Two Minutes With The Bible

[Ambassador4Christ]

Practical Instructions for Our Teens

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
-- Ephesians 6:1,2

In all likelihood mom and dad have been impressing upon you the importance of only dating and marrying those who are saved.  You may think that they are being narrow-minded, but the truth is, your parents are looking out for your spiritual well-being.  The Word of God is quite clear when it comes to the matter of separation: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14).

Some Christian young people feel strongly that there is no harm in just dating the unsaved.  But why become emotionally involved in a relationship that has no future?  Furthermore, it is unfair to the unbelieving party who will never understand your reasoning for breaking off the relationship.  We have seen too many tragic cases where these types of associations end up in unequally yoked marriages that fail.  So, may we encourage our young people to heed the godly counsel of their parents, for in so doing, you will spare yourself a lifetime of heartache.

But where can a Christian young person find Mr. or Mrs. Right?  Since faithful believers do not frequent worldly establishments your search must begin where the Lord's people gather.  You must take the initiative to regularly attend church services, conferences, youth groups and camp meetings.  In the meantime, a young man should be working toward financial stability while the young ladies learn to cook.  After all, there is a limitation to McDonald's!
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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[Ambassador4Christ]

The Other Sheep

By Paul M. Sadler

Scripture Reading:
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
-- John 10:16

A short time ago I made a passing reference to the "other sheep" which generated a lot of interest among our readers.  Some were under the impression that this phrase had to do with the reunification of the divided kingdom.  Others had been taught that the "other sheep" is the Church, the Body of Christ.  Having been in the ministry for many years, it has been my experience that when someone has a question such as this, there are normally twenty standing in the wings wondering the same thing.  So, with God's help I shall do my best to shed additional light on the matter.

Those who are Acts 2 dispensationalists normally hold the position that the ones who "are not of this fold" are the members of the Body of Christ.  This is an inexcusable dispensational blunder, but it is understandable since they do not consistently rightly divide the Word of truth.  Once again, we must ask ourselves the question: To whom was our Lord speaking, and at what time?  The discourse on the Good Shepherd was delivered by Christ when He was on the earth at least two years before the Apostle Paul was given his special revelation. Inasmuch as Paul was the first to receive the truth of the One Body, the "other sheep" in the above context could in no way be the Body of Christ.

But there's more.  None of the Apostle Paul's Gentile epistles contain a reference to the members of Christ's Body being sheep, much less a sheepfold.  However, these metaphors are found throughout the pages of prophecy, which serves as another distinguishing factor between the two programs of God.

THE HOUSES OF ISRAEL

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31).

Under the reign of Rehoboam the kingdom was divided in Israel.  The division proved to be devastating as the ten northern tribes, which came to be called the house of Israel, appointed Jeroboam as their King.  He, of course, destroyed the religious unity of the nation when he erected altars at Dan and Bethel and caused the children of Israel to offer sacrifices unto the gods of Egypt (I Kings 12:16-31).

On the other hand, the house of Judah (tribes of Judah and Benjamin) followed in the ways of the Lord and continued to offer their
sacrifices in Jerusalem, thus obeying the Law and the prophets.  They remained in the Lord's favor in spite of the fact that He allowed them to be carried off into the Babylonian captivity for their lapse of faith.  These two tribes were by far the more spiritual tribes in Israel, not to mention that it was in Bethlehem of Judaea where the Prince of Peace chose to be born.

Consequently, some believe that the "other sheep" are the ten northern tribes who will be brought back into the fold at the Second Coming of Christ.  Hence, there will be one fold and one Shepherd.  We surely concur that there will be a reunification of the tribes of Israel as represented by the binding of the two sticks in Ezekiel 37:15-28.  This, however, must not be confused with the sheepfold.  Israel is the sheep of God, whether they were of the northern or southern tribes.  The Lord would have never called His chosen people the "other sheep."  They are the sheep and therefore the primary fold.

If we say that the ten northern tribes are the "other sheep," then what about the kingdom Gentiles -- where do they fit into the picture? It is often overlooked, but God had made a provision in prophecy for the Gentiles to be saved through Israel.  Thus, they are also said to be joined to the Lord.  And Isaiah goes on to add, "Even them [the Gentiles] will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer..." (Isa. 56:6,7).  Insofar as the Gentiles are the last non-Jewish converts to be reached under the Great Commission, the classification "other sheep" fits them perfectly.  But some are sure to inquire: "Are the Gentiles ever called sheep in prophecy?"  Indeed they are, please read prayerfully Matthew 25:31-46.
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[Ambassador4Christ]

Cremation

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
-- Psalm 90:10

With the rising cost of funerals these days many families are faced with the decision as to whether or not cremation should be considered as a viable option to burial.  Many have concluded that this is an acceptable alternative since the matter is not addressed in Paul's epistles, and we are living under grace.  While there does seem to be liberty here, perhaps it is the better part of wisdom to consult the whole counsel of God.

In Biblical times cremation of the body was primarily identified with the pagan nations of the world.  According to the Old Testament there were a few isolated occurrences of this practice, although they always seem to be associated with judgment or cases of emergency rather than merely disposing of the body (Josh. 7:25,26; I Sam. 31:6-13). Consequently, cremation was more the exception than the rule. Throughout the Scriptures it is said that they buried their dead. "Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah..."  "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." "And the young men arose, wound him [Ananias] up, and carried him out, and buried him."

In keeping with the Word of God, we believe it is preferable to bury our loved ones even though we may have liberty to do otherwise.  Of course, the additional financial burden can be eased by planning ahead for our inevitable departure.  The services that normally accompany a funeral bring the unsaved face to face with their own mortality. Thus, the occasion, heartbreaking as it may be, has often been used of the Lord to bring many sons to glory.  Whatever your conviction may be on the matter, it is important to heed the words of the Apostle Paul: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 14:5).
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
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[Ambassador4Christ]

In His Service

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
-- Romans 12:1,2

As we stand on the threshold of another new year, we should stand ready to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has called us.  Time is precious!  Isaac Watts once said: "Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away."  Unlike eternity, everything in this life has a beginning and an end, as Solomon reminds us:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:1,2).

In the natural course of things, life and death are in God's control.  But what takes place between these two monumental events will have a bearing upon us throughout eternity.  Life is the dash that appears between the dates on every tombstone.  And that little dash speaks volumes.  For some it marks a conversion to Christ and all the spiritual benefits that come with it.  But for others it is a chronicle of rejection and rebellion against God, with no hope of reprieve.  Which is true of you?  If the latter, there's still time to trust Christ and flee the wrath to come.

The question is, what will we do with the remaining time that's left before our dash is etched in stone?  Paul says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13,14).

This passage has always amazed me.  After 30 plus years of serving the Lord, Paul was still pressing toward the goal.  He refused to allow the past to influence his life -- whether it was past failures or accomplishments.  God has done a wonderful work here at BBS through the years, but we must not dwell upon past accomplishments or failures.  Like Paul, we must press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

In the new year, may it be our desire that we might "know Christ," that is, more fully, and experience the power of His resurrection.  

There is still much to be done, but with your help, we can leave a legacy of grace that will be long remembered after we lie in the dust of the earth.
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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[Ambassador4Christ]

The Ministry of Comfort

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort."
-- II Corinthians 1:3

Since the entrance of sin into the world, the way of man has been anything but easy.  Job seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the matter when he wrote, "... man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward."  It is interesting though, that when calamity strikes, men are quick to blame God, or to ask why He allows such occurrences in their lives.  But shall we blame God for what man has brought upon himself?  God forbid!  Man is a product of his own folly.  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

Some claim that if they had been back in the garden everything would have been different.  I certainly have no reason to doubt them.  In all probability, they would have pushed Adam aside to reach the forbidden fruit before he did!  You see, God saw the entire human race in Adam, as only He could do.  So when Adam stretched forth his hand to partake of the forbidden fruit, each of us were reaching for it as well -- we are his posterity, thus we share in his guilt.  God could have condemned the whole human race to the Lake of Fire and have been perfectly justified in so doing.  Thankfully, we did not receive what we justly deserved, for "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (Psa. 103:.

HOW GOD COMFORTS US

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (II Cor. 1:4).

Here, of course, the Apostle refers to believers.  Our heavenly Father knows that we are frail creatures of dust, overwhelmed with sorrow, sickness and even death; not to mention the spiritual upheavals that come our way.  Always sympathetic to our plight, He walks with us every step of life's journey comforting us in all our tribulations. The tribulation cited here by the Apostle Paul is not a reference to the Tribulation Period known as The Time of Jacob's Trouble.  Paul is speaking of the personal tribulations he had encountered due to spiritual conflicts and poor health.  Personal trials come in all forms: criticism, rejection, financial setbacks, sickness,
bereavement, etc.

When sorrow overwhelms us like an ocean tide the Lord in His goodness is always present to comfort us in our time of need.  But exactly how does God comfort us in the dispensation of Grace?  We know for instance that the heavens are silent and that neither the Lord nor any of His angelic host visibly appear to minister to the saints today. During the administration of Grace the Lord, first of all, comforts us through His Word.

For example, some years ago death took my great-grandmother.  She always held a very special place in my heart and even to this day I get choked up sometimes when I think of her.  My sense of loss would be difficult to bear except for the consolation I have received from the Word of God.  The Lord has shown me that I need not sorrow as others who have no hope.  Some day soon the trump will sound and the dead in Christ will be raised.  Then we will be caught up together with all those departed loved ones who were saved, and so shall we ever be with the Lord!  Little wonder Paul says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Another way the Lord comforts us is by bringing someone into our lives at just the right moment to encourage us in those times of despair. Surely we have a precedent for this in the life of Paul himself.  The intensity of the spiritual warfare at Ephesus and Macedonia had taken its toll on the Apostle, both physically and spiritually.  "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (II Cor. 7:5-7).  The arrival of Titus was a direct result of Divine intervention to not only encourage Paul, but also that he might lend assistance in the work.

Finally, God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but rather that we might comfort others.  It has been given to us to carry on a ministry of encouragement to those who are in any trouble.  Think of it, having already been the recipients of God's consolation, He uses us to put our arm around that dear Christian friend who is perhaps facing his first surgery and tell him, "we too had this same surgery a few years ago and the Lord saw us through it."  With hope we can face any thing.  That's why God has revealed to us the Blessed Hope that one day soon we shall be with Him.  Truly He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.  AMEN!
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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[Ambassador4Christ]

THE NEW NATURE IN THE BELIEVER

By Cornelius R. Stam

It has been well said that if there is anything good in any
man it is because it was put there by God. And something
good -- a new, sinless nature -- has been imparted by God to
every believer.

While there is still within us "that which is begotten of
the flesh," there is also "that which is begotten of the Spir-
it," and just as the one is totally depraved and "cannot
please God," so the other is absolutely perfect and always
pleases Him.

Adam was originally created in the image and likeness of
God, but he fell into sin and later "begat a son IN HIS OWN
LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE" (Gen. 5:3). It could not
be otherwise. Fallen Adam could generate and beget only
fallen, sinful offspring, whom even the Law could not
change. But "what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God, sending His own Son IN THE LIKE-
NESS OF SINFUL FLESH, and for sin," accomplished,
"that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom.
8:3,4),

As Adam was made in the likeness of God, but fell, so
Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, to redeem
us from the fall, that by grace, through the operation of the
Spirit, a new creation might be brought into being, a "new
man... renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that
created him" (Col. 3:10) a "new man, which, after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

Referring to this "new man," John says:

"Whosoever is born [begotten] of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him: and HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD" (I John 3:9).

"WE KNOW THAT WHOSOEVER IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD
SINNETH NOT..." (I John 5:18).
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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[Ambassador4Christ]

THE RACE SET BEFORE US

By Russell S. Miller

As another New Year dawns its always wise to give the Scriptures our careful attention so as to please the One who paid the ultimate sacrifice on account of our sins at Calvary, our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is not that we merely wish to please Him, but our gratitude should manifest itself in the lives we live for Him. It was indeed for this reason that the Apostle Paul has so much to say about "the race set before us".

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb.12:1).

As I opened my Bible in the study of this subject I discovered that the word "race" [agon], here, is only found in the following verses, having to do with the athlete in the race, rather than the course itself:

Philippians 1:30: "Having the same conflict which ye saw in me...."

Colossians 2:1: "...what great conflict I have for you...."

I Thessalonians 2:2: "...we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention".

I Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith...."

II Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith".

Hebrews 12:1: "...the race that is set before us".

On the other hand, the Greek word stadion, "they which run in a race", is translated "furlongs" (the 220 yard dash), five times in our Bibles (Luke 24:13; John 6:19; 11:18; Rev. 14:20; 21:16) and, surprisingly only once in Paul's epistles where it is rendered "race" (ICor. 9:24).

The Apostle does not refer to the course, here, which the contestants ran in their Greeks games, but to the Christian life.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (ICor.9:24).
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
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[Ambassador4Christ]

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 sal-
utation "Grace be to you." He declares: "We have redemp-
tion through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins accord-
ing 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 re-
demption 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:.

Accept salvation "by grace, through faith" as "the gift of
God" (Eph. 2:8,9), and eternal life is yours.
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[Ambassador4Christ]

THE TWELVE APOSTLES AND PAUL

By Cornelius R. Stam

In comparing the ministry of the twelve apostles with that
of the Apostle Paul, we must observe carefully:

1. The twelve were chosen by Christ on earth (Luke 6:13)
while Paul was later chosen by Christ in heaven (Acts 9:3-6;
26:16).

2.  Prior to Paul’s conversion the twelve had known
Christ only in the flesh on earth (I John 1:1). Even at His
ascension to heaven "a cloud received Him out of their
sight" (Acts 1:9). But Paul knew only the glorified Christ
in heaven, having never seen Him on earth (Acts 26:16;
I Cor. 15:.

3. The twelve represented their own nation. The number
twelve has no connection with the "one body" of Christ.
As we know, Jacob of old "begat the twelve patriarchs" (Acts
7:. From these sprang the twelve tribes of Israel. These
twelve tribes had twelve princes over them (Num. 1:16).
Even when Israel was ruled by kings there were still to be
twelve princes -- one over each tribe (I Chron. 27:22). Thus,
as He went forth proclaiming "the gospel of the kingdom"
our Lord chose twelve princes for the twelve thrones in the
kingdom to come (Matt. 19:28).

On the other hand, Paul, as one apostle, represents the
"one body," the Church of today (Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:13;
Eph. 4:4). However, he was both a born Hebrew and a born
Roman, so represented believing Jews and Gentiles "recon-
ciled... unto God in one body by the cross" (Eph. 2:16).

4.  The twelve were sent to proclaim Christ’s kingdom
"at hand" (Matt. 10:7) and later to offer its establishment
on earth (Acts 3:19-26). But Paul was sent to proclaim "the
gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) while the kingdom
is held in abeyance.

5. The ministry of the twelve was based on covenant
promises (Isa. 60:1-3; Luke 1:70-75; Acts 3:22-26). Paul’s
ministry was not based on covenant promises, but wholly
on the grace of God through Christ (Rom. 3:21-28; 5:20,21;
Eph. 1:6,7; 2:7; etc.).
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

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[Ambassador4Christ]

PARDON vs. JUSTIFICATION

By Cornelius R. Stam

PARDON vs. JUSTIFICATION

Did you read, recently, about the man, named Zimmer-
man, who spent nearly twenty-five years in prison for a
murder which, it is now clear, he never committed! The
mistake was discovered two years ago, and he was released,
of course, but only after spending almost a quarter of a
century in prison for a crime he did not commit!

This was a grim mistake, but even at that, it must be
wonderful in such a case, to be free -- and to have people
actually sympathize with you! Yet, after two years of lib-
erty, Zimmerman says he still feels a bit numb. Waking
up mornings he still imagines he hears the harsh sound of
the prison bell, and looking about he still thinks he sees
bars on the windows.

Things could be worse, though: Suppose he were guilty
of the crime, merely pardoned and released. Then everyone
would be saying: "There goes that murderer. They par-
doned him. Don’t get too friendly with him." The stigma
would always remain - -as long as he lived.

Let us thank God that believers in Christ are not merely
pardoned.  Rom. 3:24 declares that we are "justified freely
by [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus."

Christ died for our sins and satisfied the just claims of the
Law, and more: through the Holy Spirit He revolutionizes
our lives and makes new creations out of us, for "If any man
be in Christ," says II Cor. 5:17, "he is a new creation."

"For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).
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Mailing Address:
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[Ambassador4Christ]

WHAT SHALL WE DO?

By Cornelius R. Stam

When John the Baptist appeared as Christ’s forerunner,
God’s chosen people had lived under the law of Moses for
fifteen hundred years but had not kept it. Hence John’s call
to repentance and baptism for the remission of sins (Mark
1:4).

John was in earnest, too, for when the thoughtless mul-
titude came to him to be baptized, he sent them back, say-
ing: "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7,8).
Their lives were to be changed and they were to show it.

When the people asked: "What shall we do, then?" he told
them to live for others rather than for self (Luke 3:10,11).
When the tax collectors asked: "What shall we do?" he de-
manded that they stop cheating the tax payers and live
honestly (Vers. 12,13). When the soldiers asked: "What
shall we do?" he told them to forbear violence, false accusa-
tion and bribery (Ver. 14). Clearly, righteousness was de-
manded under John’s message. His hearers were to repent,
be baptized, and bring forth the fruits of true repentance.

When our Lord appeared, He proclaimed the same mes-
sage as John (Matt. 3:1,2; 4:17). A lawyer asked: "What
shall I do to inherit eternal life?" and He replied: "What is
written in the law?" When the lawyer recited the basic com-
mands of the Law, our Lord answered: "This do and thou
shalt live" (Luke 10:25-28). God was still demanding right-
eousness. They were all under the Law (Gal. 4:4,5; Matt.
23:1,2; etc.).

Some suppose this was all changed after Calvary by the
so-called "great commission." This is not so. When, at Pen-
tecost, Peter’s hearers were convicted of their sins and
asked "What shall we do?" Peter commanded them to "re-
pent and be baptized... for the remission of sins" just as
John had done (Mark 1:4; cf. Acts 2:38). He did not tell
them that Christ had died for their sins.

Paul was the first to say: "But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested... [We] declare His
righteousness for the remission of sins" (Rom. 3:21-26).

When the Gentile jailor fell on his knees and asked: "What
must I do to be saved?" Paul replied: "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30,31). This
is God’s message for sinners today, for "we have redemption
through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins according to
the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

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[Ambassador4Christ]

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

By Cornelius R. Stam

Some three thousand years ago, and about one thousand
years before Christ, the Psalmist said:

"If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee..." (Psa. 130:3,4).

The Psalmist did not explain, however, upon what basis
a just and holy God could forgive a guilty sinner. This was
to be proclaimed one thousand years later by the Apostle
Paul, himself once "a blasphemer, and a persecutor and
injurious"; the "chief" of sinners, but forgiven and saved by
the infinite grace of God (Tim. 1:13-15).

Preaching Christ at Antioch, in the province of Pisidia,
Paul declared:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that THROUGH THIS MAN IS PREACHED UNTO YOU THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AND BY HIM ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, FROM WHICH YE COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES" (Acts 13:38,39).

But even this does not fully answer our question, for we
must still ask: On what basis does God forgive sins through
"this Man"? The answer is: on the basis of His payment for
our sins on Calvary’s cross. Thus the Apostle wrote to the
Romans, explaining how we may be...

"...justified freely by His [God’s] grace, THROUGH THE
REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 3:24).

Now, thank God, through Christ’s finished work, there is
not a sinner who needs to remain unforgiven, for:

"In [Christ] we have redemption, through His blood, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph. 1:7).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

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[Ambassador4Christ]

WHAT IS GRACE?

By Cornelius R. Stam

"The father of lies" always hates the truth, but he does
not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to
succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of
light, suggesting that surely a God of love will not condemn
Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not
responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11
teach that "[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His
own will"? And thus God Himself is supposed to have con-
ceived the idea of sin as "a gracious means to a glorious
end," and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He
might finally save him from it!

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin
to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an
impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is
not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility
for it -- except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for
man.

God calls sinners "children of disobedience" and "children
of wrath" (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language
that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it
(Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to
sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and
what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would
shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God
should remember that He proclaimed His standards of
righteousness in the Law "that every mouth may be stopped
and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God"
(Rom. 3:19).

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first
sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one
particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since
God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its
penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the un-
deserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners "children of dis-
obedience" and therefore "children of wrath," the Apostle
Paul goes on to say:

"BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us... hath quickened us... raised us up... 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).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
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[Ambassador4Christ]

TWO THINGS WE KNOW

By Cornelius R. Stam

In Romans 8 St. Paul points to two great truths which
every true believer knows. The first (Verses 22,23) he
knows by experience; the second (Verse 28) he knows by
faith.

Rom. 8:22,23: "For 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, the redemption of our
body."

The words "until now," in this passage, are significant,
for our Lord came to earth healing the sick, cleansing the
lepers, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the
lame to leap for joy. But He was rejected by sinful men and
nailed to a cross.

After His resurrection and ascension His persecutors
were given another chance, however, as Peter called upon
them to repent so that "the times of refreshing" might still
"come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19,20). But
again the King and His blessed kingdom were rejected so
that, in the words of Paul, the whole creation continues to
groan and travail in pain "together until now."

But in this passage the Apostle points out that even God’s
children are not exempt from this suffering, for the most
sincere believer, the most consecrated saint, must still par-
take of the sufferings and sorrows of the world while he
waits for "the redemption of our body," when "we shall all
be changed" (I Cor. 15:51).

But while every believer knows about suffering and sor-
row by experience, there is something else he knows by
faith. Verse 28 speaks of this:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

The true Christian is not a mere optimist; he is a believer
in God’s Word, and God has much to say about how He is
working all out for the good of His own. We have room here
to quote but two passages:

II Cor. 4:17: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, orketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Rom. 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email: berean@execpc.com

[The Crusader]

Amen

The true Christian is not a mere optimist; he is a believer
in God’s Word, and God has much to say about how He is
working all out for the good of His own. We have room here
to quote but two passages:

II Cor. 4:17: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, orketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Rom. 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

And Amen