What must I do to be saved?

by Gus Nichols (1892-1975)

Brother Gus Nichols was one of the great preachers of the 20th century. He preached for the Sixth Avenue church in Jasper for more than forty years. He was known for his knowledge of the Word. It was said that he spent five hours studying the Word every day. He was a kind and gentle man. I remember as a boy when he came to our home. I remember him wearing a Texas size hat and saying to me, “Preach the Word.” May God help all of us be students of God’s Word like Gus Nichols.

What is the greatest question ever propounded by mortal man? Some businessman might say it is the question of how to make a fortune. Those old and feeble might say it is the question of how to live to be one hundred years of age and remain in good health all that time. The sick might answer that the greatest question has to do with a cure for cancer, tuberculosis and diseases of the heart. However, the statesmen might contend that the greatest question is how to promote peace among nations and prevent all future wars. While these are all important questions they have to do with the fleeting things of time and this life only.

"What Must I Do To Be Saved?"

But it must be agreed by all those who believe the Bible that the world's greatest question is, "What must I do to be saved?" or "What shall I do, Lord?" or "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 22:10; 2:37; 9:6.) This question has to do with the soul of man and eternal destiny. The soul of one man in one side of the balances would outweigh the whole world in the other side! Jesus said, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26.) The soul is the skyscraper to stand through the eternal ages, while the body is no more than the scaffolding and ladders round about, and very temporary in nature. Once the soul is lost eternally, it will be too late to do anything about our great question.

Question Analyzed

But let us analyze our question and show that it is exceedingly simple. First of all there are two parts to the question. "What must I do" refers to the sinner's part, and "to be saved" refers to God's part of the plan. In other words the sinner must believe and put his faith into obedience in order to be saved of God, and on God's terms. But let us further analyze the question. "What" - of all things possible to be done, just what must one do to be saved? "What must" - it is not what may one do. Jesus said, "It shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts 9:6.) Again, it is "What must I" - it is not what must God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit do. All heaven has already moved and done its part, and it is our move next. It is "What must I do?" It is not how must I feel or what must I imagine, or what must be done to me, but "What must I do?" it is not what must I do to blot out my own sins apart from God but what must I do "to be saved?"

Jailer's Question Answered

When the jailer asked "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30), he knew little or nothing about Christ and had no faith in Him. However, the earthquake of the occasion and the miracle in evidence confirmed the fact that Paul and Silas were servants of God. In answer to his question they began at the very first and said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." This was a sort of blanket proposition meaning that he would have to obey Christ and trust in Him for salvation. They then preached Christ unto him so he could believe, for faith comes by hearing the word. (Acts 16:32; Romans 10:17.) He evidently believed and repented for he took them and tried to undo the harm done, and washed their stripes. He also was baptized the same hour of the night - at midnight. (Acts 16:25, 33.) He was then saved by Christ who had said in the commission, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." He rejoiced after his baptism. He did not "hit the saw dust trail" to have his sins prayed away at an altar. He also was saved by obedient faith and not by faith only. (Heb. 5:9.)

Answered On Pentecost

When many asked our great question on Pentecost saying, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37), unlike the jailer, they had just heard about Christ and been called upon to believe in Him as "Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:37.) They had been pricked in their hearts by the truth which they had heard pointing out their guilt in the murder of Christ. (Acts 2:37.) Since they were already believers, but had not put their faith into obedience, they were simply told what to do by faith in order to be saved. The apostle said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38.) They were to do this "for the remission of sins" for which Christ had shed his blood. (Matt. 26:28.) When the service was over, there were no seekers turned away with the explanation that they should keep on seeking in prayer until they should find. But the record says, "They then that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41.) The last verse says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47.) In no case were any said to be saved who had not heard the gospel and obeyed it. Furthermore, the Lord added all of them to the same church, the church of Christ which he had said he would build. (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47; Eph. 1:22, 23; 5:23; 2:16; 4:4.) They were simply Christians and wore no human religious name. (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16; James 2:7.) They subscribed to no human creed and were members of no denominational church. They were united in the one body as Christ had prayed that they should be. (John 17:20, 21; Eph. 4:3.)

Good Friends

We are commanded by Paul, and subsequently the Holy Spirit, to imitate him as he imitated Christ. This would include our perspective (Gal. 1:10), our attitude (Rom. 1:16), et cetera. Paul even goes as far to tell the church at Corinth that he wished they were like him in his marriage state (1Cor. 7:7)! I believe we would do well to also follow Paul in the way that we choose friends. Paul himself said, “bad company corrupts good morals” (1Cor. 15:33), and it seems he lived what he preached when we read of the kind of companions he had. In Galatians 2:1, Paul talks about taking a very close friend of his with him to Jerusalem: Barnabas.

Barnabas is a true example of the type of friends we, as Christians, should surround ourselves with. We read of at least six great attributes he possessed and probably were a large part of his friendship with Paul. He was a giving individual. Just before Ananias and Sapphira had there famous “giving ordeal”, we read of the generosity of Barnabas in Acts 4:36. It’s important that we find friends who are generous and namely to the church of God. We must keep in mind that we are not in a friendship to “get something out of it”. Paul was not a close friend to Barnabas because he wanted something from him, but Barnabas gave generously all the same.

He was also a very trusting friend. When Paul was converted, many were still frightened and skeptical of the man who had once killed their friends and family. Barnabas, on the other hand, trusted Paul’s word and helped others believe his story (Acts 9:27).

Third, Barnabas was an encouraging friend. His name (meaning Son of Encouragement) was given by the apostles after they witnessed this wonderful quality in him (Acts 11:22-23). Paul kept an encourager with him during his hard times (Acts 15 in Jerusalem). Our lives will be richer if we have someone near us to pick us up when others around us are tearing us down.

We also read of the Holy Spirit setting apart Barnabas for a special work (Acts 13:2). Although we will not find this specific quality in friends today, it is important for us to choose friends who are Godly people and friends whom the Holy Spirit would choose were He still working in the same way today.

We need friends who are about the Lord’s work. Barnabas was always teaching and preaching (Acts 12:25; 13:7; 13:43; 13:46; 15:12; 15:22; 15:35; 15:36; Gal. 2:1). The friends we choose may not be preachers, song leaders, or elders, but they need to be individuals who are striving to please God by evangelizing, inviting others to church, et cetera.

Finally, we need to choose friends who are resilient. We read of the Jews “stirring up devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city” and “raising up persecution against Paul and Barnabas”. In our lives, many will not believe the truth of God’s word. They may even have cruel and hateful things to say to us. We must always do what Paul and Barnabas did: “they shook off the dust from their feet against them…”. We must carry on spreading and planting the Good News in peoples’ hearts. It will always help us to have people like Barnabas around who stick with us during hard times. People who are giving, trusting, encouraging, Godly, about the Lord’s work, and resilient.

Confronting the Unseen

Let’s look a little closer at the subject of perspective. With a spiritual perspective, we must have spiritual eyes. We must see the things that God sees, and see them as God sees them, at least to the best of our ability. In order to see things clearly, from a spiritual perspective, we must have spiritually keen eyesight. We must rid our sight of any obstacle that would cloud our spiritual vision, or distort it in any way, or blind us. Paul contrasts the spiritual man and the carnal man, with their advantages and limitations in 1 Corinthians 2. A spiritual man sees clearly with spiritual eyes.

The Hebrew writer defines “faith” as the “substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Paul describes the perspective of a spiritual man very clearly in 2 Corinthians 4. “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.

So, what do we see? And how does what we see affect our lives. In theory, it’s simple. The word “confront” means to come face-to-face. And the things we confront, or should be confronting, should affect our lives. Let’s look at three possibilities.

The cross should be confronted. Our ability, or inability, to confront the cross daily will shape our lives. Do we regularly come face-to-face with the cross and it’s meaning? What about the personal implication of the cross? Have we become so numb to saying that Jesus died on the cross for our sins that we forget that He died on the cross because of our sins? BECAUSE of my sin? Do we regularly come face to face with the love required to do what He did? Do we regularly come face to face with the mercy and compassion that caused Him to endure such treatment? If we treat the cross as an historical event, it will mold our lives in certain ways. If the cross is personal, painful, joyous, and cleansing, it should certainly shape our lives in a different direction.

The empty tomb should be confronted. Can you imagine the change in fervor experienced by the twelve, from when they saw Jesus’ lifeless body being carried into a tomb to when He appeared to them again, full of LIFE? Unless we come face to face with an empty tomb, the cross is just a historical event. Coming face to face with an empty tomb brings meaning to our confronting the cross. Because of an empty tomb, His words, His actions, and His message have relevance in our lives. And they will shape our lives accordingly, if we regularly come face-to-face with the empty tomb.

Judgement should be confronted. The empty tomb gives validity to Jesus’ claim that He has gone to prepare a place for us, and He will come again. Judgment has the same certainty as death for us. Do we regularly come face to face with judgement? Wouldn’t a keen awareness of judgement sharpen our spiritual perspective and affect our lives?

Our ability to come face-to-face with the cross, with the empty tomb, and with judgement is vital to our spiritual health. These things must be more than facts that we intellectually grasp. Our perspective must shape our lives.

The Jesus of the Bible

Great article Scott. Sometimes it scares me how we think so much alike. I started writing this article the day before you posted yours. I didn’t finish it because of my deadline on that manuscript for the October lectureship in Virginia. It is good to get that one behind me, now just two more manuscripts to finish that were due this week. Sorry Dale, Steve, and others, I promise to try to finish this coming week. Well, anyway, after reading Scott’s article, I wondered if this one should be posted. It has similar thoughts, but I changed the direction just a little bit so as not to be too redundant.

In a recent interview, Brian McLaren wondered, “Why the vision in Dan Brown’s book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church?” One respondent answered this way to McLaren’s comments, “That's because they hate the Jesus of the Bible, Brian!" Wow, that sounds somewhat harsh and judgmental doesn’t it? Surely, that can’t be the reason.

There are those who would claim that they do not hate the Jesus of the Bible, but it appears by their lives that they do. Ian McKellen, one of the stars of the movie was recently asked if he believed that the disclaimer, “fiction” should be posted at the beginning of the movie, The DaVinci Code. He responded by saying, “I’ve often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer that says fiction.” Then he added, “I mean, come on, walking on water?”

The Bible is clear in the affirmation that many will hate Jesus. Isaiah prophesied that He would be despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus said in John 7:7, “the world…hates me, because I testify of it that its works are evil.” John 6:66 we learn that even many of His disciples were offended because of what He taught, and that they turned away from Him.

When it comes to what one believes about the Jesus of the Bible there can be no middle ground. We may straddle the fence in many areas of our life, but what we believe about Jesus is not one of them. Jesus said, “He who is not with me is against me…” (Luke 11:23)

There are several ways that one might show hatred for the Jesus of the Bible. They may be so bold to write a book, like Brown, or proclaim it to the world in an interview or a movie, like McKellen. Some will say they love the Jesus of the Bible but will deny it with their lives. The Biblical term for these people is hypocrite; from the Greek word is hupokrites. The second definition in the lexicon is, “an actor, a stage player.” Jesus taught that those who claim to be religious, but fail to live like Him are hypocrites (Matthew 23:13-29).

It is also possible to hate the Jesus of the Bible by denying His Words. The world is filled with people who claim to love Jesus, but who refuse to obey His Word. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He also said that His Words will judge us in the last day (John 12:48). Unfortunately, this erroneous view of the Jesus of the Bible is becoming increasingly more prevalent among Christians. We are hearing more and more from Christians that the Bible is outdated and irrelevant. More Christians are saying that the Bible was written to the people of the first century, but it doesn’t apply to our lives today. They affirm that the teachings of the New Testament only had to be obeyed in the context of the culture in which they were written. It is impossible to love the Jesus of the Bible without loving His Words. It has been said many times that either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or He is Lord. I choose to side with the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17) over the “fiction” of the Da Vinci Code.

The Dan Brown Phenomenon?

Mr. Brown has captured the imagination of many, and stoked the fires of contempt in others. His writings, whether original or not, are clearly marketable in today’s world, and Hollywood thinks they, along with Tom Hanks and unprecedented hype, are the substance of a blockbuster movie. I may see the movie, I may not. But, I will not be lured into believing the basic premise of Dan Brown’s writings.

One theologian, interviewed on ABC’s Nightline, commented on the public’s current willingness to accept any writing about Jesus rather than the New Testament writings, especially if the sources contradict. He stated that the current method of lending more credence to later writings is absent of logic and without precedence.

I don’t think this is a new phenomenon. The basic premise to grasp in Dan Brown’s material is that Jesus was fully human and not divine. We accept that Jesus was fully human, but we would disagree that he was not divine. In fact, we would state that he was fully human and divine.

It seems the Word of God addressed this in Matthew 16, when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” When they responded, Jesus asked the question of the ages.

“Who do YOU say that I am?”

The answer to this question, for me and for you, is THE answer to THE question that will determine the content of our lives and the experience of eternity. If Jesus was nothing more than a Jewish carpenter’s son, who blasphemed against God, and who received his justice on a cross, then our lives will necessarily take one course. If He was born of a virgin, and He arose from the tomb, then our lives should take an entirely different path. Paul’s words, in 1 Corinthians 15, support this thought. It’s all about perspective.

Matthew 16 is all about perspective. When Jesus asked the Pharisees who had asked him for a sign, “why is it that you can read the signs in the sky, but can’t read the signs of the time”, He was talking about perspective. When He warned His disciples of the “leaven of the Pharisees”, they thought he referred to bread, because their perspective was carnal, not spiritual. At the end of the chapter, He asks the rhetorical question, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul; and what would a man give in exchange for his soul?”

It’s all about perspective. It’s nothing new. Dan Brown didn’t invent the question; he is just showing us how he has answered it. How do we answer the question? Do our lives reflect the answer we have given? Are the sermons of our lives consistent with the sermons of our lips? They will be, with the proper perspective.

Is it wrong to lose my patience?

I work at a nursing home. That sentence is not complete, in my mind, if it is not followed immediately by, “so I’ve lost my patience before”. Some people begin as annoying children and then, later in life, grow up to be mature independent adults. There are others, I’ve learned, that never grow up, and those are the individuals that wear my patience thin. Naturally, since this is such a reoccurring event, I wondered: am I sinning when I lose my patience? Let’s see what the Bible says…

Many will go straight to Ephesians 4:26 and make note that it is Biblical to be angry. Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God all have been angry (John 2:16, Hebrews 3:10, Exodus 4:14 respectively). So, the next question is does anger always denote a loss of patience? Jesus was most likely angry when His friends fell asleep while He prayed before His crucifixion. Some would say that He probably became impatient, but if He had, He would not have given them three warnings. It seems to me that one cannot speak of “patience” without speaking of actions. Here’s another example. Someone owes you five dollars and you NEED it by Thursday. When Thursday rolls around, they don’t pay you for one reason or another. You may be very angry with them, you may even speak of how you’ve “lost your patience for such a rogue”, but if you give that person another day to pay the debt, you have not lost your patience. Jesus may have been VERY angry at the sinners who transformed His Father’s house into a market, but He always gives people a chance to repent, much like we’ve done with our money-stealing, roguish acquaintance.

Finally, Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…” We are taught that we must “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27) and we would be quick to say that it would be a sin to “take Him off”. If we are also commanded to “put on longsuffering” in an imperative scripture, why would it be okay to “take patience off”, or to “lose it”?

We may say “I lost my patience” but we must not act upon that thought and in turn stop “bearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). We are commanded to forgive “up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22) which seems to be an indirect verse where Jesus condemns the loss of patience. I suppose it could be said, “be angry and do not sin; be impatient and do not cease to bear”.

Giving to God?

One of the most important aspects of our Christian life, and sometimes the least understood, is our giving. Why is it so important? Television evangelists, and others have tainted the image of Christian giving, and so much so, that statistics point out that the average Christian, in the USA, gives less than 2% of his / her income to the Lord. There may be many reasons for this, and we’ll choose not to get in to that topic here, today.

For now, it should be enough to look only at “why” we give. Is it because it is commanded? Yes. Is it because it is needed? Yes. Is it to further the work of the local congregation? Yes. Is it to support outreach activities, locally and globally? Yes. Are any of those reasons adequate to cause Christians to give as they should? Apparently not.

My personal conviction is that giving is an indication of our trust in God. It is an indication of our dependence on God. And, an indication of our grateful acknowledgement that all things come from Him. Christians who don’t give as they should don’t have an economic problem, they have a heart problem. Their relationship with God is not all that it could be.

1 Corinthians 16:2 is a benchmark passage for giving. In this verse, Paul teaches that we are to save whatever we have to give, and give on the first day of every week. The KJV reads “as God hath prospered him”. The NIV reads, “according to his income”. McCord’s wording is “if he earns anything”. And the NASB reads, “as he may prosper”.

The first three renderings of this phrase imply God gets a portion of what we’ve already received. Those may be correct interpretations. That may be as God intended it. But, that’s an easy out in showing our trust and dependency on God. It is one thing to give of what I’ve already received. It’s quite another to give of what I expect to receive. The NASB reading, “as he may prosper”, can go either way, but at least provides a possibility of giving based on expectations and trust, not assurance.

Clearly, Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38 leave but one interpretation. “Give and it will be given unto you”. And, “for by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return”, a clear distinction from reactionary giving. Jesus is teaching anticipatory giving. Giving, in trust and confidence, that God will take care of me.

Malachi reinforces the “measure” aspect with his statement in 3:10. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, test me in this”, God urges His people. See “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows”. God has not quit blessing His people, but sometimes it appears His people quit trusting Him.

Some have said on occasion, “don’t give until it hurts, give until it feels good”. Aren’t we glad God doesn’t just give ‘til it hurts?

The Mission of the Church

This outstanding article was written by brother David Lipscomb in 1866. Brother Lipscomb was a great servant of God who strengthened the church throughout his life. Our prayer is that God will help us all to work diligently for Him and to have a better understanding of the mission of the Church.

Mission of the Church

The true object of the church of Christ has been greatly misunderstood by even the members themselves. Its design was never to bring about a state of indolent peace and ease with any given standard of morality. But its object was and is to induce the members of that church to submit themselves unreservedly to the law of God. Peace in the church of Christ is not only impracticable, but even undesirable unless it is attained by the whole church coming up to the perfect standard of God's law. Until this is attained, continual, earnest effort, investigation and discussion upon the part of the members of the church must be kept up until they all come "in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The unity and harmony of the faith are to be attained but only through "the knowledge of the Son of God." A unity, then, of faith itself, is desirable only so far as it may be in complete harmony with the teachings of the Bible. The schisms and divisions of Christendom are certainly to be deprecated as the works of the evil one. Yet, a union of these sects in error, would certainly be a more fatal, and more to be dreaded calamity.

The great object of the church then, is to assist its own members and the outside world in learning the truth of God, the law of Christ, and their persuading and encouraging them to obey that law. Its true unity then can never be attained by compromising the truth, or winking at and tolerating error, but by a diligent and earnest and continual striving to learn the whole truth, and to teach it to others, by an increasing effort to bring the church up to the perfect standard of Christian truth and Christian practice. We should be much more fearful of tolerating error, which breeds sin, than of tolerating investigation. We should be more anxious to make the impression upon the world that we will use ever means in our reach, and make every effort possible, for the discovery of truth, than to make the impression that we are in perfect peace and undisturbed quiet. Such an impression will command the respect of every man that values truth higher than popularity, and will give a new, high, holy, incentive to activity and energy in the church of Christ.

-----David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate, February 20, 1866, pp. 123,124.

Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing?

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of false prophets, those who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. He spoke of sending his sheep out among the wolves. And Paul warned the Ephesian elders that savage wolves would come in among them and not spare the flock. The analogy is well worn, and useful in conveying the message intended. Wolves and sheep are not social acquaintances, nor are they comrades.

Scripture also warns of sheep disguising themselves as wolves. Sheep who, in their heart of hearts, want to be sheep, but want to fit in with the wolves. They want the benefits of being a sheep, with acceptance from the wolves.

Peter writes that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people”. We are to be sheep in a world dominated by wolves. But, we are not to be allies of the wolves; we are not to befriend the wolves; we are to be sheep. John warns that we are not to “love the world”. James writes, “friendship with the world is hostility toward God”. Paul, to the church of Christ in Rome, wrote that a mind “set on the flesh is hostile toward God”. And Paul, again, asks the Corinthians, “what fellowship has light with darkness?”

In earlier generations, being Biblically peculiar was a desired trait among many. Is it true of many in our generation? Will it be true in future generations? What does the trend, if not corrected, indicate? Is there more of the church in the world, or more of the world in the church, compared to fifty or a hundred years ago?

The church cannot isolate itself from the world. The church needs to be in the world. As illustrated by some in my past, it’s like the relationship between a boat and water. It’s a good thing when the boat is in the water, but not so good when the water is in the boat. Having too much water in the boat is a disaster.

In Romans 12:1f, Paul calls Christians not to be “conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds”. Is the world molding us with its ideas, its language, its dress, its morals, its perspective, or its view of man’s relationship with God? Or, are we molding the world?

Sometimes it seems like the wolves are winning.

The Right Kind of Men

Every Christian man needs three types of men in his life. We all need a man like Paul to serve as a godly example. Paul was the quintessential leader who was always taking young servants of God under his wings to teach them the work of God (i.e. Timothy, Titus, etc.) Paul was not ashamed to encourage others to follow his example, because he was convinced he was following Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He was well aware that there were many people who were watching intently everything he did (2 Timothy 3:10-11). I am convinced with all my heart, that one of the greatest blessings of my life has been the opportunity to be surrounded by great men of God who have faithfully preached the Word for many years. The example these men continue to set for me is invaluable in my service to the Lord.

Every Christian man needs a man like Barnabas in his life. We all need that contemporary who is willing to work beside us and who will go to bat for us in any circumstance (Acts 9:27). We need men who we trust to be brutally honest with us. That friend who will stand up and tell us the truth, even when it may not be what we want to hear (Acts 15:2). There have been times in my life when some of my dearest friends have told me what I needed to hear, which was not necessarily what I always wanted to hear.

Every Christian man needs someone like Timothy in his life. He needs someone into whom he is building and pouring his life. Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1). Paul was constantly encouraging, challenging, and instructing him. It was Paul’s conviction that if the Gospel message was going to be passed along to future generations it would have to be through faithful servants who are impacted by seasoned men of God (2 Timothy 2:1-2). With each passing year, I become increasingly aware of the need to encourage and help younger men who want to be servants of God.

My prayer for you, regardless of your age, is that you have several of each of these types of men in your life. We will all do better by surrounding ourselves with others who love God and who are committed to serving Him.

The Importance of the Body

I recently had a discussion with a friend that I’ve had with many a person: why is suicide wrong? Easy. 1Cor. 6:19. Before I could even finish quoting that well known verse, my friend (obviously prepared) interrupted and said, “That verse makes reference ONLY to sexual immorality!” Oh…um…let me go study.

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

This verse, in context, seems to refer only to hurting your body through sexual immorality (in a, pretty much, spiritual way). Aaaaaaagh! He was right! Well, I guess we should all go out and smoke and dip and mutilate our bodies and pierce everything we can because 1Cor. 6:19 only refers to sexual immorality, right? A few thoughts before you stray off the straight and narrow…

First of all, this argument that 1Cor. 6:19 is only referring to sexual immorality when it speaks of your body being the temple of God, and I am some how “taking it out of context” when I use it to say that obesity, suicide, drugs, et cetera is wrong, is absurd! Logically, it makes no sense. Here’s an illustration: A great friend of yours is going out of town for the weekend. He shows you his log cabin He has built for his family. In the log cabin is…well, his family (not too difficult so far). By putting you in charge of the house, he has in doing so, put you in charge of the safety of his family. Before he leaves, he STRESSES the fact that you should not, under any circumstances, put poisonous gas into the house. Does this give you license to chop up the wood the house is built out of as much as you’d like? Or set the house on fire? Of course not!!! So why when God has entrusted us with His Holy Spirit (be it literally or figurative…completely different article to be written…) and placed it in our bodies would we think that we can do whatever we want to our bodies as long as we flee sexual immorality? It doesn’t make sense!

Secondly, this argument fails against other scriptures. I’ve always pointed to this scripture alone to refute smoking, drinking, suicide, et cetera, but when this scripture was challenged, I decided that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Ephesians 5:28,29 couldn’t be clearer on how important it is to take care of our bodies. In the church we put so much importance on a man loving his wife like Christ loved the church, and we should! But the same amount of emphasis should be placed on the care of a person’s body! We are to nourish and cherish our bodies just as Christ nourishes and cherishes the church (Eph. 5:29)! That means we are to stay away from ANYTHING that could have a long-term negative effect on our bodies. I made this statement once and of course someone said to me, “So I guess you better not ever eat sugar again!” People, apples (that God made) have sugar in them. Just use common sense. If smoking is going to give me lung cancer, should I do it? No. If eating every donut in this donut shop is going to give me a heart attack on the spot, should I do it? Use your head.

In conclusion, I hope if you are reading this that you don’t think I am placing the importance of the body above the importance of the spirit, because I’m not. Paul said in 1Tim. 4:8 “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” It is apparent all throughout the scriptures that our primary goal is to be concerned with the spirit, but in doing that, may God help us to never neglect the bodies that house His special gift.

Trading Places

Being somewhat of a history buff, I often catch myself wondering if I would like to trade places with the character I am reading about. In some cases, it would be pleasant and exciting. In other cases, it would be frightening. I often do that with Biblical characters. The thrill of being with the Lord, on almost any recorded occasion, would be hard to grasp, especially at the tomb of Lazarus, in John 11. Or seeing Jesus heal the man born blind (John 9), and the comedic circus that followed.

One character that I think I would like to trade places with is John Mark. I wouldn’t even have to trade places with him, if I could have just been with him. His life would have allowed me to brush shoulders with many great Christians, whose names are captured in the books of the New Testament.

Consider some of these references to Mark in the New Testament. First, although not mentioned by name in the Gospel bearing his name, Mark is almost universally credited with penning the second gospel of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, secular tradition points to Mark scribing Simon Peter’s account of the life of Christ, based on Mark’s having heard Peter speak of his time with our Lord, or writing as Peter dictated his story. When Peter miraculously escaped from prison in Jerusalem, in Acts 12, he immediately went to the home of Mark’s mother, where the Christians in Jerusalem had gathered for prayer. The connection between Mark and Peter is again stated at the end of 1 Peter 5, when Simon Peter refers to him as “my son”, and likely companion in Babylon (Rome). He appears to have been “exposed” as being with Jesus and His disciples in the garden, on the night of Jesus’ arrest, in Mark 14:51f. This reference also provides a basis for Mark’s authorship of the second Gospel account. Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, at least as far as Perga in Pamphylia. When the prospects of a second missionary journey arose, Barnabas insisted on taking Mark along, much to Paul’s dislike. When the argument was settled, Paul and Barnabas separated, with Paul taking Silas, and Barnabas took Mark and left for Cyprus. That’s understandable, because Mark and Barnabas were cousins, Colossians 4:10. Ultimately, Paul put aside his past differences with Mark, as referenced in Paul’s statement, in Colossians 4:11, “these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision”. Mark is included in “these”. And in Paul’s last will and testament, 2 Timothy, he asks Timothy to “pick up Mark and bring him with you, he is useful to me.” When Paul faced the end of his life, he asked for Timothy, his books, his coat, and John Mark, all “necessities” at that time for Paul.

Peter? The twelve? Jesus? Paul? Barnabas? Silas? Perhaps Luke? That’s quite a list of associates for one lifetime. Would you trade places with John Mark? Wouldn’t it be nice to have Paul describe us as “fellow workers for the kingdom of God”? Hopefully, he can. Or, how would we feel if Peter called us his “son”?

Don’t you wish Mark had a blog?

A Thorn in the Flesh

Last night, our group did a study of II Corinthians 12:7, which is the part of Paul’s letter where he makes reference to some kind of “thorn in the flesh” that seems to torment him. The passage reads as follows: “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” As we were studying, I began to wonder what this “thorn” that Paul had could have been. Was it a spiritual burden or a physical burden? I believe the answer to this question can be found in the verses following.

One of the key points that Paul was making was that there is strength in the Lord. He found this strength from the Lord because of his weaknesses, and, in turn, boasted in the Lord about his them (this can be found in verse 9). The reason that I considered this question in the first place is that the translation I studied from, the New American Standard, says weakness instead of infirmity, which is found in the New King James. The word weakness seems to have more of a spiritual connotation, while infirmity most often refers to a physical problem. The Greek word for weakness or infirmity in verse 9 is "astheneia", which means feebleness of body or mind, not of the heart. The very reason Paul was boasting was to proclaim the power of the Lord. Why, then, would he boast about a spiritual weakness? Would Paul go as far as to boast about his sins? Romans 6:1 says, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Paul, who made the statement, answered with the exclamation, “Certainly not!” It is my conviction that he would not continue to do something against the will of God in order to receive the strength that Christ offers.

In II Corinthians 11, Paul tells of all the hardships he has endured: prison, shipwrecks, stoning, beatings, constant danger, travel, sleeplessness, hunger, nakedness, and the constant worries of the church. These are all physical hardships, and it is obvious that Paul was always in a state of physical trouble. That is why I have come to the conclusion that the “thorn” that Paul refers to in II Corinthians 12 is some kind of physical infirmity instead of a spiritual struggle.

When we were studying this, I thought that for those who struggle with sin, i.e. everyone, (Romans 3:23), this verse could be very encouraging because the power of the Lord is made perfect in our weakness. Even though I believe this verse is referring to physical problems, the same comfort can still be taken from the verse, knowing that when Christians feel like they are too weak to face a problem or overcome a temptation, the Lord’s power will always be readily available to those who love and obey him. Verse 8 says that Paul prayed for the Lord to remove this thorn from his life, and I believe that the same should be true for Christians today.

lessons from mom

Another busy Sunday has ended. After preaching for two morning worship services, teaching our Seeker’s class, attending a Fortieth Anniversary Celebration for one of our dear couples, a pre-marriage counseling session, a personal Bible study, and preaching for the evening worship service, I am ready to call it a day. Even when they are packed full from early morning until late at night, Sunday is my favorite day of the week. When the day ends, I am already thinking about next Sunday.

Next Sunday. I have begun the debate with myself about next Sunday morning’s sermon. Will I preach the lesson from the ongoing series on the book of James, or will I change my mind and preach a Mother’s Day sermon. Next Sunday will be the first Mother’s Day in my life (47 years for those who are interested) that I have not either seen my Mom or talked with her on the phone. It will be a difficult Mother’s Day for me, as I know it will be for many of you. We buried mom last Christmas Eve. There has not been a day that has gone by that I have not thought about her. Oh, how I miss her, and I wish I could see her on Mother’s Day. This Mother’s Day I will think about her in a special way. I will remember again the many lessons that she taught me throughout her life. Please allow me to share just three of them with you.

Mom taught me to love the Lord. She and Dad always believed that the Lord (and His Church) must be put first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). She never allowed anything to come between her and the Lord. She taught us this not only by saying it to us, but also by the way she lived. She believed that loving the Lord included loving His Church. It is so disheartening to hear “Christians” who say we should love the Lord, but who do not love the Lord’s church. If we love the Lord, we will love one another (John 13:34). Mom also taught us that if we love the Lord, we would live lives of obedience to Him. How can we say we love the Lord if we refuse to do what He wants us to do (John 14:15)?

Mom taught us to love our loved ones. We didn’t always agree with one another in our family of six, but we always found ways to love one another. A Christian man must love his wife and his children (Ephesians 5:25, 29, 33; 6:4). There are far too many Christians who act with love toward those who are outside of their family, but they act in unloving ways toward those whom they should love the most. It is vitally important for us to show one another how much we love one another in our families, but we must also be willing to say those meaningful three words, I love you!

Mom taught us to love life. My mother suffered a great deal in her life. She did not feel well for most of the last twelve years of her life. In spite of that, she never lost her zeal for life. She was convinced that the Lord came to give her the abundant life (John 10:10). She brought joy to our family, to her friends, and to everyone who came to know her. Mom had an infectious laugh. I wish I could hear her tell one more of her long, drawn-out stories, then hear her laugh, whether anyone else did or not.

I am thankful for every lesson that Mom taught us. I will miss her next Sunday, but I will remember her for these lessons and so many more. If your Mom is still around, I hope you will let her know how much she means to you and how thankful you are for the good lessons of life she has taught you. Thanks for listening to my meanderings, now I better get busy on next week’s sermons!

Pray Without Ceasing

About once a week the Areopagite plan to post an article written by some great man who has written in a way that reflects our intended purpose. Most of these articles were written by men who have gone on to their eternal reward. The first of these articles was written by brother Hugo McCord in september of 2001. Brother McCord was a man of great scholarship. He was known throughout the world as one of the leading Greek scholars of the last century. When I was a young preacher (JJ), and up until the time of his death, Brother McCord made a profound impact on my life. It was my privilege to have him as an instructor in a number of graduate level classes. Brother McCord had a special way of making textual studies interesting and challenging. I considered him a dear friend. For many years I spoke with him nearly every week about whatever subject I was studying at the time. He always took time to talk with me about the Word of God. He is a man who is dearly missed by all of us who loved him. Our prayer is that you will enjoy these special posts each week.

Pray Without Ceasing

With all my learning (?) at age 20, in a Bible class in Urbana, Illinois, in 1931, when sister Bert Gerrard asked the meaning of “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), I said that the passage does not command that we pray all of the time, but that we must always be in the attitude of prayer. She replied, “In the baseball game at the church fellowship in the park, when you slid into second base, you were not in a prayerful attitude.” The lady had me. I needed to do more study on prayer.

Paul’s inspired word adialeiptos, translated “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV), occurs in three other New Testament passages:

God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers (Romans 1:9, KJV).
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour or love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father (1 Thessalonians 1:3, KJV).

For this cause also we thank God without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 2:13, KJV).

The word adialeiptos is threefold: (1) the first a is called an “alpha privative” (CLASSIC GREEK DICTIONARY, p. 11), meaning the rest of the word is not true; (2) dia in context means “to”; (3) leiptos means “desert, abandon, forsake, leave behind” (CGD, p. 409). Hence 1 Thessalonians 5:7 means that prayer is not to be deserted, abandoned, forsaken, left behind, but is to be a permanent part of a Christian’s life, never to be deserted, abandoned, forsaken, left behind.

This practical meaning of “Pray without ceasing” is illustrated in David’s words: “Evening and morning and noon I will complain and moan, and he will hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17). Similarly it is true that prayer was a permanent part of Daniel’s life, praying without ceasing, as we read that the windows of his room in Babylon were open “toward Jerusalem” and that “he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Daniel 6:10).

by Hugo McCord

Amazing Grace

I was taught the grace of God growing up. I believe I was taught accurately the grace of God. But now, as it has become fashionable to teach, I am told that I was not taught the grace of God accurately. By using an analogy, let’s see if I understand grace correctly.

Bob was married to Jan and together, they had a couple of children. Nothing out of the ordinary. What was extraordinary about their situation was that Jan’s father was the world’s richest and most powerful man. He had unfathomable wealth. He owned more than 100 companies. In wealth and power, he had no equal. Bob had never participated in that power and wealth.

One day the wealthy and powerful man approached Bob, and proposed a business opportunity. He offered to make Bob the CEO of Banter, the largest company he owned. He was offering Bob a powerful, prestigious, and lucrative position in a powerful, prestigious, and lucrative company. He told Bob that the executive position, and the company itself, would be his if Bob could make some changes.

“Bob, I really like you. I want you to succeed, and I want to share my riches with you and your family. But, Bob, right now you’re not the kind of person I want to do business with. You’re priorities aren’t straight. You’re perspective is self centered. You are not a good father to my grandchildren, you are not faithful to my daughter and your struggles with gambling and drinking make you an undesirable business partner. But, if you can change your life, and become the husband and father that you should, if you can treat people with respect and compassion, and if you can focus a little more on others, you could become the next CEO of Banter.”

Two years later, at a press conference, called to announce the new CEO of Banter, the first question, and the most obvious, was asked of Bob. “How did you, a person of relative obscurity become the CEO of Banter?” Bob’s answer to that question would tell everyone all they needed to know about Bob and his understanding.

Would Bob tell them that he became CEO because he quit cheating on his wife? Because he began spending more quality time with his children? Because he had quit gambling? Because he had quit drinking? Because he had changed his life?

Would Bob tell them that he became CEO because of the power and generosity of his father-in-law? Wouldn’t it be true? Wouldn’t it all be true? If Bob were married to my daughter and made the same life changes, would he be CEO of Banter?

I think I understand God’s grace. And I think I understand what my response to God’s grace should be and must be.

God’s grace is amazing, and we must never lose sight of the truth of his generosity, the truth of our need to respond, and the privilege it is for God to call us His child.

our reward is greater

The Beatitudes, possibly one of the most well known passages of scriptures, has been a source of great comfort for many Christians, and rightfully so. The words were spoken by the great Comforter Himself (Matthew 11:28)! However, I would ascertain that even more comfort and encouragement can be found in the syntax of these great verses. Let me attempt to explain myself…

All of the eight beatitudes commence with a quality one should try to attain (a command, if you will) and end with a reward if that quality/command is attained/obeyed. I believe that something very interesting can be found in the syllables of each command and subsequent reward. The reward is always greater than the command. Example: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” (the command/quality) is eight syllables, while “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” is nine syllables. The reward is greater than the command. Another one: “Blessed are those who mourn…” is six syllables, while “for they shall be comforted” is seven syllables. The reward is greater than the command.

I realize that the original Greek may produce different results, but the lesson taken is still Biblical. I’m reminded of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25, which displays this lesson perfectly. A master gives each of his servants a different number of talents. Two of them work hard to receive double of what they began with, while the other buries his in the ground. When the master returns, the lesson can be found in what he says to the two faithful servants: “…you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.”

Jesus tells us in John 14:2-3 the incredible reward we will enjoy if we but only follow His commands: a mansion in heaven. Any time we feel like we are “restricted” in comparison to the world, let us remember the Beatitudes and the reward we have been promised. Hopefully then we will see that our “burdens” truly are “light”.