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February 21, 2011

TO HEAR FATHER SPEAK
by Cornelius R. Stam

"The voice of Thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook" (Psalm 77:18 ).

Fortunately dad was a builder, for with a family of ten, and missionaries and Bible teachers so often entertained as guests, it took a large home to accommodate us all.

Not only did we have a large home; it was also the highest house in the city of Paterson, New Jersey, with its rear, second-floor porch affording a commanding view of the city and its surroundings.

This porch came into its most memorable use during thunderstorms. Often when such storms gathered dad would say to mother and us children:

"Let's go out and hear Father speak."

Never will we forget those impressive occasions! From our "grandstand" seats we watched many a dramatic electrical storm and were thrilled to "hear Father speak" in the rolling thunder as His clouds poured out their rain on the city below.

By taking us out to see such "shows" -- God's shows -- dad accomplished two purposes. He helped to rid us of the excessive fear of electrical storms that unnerve so many people, and he gave us a small glimpse of the infinite greatness of our great God.

[nChrist]

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February 22, 2011

FULNESS OF JOY
by Cornelius R. Stam

About 3,000 years ago David wrote in Psalm 16:11: "...In Thy presence is fulness of joy...." He was right, for there is no greater joy than personal fellowship with God. Yet David could not know the fulness of joy now spoken of in Paul's epistles, for he did not know Christ, who later came into the world as God, manifested in the flesh, to die for our sins. He did not know that Christ would make full satisfaction for sin and be raised from the dead to confirm our justification. Nor did David know that believers would be given Christ's resurrection life, and a position, and "all spiritual blessings IN THE HEAVENLIES in Christ" (Eph. 2:4-6; 1:3).

When Paul wrote that God has called believers "unto the fellowship of His Son", he referred to a spiritual, heavenly fellowship, far more intimate and precious than any previously enjoyed by mortal man. This fellowship is to be enjoyed by faith, but it is faith based on fact, the fact that Christ indeed died our death and rose again from the dead that we might partake of His life and enjoy a position at God's right hand in Christ. This is why the Apostle Paul urges believers of this dispensation of grace to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1).

Peter and John both came to know much of this fellowship through Paul, who was sent to Jerusalem "by revelation" to make known to the leaders there "THAT GOSPEL WHICH I PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES" (See Galatians 2:2-9; II Peter 3:15-18 ). This is why John writes in I John 1:3,4: "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL".

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February 23, 2011

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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February 24, 2011

TWO THINGS WE KNOW
by Cornelius R. Stam

In Romans 8 St. Paul points to two great truths which every true believer knows. The first (Verses 22,23) he knows by experience; the second (Verse 28 ) he knows by faith.

Rom. 8:22,23: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

The words "until now," in this passage, are significant, for our Lord came to earth healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to leap for joy. But He was rejected by sinful men and nailed to a cross.

After His resurrection and ascension His persecutors were given another chance, however, as Peter called upon them to repent so that "the times of refreshing" might still "come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19,20). But again the King and His blessed kingdom were rejected so that, in the words of Paul, the whole creation continues to groan and travail in pain "together until now."

But in this passage the Apostle points out that even God's children are not exempt from this suffering, for the most sincere believer, the most consecrated saint, must still partake of the sufferings and sorrows of the world while he waits for "the redemption of our body," when "we shall all be changed" (I Cor. 15:51).

But while every believer knows about suffering and sorrow by experience, there is something else he knows by faith. Verse 28 speaks of this:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

The true Christian is not a mere optimist; he is a believer in God's Word, and God has much to say about how He is working all out for the good of His own. We have room here to quote but two passages:

II Cor. 4:17: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Rom. 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

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February 25, 2011

BUT NOW
by Cornelius R. Stam

The words "but now" are found in many places in the Bible, but most often in the Epistles of Paul. These two words are deeply significant, for they indicate a change in program. If my secretary is transcribing some dictation and I say: "But now I would like you to take a letter," this indicates a change in program.

So it is with this phrase as we find it in Rom. 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." Prior to this time God's people were under the Law. There was no other way to approach Him. But though under the Law, they constantly broke the Law, so that those who sought salvation by the Law stood before God condemned rather than justified. Thus the Apostle says in Verse 20:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested" (Ver. 21).

How can this be? How can a man be declared righteous apart from the Law? The answer, the only answer is, by grace through faith in Christ. Though perfect and sinless, Christ died for sin. Whose sin? Yours and mine. Thus as Paul declares in Acts 13:38, 39:

"Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

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

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February 26, 2011

THE TWELVE APOSTLES AND PAUL
by Cornelius R. Stam

In comparing the ministry of the twelve apostles with that of the Apostle Paul, we must observe carefully:

   1. The twelve were chosen by Christ ON EARTH (Luke 6:13) while Paul was later chosen by Christ IN HEAVEN (Acts 9:3-5; 26:16).

   2. Prior to Paul's conversion the twelve had known Christ only ON EARTH (I John 1:1). Even at His ascension to heaven "a cloud received Him OUT OF THEIR SIGHT" (Acts 1:9). But Paul knew Christ only IN HEAVEN, having never seen Him on earth (Acts 26:16; I Cor. 15:8 ).

   3. The twelve represented their own nation. The number twelve has no connection with the "one Body" of Christ. As we know, Jacob of old "begat the twelve patriarchs" (Acts 7:8 ). From these sprang the twelve tribes of Israel. These tribes had twelve princes over them (Numbers 1:16). Even when Israel was ruled by kings there were still to be twelve princes -- one over each tribe (I Chronicles 27:22). Thus, as He went forth proclaiming "the gospel of the kingdom" our Lord chose twelve princes for the twelve thrones in the kingdom to come (Matt. 19:28 ).

      On the other hand, Paul, as one apostle, represents the "one Body," the Church of today (Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4). However, he was both a born Hebrew and a born Roman, so represented believing Jews and Gentiles "reconciled...unto God in one body by the cross..." (Eph. 2:16).

   4. The twelve were sent to proclaim Christ's kingdom "at hand" (Matt. 10:7), and later to offer its establishment on earth (Acts 3:19-26). But Paul was sent to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24), while the kingdom is held in abeyance.

   5. The ministry of the twelve was based on covenant promises (Isaiah 60:1-3; Luke 1:70-79; Acts 3:22-26). Paul's ministry was not based on covenant promises, but wholly on the grace of God through Christ (Rom. 3:21-28; 5: 20,21; Eph. 1:6,7; 2:7; etc.).

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February 27, 2011

Practical Instructions for Our Teens
by Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
-- Ephesians 6:1,2

In all likelihood mom and dad have been impressing upon you the importance of only dating and marrying those who are saved. You may think that they are being narrow-minded, but the truth is, your parents are looking out for your spiritual well-being. The Word of God is quite clear when it comes to the matter of separation:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14).

Some Christian young people feel strongly that there is no harm in just dating the unsaved. But why become emotionally involved in a relationship that has no future? Furthermore, it is unfair to the unbelieving party who will never understand your reasoning for breaking off the relationship. We have seen too many tragic cases where these types of associations end up in unequally yoked marriages that fail. So, may we encourage our young people to heed the godly counsel of their parents, for in so doing, you will spare yourself a lifetime of heartache.

But where can a Christian young person find Mr. or Mrs. Right? Since faithful believers do not frequent worldly establishments your search must begin where the Lord's people gather. You must take the initiative to regularly attend church services, conferences, youth groups and camp meetings. In the meantime, a young man should be working toward financial stability while the young ladies learn to cook. After all, there is a limitation to McDonald's!

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February 28, 2011

THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH
by Cornelius R. Stam

In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the parents, and certainly not of the child itself. In the spiritual realm this is not so. God has made abundant provision for every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a passion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who "desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow thereby." This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too, for when the Apostle would have gone further into the great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing" (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among believers today. During World War II there were several occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was difficult to understand his letter. Together we would sit down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"! And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show such interest in the Word of God to them? They do not. They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing only a few passages which "warm their hearts." This is the root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.

[nChrist]

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March 1, 2011

What We Believe
by Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
-- II Corinthians 3:6

We have been hearing from a good number of our readers who are confused, perplexed and even concerned over the doctrine of the New Covenant. Apparently there are a number of strange teachings floating around the Grace Movement on this subject, which has given rise for alarm among some of the brethren.

It is our firm conviction that the Body of Christ falls under the umbrella of the New Covenant. Paul clearly teaches in Romans that we are partakers of Israel's spiritual blessings (Rom. 15:27 cf. Eph. 1:3-14). There is absolutely no possibility that this could refer to anything other than the New Covenant. One thing that should never be overlooked, however, is the fact that Israel received it by promise whereas we are the glad recipients of it by grace (Jer. 31:31 cf. Titus 2:11).

As we know, one of the principal blessings of the New Covenant is the blood of Christ. This particular element can never be divorced from the covenant nor should it be. We have often said that if the Body of Christ has no connection to this covenant whatsoever, then our Savior must return a second time to die for the Gentiles. To us this is unthinkable. Christ died "once for all" (Heb. 10:9-12). Furthermore, the New Covenant shows that there is a connection between the two programs of God which highlights His eternal purpose. Surely, He is Lord of all.

Who could fail to see that Paul charges us to remember the blood of this covenant until the Lord comes: "This cup is the New Testament [Covenant] in my blood: this do ye... in remembrance of me. For as often as ye [Members of His Body] eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (I Cor. 11:23-26).

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March 2, 2011

In His Service
by Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
-- Romans 12:1,2

At all times we should stand ready to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has called us. Time is precious! Isaac Watts once said: "Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away." Unlike eternity, everything in this life has a beginning and an end, as Solomon reminds us:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:1,2).

In the natural course of things, life and death are in God's control. But what takes place between these two monumental events will have a bearing upon us throughout eternity. Life is the dash that appears between the dates on every tombstone. And that little dash speaks volumes. For some it marks a conversion to Christ and all the spiritual benefits that come with it. But for others it is a chronicle of rejection and rebellion against God, with no hope of reprieve. Which is true of you? If the latter, there's still time to trust Christ and flee the wrath to come.

The question is, what will we do with the remaining time that's left before our dash is etched in stone? Paul says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13,14).

This passage has always amazed me. After 30 plus years of serving the Lord, Paul was still pressing toward the goal. He refused to allow the past to influence his life -- whether it was past failures or accomplishments. God has done a wonderful work here at BBS through the years, but we must not dwell upon past accomplishments or failures.

Like Paul, we must press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

May it be our desire that we might "know Christ," that is, more fully, and experience the power of His resurrection. There is still much to be done, but with your help, we can leave a legacy of grace that will be long remembered after we lie in the dust of the earth.

[nChrist]

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March 3, 2011

THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST
by Cornelius R. Stam

"...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 righteousness of God, which is "by the faith of Christ," is conferred "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).

[nChrist]

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March 4, 2011

ALWAYS ABOUNDING
by Cornelius R. Stam

"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 addresses 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 everywhere: 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 ourselves? 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 precious 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).

[nChrist]

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March 5, 2011

SLAVERY AND LIBERTY
by Cornelius R. Stam

We thank God for Abraham Lincoln and for his part in emancipating the Black slaves in the United Sates. Yet, in a deeper sense, there is a slavery from which we all need to be emancipated.

The children of Adam are slaves by birth. Partaking of his fallen nature they find it an uphill fight to do right and easy to do wrong. No mother has ever had to teach her child to tell lies, or to steal or to disobey. Every child does these things naturally. All, by nature, are slaves to sin.

Some, on the other hand, have sought to make themselves slaves to the Ten Commandments in order to overcome their natural tendencies toward evil, but this does not produce the desired results. God did not give the Law to help us to be good, but to show us that we are bad and need a Savior. In Rom. 3:19 He says that He gave the Law "that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become [be exposed as] guilty before God" and in Verse 20 He says that "by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Only believers in the finished work of Christ are liberated from sin and its results. This does not mean that it is not possible for them to sin, but that it is now possible for them not to sin -- to have victory in any given case. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

In grace Christ died to pay for our sins and in response to that grace believers seek to live for Him, just out of sheer love and gratitude for what He has done for them. This is the secret of victorious living, and God would have us keep it that way. Gal. 5:1 says:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Yet, he also cautions believers, who enjoy this wonderful liberty:

"Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak" (I Cor. 8:9).

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13).

"Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth" (Rom. 14:22).

[nChrist]

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March 6, 2011

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", (I Cor. 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).

[nChrist]

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March 7, 2011

THE LOGIC OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION
by Cornelius R. Stam

In I Cor. 1:22 we are told that "the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom." This is doubtless why God chose Paul, with his profound intellectual background and acumen, to proclaim "Christ crucified," the "wisdom of God" as well as the "power of God" (I Cor. 1:23,24).

Paul was a gifted logician as well as a theologian, and nowhere is this more evident than in his epistle to the Romans, where, by divine inspiration, he presents the logic of God's plan of salvation. Again and again, throughout the epistle, he uses that word so prominent in mathematics and in logic: "therefore."

"Therefore thou art inexcusable..." (Rom. 2:1).

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

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.... Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law" (3:21,28 ).

"Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access..." (5:1,2).

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (8:1).

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors..." (8:12).

"I beseech you therefore... that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Rom. 12:1).

It is an inexorable, unchangeable law that sin results in death. But the Lord Jesus Christ, "who did no sin," took our place and "died for our sins." Thus it is also an unchangeable law that "He that hath the Son hath life." "The law of the Spirit" is "life in Christ." The moment one trusts Christ as Savior the Spirit gives him life, the life of Christ, which is everlasting -- indeed, eternal life (Rom. 8:2; I John 5:12).