christ some 1900 years ago to accomplish our redemption on the cross of Calvary. That event was a historical manifestation of God’s Grace. Grace is undeserved favor. His act was a visible display of pure grace and in no sense merited by man. God choose to display His Grace in the person and work of His Son. That event provided salvation for man.

Second, Grace is manifested in the gift of salvation. Salvation is the gift of God. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are saved by grace through faith, it is a gift of God. While some hold the gift here is faith, the Greek text does not seem to uphold such a view. Kenneth Wuest notes that:

The word “that” is touto, “this,” a demonstrative pronoun in the neuter gender. The Greek word “faith” is femine in gender and therefore touto could not refer to “faith.” It refers to the general ideal of salvation in this immediate context.2

Salvation is a gift of grace. Paul in Romans affirms salvation is a gift in Romans 5:15, 17; 6:23.

GOD’S GRACE IS RECEIVED THROUGH FAITH.

Faith is the channel through which the gift of salvation is received. The word “through” is a preposition of instrument, speaking of the means whereby one avails himself of this salvation by grace. Without the channel there is no way salvation can be given to man. One must believer: have faith in Christ (John 3:16).

We must note, however, that faith is not the cause of our salvation, simply the means by which we receive the gift of salvation. C.F. Baker reminds us:

Saving faith does not mean that faith itself is the Saviour. It is that faith in the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, which results in regeneration, the renewal of the inner man, and which imparts forgiveness of the penalty of sin…. This kind (of faith) includes not only mental assent to the truth and emotional feeling, but also the volitional element, the activity of the will in surrendering self to God and appropriating Christ as Saviour. It is a persuasion which results in trust and commitment.3

GOD’S GRACE EXCLUDES MERIT FOR SALVATION.

race and merit do not and cannot go together. For Paul “the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor (grace) but as what is due” (Rom. 4:4). He states that “if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace” (Rom. 11:6). To add merit in any way, shape or form destroys the Grace of God! Our salvation is apart from works (Titus 3:5), there is no room for us to boast. His Grace saves us, not our works.

GOD’S GRACE RESULTS IN GOOD WORKS.

Notice the order of good works. Good works can never save us. Salvation does result in good works. Ephesians 2:10 brings out the proper order of good works, which can never be reversed.

First, God works IN us. “We are His workmanship.” God is first of all active in us. We ourselves are a work, the handiwork of God, created anew in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

Second, as a result of His workmanship we can now begin to live with a view toward good works. We are never created in Christ BY good works, but rather FOR good works. As Lewis Sperry Chafer reminds us:

The work of God for man is first stated. After this, and growing out of this, is a new obligation that is the appeal for the faithful work of man for God. It is a reasonable demand for a life corresponding to the transformation, which God hath wrought in the believer through His saving grace.4

It must be noted that the assurance of our salvation is not by works, but by the power of God to keep us (1 Peter 1:5). In other words, we do not keep our salvation as a result of good works. God keeps us by His grace. It is His grace that saves us and empowers us to live for Him (Titus 2:11-12).

Copyright 2001 by James R Gray / Bible Magazine, www.BereanAdvocate.com, electronic media.  Used with authorization
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

COMPLETE IN CHRIST
by Pastor Dennis  Kizonas



In Colossians to 2:8-10 Paul writes:

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic  principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

    There is first, a warning: Beware!

There are Bible teachers who will try to cheat you (the word here would be better translated "capture you, or take you captive), they'll use philosophy, or deceit, or the traditions of men or the basic religious principles of the world, and they'll try to captivate you with these things rather than letting you be cap-tivated by Christ.  So, beware!

Then, Paul makes a great statement about the Lord Jesus Himself: "In Him all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily" We read here about the deity in humanity of the Lord Jesus.  "All the fulness of the Godhead" means nothing less than all the complete-ness of God-ness, everything that God is,
it all dwells in Jesus.  A statement like this could be made of no mere creature.  How could "all the fulness of God-ness" dwell in anyone less than God himself?

But then Paul adds that this fulness of God-ness dwells in a body ---- a human body.  We have a great statement here of the incarna-tion of the Lord Jesus, that He is both God and man.

Now Paul makes an application of this great truth concerning the Lord Jesus.  Because when a person puts his faith in the Lord Jesus, believing that He died for our sins on the cross, that He took the blame and paid the penalty for our sins, at that moment of faith, God saves that person and the Holy Spirit baptizes him into the Body of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:13).  Now think of this Body that we are baptized into ...

This body is the body in which dwells all the fulness of the God-ness.

    What does this mean to us?  Paul answers  in verse 10:
    "And you are complete in him...."

If He is the God-man, if in Him dwells all the fullness of God-ness in a body, and we are baptized into Him, into His body, by the Holy Spirit, then we could expect that the bless-ings that would flow to us would be astonishing.

Paul's word, "Complete," is usually translated "Filled" in other places in the Bible.  And he uses a perfect tense for this verb.  The per-fect tense describes an action that was com-pleted in the past but whose results continue in effect into the present.  We could translate v. 10: "You were filled  and are full in Him."  There are no "empty" members in the Body of Christ, not even any half-full members!  We are complete as members of his body, we were filled and are full in Him.

Here are Paul is touching upon the basic problem in the church at Colossae. They had become believers in the Lord Jesus.  They had heard about the grace of God from Epaphras, and had believed in the Lord (Colossians 1:6), but then other teachers came and who tried to persuade them that they needed something "more."  In chapter  two we read about all kinds of religious things and experiences that were being offered to the Colossians.  Holy days and seasons, rules about foods and drinks that you could eat or should not eat, about visions and self-imposed neglect of the body, etc.  All the elements of the world's religions.  But Paul writes to them and says, "Do you realize that you are members of the Body of Christ--you've become "bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh" (Ephesians 5:30)--and in that Body dwells all the fulness of God. How could you think that now you need some-thing 'more'?  You are complete in Him,  having been filled and now full in Him.

    Paul wrote, in the sister letter to Colossians, Ephesians 1:3.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

The moment that we believed in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we were baptized into Him (1 Corinthians 12:13) and sealed in Him    (Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30) and now in Him we have been blessed (past tense) with every (that's fullness!) Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  We start out the Christian life with every spiritual blessing at the first moment.  The rest of the life is a process of finding out in scripture all that we have, dis-covering the blessings and unwrapping them, and learning how they work in our   lives. We are complete in Him having been  filed and now being full, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Him.  Let's see what some of these blessings are.

Con't
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

COMPLETE IN CHRIST
Part two





The devotion ended yesterday with this statement let's see what some of these blessings are.  We are going to focus on this today.

The blessing of complete forgiveness.

Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through his blood to forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 2:13 And you,  being  dead in your trespasses and the  uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven  you all  trespasses,

Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Notice what Paul writes about our forgiveness in Christ.  In Colossians 1:14, we have as our present possession "the forgiveness of sins."  It is not something that we have to pray and ask for, or something that we have to beg God daily for.  It is something that we already have as our present possession.  When we read that we are complete in Him, we need to realize that part of our completeness, part of our filled and fullness, is the blessing of been forgiven, of already having the forgiveness of our sins.

In Colossians 2:13 Paul writes, " Having forgiven you all trespasses."  It is pass tense, something done in the past.  Not something that God has to continually repeat or add to.  And this forgiveness is total: "having forgiven you all tres-passes."  Everything is forgiven all our trespasses -- past, present, future -- all is paid for.

In the last verse about forgiveness, Colossians 3:13 Paul writes"

"bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

We note again that God's forgiveness of our sins is pass tense -- "even as Christ forgave you."  Again forgiveness is not something that God gives out little at a time, but something that He does once and for all in our lives the moment that we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. How many Christians would be delivered from a life of constant guilt and worry over their sins if they believed what God says, and believed that we really are "complete in Him."

Justified completely

Not only do we receive the blessing of forgiveness in Him, but we also receive the blessing of the "righteousness of God."

2 Corinthian is 5:21 For He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What is "righteousness" and how is it different from forgiveness?

To be forgiven means that we were in debt and God paid the debt for us.  Under the kingdom dispensation for Israel, the Lord instructed them (not us) to pray, Forgiveness has to do with paying the debt of sin. Forgiveness doesn't add  to us but it erases a lot out of our account

If I'm in debt get and I can't pay the debt, and then someone freely pays the debt for me, I still don't have any money, but I'm sure glad that I'm out from under the debt.  What peace of mind, what a relief to no longer be burdened.  But I'm now at zero.

"Righteousness" is all that God required of us to do, it is a positive thing.  The Bible says to stay away from sin (negative) and to do righteousness (positive).   Now God says that in Christ we have become the righteousness of God... all that  God required, demanded, expected us to do in a positive way, is now credited to our account in Christ. Now, not only are we forgiven for our sins, but God has counted us righteous in Christ, all He expected and required of us is now credited to us.

Paul wrote, "you are complete in him" -- completely forgiven and completely righteous in God's site and completely blessed in Him.

How righteous our we  in God's site in Christ?  Paul writes about this righteousness in Romans 8:33- 34  

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died and furthermore He is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall bring a charge against us?  Paul asks.  Certainly there are many charges that could be brought against any of us. But Paul says, No.  No one can bring a charge against us, because God, the Supreme Judge, has declared us to be righteous--He has justified us in his Son.

"Complete in Him" is a condition with amazing dimensions!

Part 3 tomorrow.
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

"COMPLETE IN CHRIST"
  PART THREE





Saints in Him

    To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae: Grace to you to and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Paul was writing to the "saints."  For those of us who were once Roman Catholics, Colossians 1:2 comes as something of a surprise.  We were taught that to become a saint a person had to live a very good life (good-works religion) like Mother Theresa or some other very notable good person, you had to die, and God would take you to heaven where you would become a saint.

    Here in Colossians, and in all of Paul's letters, the saints were very much still alive, and some of them were living a very un- saintly life (read about the Corinthian "saints" and all the moral failures in their lives  in 1 Corinthians).

    Paul writes about sainthood in Colossians 1:12 -- giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheri-tance of the saints in the light.

    God is the one who qualifies us to be saints.  It is not something that a person can earn by living a very good life -- that is just good -- works religion, and God says that on our works, all of us have fallen short of His standard.  We are qualified to become saints by the grace of God.  No one is worthy of this blessing, we receive it as a gift by the grace of God.

Remember..."Beware!"

    We've only begun to look at the blessings that we have in Christ, but wherever we turn  we find that we are indeed "complete in Christ."  We are completely forgiven,  com-pletely righteous, we are even qualified to be saints in Christ.  We start out the Christian life "filled" and continue it "full."  "Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Him."

    But remember, Paul warned the Colossians that not every "Bible teacher" would be teach-ing them this truth.  There were, and are, many teachers who try to captivate Christians with philosophy, or traditions of men or with worldly religion, rather than with Christ.  To-day we don't often hear about our complete-ness in Christ and we need to "beware."

    What did the Colossians do?  Did they hold on to the message of God's grace and of their completeness in Christ?

    About five years after Paul wrote to the Colossians, he wrote about them to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:15. Paul wrote, "All those in Asia have turned away from me."

    The Colossians were among those in Asia, who turned away from Paul and from the message that the Lord Jesus had given him to teach to us today living in the dispensa-tion of the grace of God (Eph. 3:2). The Colossians turned away and the truth of our completeness in Christ was lost as the church became captivated with human traditions, philosophies, religion, etc.

    How about us today? Will we "turn away" like they did?  Or will we rejoice in our com-pleteness in Christ, believe God's word to us and do all that we can to make this message known to others?

By Dennis Kiszonas
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

I Testify In The Lord



"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk not as Gentiles
walk ..." (Eph. 4:17).  Spiritual growth is to be evident in our walk.  In the One Body all growth is "out of" Christ as the head.  Growth depends on "supply," and the supply dep-ends on "the effectual working in the mea-sure of every part," that is, the unity, function, and cooperation of all members (Eph. 4:15-16).  Colossians 2:19 puts it well,"....the Head, out of whom all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God."  This is edifying and building up the Body of Christ!  

The energy for this growth comes from God who "works (energizes) all things" according to his eternal purpose (Eph. 1:11).  The great expression of the working of his mighty power was when He raised Christ from the dead.  That same power seated Christ "at His own right hand in the heavenlies....far above all" (1:19 to 20).  Paul said his gift for service was by "the effectual working of His power"  (3:7). And his prayer for us was that this same power would "work in us" (3:20).  Finally we read of "the of effectual working... of every part" (4:16).

Thus Paul warned how Gentiles walk "in the vanity of their mind, having the understand-ing darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts" (4:17,18). Romans tells of the whole creation made "subject to vanity" (8:20), and how Gentiles turned a deaf ear toward God. "For when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom.1:21). Three times in that chapter it tells of God's response to their rebellion.  He "gave them up to unclean-ness.... gave them up to vile affections....gave them over to a reprobate mind" (1:24,26,28).
This explains their walk, "according to the course of this age, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience (Eph.2:2) "who being past feeling have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (Eph.4:19). Vanity expressed itself by "darkened... alien-ated...ignorance...blindness... a dulled con-science...licentiousness...uncleanness... greediness."  Walk not as Gentiles walk!

By Ivan Burgener
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

THE WONDER CURE





Most of us remember the drugstore product which swept the country like wildfire years ago and netted one man more than $3,000,000.00 in one year. It was called Hada-
col. Whatever was wrong with you, Hadacol could cure it!  Radio commercials and news-paper advertisements acclaimed its healing powers. Some small drugstores displayed signs over their doors reading, "MAIN ENTRANCE FOR HADACOL."

One humorous story was told at that time about a woman who was supposed to have testified over the radio: "Before I began tak-ing Hadacol I couldn’t read nor write; now  I’m teaching high school"!

Some people seem to think that Christianity is like Hadacol was supposed to be. In fact, some evangelists give the erroneous impress-ion that if one accepts Christ everything will suddenly go right. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Christian life is a battle, and we cannot win this battle without much diligent, earnest Bible study and prayer. In fact, it is this battle that makes the Christian
life rewarding. Formerly we were "taken cap-tive by [the devil] at his will" (II Tim. 2:26), but now God provides us with complete armor, including "the sword of the Spirit" and "the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16,17), and says, "Stand fast." Indeed, James 4:7 says: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

God has enlisted every true believer in His "armed forces," as it were, and He encour-ages us each one to be "a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (II Tim. 2:3). Indeed, He ex-       pects this of each corporate assembly of believers as well, for Paul, by divine inspi-ration, wrote to the Philippian saints:

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

By C. R. Stam
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

SOBER CHRISTIANS








"Let us, who are of the day, be sober..." (I Thes. 5:.

Many people entertain the erroneous idea that truly spiritual Christians must always be solemn and long-faced. In fact, they suppose that such Scripture passages as the above
teach this.

Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the word "sober," in our English New Testa-ment does not mean solemn, but completely under control. This is also true of the original Greek word from which the English word
"sober" is translated.

Sobriety in Scripture, as in modern English, is the opposite of drunkenness. This is brought out in the rest of the passage cited above. Along with its context, the above ex-
hortation reads as follows:

"For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken be drunken in the night.

"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

"Who died for us that... we should live to-gether with Him" (I Thes. 5:7-10).

Thus those who are "of the day," and know Christ as their Savior, should not "sleep" on the one hand, or "be drunken" on the other, but should be awake and alert, their faculties completely under control, so that they might witness the more effectively to the saving grace of Christ.

If ever there was a time when true Christians should "watch and be sober," it is now.

By C.R. Stam
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

" THE ACCEPTED TIME "  



The city of Chicago recently witnessed one of the most daring robberies in its history.

Right in the heart of the Loop, on busy State Street, while all the stores were open for business, two masked robbers entered Le-bolt’s Jewelry Store. One of them did not
even carry a weapon, but the other had a revolver in each hand, so while he kept the two customers and eight employees under control, the other went to the window and
scooped up more than $250,000.00 worth of diamonds and jewelry. And all this with an audience looking in at the window. Nobody wanted to get involved.

Roy Lloyd, Lebolt’s "diamond man," said: "It was like a weird dream. Here I was watching the man shovel diamonds into his bag, and at the same time I could see people out on State Street, watching him do it."

This sort of thing seems almost unbelievable, but actually it is not, in the light of our times, for this is no isolated incident. Never has morality been at so low an ebb among nations and individuals -- and never has the crime rate been so high. This should cause thinking people to recall what the Bible says about the closing days of the age of grace in which we live.

II  Tim. 3:1-5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

"Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

Doesn’t this sound very much like the times in which we live? And should it not cause us to consider whether "the dispensation of the grace of God" might not be drawing to a
close? At this moment God is still sending forth His ambassadors to proclaim salvation by grace, through faith in Christ who died for our sins, but more than ever we should heed the exhortation of St. Paul: "Receive not the grace of God in vain.... Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).

By C R. Stam
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

CHILDREN, GROW UP!



"That we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight  of men, and cunn-ing  craftiness whereby they lie in wait  to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto Him in  all things,   Who is the head, even Christ: from Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that  which every joint supplies..."(Ephesians 4:14-16).

There is both a risk and a tendency for those young in the faith, here called children (really babies), to come short of the spiritual growth God intends.  To accomplish this growth the glorified Lord has give gifts "for the perfect-ing of the saints to the work of the ministry and the building up of the body of Christ."  These provisions are "until we all come in the unity of the faith...the full knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (mature) man..." This is the goal for every member of the body of Christ and for the body as a whole.

The Corinthians had not grown for Paul had to write, "I...could not speak to you as to spiritual (people), but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with solid food, for until now you were not able, neither now are you able" (1 Cor.3:1-2).  Of the Hebrew believers we read "when.. you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again...the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of solid food, for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe" (Hebrews 5:12-13).  In all cases, has made abundant provision for spiritual growth, but neglect seems to get the upper hand!

How shall such growth be accomplished?  By "speaking the truth in love..." Here Paul coined a new word, one we do not have in English.  He said simply, "truthing in love," that is, by living every act, motion, and motive in love according to and in clear expression of the truth.  Elsewhere he wrote, "having renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending our-selves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2).  That's it!

I.L. Burgener
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Brother Love]

ALWAYS ABOUNDING



"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

We should note carefully that the Apostle Paul here ad- dresses only his brethren in Christ, those who have truly
been born again -- born into the family of God.

Furthermore, he sent this appeal to Christians every-where:       to "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Cor. 1:2). He knew that there is a tendency among all believers to be tempted to abandon the work of the Lord through discouragement or carelessness, so he pleads with  us to be "stedfast" and "unmoveable," reminding us that our labor is "not in vain in the Lord."

How we need this exhortation! We do not soon abandon
our businesses or homes. We toil on in spite of difficulties and obstacles, and when the outlook is darkest we often work the hardest. Sometimes our bodies suffer for it, but we do not immediately give up.

And how much more urgent is the work of the Lord! Souls are perishing all about us for whom Christ died. It is our plain duty to pray for them and tell them of His love. It is our responsibility to toil and sacrifice that they may hear and believe the good news. What shall we say when some day we stand before our Savior if we have been satisfied merely to know Him our-selves? And what will He say?

Let us then be up and doing, "always abounding in the
work of the Lord." Life is too short to fritter away the pre-
cious moments God has given us to proclaim His saving
grace. Let us tell them, then, by lip and by life, by our
testimony and by our behavior, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" and that "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

By C.R. Stam
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2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a  workman  that needeth  not  to  be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.