Two Minutes With The Bible

[nChrist]

February 5, 2006

WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM CHRIST
by Cornelius R. Stam

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom.8:35).

There have been individuals who thought the doctrine of the believer’s eternal security in Christ to be a dangerous heresy. They countered every Scripture on the subject with another to refute it. But in each of these cases it was this great truth, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ”, that finally persuaded them.

It is significant that the Apostle Paul never tells us about his love for Christ, but he is always telling us about Christ’s love for him and for others! The Law commands: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God”, but grace puts it the other way, telling us how deeply God loves us — and this begets love in return. The Apostle experienced discouragements that would have caused him to give up the work of the Lord a thousand times, but he could not. Why? He says, “the love of Christ constraineth us?” (II Cor. 5:14); it bore him along like a strong tide. No doubt he had this very thing in mind when he continued writing in Romans 8.

“For Thy sake we are killed all the day long...accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Ver.36).

And therefore defeated? Far from it!

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Ver.37).

Not only do we win the battle; we are “more than conquerors”, for these adversities serve to draw us into still closer fellowship with Him, thus enriching our Christian experience.

When people or nations engage in battle, generally no one wins; both lose. But Paul's personal experience serves as the foremost example that in the Christian life, “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril [and] sword” bring us more than victory when borne for Him who loved us.

Thus this great chapter opens with “no condemnation” and closes with “no separation”, and the Apostle, gathering all the forces of creation together, whether they be time, space, or matter, declares that none of them can separate us from “the love of God, which is [manifested] in Christ Jesus” (Vers.38,39). Whether it be death or life, heavenly principalities, things present or things to come, height or depth or any other created thing — none of them, nor all together — can threaten our security or separate us from the love of God, which He has manifested to us in Christ Jesus.

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February 6, 2006

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.

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February 7, 2006

FACING UP TO FACTS
by Cornelius R. Stam

    Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Chapters One and Two, present a dark picture of the human race, but acknowledge the facts they record and you have taken the first step to salvation. By nature we shrink from facing up to our sins, but we are better off if we do.

    If a man has early indications of cancer, and his physician keeps the truth from him, the patient will die of cancer. A good and wise physician will say: “You have cancer and we should do something about it without delay.”

    Thus God, in His Word, tells us very frankly about our sinful condition, but only to save us from it.

    This is where most philosophies and the Bible clash head-on. Most philosophies close their eyes to man's sinful nature. They presume that man is good by nature when overwhelming evidence bears witness that he is sinful by nature. Thus human philosophies offer no salvation from sin and its just penalty. Only “the gospel of the grace of God” does that.

    The Bible says of the whole human race: “All have sinned” (Rom.3:23), and to each individual: “Thou art inexcusable” (Rom.2:1). But the same Bible says: “Christ died for our sins” (ICor.15:3), and “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, accord-ing to the riches of His grace” (Eph.1:7).

    Trust in Christ for salvation and you have accepted God’s great message to the world. Then, as you consider that great Book, and especially the Epistle to the Romans, you will say with Fawcett:

    “It shows to man his wand’ring ways
    And where his feet have trod;
    But brings to view the matchless grace
    Of a forgiving God.”

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February 8, 2006

PAUL NOT ONE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
by Cornelius R. Stam

    Occasionally the Lord’s apostles are charged with acting arbitrarily in choosing Matthias to take Judas’ place. It is said that they first chose two candidates and then asked God which of these two He would have to fill the vacant position. Paul, according to some, was actually God’s choice for Judas’ place. But this charge is not based upon the record of Scripture.

       1. The apostles, with Peter as their chief, had been given authority to act officially in Christ’s ab-sence (Matt.16:19; 18: 18,19).
       2. They acted upon the Scriptural declaration that another apostle should be chosen to fill Judas’ place (Psa.109:8; cf. Acts 1:20).
       3. Their action was bathed in many days of united prayer (Luke 24:49; cf. Acts 1:12-15), and when two candidates were found they again prayed and left the final choice in the hands of God (Acts 1:24-26).
       4. Probably only two (Matthias and Joseph Barsabas) were eligible, for only those could qualify who had followed Christ continuously from the day of His baptism by John until His ascension to heaven (Acts 1:21,22; cf. Matt.19:28, “Ye which have followed Me”).
       5. Paul would not have been eligible, for he had not even seen Christ during His earthly ministry (ICor. 15:8).
       6. The conclusive proof that the eleven acted in the will of God in this matter is found in the fact that the Scripture clearly states that Matthias “was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26) and that “THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Acts 2:4). Men out of the will of God are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

    Thus Paul stands separate and distinct from the twelve as the apostle of the present dispensation of grace (Eph.3:1-3).

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February 9, 2006

PAUL TELLS OTHERS ABOUT HIS GOSPEL
by Cornelius R. Stam

It is true that now there is but one gospel and God’s anathema is pronounced upon any who would presume to proclaim any other (Gal.1:8,9), but those who suppose that Paul proclaimed the same good news which the twelve before him had proclaimed, should carefully read Galatians 2:1-9.

The twelve had been proclaiming our Lord’s kingdom rights in “the gospel of the kingdom”. The kingdom having been rejected, however, God raised up Paul to proclaim “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24). In Gal-atians 1:11,12, this apostle declares:

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

This is only one of many passages in which he declares that he was commissioned to proclaim a special message by the glorified Lord Himself (Eph.3:1-4; Rom.16:25; etc.).

Now in Galatians 2:2, the apostle states: “I went up by revelation [God sent him] and communicated unto them [the apostles and elders at Jerusalem] that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles….” But was he not merely checking to make sure that he and they were preaching the same good news? No, for he goes on to say: “But [I went] privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain”.

Verses 7 and 9 then go on to tell how “they saw” and “perceived” the grace that had been given to Paul, so that they publicly and officially gave him “the right hands of fellowship”, acknowledging him as the apostle of grace, sent to the world with a message of grace:

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom.3:24).

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February 10, 2006

THE RIGHTNESS OF GOD
by Cornelius R. Stam

There are many theological words which most people — even most Christian people — do not under-stand. Among these is the Bible word “righteousness”. Actually, though, this word is very simple and we ought to understand about God’s righteousness even before we learn of His love.

Righteousness is simply an old word for rightness. When we say that God is righteous, we simply mean that what He does is always right; that He will not and cannot do anything that is not right. This is why Paul declares in Romans 1:16, 17:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…FOR THEREIN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS [rightness] OF GOD REVEALED…”

We are proud to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God because it emphasizes God’s rightness. The gospel does not tell us that God will overlook our sins or wink at them and smuggle us into heaven. It doesn’t tell us that He will forgive us if we are sorry enough or do enough good deeds to counterbalance our sins. By no means.

The “gospel of the grace of God” is based on His rightness. It is the wonderful message that “Christ died for our sins”, that He paid for them Himself so that He might justly offer us forgiveness and declare us righteous.

Romans 3:26 puts it beautifully. There the apostle declares that since our sins were paid for by Christ at Calvary, God can now “be just — and the Justifier of him who believes in Jesus”.

For centuries religious people have said to each other: “We must be truly sorry for our sins and do all the good we can and surely God will forgive and accept us”. But this is not the gospel. The gospel gives us more solid ground to plant our feet upon. It says to every man, woman and child: “Your sins were PAID FOR by Christ at Calvary. Trust in Him and you will be saved”. This is gospel [good news] indeed, for it is based on the just payment of the penalty for sin.

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February 11, 2006

HE GAVE THANKS
by Cornelius R. Stam

At the institution of the Lord’s Supper, as He took the bread and the wine, we read that he “gave thanks” (Matt.26: 26,27; Luke 22:19,20).

Surely on this occasion He did not give thanks for food supplied! He was handling the symbols of His broken body and His shed blood. How we would like to know just what He said at this solemn moment; just what He gave thanks for!

This we shall never know in this life, but there are some basic facts we do know.

It was for love for sinful men that He was to die. He was to pay their debt of sin, and He looked forward to the time when, not only redeemed Israel, but the redeemed of every nation and dispensation will rejoice in sins forgiven and all that this entails for them. As He “gave thanks” in view of Calvary, He will then rejoice at the results of Calvary. The overflowing joy that will be the portion of the redeemed will be a greater joy to Him.

Thus Paul’s words in Hebrews 12:2 give us cause to rejoice in true thanksgiving of our Lord’s finished work of redemption on Calvary cross:

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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February 12, 2006

ONE THING
by 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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February 13, 2006

DESERTS vs GRACE
by Cornelius R. Stam

It is an interesting fact that in this day of godlessness and lawlessness so much is being said about what we all deserve! Ads in the newspapers and commercials on radio and TV ask:

"Don’t you deserve the very finest automobile?"

"Don’t your children deserve the best?"

"Doesn’t your baby deserve Pampers?"

And even, "Doesn’t your dog deserve Alpo?"

Well, do you really deserve the finest car? Please don’t answer that! Do your children deserve the best -- always? If so you surely have model children -- not at all like their parents! And does your baby deserve Pampers? That’s funny! And does your dog deserve Alpo? That’s ridiculous! Dogs do not "love" or obey you from any moral consideration, nor, for that matter, does your baby, lovable as the darling is. And as to you and your children -- including the baby, the Bible has something to say on this subject.

The Bible says that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that ALL have sinned [i.e., in Adam]" (Rom. 5:12). You and I were "in Adam" when he sinned. When he sinned, we sinned. Deny this and you might as well agree with the murderer who argued: "My feet and legs didn’t do it; my ears and nose didn’t do it; only my one hand and one or two other parts of my body did it, so the rest should go free."

We believers in Christ should thank God that our blessed Lord took upon Him our just deserts when He died for our sins at Calvary. This is why God’s Word says:

"We declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness for the remission of sins... that [God] might be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded" (Rom. 3:25-27).

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February 14, 2006

OUR ONLY BOAST
by Cornelius R. Stam

“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Gal. 6:14).

St. Paul was once a proud Pharisee, smug in his self-righteousness. In Philippians 3:5,6, he lists some of the things in which he took great pride:

“Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

But everything was changed since that day when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Suddenly he had seen himself a lost, condemned sinner in the sight of a holy God and had tasted the matchless grace that could reach down from heaven and save even him. He knew now that he could not stand before God in himself, or “on his own two feet,” as we say. His only safety before the bar of God was to take refuge in Christ, as he says in Verse 9:

“And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Now he knew, as we all should know, that he really had nothing to boast of as far as his own standing before God was concerned. For the rest of his life, however, he did constantly boast of one thing: the cross, where the Christ he had so bitterly persecuted had died for his sins that he (Paul) might be justified before God. All else of which Paul boasted was embraced in the cross of Christ. This too is really the only thing we have to boast of and the most godly saint will enthusiastically join Paul in saying:

“BUT GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD.”

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February 15, 2006

I HAVE SET THEE A WATCHMAN
by Cornelius R. Stam

The Prophet Ezekiel was appointed by God as a "watchman" over the house of Israel (Ezek. 33:7). He was held responsible to warn the wicked from their way, for while God must deal justly with sin, He had declared: "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ver. 11).

If Ezekiel failed to warn the wicked, they would die in their sins, but their blood would nevertheless be required at his hand. If he faithfully warned them, however, and they refused to heed the warning, they would die in their sins, but he would be absolved of all responsibility (See Vers. 8,9).

Would some Christian reader remind us that we are living under another dispensation and that our message is one of grace? True enough, but this does not diminish, it increases our responsibility toward the lost.

If we believers carelessly allow the lost to go to Christless graves are we not morally responsible for their doom, and will we not be held accountable at the Judgment Seat of Christ? (See II Cor. 5:10,11). This is why we find Paul reminding the Ephesian elders that he had not ceased to warn men "night and day with tears" (Acts 20:31).

As the Apostle looked back over his ministry among the Ephesians he could say: "I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men" (Ver. 26). And this had been true of his ministry in general. Indeed, it was now his desire that, whatever the cost, he might finish his course with joy, and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify "the gospel of the grace of God" (Ver. 24).

God give us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, a greater sense of our responsibility toward the lost!

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February 16, 2006

SALESMEN AND SOLDIERS
by Cornelius R. Stam

It is true indeed that salvation is bestowed by grace and received through faith — entirely apart from works, religious or otherwise. But it is equally true that it costs to embrace the truth and costs even more to stand for it, rather than selling out. This is why Proverbs 23:23 exhorts us to “buy the truth and sell it not”. In this sense we are not to sell the truth. Yet in another sense we are salesmen of the truth, urging men to buy it.

As we do this we find that there are those who would actually seek to hinder men from buying the truth. Yet it is not primarily they who oppose our efforts, but Satan and his hosts.

“FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD [age], AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS [wicked spirits] IN HIGH PLACES" (Eph.6:12).

This is why God's salesmen must also be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ" (IITim.2:3). We must make the glorious message known despite the opposition. We must "put on the whole armour of God" and meet our adversaries with "the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph.6:11,17). When they would shut our mouths we must pray for ourselves and each other:

“...that utterance may be given unto me, THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, to make known the mystery of the [Paul's] gospel.
“...THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK” (Eph.6:19,20; Rom.16:25, 26).

This, by the grace of God, is our prayer and our resolve.

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February 17, 2006

INEXPRESSIBLE JOY
by Cornelius R. Stam

Have you ever noticed that the Apostle Paul never speaks of his love for Christ? Rather he keeps talking about Christ's wonderful love to him. Neither does he exhort us to love Christ, but keeps telling us how Christ loved — and loves, us. This is consistent with the message specially committed to him: “The Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

The Law said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God” (Matt.22:37). This is the very essence of the law. And we should love God, but the law cannot produce love, so God comes to us in grace and say: “I love you”. This is why Paul’s epistles are so filled with “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom.8:29).

The fact that God deals with us in grace does not mean that believers should not, or do not, love Him. The very opposite is true, for love begets love. It is when men come to know the love of Christ that their hearts respond to him in love.

Peter, like Paul, had once been a strict observer of the Law, but had since come to know the love of Christ in growing measure. The result: A deep love for Christ and the overflowing joy that accompanies such love. This is why we find in I Peter 1:8 those touching words that naturally overflow from the heart and lips of one who has come to know the love of Christ: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”.

Yes, knowing and loving Christ does indeed bring inexpressible joy, but we cannot love him by trying. We must accept His love for us in faith so that our hearts may naturally respond.

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February 18, 2006

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US
by Russell S. Miller

When Israel came out of the land of Egypt and the Lord's gracious forbearance with Pharaoh required that he release the people of God from slavery, that Egyptian did not revere the Lord and would not let God's people go. On the fateful night of "the Lord's Passover", Pharaoh arrogantly hardened his heart against the Lord (Ex.5:1; 14:15-18,27).

God told the Israelites to take a lamb, roast it with fire, and bitter herbs, and eat it in haste, for "it is the Lord's Passover", and "strike [the blood] on the two side posts and on the upper door post" of each house (Ex.12:1-11).

"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord."

It is not Pharaoh and his Egyptian "gods", but Jehovah who rules the world!

"And... when I see the blood, I will pass over you... " (Ex.12:12,13,29,30).

Now we come to the New Testament, and as our Lord celebrated "Passover" with His disciples, He instituted "the Lord's Supper", a memorial of His shed blood, the revelation of which Christ first delivered to Paul. It was later revealed to "His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (ICor.1:18; 15:1-4; Rom. 3:25,26; 5:9,10; Eph.3:5; IPet.1:11,12).

That Christ was born of "a virgin" makes His blood efficacious to save us from our sins (Matt.1:18-25; John 1:47; Rom.5:12; 8:3; Heb. 7:26).

This is why the Apostle Paul could say of the Lamb of God on Calvary's cross:

"FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US" (ICor.5:7).

Now we see that not only were Israelites redeemed by blood in the Exodus of Egypt some 1500 years Before Christ (Ex.12:11-14), the typification of which is revealed to Paul, but we also learn that Christ's "Passover" blood now saves believing Jews and Gentiles (ICor.11:25).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb.9:12).

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February 19, 2006

THE LAW MISUNDERSTOOD
by Cornelius R. Stam

There are three misconceptions that most people entertain about the law of God and its Ten Commandments:

   1. Most people have a vague notion that the law always was in existence and that it must have been given to the first man, Adam, or soon after. Actually, God gave the law to Moses for Israel about 1500 B.C., after about 2500 years of human history had elapsed (John 1:17). So mankind lived on earth for about 2500 years without the law or the Ten Commandments.

   2. Most people suppose that the law and the Ten Commandments were given to mankind in general, while, in fact, it was given to Israel alone (Deuteronomy 5:2,3).

   3. Most people suppose that the law and the Ten Commandments were given to help us to do right. Even some clergymen teach this, although the Bible clearly teaches that they were given to show us that we are guilty sinners.

It is true that the law, while given to Israel, also shows the Gentile that he is a sinner. This is why Romans 3:19 says:

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God.”

But most important of all: Few people realize that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins to deliver us from the just condemnation of the law. This is taught in the following Scriptures:

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us…” (Gal.3:13).

“For God hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (IICor.5:21).

“For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE” (Rom.6:14).

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