Two Minutes With The Bible

[nChrist]

January 18, 2008

THE UNKNOWN HYMN
by Cornelius R. Stam

“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out…” (Matt.26:30).

Often have we wondered what might have been the words of that sacred hymn, but God has seen fit to keep this from us for the present.

We have in our Bibles many great poetic expressions: the Song of Moses, the beautiful Magnificat, all the Psalms and many other poems, but the hymn that our Lord and His eleven apostles sang that night before leaving the Upper Room was evidently a well-known song, in which they could all join. We can almost imagine our Lord saying, “Before we leave, let’s sing…”.

We will not know the words of that hallowed hymn until we reach heaven, but we do know this: Our Lord and His apostles did not leave the Upper Room weeping and mourning. Though His soul had been deeply troubled as He approached the dreadful hour of His suffering and death, He could say: “What shall I say? Father save Me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour” (John 12:27). Though deeply saddened by Judas’ base betrayal, “having loved His own…He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1), and His words of comfort and cheer during these last hours are now crowned with the singing of a hymn—a hymn, a song of praise.

Though the words of that hymn are as yet unknown to us, the lesson of its singing should not be lost. If the Upper Room scene closed with the singing of a hymn, surely we may be given the grace to sing God’s praise in the midst of our lesser trials. And if our Lord, “for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb.12:2), surely our burdens may — and should — be lightened through the knowledge that by His grace, “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (IICor. 4:17).

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January 19, 2008

PERSONAL SAFETY IN AN ATOMIC AGE
by Cornelius R. Stam

The neutron bomb, they tell us, will not wreck buildings, but will destroy all life, easily penetrating concrete walls three feet thick. Yet we are also being advised to build fall-out shelters for the safety of ourselves and our families! These can be erected for only a few hundred dollars -- obviously not with walls three feet thick!

As General MacArthur once rightly said: "There is no security on this earth." No man can count on physical safety, for the simple reason that, apart from bombs and death rays, "it is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb. 9:27). The moment we are born we begin the race with death, and death always finally wins.

But physical safety is not most important anyway. It is not so much death that men fear as the thought that death might usher them into the presence of God (Heb. 9:27; Rom. 14:12).

But even this need not be feared if we have "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). The Apostle Paul, once a self-righteous Pharisee, came to trust the Christ he had persecuted and now proclaimed:

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (I Tim. 1:15).

Having thus been saved from sin by faith in Christ, he had no fear of death. Indeed, he could say: "For, to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" and "to depart and be with Christ... is far better" (Phil. 1:21,23).

Why then, should we Christians shudder with fear at those things which are so frightening to others? Our Lord said to His disciples: "I say unto you, My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do" (Luke 12:4). No, the true believer need not fear, for he is safe in Christ, not only in this life, but forever. "He that believeth on the Son [of God] hath EVERLASTING LIFE" (John 3:36).

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January 21, 2008

ENEMIES RECONCILED TO GOD
by Cornelius R. Stam

“When we were enemies” (Rom.5:10).

Think of it! God has good news for us even in our willfulness, our enmity against Him! “When we were enemies”, says Paul, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”.

Here we can almost hear some reader object: “Of all things, don’t charge me with being an enemy of God. I’m a religious person, I go to church regularly, I even give to the church”. Ah, but God does not say that the unsaved are not religious. Perhaps 999 out of 1,000 are religious. The point is that by your ungodly, sinful life, and certainly by rejecting God’s gift of salvation, you have made yourself an enemy of God. You may not be an enemy against the “God” you have conjured up in your won mind, but you are certainly an enemy against God, the God of the Bible.

But despite all this God still sends His ambassadors out to offer reconciliation to all His enemies everywhere — “by the death of His Son”. Think of it! We who believe are reconciled to God, not by some effort or payment offered by us to placate God, but “by the death of HIS Son”. He bore the enmity as His own creatures mocked Him, spat in His face and nailed Him to a tree. This is grace indeed! And this is not all, for the whole passage reads:

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Lit., reconciliation]” (Rom.5: 10,11).

The argument of this passage is that if, as His enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more “being reconciled”, we may be assured that our living Savior will keep us safe. And not only are believers safe in Christ, but all the while we “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received”, not only help in our helplessness, or the forgiveness of our sins, but “the reconciliation”, by which we are brought nigh to God and experience His love toward us.

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January 22, 2008

THE BIBLE AND ITS AUTHOR
by Cornelius R. Stam

Back on the shelf she placed the book with a sigh. It was too dull and uninteresting to wade through. She didn’t feel like reading anyway; in fact, she was utterly bored, and didn’t feel like doing anything.

The next night was different -- very different. At a party she had met the kind of man she could really go for. He seemed interested in her too, and in the weeks that followed they saw more and more of each other, until she was sure she loved him.

One night he mentioned something about a book he had written, and somehow the title rang a bell with her. Where had she seen it? It bothered her that she couldn’t remember. When she reached home, however, it dawned on her all of a sudden. This was the book she had found so boring. She hadn’t even noticed the name of the author.

Taking the book down from the shelf again, she began reading. As she read page after page, she asked herself: "Why did I think this book was dry? Say, this is some book! I had no idea he could write -- and so well!" And thus, avidly, she continued reading far into the night.

Yes, it makes a great deal of difference if you know the Author -- and especially if you love him! How many believers in Christ there are whose most precious hours are spent in reading and studying the Bible -- a Book which once seemed dull and uninteresting to them! The reason? They have come to know and love the Author!

Our Lord said: "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). But how do we obtain the "life eternal" with which this knowledge is bound up? Our Lord said: "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47). Salvation is, after all, a love story to be believed, and by which we come to know Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.

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January 23, 2008

The Wonders of His Grace
by Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
-- II Corinthians 8:9

Whether the occasion is a holiday, a birthday celebration, or a graduation, it is customary to give a gift. While some gifts are given out of necessity, for the most part, a gift is an expression of our love. We normally bestow these tokens of our affection on those whom we feel deserve the honor. But God's ways are not our ways. He gave the gift of His beloved Son to His enemies. That's a true love story! Oh, the wonder of His grace that God sent His only begotten Son, the Son of His love, to save sinners like you and me while we were fleeing from the glory of His presence. Little wonder the Apostle Paul says, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (II Cor. 9:15).

The word "unspeakable" here has the idea of "indescribable." The gifts I've received through the years were all describable. Some may have been a little harder to describe than others, but describable nonetheless! But the gift of God's dear Son is indescribable. Who can explain the incarnation, how the eternal Son of God left heaven's glory and took upon Himself the form of human flesh, yet was not tainted with our sin. Who can explain how Christ was wholly God and wholly human in one person? These wonders can only be received through the eye of faith.

The manger and the Cross stand at the two extremes of our Lord's life, but they are connected by the tapestry of redemption. Hence, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." A love story that ends with a death is tragic; in contrast, the death of Christ is the greatest demonstration of love this world has ever seen. How much does God love you? He gave His only begotten Son to die on your behalf. You see, Christ wasn't dying for His sin, He knew no sin; He was dying for your sins and my sins at Calvary. He was made sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God in Him. Have you trusted Him?

Surely you would never think of paying for a gift; why, the giver would be highly offended -- how much more so with God. The payment for your sins has already been furnished by the Giver; simply receive Him as a gift from God. If you have, then why not thank Him today for His unspeakable gift? After all, this is the Gift that includes all others!

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January 24, 2008

THE NEW CREATION
by Cornelius R. Stam

In Romans 5:12 God tells us how we are all related to the first man, Adam:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin... so death passed upon all men..."

This verse clearly indicates that every child born into the world since Adam has partaken of Adam’s sinful nature.

Parents sometimes wonder why their children act as they do. The answer is simple! Every child is related to rebellious Adam by physical birth, and soon rebels like Adam, whose offspring he is.

In Scripture we are told that God "commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8 ).

When you are in trouble and someone comes to your aid, are you not automatically drawn to that person? Should we not then be attracted to the One who cared so much for us that He "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:7,8 )?

Through natural birth we partake of the sinful natures of our parents back to Adam, and frequently we even have the same physical features as our parents. How touching, then, to know that the Lord Jesus Christ took on Him "the likeness of men" (apart from sin) and, as the God-man, died for our sins upon the cross, where sinful men (people like us) nailed Him! As we recognize this and place our faith in Him, a spiritual birth takes place and we become the children of God (John 1:12). More than this, we become members of the Body of Christ, God’s new creation, for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Cor. 5:17). "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

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January 25, 2008

THE CHRISTIAN'S PROSPECT
by Cornelius R. Stam

Those of us who trust in Christ for salvation have a glorious prospect. For the present, while waiting to go to be with Him, "we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). In infinite love God has made us to be "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6) and has pronounced us "complete in Him" (Col. 2:10).

Our position is now a blessed and exalted one, for God has made us to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6) and has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).

But this is only the beginning, for, referring to the Christian’s death, Phil. 1:23 tells us that "to depart, and to be with Christ... is far better"; far better, not only than earth’s sorrows and troubles, but far better even than earth’s dearest treasures and joys.

But even this is not all, for the time will come when, the Church, "the Body of Christ," having been completed, the Lord will come to receive all of its members, living and dead, to Himself. Referring to the resurrection of the deceased believer’s body, I Cor. 15 declares that "it is raised in incorruptibility" (Ver. 42), "it is raised in glory" (Ver. 43), "it is raised in power" (Ver. 43), "it is raised a spiritual body" (Ver. 44), for "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (Ver. 49). And as to those believers who will be alive at His coming, he says: "We shall all be changed" (Ver. 51).

"For... we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:20,21).

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January 26, 2008

GODLINESS IN AN UNGODLY WORLD
by Russell S. Miller

Of the first two children born into this world, Cain bludgeoned his brother, Abel, to death (Gen.4:4-8 ). And before two more chapters in the history of the human race, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, are passed, we read these words:

"And God 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 the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Gen.6:5,6).

The seeds of wickedness and sin, millennia ago and through the years, continue to produce such ungodliness in our world today. But how are we to live "godly" in such an ungodly world? The answers to this, and many other questions, are found in Paul’s epistles.

"FOR I SPEAK TO YOU GENTILES, INASMUCH AS I AM THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES, I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE" (Rom.11:13).

And the Apostle Paul, God’s man for today, continues in Romans to declare:

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom.12:17-19).

In I Thessalonians 4:1-12, Paul instructs believers how they ought to walk and to please God, and furthermore, in Galatians, he declares:
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal.5:16).

In the midst of all this ungodliness, believers are to manifest God in their lives:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.If we live in the Spirit, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT" (Gal.5:22-25).

We’re speaking about "godliness". Remember "the Judgment Seat of Christ", is much closer today than it has ever been before! Are you ready to meet the Lord (IICor.5:10)?

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January 27, 2008

THE REIGN OF GRACE
by Cornelius R. Stam

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 original, 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 resurrection appearances, but after His ascension to heaven, when He committed the dispensing of it to Paul (Eph. 3: 1-4).

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January 28, 2008

GLORIOUS PROSPECT
by Cornelius R. Stam

To the true Christian one of the most wonderful passages in the Bible is Eph. 2:7, where we read of God’s purpose, "That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." This passage appears the more wonderful when viewed in the light of its context.

Verses 2-6 tell how we were all once the "children of disobedience," and therefore "by nature the children of wrath, even as others." But then we read those wonderful words of hope, "But God." "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love wherewith He loved us..." And the next verses tell how He has taken believers in Christ from the lowest position of condemnation and wrath and given them the highest place of favor and blessing in Christ at His own right hand in the heavenlies.

The simplest, humblest believer in Christ has been given this position in the heavenlies, for God no longer sees him in himself, but in Christ, who died for his sins. This is why St. Paul so often writes about "those who are in Christ Jesus."

It is for the believer now to occupy this exalted position, to appropriate by faith the "all spiritual blessings" which are his in Christ (See Eph. 1:3). Like Paul, he may be lifted by grace, through faith, above the troubles and sorrows of "this present evil age" and enjoy his position and blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. And even this is not all, for looking far ahead to the future the Apostle, by divine revelation, goes on to say (in Eph. 2:7) that God has done this all for us, "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

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January 29, 2008

FOR JESUS’ SAKE
by Cornelius R. Stam

"Delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake" (II Cor. 4:11).

There is much that we all do for our own sake, for the sake of our children, our loved ones or others, but the real test of the believer’s love for the Lord is what he does "for Jesus’ sake."

Under the dispensation of Law our Lord told His disciples that to be forgiven they must forgive: "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37), "but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:15).

But now, under the dispensation of grace, He exhorts us to forgive one another "even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32). The difference is striking. Before the cross: If you would be forgiven, forgive. Now, in the light of the cross: You have been graciously forgiven for Christ’s sake. In the light of this be tenderhearted and forgiving toward others.

And we are to go farther than this: Not only are we to forgive our brethren in Christ, but we are to be prepared to show this attitude toward the world as well. St. Paul said: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all" (I Cor. 9:19), and referring to his persecutions by unbelievers, he said: "We... are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake" (II Cor. 4:11). How many unbelievers would be won to Christ; how many of our Christian friends would be strengthened and helped, if we adopted this attitude toward others!

As to suffering itself, the Apostle also gladly bore this "for Jesus’ sake." In writing to the Corinthians, he said: "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10). He had learned that in weakness he leaned the harder, prayed more, and was brought closer to His Lord, and herein lay his spiritual strength.

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January 30, 2008

LIBERTY -- HOW PRECIOUS!
by Cornelius R. Stam

We were interested to read, recently, about the man in California who ran short of grazing land for his herd of 13 buffalo. To solve this problem he put them on a barge and took them over to a large island in Lake Berryessa where there was lots of pasture. But what did the buffalo do? They jumped back into the lake, swam to shore and began charging fishermen and chasing automobiles -- so enraged were they at being imprisoned on an island!

After all, neither man nor beast enjoys bondage, though many of us are in fact enslaved.

Our Lord said in John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To this the religious leaders replied: "We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?" But our Lord answered: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (Ver. 34). St. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 6:16:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Sad to say, many sincere religious people think that they can free themselves from sin by putting themselves in bondage to the Law, the Ten Commandments. This never works, for the Law can only condemn the sinner. Rom. 3:19,20 declares that the Law was given "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God... for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Again we have to turn to Christ for salvation and true liberty. He "died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and has "redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13).

Having believed this and trusted Christ as Savior, true Christians serve the Lord, not from fear, or to gain favor, but out of sheer love and gratitude. This is true liberty and this service is the only kind that God desires from us. Probably no man ever served the Lord more sincerely or tirelessly than the Apostle Paul. In II Cor. 5:14 he gives us the secret: "The love of Christ constraineth us..."

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January 31, 2008

THE EYES OF THE LORD
by Cornelius R. Stam

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (II Chron. 16:9).

The meaning of this famous passage of Scripture is clear, and its truth has been demonstrated a thousand times over. God is constantly searching, as it were, for men whom He can bless and use in the fulfilling of His purposes, but for whom, and through whom, does He accomplish His ends?

He does not need the world’s influential giants, for He says in Zech. 4:6: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." He does not need the world’s great thinkers, for our Lord, while on earth, prayed: "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matt. 11:25,26). Indeed, St. Paul declares, in I Cor. 3:19: "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."

No, it is not upon the world’s great ones that God bestows His blessing and power; it is rather upon the humblest believer whose heart is right with Him. Thus it is that by divine inspiration St. Paul wrote to those in ancient Corinth who had trusted Christ as their Savior:

"Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory [boast] in His presence" (I Cor. 1:26-29).

To those of us who believe that God created the Universe from nought all this is perfectly consistent and it gives us confidence that He can bless and use even us.

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[Def]

January 30, 2008

LIBERTY -- HOW PRECIOUS!
by Cornelius R. Stam

We were interested to read, recently, about the man in California who ran short of grazing land for his herd of 13 buffalo. To solve this problem he put them on a barge and took them over to a large island in Lake Berryessa where there was lots of pasture. But what did the buffalo do? They jumped back into the lake, swam to shore and began charging fishermen and chasing automobiles -- so enraged were they at being imprisoned on an island!

After all, neither man nor beast enjoys bondage, though many of us are in fact enslaved.

Our Lord said in John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To this the religious leaders replied: "We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?" But our Lord answered: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (Ver. 34). St. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 6:16:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Sad to say, many sincere religious people think that they can free themselves from sin by putting themselves in bondage to the Law, the Ten Commandments. This never works, for the Law can only condemn the sinner. Rom. 3:19,20 declares that the Law was given "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God... for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Again we have to turn to Christ for salvation and true liberty. He "died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and has "redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13).

Having believed this and trusted Christ as Savior, true Christians serve the Lord, not from fear, or to gain favor, but out of sheer love and gratitude. This is true liberty and this service is the only kind that God desires from us. Probably no man ever served the Lord more sincerely or tirelessly than the Apostle Paul. In II Cor. 5:14 he gives us the secret: "The love of Christ constraineth us..."

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Give me liberty or give me death.that was my motto.
When I accepted to loose the liberty of my thoughts to His 
He gave me liberty and He gave me Life..GLORY GLORY!!!
Love in Jesus Def.
How sweet it is...to be loved by God and feel it..

[nChrist]

February 1, 2008

FIRST COMMUNION
by Cornelius R. Stam

For some years a little girl passed our window at Berean Bible Society each day on her way to and from school. Every time she passed she would smile, wave and throw a kiss.

Occasionally she would come in to tell me something special, and I was always impressed by her natural refinement. One would not have wished to meet a sweeter child.

One day she came in to show me a picture of herself, all dressed up for her “first communion!” “How pretty!”, I exclaimed. “But do you know what happened at the very first communion supper?” “Yes,” she said, “they killed Him.” “That’s right,” I agreed, “but there’s much more than that.”

She had given me a wonderful opportunity to breathe into her little ears, what St. Paul calls “the preaching of the cross”, “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”.

If only we could persuade all of our readers of “the truth of the gospel”, (ICor.15:3), and that “by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). This is why St. Paul could tell the trembling Philippian jailor: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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