Two Minutes With The Bible

[nChrist]

March 22, 2006

SEATED IN HEAVEN
by Cornelius R. Stam

God sees every believer in Christ as already in heaven. See what the Bible says about this:

"BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,
"EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED),
"AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:
"THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).

Most sincere believers, poorly taught in the Word, are concerned about getting to heaven, but as far as God is concerned they are already there. They have been "made accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). God has given them a position "in Christ."

We are well aware that most of God’s people know little about this experientially, but God says that as far as He is concerned, they are already in heaven, and this is what matters. As Christ took our place on Calvary’s cross, God now sees us in Christ, at His own right hand, the place of favor and honor. This is why the Apostle Paul says to believers in Christ:

"IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
"SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH.
"FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD" (Col. 3:1-3).

And all this by the free grace of God:

"WHO HATH SAVED US, AND CALLED US WITH AN HOLY CALLING, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN" (II Tim. 1:9).

Our hearts go out to those of our readers who have not yet received this "gift of the grace of God." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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March 23, 2006

STANDING WHATEVER THE COST
by Cornelius R. Stam

When the Babylonian multitudes prostrated themselves in worship before the golden god which Nebuchadnezzar had erected, three young Hebrews refused to bow and remained standing, erect and alone.

When called before Nebuchadnezzar to answer for their impudence and threatened with death in a fiery furnace, they answered:

"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us... but if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:17,18).

This is the stand every believer should take for God and His truth. He is able to deliver us from persecution if we stand true, but even if He does not see fit to do this we should still stand alone, if necessary, for the light He has given us from His Word.

Many have suffered temporary loss for standing for their convictions. Hebrews 11 lists among the heroes of faith some who were "tortured, not accepting deliverance," and others who suffered "trial of cruel mockings and scourgings ...bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Heb. 11:35-37).

But we read that these all "obtained a good report" before God and looked forward to "a better resurrection" (Vers. 35,39).

As the apostasy rises all about us and those who stand for God’s truth are often ridiculed and despised, may God give us the grace to stand true regardless of the cost, remembering that any sufferings for Christ are only temporary while the rewards will be eternal.

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March 24, 2006

SIN IS NO JOKE
by Cornelius R. Stam

The present trend in American moral conduct is downward. Increasing thousands all about us are throwing restraint to the winds “to enjoy the pleasures of sin”.

We struggle with the problem of juvenile delinquency, but tempt the young in a hundred ways to immorality and violence. We are shocked at the deeds of sex-mad criminals who make it unsafe for women to walk the streets at night, but our women continue to pay less and less heed to the principles of modesty and decency that would contribute so greatly to their own safety.

Most of all, we have disregarded the Word of God. No longer does the Bible hold the first place in our homes. It rather lies gathering dust while our moral and spiritual strength is dissipated by pursuing pleasures that fail to bring true happiness or satisfaction. Yes, we have “a form of godliness” but our conduct “denies the power thereof”.

Sin may be “fun” to many. They may joke about drunkenness, indecency and immorality, but God declares that it is no joke to Him. He says: “Fools make a mock at sin” (Prov.14:9); for, not only does sin in its very nature break down, rather than build up; but, as responsible creatures, sinners will one day have to give an account of their conduct to the God who created them.

To look at the brighter side, we may all rejoice in another indication that sin is no joke to God. St. Paul points it out in I Corinthians 15:3, where he says: “Christ died for our sins”. Christ knew the horrible results of sin and the dreadful penalty which justice must visit upon it. Yes, and He also knew that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23), and in infinite love He left the glories of heaven and stooped to bear the disgrace and penalty for sin Himself! “Christ... hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (IPet.3:18), and those who come to know God through faith in Christ experience peace and joy which this world can never afford.

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March 25, 2006

THE SON OF MAN
by Cornelius R. Stam

In the four “Gospel” records, the Lord Jesus Christ refers to Himself about eighty times as “the son of Man”. This title is based upon a passage in Daniel’s prophecy in which “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” are given unto one who appeared as “the Son of Man” (Dan.7:13, 14). This kingdom, says the passage, “shall not pass away, and ... shall not be destroyed.”

As the term “Son of God” speaks of our Lord’s deity and the term “Son of David” emphasizes His title as King of Israel, so the term “Son of Man” identifies Him as the representative of mankind in general.

It is as “Son of Man” that He will reign as King of the world, as “King of kings” as we have seen above. It is also as “Son of Man” that He will judge the nations just before His kingdom reign:

“When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him will be gathered all nations” (Matt.25: 31,32).

As Son of man He will also be the Judge at the final judgment at the Great White Throne (Rev.20:11-15).

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son… because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22,27).

Surely God could not be more just in His dealings with mankind. But best of all it is as Son of man that our Lord represented us at Calvary, paying the penalty for our sins that He might deliver us from the judgment to come. “For the Son of man came…to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In “due time” the Apostle Paul was raised up to proclaim the glad news that the great Mediator had given Himself “a ransom for ALL” (I Tim.2:6).

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March 26, 2006

WHO’S BEEN GOOD TO WHOM?
by Cornelius R. Stam

As I once left a restaurant, the cashier and part owner asked how “the pastor” was feeling. I replied: “Fine. The Lord has been very good to me.”

With this she began to tell how good the Lord had been to her. She had come to America from Greece and had raised a family and prospered here until now, with her family, she owned and operated a good-sized restaurant. “So”, she said, “the Lord has been good to me”, and after a moment’s hesitation, “but then, I’ve been good to Him too!”

Imagine! How He needed her! It is sad, but this is the low conception of God held by many religious, but unsaved people. They entertain the strange notion that if they put a few dollars into the Church, God ought to bless them — or the still more foolish notion that if they are good to others, He ought to be good to them!

But He owes us nothing just because we may have been good to others! And even if we sought only to please Him, this would not make Him our debtor. He does not need us. There is nothing we can do to enrich Him. This is why Ephesians 2:8-10 declares that salvation is “not of yourselves”, and “not of works, lest any man should boast”.

No, we cannot gain His favor by “being good to Him”. Yet, it is true that His children will be rewarded for faithfulness to Him. This is not a dispensational matter; it is a promise that God has always held out to His people (Dan.12:3; Matt. 25:21; ICor.4:5; IThes.2:19; IITim.4:7,8; IPet.5:1). But such rewards are “rewards of grace”.

Let us who know Him, then, seek above all else to be faithful in our service to Him, not to gain acceptance with God, for He has already “made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.1:6), but rather out of love and gratitude to Him who gave Himself for us.

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March 27, 2006

HOW GOD EMPOWERS HIS WITNESSES
by Cornelius R. Stam

As we know, Paul wrought mighty miracles, as Peter and the Pentecostal believers had done. Indeed, a comparison of Paul’s miracles with those of Peter shows Paul’s to have been the mightier. This was mainly in divine confirmation of his apostleship, since Paul was not one of the twelve (II Cor. 12:11,12).

But it is clear from a study of Paul’s ministry and his epistles that these miraculous demonstrations were to vanish away as the dispensation of grace was fully ushered in (See I Cor. 13:8; Rom. 8:22,23; II Cor. 4:16-5:4; 12:10; Phil. 3:20,21; I Tim. 5:23; II Tim. 4:20). In fact, in the last seven of Paul’s epistles nothing whatever is said about signs, miracles, healings, tongues, visions or the casting out of demons.

How, then, does God now empower His servants in their conflict with Satan and his demons? The answer is: by the Holy Spirit through His Word, as it is preached with conviction. There is a great volume of evidence as to this in Paul’s epistles, including his early epistles. Two examples:

I Cor. 2:4: "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing [persuasive] words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

Mark well, this was power in his preaching, not in performing miracles. Indeed at the very same time when he proclaimed his God-given message with such power, he himself was very weak, for in the preceding verse he says:

"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling."

The other example is I Thes. 1:5:

"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance..."

In Thessalonica too, Paul had suffered much opposition and persecution, until the whole city was in an uproar (Acts 17:1-5), and this may well have been the result of his powerful preaching. Out of the "uproar," however, sprang the beloved Thessalonian church, an example and inspiration to those won to Christ under more benign circumstances.

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March 28, 2006

GOD IS CENTRAL
by Cornelius R. Stam

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is the foundation book of Christian theology. It brings us face to face with facts we ought to know and must know to be saved.

In the 16th and 17th verses of the first chapter, the apostle declares that he is proud of the gospel because therein the “righteousness”, or rightness of God is revealed.

God had to deal righteously with sin before He could offer salvation to sinners. Sin is not merely an affliction; it is moral wrong and kindles the wrath of a just and holy God.

The wrath of God is too little discussed by modern evangelists and preachers. They like to talk about the love and mercy of God, as though He were a Grand Old Man with a tolerant attitude toward sin. But they never fully appreciate His love and mercy because they do not understand His infinite wrath against sin.

Much evangelism today has become sort of a “try God” gimmick. The pleasures of the world don’t satisfy? Try God. You can't shake off some terrible bondage? Try God. When all else fails, Try God!

But this humanistic approach is foreign to Scripture. God, His holiness, His wrath against sin and His love in providing salvation — these are central in Scripture, not man and his condition and his needs.

We are not to look upon God as our servant, who will help us in time of need, but as the Holy One whose justice we have offended but who, in infinite grace, paid for our sins Himself so that we might be redeemed. This is why the Epistle to the Romans begins its mighty argument with almost three chapters on the subject of sin. Then follows the Good News of God's grace in settling the sin question so that we might be “justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom.3:24).

And thus the same inspired writer declares in Ephesians 2:2-4 that we were “the children of disobedience” and therefore “the children of wrath”, but then goes on to show “God, who is rich in mercy” and “great” in “love”, saves believers by grace, giving them eternal life in Christ, who died for our sins.

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March 29, 2006

THE “RIGHTNESS” OF GOD
by Cornelius R. Stam

St. Paul’s great Epistle to the Romans has much to say about “the righteousness of God”; in fact this is the theme of the Book of Romans. Sad to say, however, the Bible is so little read and studied of late that many people do not even know what the word “righteousness” means.

Actually, every man, woman and child should know about the righteousness of God — or, to simplify the word — the rightness of God. It is most important to understand that God does always and only that which is right. He can do nothing and will do nothing that is not right.

Thus God cannot and does not merely forgive sinners and smuggle them into heaven, for this would not be right. As Job 8:20 rightly says: “Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man; neither will He help evil doers”, for neither would be right.

It was Bildad who said this to Job, and Job replied, almost exasperated: “I know it is so of a truth, but how shall a man be just with God?” In other words, how can a holy God look upon a sinner and pronounce him righteous?

With this background let’s consider Paul’s great declaration in Romans 1:16,17:

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth…for therein is the righteousness [i.e., the rightness] of God revealed….”

True the love of God is revealed in the gospel, but what made Paul so proud to proclaim the gospel is the fact that it tells how God dealt “righteously”, or rightly with sin, paying its just penalty Himself at Calvary so that He might offer salvation to all by free grace.

Thus the Apostle declares in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death [this is its just penalty]; but the [free] gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

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March 30, 2006

POWER PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS
by Cornelius R. Stam

To Paul was committed the greatest revelation of all time. He was divinely commissioned to proclaim the glorious all-sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work, God’s offer of salvation by free grace to all who trust in Christ and their heavenly position, blessings and prospect.

Lest he should become puffed up by the glory of these great truths, God gave him what he calls “a thorn in the flesh”, an aggravating physical infirmity of some sort. “For this thing,” he says, “I besought the Lord thrice [three times], that it might depart from me” (IICor.12:8). But the Lord knew better than Paul what was best for him:

“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (Ver.9).

How right God was! Every Christian knows that with brimming health and “good fortune” comes the tendency to forget our need of Him, while infirmity causes us to lean harder and to pray more and this is where our spiritual power lies. Every believer should acknowledge this and say with Paul:

“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities…for when I am weak, then am I strong” (IICor.12:9,10).

Infirmities of the flesh are common even to God’s choicest saints. What satisfaction there is, then, in just believing God’s Word: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”.

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March 31, 2006

FAITH VERSUS PRESUMPTION
by Cornelius R. Stam

The Word of God declares in Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please Him”.

There is nothing that will haunt a man like the fear that God may be displeased with him, nor any joy comparable to the assurance that He is pleased. It is foolish, however, to suppose that we can please God with the things we think He desires. We must give Him what He says He desires. Thank God, it is not difficult to determine this, for He tells us again and again in His Word that it is faith He desires most of all. He wants us to trust Him, to take Him at His Word.

The Bible tells us at length how God loved us in spite of our sin and gave His blessed Son to die on Calvary’s tree to clear our title to heaven, but alas, instead of taking Him at His Word, thousands turn away from His gracious offer, “going about to establish their own righteousness” (Rom.10:3).

They do “good works” and make great sacrifices, thinking that a God of love will surely accept their efforts and overlook their sins. But this is presumption, not faith. How can a just God overlook sin? We should thank Him that in His matchless love He himself paid for our sins so that we might be free, and that salvation is “the gift of God”, obtained by faith alone.

Cain presumed that God would accept his attractive sacrifice instead of the prescribed one, but God refused both him and his offering. Pharaoh presumed that he could take his armies through the Red Sea as Moses had done, but he perished in the sea for presuming on God. Naaman, the leper, refused God’s way of cleansing, saying, “I thought…”, but the great general remained a leper until he took God at His Word. Will you take God at His Word and trust Christ as your Saviour?

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April 1, 2006

THE NOBLE BEREANS AND PAUL'S GOSPEL
by Cornelius R. Stam

We have said that the Bereans were commended for listening with open minds to teachings which they had never heard before. Yes, when they were confronted with them. It was the Athenians, not the Bereans, who made it their policy to consider as many viewpoints as possible on every subject (Acts 17:18-21).

The strength of the Bereans was that they kept close to the Scriptures. When confronted with some new doctrine, they did indeed give it an interested hearing, but then “searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Had they found anything in Paul's message which contradicted the Scriptures they would immediately have rejected it. And for this God calls them “noble”. They were the truly great, the spiritual aristocracy of their day.

Too many believers today aspire to be like the Athenians rather than the Bereans. They say they wish to have open minds, and this is good if it is remembered that an open mind is like an open mouth; not everything should be put into it.

The Athenians went to the other extreme from the Thessalonians, who would not even consider a new doctrine when confronted with it — would not even consider it in the light of the Scriptures.

The Bereans were the wisest of the three. They kept close to that blessed Book, and, when confronted with unfamiliar teachings, immediately subjected them to the test of Scripture.

This is the wisest course, even if only because we are all limited in time and strength. Obviously we cannot spend a great deal of time looking into the conflicting teachings of men without sacrificing a great deal of much-needed time for Bible study, and in the measure that we do this we are bound to grow spiritually weaker.

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April 2, 2006

"GOOD FRIDAY"
by Cornelius R. Stam

There has been much debate among theologians as to whether the Lord Jesus Christ was actually crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Traditionally, of course, it is supposed to have taken place on Friday, but this writer has never been able to get very excited about such details. What matters is that Christ, the Creator, God in flesh, died in shame and disgrace and agony for sins He had never committed — for your sins and mine.

But have you ever considered that this in itself is not necessarily good news? Many an innocent person has died in the place of some guilty criminal who has gone free through some miscarriage of justice. We didn’t see anything good about this. When St. Peter addressed his kinsmen he blamed them for the crucifixion of Christ, saying: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you... as ye yourselves also know... ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:22, 23), and later he faced the Supreme Court of his nation and charged them with His death (Acts 4:5-11).

What then, was “good” about the death of Christ? Well, we come to this when we reach the Epistles of Paul in our Bibles. There the chief of sinners, saved by grace (ITim.1:15), exclaims: “He gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20). He says: “God hath made Him to be sin for us... that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (IICor.5:21). He does not blame us for Christ’s death — though our sins helped to nail Him to that cross — but proclaims the glad news that, “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace” (Eph.1:7). And why did He do this 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” (Eph.2:7).

So, for us who have trusted Christ as our Savior, the death of Christ at Calvary is indeed good news. We rejoice in it, sing about it, preach about it and all it has accomplished for a lost humanity. Little wonder Paul declared:

“God forbid that I should boast,” except in one thing: “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

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April 3, 2006

LIGHT FOR THE SOUL
by Cornelius R. Stam

A Christian believer talking to an atheistic evolutionist one time, took his watch out of his pocket, noted the time and put it back in again, saying to his friend: “This is a wonderful watch; never misses a second. I never have to do anything to it, yet it keeps perfect time.”

“What make is it?” asked the evolutionist. “Oh, no make,” was the reply. “Well who manufactured it?” “Oh, no one. It just put itself together somehow.”

“Nonsense!” said the atheist. “A watch can’t just come into existence. Somebody had to manufacture it.”

“That’s true,” replied the Christian, “yet you expect me to believe that this vast universe with its billions of planets and stars, all revolving in perfect order, just came about by itself; that it has no Designer, no Creator, and no one to keep it running. Isn’t that nonsense!”

According to the Bible God holds the pagan world responsible for its idolatry and declares: “They are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20) because all that the heathen witness about God every day calls for their worship and praise and thanksgiving (Rom. 1:20,21). But they have not had this attitude. They have denied and rejected God and, as St. Paul says, they “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Ver. 21). It was thus that pagan idolatry, the worship of the creation, rather than the Creator (Ver. 25) had its beginning.

All this is very much like what we read in Ephesians 4:17,18 where God exhorts His people not to live like “the Gentiles,” in “the vanity [shallowness] of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

Not very complimentary, is it? But it does reflect the condition of the human heart without God and apart from faith in Christ our Savior. It explains why the world, with all its increased technical knowledge is worse off than ever.

How wonderful to know that “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,” can give light and joy and blessing to the simplest soul who places his faith in Christ, who died for our sins! (See IICor. 4:3-6; Acts 16:31; ICor. 15:3,4).

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April 4, 2006

THE SECRET OF SPIRITUAL VICTORY
by Cornelius R. Stam

Believers in Christ have been made “free from sin” by grace (Rom.6:14,18) in the sense that they need not, indeed, should not, yield to sin when temptation arises (Rom.6:12,13). Believers have also been made “free from the law of sin and death” (Rom.8:2) for Christ, in grace, bore the death penalty for them.

But no believer is free from what Paul calls “the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom.7:23), that is, the old Adamic nature, with its inherent tendency to do wrong. Nor is he free from the conflict with the new nature which this involves. If the Christian would be truly spiritual and deal in a scriptural way with the sin that indwells him, he must clearly recognize its presence; he must face the fact that while, thank God, he is no longer “in sin”, sin is still in him.

But this conflict should not discourage us, for it is one of the true signs of salvation. It is unknown to the unbeliever, for only the additional presence of the new nature, along with the old, causes this conflict, for the Bible says about these two natures: “these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal.5:17).

But not only is this conflict within the believer a sure sign of salvation; it also creates within him a deep and necessary sense of our inward imperfection and of the infinite grace of a holy God in saving us and ministering to us daily in helping us to overcome sin. And this in turn gives us a more understanding approach as we proclaim to the lost “the gospel of the grace of God”.

Paul’s epistles show clearly that there is nothing that will so help us to overcome sin and live pleasing to God as an understanding and an appreciation of what He has done for us in Christ. As we are occupied with these “things of the Spirit” we find ourselves “walking in the Spirit”, and Galatians 5:16 says: “WALK IN THE SPIRIT, AND YE SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH”. How much better to have our lives transformed by occupation with Christ (IICor. 3:18) and our position and blessings in the heavenlies with Him (Col.3:1-3), than to assume the hopeless task of trying to improve the “old nature”; always engaged in introspection; always occupied with the flesh!

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April 5, 2006

HE SHALL PRAY FOR THEE
by Cornelius R. Stam

Abimelech, king of Gerar, had taken Abraham’s wife as his own, but had done so innocently.

Sarah was a beautiful woman and Abraham, fearful for his life, had said to Abimelech: “She is my sister”. Indeed, Sarah, also fearful, had vouched for Abraham’s lie, telling the king: “He is my brother”.

But to save the failing couple from the consequences of their own cowardice and sin, God had appeared to Abimelech, warning him that if he valued his life he would immediately return Sarah to her husband — “and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live” (Gen. 20:7).

Can this be a correct account of what actually took place? Will God hear the prayers of guilty Abraham for innocent Abimelech? Yes, for Abimelech was a pagan who served other gods, while Abraham, with all his failure and sin, was God’s child.

Abraham’s prayer would, of course, be a confession of his sin and a plea that it might not be laid to the charge of innocent Abimelech, but nevertheless it was Abraham, not Abimelech, who had access to God.

This is an important lesson to learn, for many unsaved people point to the failures of believers and say: “I wouldn’t be guilty of that. If he goes to heaven, I certainly will get there”. Nevertheless, such “good” people are lost, while poor sinners who have trusted Christ for salvation are saved and “made accepted in the Beloved One” (Eph.1:6).

There is only one way to find acceptance with God; this is by faith in His Son. Our Lord said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6), and in John 3:35,36 we read:

“The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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