Two Minutes With The Bible

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The Bible A Confusing Book?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


We ran across an article recently, entitled: “Yes, the Bible is a Confusing Book.”

The article did not even attempt to dispel this “confusion,” or in any way help its readers to understand the Bible. It did not suggest even one basic rule of interpretation. Nor did it explain why the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles constantly exhorted men to study the Bible.

The Bible is indeed a very large Book, so that the greatest of us will never understand it all. Moreover, it is God’s Book and must necessarily contain much that is “hard to understand.” But this makes it the greater challenge to the believing heart to seek divine aid in exploring its depths and the greater joy when precious stones are brought up from this exhaustless mine.

God does not reward lazy and indifferent Christians with light from His Word, but confusion invariably vanishes as we prayerfully obey His command:

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

In studying the Bible there are basic distinctions to be observed; e.g., between the twelve apostles and Paul, the apostle for this age; between the “gospel of the kingdom” and the gospel for our day: the “gospel of the grace of God,” etc., but meantime there are many passages of Scripture so plain and simple that a child can understand them and no theologian can explain them away. For example, in John 3:35,36, we read:

    “THE FATHER LOVETH THE SON, AND HATH GIVEN ALL THINGS INTO HIS HAND.

    “HE THAT BELIEVETH ON THE SON hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

At the other end from the spiritual poverty experienced by those who deem the Bible “a confusing Book,” we have what St. Paul, by divine inspiration, calls “all [the] riches of the full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2).

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Justified Without A Cause
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


God tells us in His Word that believers are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). The word “freely,” here, does not mean “without cost,” but “without cause.” The same original word is so translated in John 15:25, where we find the words of Christ: “They hated Me without a cause.”

Thus sinners hated Christ “without a cause,” yet God justifies sinners “without a cause.”How can this be? Let’s see:

What had Christ done to earn the enmity of men? Nothing whatever. He had been kind and good, had helped those in distress, had healed their sick, had made the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, and the lame to leap for joy. Why, then, did they hate Him: The Bible says they hated Him “without a cause, i.e., without any cause in Him. The cause of their hatred lay in their own evil hearts.

But on the other hand, what have sinners done to merit justification before God? Again the answer is: Nothing whatever. They have broken His commandments every day, lying, stealing, and committing hundreds of other sins. Yet in love God gave His Son to die for them on Calvary “that He might be just and [at the same time] the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). He loves and justifies believers “without a cause”, i.e., without any cause in them. The cause is to be found in His own compassionate heart, for “GOD IS LOVE.”

Thus those who trust in Christ, who died for our sins, are justified without a cause, by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

    “God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8.).

    “By this man is preached…the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which He could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38,39).

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Euthanasia
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reading:

    “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
    — Hebrews 9:27

It is our firm conviction that every believer in Christ should strongly oppose euthanasia on the grounds that it runs contrary to the revealed will of God. Euthanasia is the deliberate act of prematurely terminating the life of someone who is hopelessly ill. This is normally achieved through the controlled inhalation of carbon monoxide, by a lethal injection of drugs or withholding nourishment. Those who are advocates of this unwholesome rationale believe that it is morally acceptable to end the pain and suffering of a loved one whose life would otherwise be meaningless. In the name of compassion Michigan’s infamous “Dr. Death” has assisted in many such suicides, proclaiming himself to be an angel of mercy.

Thankfully most physicians still hold to the Hippocratic oath, which states that every effort should be made to preserve life. But even more importantly, man has no moral right to terminate a life that has been given by God. It has been appropriately said: “Suicide doesn’t end the pain, it only lays it on the broken shoulders of the survivors.” Many seem to have forgotten that it is God “in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). We sympathize, of course, with any family who has a loved one who is terminally ill. Nevertheless, to cut that life short may send them to a Christless eternity when they might have otherwise believed before their natural death. Also, we may never know how many souls in the medical profession have been saved because they were in the presence of a dying saint or family member who was faithful in sharing Christ. The Lord’s consolation at such times is “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE!”

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The Hour
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


History records many great and significant events, but none nearly so significant as the crucifixion of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Referring to the time, then still future, when this should take place, our Lord spoke again and again of “the hour,” “that hour” and “My hour,” and so does the sacred record.

When His enemies would have stoned Him at the Feast of Tabernacles, the record states merely: “they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). Finally, when that dread time did arrive, we read:

    “And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him” (Luke 22:14).

    “And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified.

    “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:23,24).

    “Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say: Father save Me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this end,” (John 12:27).

    “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come… having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1).

Finally, in His great High-priestly prayer, uttered in the very shadow of the cross, He “lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come…” (John 17:1).

This is the hour to which many of the Old Testament sacrifices and prophecies had pointed forward. This is the hour to which the redeemed will look back with gratitude and praise for the ages to come. There would have been no salvation for sinners without it, nor any hope of a restored earth with the curse of sin removed. Thank God, because Christ was willing to face that dreadful hour “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

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It's All In the Bible
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


We couldn’t help hearing it! This woman had a voice that could be heard at considerable distance and we distinctly heard her say: “I doped it all out from the Bible.”

“Well, at least somebody’s interested in the Bible,” we said to each other.

But as she prattled on it turned out that she had used the records in an old family Bible to establish her claim to part of an estate. These records, introduced in court, had won the case for her.

There was, after all, no indication that she was interested in the Bible — only in those pages between the Old and New Testaments which, in some editions of the Bible, are kept for family records.

Actually she was no different from the masses about us who go about from day to day interested only in the things of this life and ignoring almost completely the things that really matter: God, heaven, hell and their own eternal destiny.

If these people only knew what treasures are to be found in the Bible! Among these are “riches of mercy” (Eph. 2:4), “riches of grace” (Eph. 1:7), “riches of glory” (Phil. 4:19), “riches of wisdom and knowledge” (Rom. 11:33), “the riches of the full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2), “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8.). And the best part of it is that anyone may have these riches simply for the asking:

    “For there is no difference… for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him,

    “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:12,13).
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One Thing
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Referring to the great Temple of God, which King David so earnestly hoped to build, he said:

    “ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED of the Lord; that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple” (Psa. 27:4).

Similarly, when Martha of Bethany complained to Jesus that Mary “sat at [His] feet and heard His Word” while she was left to serve alone, the Lord answered:

“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but ONE THING IS NEEDFUL, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10: 41,42).

Today, with regard to the message of grace from the ascended, glorified Lord, the Apostle Paul exhorts us: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”(Col. 3:16). Wonderful results follow such a determination to know Christ through the Word.

When the Lord Jesus opened the eyes of the blind beggar, the poor man was immediately persecuted by the religious leaders of the day. He could not answer all of their questions but he could answer the one most important to himself:

    “ONE THING I KNOW, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).

The rest of the narrative relates how the blind beggar also received spiritual sight as, face to face with the Son of God, he exclaimed: “Lord, I believe! …and…worshipped Him” (Ver. 38.).

But what about our conduct after spiritual sight has been bestowed? The most consecrated believer will acknowledge that he often fails to live up to the light he has received. St. Paul, by inspiration, gives us the solution to this problem also, saying:

    “THIS ONE THING I DO: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press [strain] toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13,14).

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A Successful Church
by Pastor John Fredericksen


In our day, it’s easy to be wrongly programmed to equate numbers with a church being successful.  Certainly, we want to grow.  However, the Lord has a far different standard for success that we need to embrace as our standard.  Paul said, “… it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (I Cor. 4:2).  Faithfulness to the truth of the Word, rightly divided, is paramount, as is faithfulness in service and worship.  The church at Thessalonica was extolled for two things.  They had a genuine love for one another which the Lord wanted to see “increase and abound” still more (I Thes. 3:12).  They also had a regular, consistent, aggressive outreach to the lost with the gospel (I Thes. 1:8.).  Before the Lord, may we strive to have this kind of successful church.

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The Little Foxes That Spoil The Vines
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Many Christian people entertain the notion that apostasy from the truth begins with a denial of one or more of the fundamentals of the faith, such as the infallibility of the Bible, the deity of Christ, or the efficacy of His redemptive work. The moral aspect of apostasy, they suppose, comes about in much the same way.

This view is not wholly correct, for apostasy generally begins, not with holding, but with condoning spiritual or moral error.

Eve fell into sin, not by denying what God had said but by listening to Satan.

In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite damsel, doubtless quoting the words of Solomon, her beloved bridegroom, notes that the vineyards are in full blossom. Soon the grapes will be ripe for the marriage feast. But a danger threatens the harvest: “the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.” These must without fail be “taken,” or caught (Song of Solomon 2:15).

What a striking lesson we have here! How often God’s people have stood at the threshold of great blessing, the refreshing odor of an abundant spiritual harvest in the air when, alas, all has been lost — not through a frontal attack by the adversary, but by those wily little foxes that had been permitted to spoil the vines. Some doctrine or practice clearly unscriptural and subversive of spiritual blessing, had been condoned when, like the little foxes of Solomon’s song, they should have been caught and disposed of.

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Two Aspects of Christian Liberty
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


    “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free… If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:32,36).

The true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ enjoys glorious liberty, and our Lord Himself said that there are no strings attached… “Ye shall be free indeed,” free even from the most oppressive of all slave masters: sin. While the Law never saved one man from sin, the Lord Jesus, by His death on Calvary did, for we read that “Christ died for our sins.”

Therefore the Apostle wrote by divine inspiration: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). His letters thunder severe rebukes against believers who “desire to be under the law.” To the Colossian Christians he wrote:

    “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [substance] is of Christ” (Col. 2:16,17).

But true liberty is used for good, otherwise it only reverts to bondage again, for whatever overcomes a man becomes his master (II Pet. 2:19), and doing evil can only harm ourselves and others. Thus the Apostle says further:

    “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who 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).

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Legitimate Prayer
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Prayer, in Old Testament times, was based upon a covenant relationship with God, or it was an appeal to His revealed nature as merciful, gracious, etc. Today it is based upon the redemptive work of Christ, whose death opened the way for us into the Father’s presence. This is why acceptable prayer today is offered “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”. With our Lord’s departure from this world in view, He said to His disciples:

    “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

    “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name…At that day ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me…” (John 16:24-27).

Thus today we pray directly to the Father in the name of the Son.

Our prayers, however, are often faltering and sometimes the way is so dark before us that we do not even know what to ask for. Thus Paul declared: “We know not what we should pray for as we ought”(Rom. 8:26). But he was quick to follow this with the declaration:

    “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” (Rom. 8:28.).

This is why the Apostle Paul encourages God’s people:

    “Be careful [anxious] for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God:

    “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7).

    “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

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The Love Of The Truth
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In II Thes. 2:10 St. Paul declares that the apostates of the coming age will “perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they may be saved.” This is something worth considering very seriously.

God calls this present dispensation “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). During this dispensation faithful Christians are proclaiming “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). This is the message of God’s grace and love in giving Christ to die for our sins so that we might be saved from its penalty and power.

All, however, do not believe this glorious message or accept God’s grace in Christ. These, the Apostle declares, will be left behind when our Lord comes, at the close of this dispensation, to receive His own to Himself. Because they rejected the truth, and the love it proclaimed, God will give them up “that they might believe a lie,” and put their faith in Antichrist, “that they all might be damned who believed not the truth” (II Thes. 2:8-12).

It was infinite love that brought Christ to Calvary to suffer shame and disgrace for our sins, and this love is being proclaimed in this dispensation of grace. But this dispensation may be brought to a close at any time and bring in the day of God’s wrath. How important then to accept God’s love, and trust His Son without delay!

    “Behold, now is the accepted time… Behold now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2).

If you do not trust Christ as your Lord and Savior now and you are caught unawares and lost for all eternity, you will never be able to say, “It was because God did not choose to save me.” Whatever all the reasons involved in His electing grace, He does not accept the responsibility for your rejection of Christ. He says that the unsaved will perish “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Don’t gamble with the future. Receive God’s gift of salvation now through faith in Christ.

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Rightly Dividing The Word
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


It is not enough to use the Bible as a grand book of wonderful sayings from which we may choose what we wish for our inspiration, nor will one who truly realizes that “God hath spoken” ever hold so shallow an opinion of the sacred Scriptures.

“The Word of truth” must be “rightly divided”; for while it is all given for our spiritual profit, it was not all addressed to us, or written about us. Thus one who truly desires to understand and obey God’s Word will seek first to determine what Scriptures are particularly related to him and will study all the rest in the light of these.

Sad to say, however, there are many who fail to give the Book of God the respect and reverence it deserves. They flip it open at random, let a finger light upon the open page and then read the verse indicated to see if perchance they may find leading from the Lord in that way. And if it doesn’t “work” the first time they try it again and again until it does “work.” They use “promise boxes” in the same way, on the basis that “every promise in the Book is mine.” They take passages out of their contexts, “spiritualize” them, and give them “private interpretations.” Finding “precious passages” anywhere at all, no matter to whom addressed or when or why, they place their own constructions upon them and claim them as promises of God to them! To take isolated statements from the writings of men and use them in such a manner would be considered dishonest, but even Bible teachers do it with the Word of God!

The Word, rightly divided, is of supreme importance to the Church at large as well as to the individual believer, and it is because this fact has not yet been sufficiently recognized that we have not experienced the true, heaven-sent revival that the Church so sorely needs.

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Applause
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reading:

    “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”
    — Colossians 3:17

There seems to be a growing trend in Christendom for congregations to physically applaud those who are ministering in the things of the Lord. Pastors are applauded when they wax eloquent or say something humorous. Also, after soloists lift the hearts of the saints into the heavenlies they are often met with a round of applause as they step down from the platform. Having pastored a number of local assemblies, I’ve risen from my chair, on more than one occasion to interrupt the hand clapping of the saints. While I am sure their applause was well-intentioned, it is nonetheless very irreverent and disrespectful to the Lord.

When the world gives a standing ovation after a performance of an actor or comedian they are expressing their appreciation for having been acceptably entertained. They are also praising the performer for his excellence in an art which has been cultivated through years of hard work.

When the servant of the Lord comes to the platform, to minister on our behalf, the purpose of his labor of love is not to entertain the congregation. It is to be viewed rather as a ministry, which is an integral part of our worship of the Holy One of Heaven. Anyone who serves the Lord, sincerely, would never want the applause of men, but would insist that all the honor and glory be given to God. May all our adoration go to the One Who is worthy to be worshipped, for He has given us his Word and the opportunity along with the gifts to minister on His behalf. Amen!

CHRYSOSTOM ON APPLAUSE
345-407 A.D.

    “… some clapped their hands in applause, according to the custom of the times. Then Chrysostom raised his voice: ‘How does your applause help me?’ It will be the right approval if you practice in life what I say to you. The church is no theater, where men listen for their own pleasure.” (From the Life of Chrysostom, by Frederic Perthes, P. 18.).

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Two Walls
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


We were all doubtless surprised when the East German authorities began opening the Berlin Wall to West Berlin visitors at Christmas time. We can never be sure just what might be up the Communists’ sleeves, but for the time being it sounds encouraging. What they ought to do, of course, is to tear the wall down. It is a crime against humanity and a sin against God to confine half a city in a cage, to treat human beings as if they were animals.

The Bible speaks of a wall that separated all mankind into two parts. In Ephesians 2 the Law, the Ten Commandments, is called “the middle wall of partition.”

The Law was given to God’s covenant people. The Gentiles had been given up long before at the Tower of Babel and God had called out Abraham and his seed and had given them the Law. They broke the Law, however, so that Rom. 3:19 says:

    “Whatsoever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be brought in guilty before God.”

Because of the broken Law all men have been placed on the same level, but this was also God’s purpose of grace: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief: that He might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:32). And thus God offers salvation to all through Christ, who died for our sins at Calvary. This is why Eph. 2:13-16 says:

    “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who once were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us… that He might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

Thank God there is no “Berlin Wall” between God and those who trust His Son, nor between believers who have been made “one Body in Christ.”

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The Kingdom Reign Of Christ
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The Kingdom Reign of Christ, often called the Millennium, is, of course, still future, but even this dispensation will commence with a clear indication that our Lord’s beneficent reign will not change the unregenerate heart. Man is still a failure.

This will be evident from the fact that to put the rebellion down our Lord will have to “break” the nations “with a rod of iron” and “dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psa. 2:9). Indeed, He will have to “rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 2:27). It is not strange, then, that we read in Revelation 20:7-9:

    “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

    “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

    “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

This final rebellion is followed by the casting of Satan and all unbelievers into the lake of fire and the bringing in of the new heavens and the new earth in which all the reconciled find their all in Christ (Rev. 20:10-21:1; Eph. 1:9,10; Col. 1:19,20). It is interesting and instructive to see in the book of Revelation how the Lamb slain occupies the center of the glory of the universe. Not one saint from any age will ever boast of his own righteousness in that day. All will acknowledge their own unworthiness and proclaim the praises of the One who died that they might live and be justified and gloried. And even the unsaved and all demons and angels will acknowledge Jesus as Lord in that day. Because He humbled Himself and submitted Himself to “even the death of the cross… God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:

    “THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, OF THINGS IN HEAVEN, AND THINGS IN EARTH, AND THINGS UNDER THE EARTH;

    “AND THAT EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER” (Phil. 2:8-11).

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Spiritual Victory
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


If we go to the Scriptures and claim, by faith, the Spirit’s help in overcoming our sins, we enter into the enjoyment of the fullness of spiritual life and blessing. If we fail to do so, we wither and die — as far as our spiritual experience is concerned. We can never lose our salvation, of course, for “everlasting life” was obtained by faith in Christ, not by walking in the Spirit. This is confirmed by the fact that the same apostle who pleads: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,” hastens to add: “WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION” (Eph. 4:30).

But failure to appropriate God’s gracious provision for victory over sin does result in death as far as our Christian experience is concerned. This is what the Apostle means, when he says, by the Spirit:

    “FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; BUT TO BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE” (Rom. 8:6).

    “FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: BUT IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY [PUT TO DEATH] THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YE SHALL LIVE” (Rom. 8:13).

To the careless Corinthians, the Apostle Paul exclaimed:

    “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

    “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:19,20).