Two Minutes With The Bible

[nChrist]

September 8, 2006

THE MYSTERY
by Cornelius R. Stam

In Eph. 3:1-3 "the dispensation of the grace of God" is specifically called "the mystery" (i.e., secret). It is thus designated for two reasons:

1. It had been "kept secret since the world began, but now," through Paul, had been "made manifest" (Rom. 16: 25). "In other ages" it was "not made known" (Eph. 3:5). Rather, "from the beginning of the world" it had been "hid in God" (Ver. 9), "hid from ages and from generations, but now... made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:26).

2. It was at the same time the explanation, the key, to all God’s good news, including that which had been proclaimed in ages past. It explained how it was that Abel could be declared righteous by bringing an animal sacrifice, "God testifying of his gifts" (Heb. 11:4), how Noah could become "an heir of... righteousness" by building an ark (Heb. 11:7), how anyone could be saved under the dispensation of the Law, and how it is that we can be saved today by grace through faith alone.

Thus we have in Paul’s epistles, not only the gospel [good news] of "the secret" (Eph. 3:1-3), but at the same time, "the secret of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19,20).

This great secret, revealed to and through Paul, has rightly been called the capstone of divine revelation, for it concerns God’s eternal purpose in Christ. Through Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace, God has now made this glorious secret known to us (Eph. 1:9) that we, in turn, might make it known to others (Eph. 3:9).

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September 9, 2006

SCRIPTURE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE - I Corinthians 15:3,4
by Russell S. Miller

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (ICor.15:3,4).

Well do I remember that night, many years ago now, when I first trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I recall how the minister opened the inspired Scriptures to share God's truth with a lost sinner. How kind he was to tell me of the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus. Opening the pages of holy Writ he showed me verse by verse my sinful condition before a holy God, and God's remedy for it.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23).

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.6:23).

Finally when he laid that Book open before me at St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, I knew that I must trust Christ as my Saviour:

"For I delivered unto you first at all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures, And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (ICor.15.3,4).

I praise God for that man, that night, when I was convinced by the Spirit of God concerning "the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (IITim.2:10). How wonderful the peace that came into my troubled soul - "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.5:1). I found peace because the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the Scriptures opened my blind eyes to see how fully I had been identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection -- baptized into Jesus Christ Himself (Rom.6:3; 4;l; ICor.12:13). And because of the finished work of Christ at Calvary, there is no doubt about the eternal security of the believer in Christ today. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.6:23).

Praise the Lord indeed, for this passage of Scripture has changed my life, my outlook on life, and my eternal destiny, and because the Apostle Paul's epistles are written to "saints," believers in Jesus Christ become -- "saints". Won't you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour and experience the change that Holy Scripture will make in your life?

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September 10, 2006

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND OURS
by Cornelius R. Stam

Many people suppose that salvation is God’s reward to those who do their best to live good lives. This is not so, for God’s Word says of those who are saved:

"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).

Referring to this "salvation which is in Christ Jesus," St. Paul says:

"It is a faithful saying, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him" (II Tim. 2:10,11).

In other words: The believer, viewing Calvary aright, has "died with Christ." Viewing the Cross, he has said: "This is not Christ’s death. He was no sinner. He had no death to die. He is dying my death!" And so by faith he is "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). The penalty for all his sins has been fully paid, for he died -- in Christ, and thus has also risen with Christ "to walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3,4).

This is all God’s doing, and only now is the believer in a position to do good works that will please God. Thus the Apostle writes of believers, in II Tim. 2: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us" (Ver. 12). When the believer’s service for Christ is reviewed some, indeed, will "receive a reward," but others will "suffer loss," though they themselves will "be saved, yet so as by fire" (I Cor. 3:14,15).

It will be deeply embarrassing, in that day, for unfaithful Christians to face empty-handed the One who gave His all, Himself, to save them. Yet salvation is by grace, thus the Apostle hastens to conclude his statement in II Timothy 2, with the words:

"If we are unfaithful, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (Ver. 13)

Thus our rewards as believers depend upon our faithfulness, but our salvation, thank God, on His!

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September 11, 2006

THE FIRST BOOK TO READ
by Cornelius R. Stam

In years gone by, when life was simpler, men had more time to ponder over the really important questions: What will become of me when I die? Is there a heaven -- and a hell? Can I know God? Will He forgive my sins? If so, on what basis? What must I do to be saved?

The materialism, commercialism and technology of our day, however, have so complicated life that secondary problems hinder many people from even considering at leisure that which is most important.

Yet, despite all the hurry and anxiety, all the noise and distraction, there are troubled souls, hungering and thirsting for true satisfaction, for hearts cleansed from sin, for deliverance from the awful burden of a guilty conscience.

Such people should read Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and meditate on its great message of salvation. In fact, this is the first book they ought to read.

In Romans the inspired Apostle declares that "all have sinned" (3:23) and that "the wages of sin is death" (6:23). But this is not all. Romans also proclaims the good news that the Lord Jesus Christ "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" and that therefore we may have "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (4:25; 5:1).

More than this, Romans offers abundant grace to all who trust in Christ. "The law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded grace did much more abound" (5:20,21). Thus believers are "justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (3:24) and "the [free] gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (6:23).

We urge those who are not sure of salvation to read carefully and prayerfully this great Epistle to the Romans. You may be thanking God for the rest of your earthly life -- and forever -- that you did.

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September 12, 2006

TRUE BLESSEDNESS
by Cornelius R. Stam

It has been said that the word "blessed," in our English Bible, simply means happy. Thus the "blessed man" of Psalm 1 is a happy man and the "blessed God" of I Tim. 1:11 is a happy God. (We refer to the Hebrew and Greek words most often rendered blessed).

To say the least, this is a superficial understanding -- or misunderstanding -- of one of the most wonderful words of Scripture. A fool can be happy, a drunkard can be happy, a wicked man can be happy, but none of these are truly blessed, for one who is blessed has a deeply valid reason to rejoice.

Thus Psa. 1:1,2 says that the man who shuns "the counsel of the ungodly ," "the way of sinners" and "the seat of the scornful" and meditates and delights in the law of God, is "blessed." He is well off and has great reason to rejoice.

Few, of course, would dare to claim that they have fully lived up to this passage in the Psalms, but God’s Word has good news even for such. In Romans 4:6-8, St. Paul declares:

"David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

This blessedness is not a mere feeling of happiness. It is rather the state of being well off; with a deep and abiding reason to rejoice.

Thus Psalm 40:4 says: "Blessed is that man who maketh the Lord his trust," and when the Galatians stopped trusting completely in the Lord and began leaning on their own works, the Apostle asked them: "Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?" (Gal. 4:15).

Thus to be truly blessed is to be well off; with the greatest possible reason to rejoice. This is why the believer in Christ, saved and eternally safe in Him, is, like God Himself, "blessed for evermore."

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September 13, 2006

OUR WEAKNESS AND GOD’S POWER
by Cornelius R. Stam

When our Lord was on earth He healed great numbers of sick and diseased people. The believers at Pentecost also healed many in the name of Jesus, offering to Israel His return from heaven upon condition of their repentance (Acts 3:19-21).

All those who were healed, however, finally succumbed to physical infirmity or disease again and died after all. This was because the Lord Jesus was rejected as King, not only in His incarnation but also in His resurrection. Rom. 8:22,23 declares the result as we see it in our own day:

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

But Christians in "this present evil age" often need physical infirmity to draw them closer to God in prayer and faith. Paul himself said:

"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:7-9).

The Apostle’s response to this shows how well he understood that suffering and weakness are an important part of Christian discipline.

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

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:16,17).

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September 14, 2006

BIG MISTAKE
by Cornelius R. Stam

Several times in the last few weeks commentators over radio, TV and in the newspapers have made a big mistake. This was in connection with the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr.

Frank Sr., as we know, had to pay the kidnappers $240,000.00 for the ransom of his son. One after another the news commentators declared that this amount was by no means the highest amount ever paid for a ransom. In the Bobby Greenlease case, they said, the Kansas City auto dealer had to pay $600,000.00 to ransom his son -- the highest price ever paid for the ransom of a human being.

Here they are wrong. $600,000.00 is by no means the highest price ever paid for the ransom of a human being.

St. Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote in I Tim. 2:4-6:

"God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

"For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

"Who gave HIMSELF a ransom for all..."

Did you get that? Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. All mankind had been taken captive by Satan and sin, but Christ paid the price of our ransom. That price was Himself -- His own life, which He gave on Calvary’s cross to pay for our redemption.

All that was accomplished at Calvary was not revealed, however, until God raised up the Apostle Paul, who goes on to say in Verses 6 and 7 of the above passage that this mes- sage was "testified in due time," by him.

When sin had risen to its height in the world’s rejection of Christ, God reached down from heaven to save Saul, the chief of sinners, and sent him forth as the Apostle Paul to proclaim salvation by grace through faith in the Christ who had died for sin. This is why the Apostle declares in I Tim. 1:15,16:

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering..."

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September 15, 2006

FIRST COMMUNION
by Cornelius R. Stam

For some years a little girl passed our window at Berean Bible Society each day on her way to and from school. Every time she passed she would smile, wave and throw a kiss.

Occasionally she would come in to tell me something special, and I was always impressed by her natural refinement. One would not have wished to meet a sweeter child.

One day she came in to show me a picture of herself, all dressed up for her “first communion!” “How pretty!”, I exclaimed. “But do you know what happened at the very first communion supper?” “Yes,” she said, “they killed Him.” “That’s right,” I agreed, “but there’s much more than that.”

She had given me a wonderful opportunity to breathe into her little ears, what St. Paul calls “the preaching of the cross”, “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”.

If only we could persuade all of our readers of “the truth of the gospel”, (ICor.15:3), and that “by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). This is why St. Paul could tell the trembling Philippian jailor: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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September 16, 2006

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE
by 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 des- tiny.

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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September 17, 2006

THE APOSTLE OF GRACE
by Cornelius R. Stam

Did you know that St. Paul was chosen by God as the apostle of grace? He was God’s great example of grace, the "chief of sinners" saved by grace (1 Tim. 1:12-16). To him was committed "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2). He was sent forth to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

Paul wrote far more about grace than any other Bible writer. All his epistles open or close (or both) with the salutation "Grace be to you." He declares:

"We have redemption through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

He shows how this grace was planned for believers in ages past:

"Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and [His own] grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

He shows how this grace will be ours in ages to come:

"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).

He shows how this grace is greater than all our sins:

"Where sin abounded grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).

He shows how grace gives us a righteous standing before God:

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

He shows how God’s grace has given believers a position in heaven:

"[He] hath... made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus... for by grace are ye saved, through faith...." (Eph. 2:6,8).

He shows how God’s grace is sufficient for our difficulties and can help us to live consistent Christian lives:

"My grace is sufficient for thee" (II Cor. 12:9).

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (II Cor. 9:8).

Accept salvation "by grace, through faith" as "the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8,9), and eternal life is yours.

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September 18, 2006

“THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE”
by Cornelius R. Stam

Twice in the Book of Romans, once in Romans 3:22,23, and once in Romans 10:12,13, God uses the phrase, “There is no difference.”

First it is used in con-nection with the guilt of man. Religious Jews, as well as godless Gentiles; cultured moralist, as well as degraded savages, are proved guilty before God.

In the first three chapters, their privileges and responsi-bilities are fully discussed, and their arguments are carefully considered. Then comes the awful verdict:

“THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

Must we not all bow our heads in shame and admit that the indictment is true? Must we not acknowledge that our condemnation is just? There may, indeed, be differences as to the nature or the degree of our sins, but in this there is no difference: that we all have sinned. And a just and holy God must condemn sin.

It is refreshing, however, to find the phrase used a second time in connection with salvation. Again religious Jews as well as godless Gentiles are included, but this time, how gracious the declaration!

“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!”

In the matter of sin, God cannot be partial. He cannot be lenient with certain classes or groups whose advantages have been greater. All have sinned, and all must stand condemned.

But neither does He show partiality in the matter of salvation. The rich or cultured or religious are not preferred before others. The illiterate or immoral are not excluded. The Law condemns all, but Christ died to save all, that we might be “justified freely by His grace.”

Friend, are you saved? Are you right with God? You can never hope to be accepted if you approach Him in your own merits, but if you come in the merits of Him who bore your sins, you cannot be turned away. “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.”

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September 19, 2006

"LIBERTY NOT LICENSE"
by Cornelius R. Stam

The fact that we are given perfect liberty in Christ does not mean that we should spend our lives in gratifying our own fleshly desires. Just the opposite is the case. Believers have been delivered from the bondage of childhood and given the liberty of full-grown sons in Christ (Gal.3:24; 4:1-7), and this advance from infancy to maturity in itself implies the acquisition of a sense of responsibility.

The doctrine of our liberty in Christ does not support, it rather refutes, the false theory that those who are under grace may do anything they please. Paul was “slanderously reported” in this connection (Rom.3:8), but there were carnal believers then, as there are now, who actually did use their liberty as license to gratify their own desires. To turn from liberty to license in this way is fully as serious an error as to turn from liberty to law.

Many a believer, motivated only by his own fleshly desires and not at all by love for Christ or others, has indulged in pleasures of the flesh and of the world, justifying himself on the ground that he is under grace and has liberty in Christ. Taking others down with him in his spiritual declension he complains of any who would help him, that, “They are trying to put me under the law”.

Such are actually guilty of departing from grace, for “the grace of God…hath appeared”:

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit.2:11-14).

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September 20, 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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September 21, 2006

EVERY-MAN EVANGELISM
by Cornelius R. Stam

"Do the work of an evangelist."

Paul’s Spirit-inspired injunction in II Tim. 4:5 applies indirectly to every believer in Christ. Are not our pastors simply leaders in the work of the Lord? Shall the congregation sit idly by as the pastor alone does "the work of an evangelist?" God forbid! The pastor is rather to be an example to his flock to go and do likewise.

How well this writer recalls the days of the so-called Darby-Scofield movement when multitudes all over the country thronged to hear Bible teachers like Gaebelein, Gray, Gregg, Ottman, Chafer and Newell. These able men of God expounded the Word as the "blessed hope" of the Lord’s return was being recovered. But these Bible teachers were evangelists too, in the truest sense of the word, and their evangelism was contagious.

In those days almost all premillenarians, including the young people, carried New Testaments in their pockets wherever they went. Why? They hoped and prayed for opportunities to testify to others about God’s plan of salvation through Christ and they wanted to show them the way from Scripture. In those days if a Christian failed to have a New Testament with him he was apt to be reproved with the words: "What! a soldier without a sword?" By contrast few believers carry New Testaments about with them today, and they certainly don’t carry Bibles!

Some are telling us today that this brand of fundamentalism is out of date and ineffective in these fast-changing times. We reply that all of us ought to get back to this brand of fundamentalism, this earnest effort to personally win souls to Christ by showing them God’s plan of salvation from the Scriptures.

God help his people in general and each spiritual leader in particular, to "do the work of an evangelist."

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September 22, 2006

PRECIOUS HERITAGE
by Cornelius R. Stam

The book, We Americans, published by the National Geographic Society in 1976, depicts a family of eight early settlers, four of whom are holding Bibles in their hands. The caption opens with the words: "Book of books, the Bible, was the end and means of the education of early Americans."

This is confirmed by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which declares that "The New England Primer... for 150 years widely used as a textbook, was largely composed of Scriptural and doctrinal material. Catechisms were taught in the public schools and prayer was offered twice a day" (EB under School and Curriculum in the United States).

This does not mean that all our Revolutionary forefathers were saved, or regenerated by personal faith in Christ, but the evidence is abundant that they were, as a whole, God-fearing men, and this was bound to have a significant effect on their thinking and their conduct. And, indeed, there were among them many born-again believers.

Revolutionary times conjure up in our minds such pictures as Washington praying earnestly at Valley Forge, the members of Congress kneeling together in prayer for divine guidance, and the precepts of Scripture being pressed home again and again by those high in government, while the citizens in general trembled at God’s Word.

It goes without saying that our nation plays a strategic role in the affairs of the world. Our influence is great. However, America will not again exert the right kind of influence in the world until the Church of Christ recovers from her spiritual illness and our national leaders and the populace once more become at least God-fearing. The fear of God does not in itself save from sin’s penalty, but it is the first step toward salvation. Moreover, God’s Word declares:

"By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Prov. 16:6).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

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