Two Minutes With The Bible

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Does Daniel Describe Today's Increase in Knowledge?
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "Does Daniel 12:4 describe the increase in knowledge that we see today?”

    "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

We are living in the time of the mystery (Eph. 3:1-9), not in the time of the fulfillment of prophecy, so nothing in the prophetic book of Daniel describes anything that is going on today.

Since the previous verses say that the saved in Israel will rise from the dead (v. 2) and "they that be wise" shall shine in the kingdom of heaven on earth and "turn many to righteousness" (v. 3), the "knowledge" of verse 4 must refer to knowledge of the Scriptures, the only knowledge that can turn people to righteousness. In that day, "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD" (Isa. 11:9) since knowledge of Him will be increased.

The subsequent context bears this out as well. When Daniel is told that "the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (v. 9), it is in the end times that "the wise shall understand" (v. 10), and it is then that knowledge of the Scriptures shall be increased, and God's people will use that knowledge to turn many to righteousness (Dan. 11:33).

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

The Supreme Importance Of God's Word To The Believer
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The Bible will always have first place in the life of the spiritual Christian.

It is of utmost importance that we understand this, for some who feel themselves quite spiritual give much time to prayer, but little, if any, to the study of the Word. Such have actually fallen for the subtle trick of the adversary to play upon their natural human pride and cause them to exalt self and push God into the background.

In saying this we do not for one moment minimize the importance of prayer; we only stress the supreme importance of the holy Word of God. In this we are surely Scriptural, for David says, by inspiration:

    “For Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name” (Psa. 138:2).

Of those who would still object and place first emphasis upon prayer rather than upon the Word, we would ask one simple question: Which is the more important, what we have to say to God or what He has to say to us? There can be but one answer to this question, for obviously what God has to say to us is infinitely more important than anything we might have to say to Him. Our prayers are as fraught with failure as we are, but the Word of God is infallible, immutable and eternal.

Yet some, having fallen for one of Satan’s “devices” and feeling quite spiritual about it, are like the talkative person to whom one listens and listens, occasionally nodding his head, but receiving little or no opportunity to “get a word in edgewise.” They do all the talking, but give little time listening to what God has to say to them.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

A Killer Who Found Hope
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


The story is told of an innocent man who was accused of killing someone, and was on trial for murder. The man was innocent, but the case against him was strong, and his brother was afraid he'd be convicted. So he decided to bribe a seemingly slow-witted man serving on the jury, offering him $10,000 to convince the other jurors that his brother was guilty of manslaughter instead of murder. Well, it worked, and as he paid the slow-witted man the money, he asked him if it had been difficult to convince the other jurors. "It sure was," he replied, "they all thought he was innocent and wanted to let him go!"

As you may know, the Epistle of Titus was written by a killer named Saul of Tarsus, who not only got saved and quit killing people, he became a servant of God and an apostle of Christ:

    "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1).

The first thing we notice about this reformed killer is that after he got saved he preferred to be called Paul. Now, most killers who change their name do it so they can escape their past and blend in with society. Back in 1988, a man in England was convicted of killing two young girls and incarcerated. When they finally released him in 2017, he changed his name. Of course, his name was Vile Pitchfork, and that's not an easy name to forget--making it hard to blend in with society!

But Saul didn't change his name to try to escape his past. He couldn't have done so if he had tried. You see, he was the most notorious persecutor of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ of his day! But if he wasn't trying to hide from his past, why did he start going by a new name?

Well, "Saul" was a Jewish name. He was named after Israel's first king. But when he got saved, the Lord told him, "I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21). So Saul began to go by his Gentile name (Acts 13:9) to reflect how God had sent him to the Gentiles.

You know, it wouldn't hurt all of us to examine ourselves to see if everything in our lives reflects the fact that we have been sent by Christ--not to be His apostles, but to be His ambassadors (II Cor. 5:20). There's probably no reason to change your name now that you're saved, but some changes in your conduct might be in order if an examination of your life shows that you could be a little more godly, a little more kind, or a little more patient with others. Things like that will always reflect well on the One who saved us by His blood, and then sent us forth to represent Him.

Is this something you should pray about? If so, there's no time like the present to talk to God about your desire to represent the Lord in a way that will bring more honor to Him.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Don't Dote On Personalities
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


When Paul instructs Timothy to charge his followers not to “give heed” to “endless genealogies” (I Tim. 1:4), he refers to the status symbol of the personality of his day.

Recently this writer was informed by a correspondent from an eastern state that it appeared that he might be related to a Revolutionary general named Stam — and, did we wish him to investigate further! We replied that we were far too excited about where we were going to care much about where we had come from!

While there are some in our day who are very proud of their ancestry and have coats of arms displayed in their homes, the average Christian probably, has never had his family tree traced back very far. But in Paul’s day genealogies were very important, even among believers. One’s family relationships meant a great deal. If you were a second cousin to Christ or even a third cousin to Peter you “had it made.” You might be crude, or stupid, or even wicked, but all this was overlooked: you were closely related to Christ Himself or to the Apostle Peter and all were ready to give you audience.

Actually, the personality cult is still with us in the Church today though it manifests itself in different ways. We live in a day of mass communications, when the faces of prominent men and women are seen again and again in newspapers and magazines and even their personalities come through to us over radio and television. Thus it is the prominent “Christian” politician, athlete, actor, beauty queen, or even former gangster who commands the attention today. Those who arrange evangelistic campaigns often seek to engage such personalities to attract crowds. Such prominent figures, though perhaps actually saved, may be very much “of the world,” dishonoring their Christian calling every day, but their presence draws crowds and their shallow testimonies are used to justify their public participation in the work of the Lord.

The new evangelicalism has borrowed many prominent personalities from the world to help swell its audiences, while the old prayer that the witness may be hid behind the cross is to all intents and purposes considered passe.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Majorities Often Wrong
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


When St. Paul was at Ephesus his proclamation of the gospel caused such a stir that the idol makers, who were losing money, protested until “the whole city was filled with confusion.” Soon somebody started a chant: “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” Others joined and the chorus swelled until “all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:34), and the town clerk, referring to the religion which surrounded this pagan goddess, said confidently: “These things cannot be spoken against” (Ver .36).

But later, at Rome, the Apostle was informed, with reference to those who had accepted the truths he had been proclaiming: “As concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against” (Acts 28:22).

We wonder which side our readers would now prefer to be on: that of the superstitious multitude or that of the minority who place their faith in the Bible.

Millions worshipped the goddess Diana from a thousand years before Christ to two centuries after, but who knows her today? Where is the evidence of all the miracles she is supposed to have wrought? Her glory is little more than a memory and the religion which revolved around her name is a thing of the past.

But the Bible, for all these centuries and more, has stood unchanged and unchangeable. It has weathered, not barely, but handsomely, all the storms of criticism and opposition, and has proved to be indeed the Word of God. Read the Bible and especially that part which is particularly meant for us today: the Epistles of Paul. Depend upon it, act upon it and don’t hesitate to stand for it, even when in the minority, for where the most vital truths are concerned, majorities have generally been wrong.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

The Motives of Law and Grace
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (I Timothy 1:7).

Since "we are not under law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:15), what possible motive could someone have to teach the law? Well, in Paul's day, the men most likely to desire to cling to the law were Jews (Acts 15:1). Speaking of them, Paul told Titus:

    "...there are many unruly and vain talkers...of the circumcision...who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1:10,11).

The thing that these circumcision Jews "ought not" to have been teaching was the law, which they taught for the same reason men teach the law today--because there is money in it. Satan always makes sure that undispensational truth is popular, and teaching what is popular is always a lucrative endeavor!

For instance, in time past, God's message to Israel was that He was going to use Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the nation to chasten her for her iniquities (Jer. 25:9). But false prophets in Israel were assuring God's people it would never happen, that they would continue to enjoy peace (Jer. 23:17). Which of those two messages do you think was more popular, and thus more lucrative?

Of course, when Israel was obedient to God's law, His message to them was a message of peace, but when they rebelled against His law, that message became one dispensation too late. Well, today the law is one dispensation too late, but it is as popular and as profitable as undispensational teaching has always been. People are religious by nature, and the law appeals to their religious "flesh" (Gal. 3:3). And that which appeals to a man's religious flesh is always going to be as popular and as lucrative a business as that which appeals to his carnal flesh (II Cor. 11:20).

When Paul added that those teachers of the law understood "neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm," that was a polite way of saying they didn't know what they were talking about! All because they were one dispensation too late in their teaching. What's that say about all those "desiring to be teachers of the law" in our own day?

Maybe you are thinking, "If the goal of the law is to get us to love God and our neighbor (I Tim. 1:5), and we're not under the law, does that mean God doesn't want us to love God and our neighbor?" Of course He does! But now such loving charity is the goal of a new commandment. You see, when Paul said that "the end of the commandment is charity" (I Tim. 1:5), he wasn't just referring to the goal of the ten commandments.

Remember, Paul opened this epistle by insisting that he was an apostle "by the commandment of God" (I Tim. 1:1), and in the dispensation of grace, the goal of that commandment is charity out of a pure heart. The goal of Paul's God-ordained apostleship is to get people saved and loving God and their neighbor, just as it was under the law. The difference is, in this dispensation, "the love of Christ constraineth us" to serve Him (II Cor. 5:14), not the fear of what will happen to us if we disobey Him, as was the case under the law. That's the motivation of love, not law! That's the motivation of grace.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Buying Up The Time
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Nineteen hundred years ago Paul wrote to his fellow- believers in the vicinity of Ephesus: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming [Lit., buying up] the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15,16). Those were indeed evil days, when a wicked tyrant ruled the Roman Empire, when Messiah had been rejected, not only in incarnation, but in resurrection, and Christianity was fighting a life-and-death battle to penetrate the prevailing pagan darkness with the light of God’s grace. Surely Paul never dreamed that the dispensation of grace would continue for more than nineteen hundred years. He expected the Lord to come at any time to recall His ambassadors and bring the day of grace to a close. Hence the urgency of his appeal to be “buying up the time, because the days are evil.”

But if Paul had reason to suspect that the day of grace would soon be brought to a close, we today have greater reason to think so. Now that the light of the gospel has been brought to Europe, America and many other parts of the world, men are turning their backs on it. Only a small minority of even Christendom truly believe the Bible and know the Christ it presents — and how very few know the riches of His grace!

Meanwhile our governments, our educational institutions and our social systems are becoming ever more godless. The result? The newspapers, radio and TV — even a trip downtown to any fair-sized city, will tell us all we need to know. Once again “the days are evil” and the Lord’s coming for His own seems imminent. There is still much talk about lasting peace and prosperity, but no thoughtful person believes that we are headed in that direction. Rather the world appears to be heading straight toward the prophesied “day of wrath.”

What a comfort it is to the believer, then, to know that “God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us…” (I Thes. 5:9,10). “For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed” and “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:11,13).

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Redeeming the Time
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


As a new day dawns we do well to reflect upon two important passages of Scripture. The first is found in II Corinthians 6:2 where Paul, by the Spirit says:

    "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

We have no guarantee that the Lord Jesus will tarry another year, or even a month or a day. It is possible that within ten minutes after you have read this the dispensation of Grace will have been brought to a close, and the Lord will have come to catch away His own. Most of our readers, surely, will then be part of a blessed, happy throng. What about you? Will you be with us or will you be left behind? If you are not sure of your salvation, be wise and place your trust in Christ now.

    "Yesterday's past You have only today.

    Tomorrow may be too late."

But the fact of the imminence of Christ's return places a great responsibility upon believers too. How wrong of us to fritter away the time, when He may come so soon! How wrong to live for self! Let us rather heed the words of Paul to us who are saved:

    "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

    "Redeeming [buying up] the time, because the days are evil.

    "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:15-17).

As one year dies and another is born,
A searching question's due:
Have we lived up to the light we had?
Have we to Christ been true?

Or have we failed to do our part
To send His blessed Word
To those who stumble in the dark;
To those who have not heard?

Well, let us now forget the past,
Both failure and success,
And yield ourselves anew to God
To own and use and bless.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Power Perfected In Weakness
by Pastor 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”.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

The Cross of Christ
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Perhaps you are reading these lines but do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We want you to know that life begins at Calvary! To illustrate consider for a moment the vertical beam of the Cross. It represents the way through which the broken relationship between God and the sinner can be restored. The way is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior Himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6).

In your heart of hearts you know that you are not right with God. Sin has separated you from the Holy One of Heaven and has made a mess of your life! It's left you living in fear of death and the judgment to come. I know, I've been there! Salvation is not found in what you can do to make yourself acceptable to God, but what He has already done for you at Calvary.

The only way to restore your broken relationship with God is to believe that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (I Cor. 15:3,4). As the song says, "When He was on the Cross, you were on His mind." The moment you place your faith in Christ's finished work, you will be forgiven of all your sins: past, present, and future. Keep in mind, too, that the day Christ died all of your sins were yet future.

Nothing in this life is free, someone paid for it! This is also true of God's provision of salvation; Christ paid for it with His precious blood. Today, God is offering salvation as a free gift to all who place their trust in His Son. When you believe the gospel, the burden of your sins will be lifted. You will for the first time in your life experience "peace with God" through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). Once this relationship is established, it is permanent because you are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the redemption of the purchased possession (Eph. 1:13,14).

We might liken the horizontal beam of the Cross to our relationship with those around us. Our lives touch the lives of others. God has believers in every walk of life so that those who are still outside of Christ might have the opportunity to hear the good news. This horizontal beam also represents the importance of reaching out to our brothers and sisters in Christ who have yet to see the revelation of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:8,9), which raises an important question: when was the last time you shared Paul's gospel with a Christian friend?

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

The End Of The World
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


There has been a great deal of discussion lately about some Hindu astrologers who have predicted that this world will come to an end this February. The fact is that some sincere Christians fear that these prophets might be right, since our Lord did speak several times about the coming “end of the world.”

These Hindu astrologers, however, are wrong. This February will not see the end of the world, for according to the Bible the world, or earth, will never come to an end. The word “world,” which our Lord uses in this connection, does not refer to the earth, or even the people on it. It is the old Greek word aion, or age. Several ages in God’s program have already come to an end, and others will, but no matter what destructive weapons man may devise, the earth will never be destroyed. In Isaiah 45:18 we read:

    “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens: God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it; He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else.”

But doesn’t Rev. 21:1 predict “a new heaven and a new earth”? Yes, but the context clearly indicates that this refers to the future renewing of the present heaven and earth, not the creating of different ones. Verse 5 says:

    “He that sat upon the throne: said, Behold I make all things new.”

Note: He didn’t say “I make all new things,” but “I make all things new.” There is a difference.

We should not be concerned about the end of the world, but rather about the end of this present age in which we live under “the dispensation of the grace of God,” for God has never promised how long this will last. Every hour He delays the return of Christ to recall His ambassadors, is an hour of wonderful grace, in which men may be saved by grace, through faith in Christ who died for our sins. This is why Paul urges us:

    “We then, as workers together with [Christ], beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain…. Behold, now is the accepted time; Behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:1,2).

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

An Apostle In Hope of Eternal Life
by Pastor Ricky Kurth


    "Paul...an apostle of Jesus Christ...in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:1,2).

If you're a Gentile, you should be eternally grateful that Paul, "the apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13), was made an apostle "in hope of eternal life." You see, before Paul came along, we Gentiles had "no hope" of eternal life (Eph. 2;11,12)! But Paul was made an apostle to give us that hope.

The word "hope" means to expect or anticipate something that may or may not happen, depending on something else. Paul hoped to send Timothy to the Philippians, but it depended on how things would go for him (Phil. 2:19-23). But he told a Gentile named Titus that the hope of our eternal life depends on the promise of God--the God who "cannot lie." If you think hope like that is pretty secure, say amen!

Of course, if you do think that's a pretty secure hope, it is probably because you've studied the Bible all your life, so you know you can trust the God of the Bible to keep His promises. But Titus was the leader of the churches in Crete (Tit. 1:5), an island off the coast of Greece. So instead of studying the God of the Bible all their lives, the Cretians studied the gods of the Greeks. And if you want to talk about a bunch of lowdown, no good, lying scoundrels, just spend some time studying the gods of Greek mythology!

This is why in writing to the leader of the churches in Crete the apostle Paul spoke of God as the God who cannot lie. Surely Titus needed no such assurance, but Paul knew he would share his epistle with his congregations. They needed to know that this God that was offering them the hope of eternal life was not a liar like the gods they knew all too well from their past.

If you're not saved, and you are wondering how to obtain the eternal life that God promised us Gentiles, Paul told Timothy that he was made an apostle "according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 1:1). Eternal life is found in Christ! And when Paul also wrote that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:23), we know that God wants to give you eternal life as a free gift. And the only way to receive this gift is by believing. Speaking of God's promise of eternal life, Paul says "that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe" (Galatians 3:22).

Believe what? Believe the gospel! What gospel? The gospel that could save even the sinful Corinthians! Writing to them, Paul said,

    "...I declare unto you the gospel...which also ye have received...by which also ye are saved...Christ died for our sins...and...was buried, and...rose again" (I Corinthians 15:1-4).

Now you know what to believe when Paul says,

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

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Salesmen And Soldiers
by Pastor 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.

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

The Paradox of Grace
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In "the gospel of the grace of God" we find a striking paradox: God Himself condemning the righteous and justifying the wicked; forsaking the perfect and helping evildoers.

Behold the spotless Lamb on Calvary as He cries, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Judas kisses Him in base betrayal; wicked men spit in His face, mock Him, smite Him, scourge Him, crown Him with thorns and nail Him to a tree! And God, the Judge of all, does nothing to stop them! Indeed, He Himself unsheathes His sword and smites the one Person in all history who could truly say, "I delight to do Thy will, 0 my God."

And this is not all, for on the other hand God saves Saul of Tarsus, Christ's bitterest enemy, "a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious," his hands dripping, as it were, with the blood of martyrs. To him God shows "grace…exceeding abundant" and "all longsuffering" (I Tim. 1:13-16). Indeed, He sends him forth to proclaim openly to all men that:

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

How can all this be right? The answer is that the One who died in agony and disgrace at Calvary was God Himself, manifested in the flesh. There, at Calvary, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" (II Cor. 5:19). It was the Judge Himself, stepping down from the throne to the cross to represent the sinner and pay for him the full penalty of his sins.

And who will say this is injustice? Injustice? It is perfect justice and more. It is grace!

Under the terms of the Law we find God "showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments" (Ex. 20:6). But grace is infinitely more: it is the riches of God's mercy and love to "the children of disobedience…the children of wrath" (Eph. 2:2-7), paying the penalty for their sins Himself in strictest accord with perfect and infinite righteousness!

[nChrist]

_______________________________________________
Two Minutes With The Bible
From The Berean Bible Society

Free Email Subscription

For Questions Or Comments:  berean@execpc.com
_______________________________________________

Peace And Access
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


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

“Being justified… we have peace with God”!

What a priceless blessing! We believers are prone to take this blessing altogether too much for granted. Since the day we trusted Christ and the burden of sin rolled away, most of us have never had another question about our eternal destiny. Hence the danger of taking our salvation for granted.

We often fail to appreciate sufficiently what it means to be able to arise in the morning, go about our business during the day and give ourselves up to unconsciousness at night, always assured that through our Lord’s redemptive work we have “peace with God” and our eternal destiny is secure. Surely this knowledge should overwhelm our hearts with constant gratitude and have a profound effect upon our daily conduct.

The companion blessing to “peace with God” is our full and free access into His presence: another blessing of grace far too little appreciated. Think of the wonder of our free access to God; how He, the Ruler of the Universe, invites us to come confidently before His “throne of grace” at our convenience — “in time of need.”

    “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).

We should never forget that this high privilege was purchased for us by the precious blood of Christ, and that having thus been purchased, it is His will that we believers avail ourselves of “this grace.” Could there be greater proof of His love for us?

    “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

    “…a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.

    “….Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” (Heb. 10:19-22).