Category: sound doctrine

Saved or Lost? #11

Saturday, September 10, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

In one of the Bible’s four chief epistle-handbooks dealing with local church ministry (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), we find this useful spiritual counsel: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

The Christian worker is not (!) to engage in a “war of words” (“must not strive”). Frequently, “ministry” is nothing but someone’s flesh motivating them to write or speak mean-spirited statements so as to aggravate people with opposing views. “But be gentle unto all men.” We can be firm (uncompromising) about the truth and yet remain kind and tactful. “Apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” The Christian worker must be able to patiently teach sound Bible doctrine, for extensive ignorance or un-learnedness needs to be overcome in the hearts and minds of his or her audience. Usually, “ministry” is just someone’s denominational doctrine (more frivolity and error) compelling them to recruit new church members (other mindless slaves to their group’s hierarchy).

“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” The Christian worker should be “meek”—humble not proud! If under the Holy Spirit’s control, and he or she has studied and believed sound Bible doctrine, verses will be mastered that very few people ever grasp. The Christian worker is to reach out to that colossal group abiding in darkness, that they hopefully be corrected. This errant crowd even includes fellow members of the Body of Christ….

NOTE: We temporarily break away from this devotionals arc to bring you a special study, but we will return the following day with more advanced studies on this same theme….

Saved or Lost? #10

Friday, September 9, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Ponder Colossians 2:6-10, also addressed to believers: “[6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. [8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:….”

Though we can have victorious Christian living by learning and believing the words of God’s grace (verses 6,7), there is a “beware” (“watch out!”) we dare not overlook (verse 8). Satan’s evil world system can and will disrupt the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Philosophy, church tradition, Scripture not rightly divided, et cetera, are just some of the Devil’s highly efficient tools to distract the Christian from sound Bible doctrine. While we lack nothing in Christ (verses 9,10), we can be fooled into thinking we need rites, rituals, ceremonies, traditions, or experiences, to “enhance” or “perfect” our Christian life (for examples, Galatians 3:1-5, Galatians 4:9-18, Galatians 5:1-12, and Galatians 6:12-15).

Colossians 2:8 cautions us that evil men will “spoil” us—as in “spoils of war,” or robbery or plundering. One of the most ingenious military strategies involves confusing the enemy, causing that opposing army to believe a lie (something about themselves, their location, the rival group, and the like). We are in a spiritual battle, beloved (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:12-18; 2 Timothy 2:3,4). Therefore, never should we forget that Satan (Hebrew for “adversary!”) will use whatever means necessary to isolate our hearts and minds from the truths of God’s words rightly divided, for those truths are the only means whereby we are protected from satanic wiles or tricks….

The Thing Which is Good

Monday, September 5, 2022

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28 KJV).

On this Labor Day, we talk about work, “the thing which is good.”

In this day and age of increasing “government assistance,” people are becoming less and less aware of our hard work being the Lord Jesus’ preferred method of the source of our incomes. While the physically and mentally disabled are obvious exceptions, the God of the Bible expects all of us to contribute labor in order to provide for ourselves. For children and young adults, even being a student in school is work enough!

Observe the doctrine being communicated in today’s Scripture. The grace life does not merely teach us to quit doing bad things, but it also instructs us to start doing good things (Titus 2:11,12). Once a thief trusts the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork as sufficient payment for his sins, then God expects that thief to quit stealing and find a job so he can provide for his needs!

The God of creation calls work “the thing which is good” (today’s Scripture). Work is not something to be avoided; it is something to be embraced for the Lord’s glory!

When the Lord Jesus Christ put the first man, Adam, on earth, that man had a divine commission. Adam was not to simply loaf around and do nothing: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Adam was to protect that garden, to till its ground, to prepare it for Jesus Christ to come down and dwell in with he and Eve (because of sin, that earthly kingdom over which Jesus Christ will rule is still awaiting fulfillment!).

Saints, may we work to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), and may we work to help those who truly are needy (today’s Scripture). In the words of God the Holy Spirit, that is “good!” 🙂

For Students This is Safe

Monday, August 8, 2022

“Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128 KJV).

As a new school year dawns, let us awake unto spiritual truth!

Although the autumnal equinox is still over a month away here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is finally beginning to wind down for most of us. Students—with long faces and deep sighs—have returned or are beginning to return to school. As students return to the classroom, they need to be particularly mindful of the following.

Firstly, learning in and of itself is not a sin. Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Luke was a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14). Daniel and his companions were skilled in science (Daniel 1:4). Adam was the first taxonomist (Genesis 2:19,20). The God of the Bible is never against learning new things—remember, He gave us His Holy Bible so we can have plenty to learn for all of eternity!

Secondly, what the God of the Bible opposes is when we believe/trust ideas that do not seek our best interests, that contradict the way He designed our lives to function. Certainly, we Christians should never go around believing anything and everything heard and seen. Just because the professor, preacher, pope, or president says it is true, that does not make it so. Scientific consensus has been wrong before, religion has been wrong before, politicians have been wrong before. Much of the ideas that permeate our world today are wrong.

Lastly, there are many wonderful, exciting ideas and concepts out there—medical advancements, technological breakthroughs, and so on—but there are equally detrimental ideas that will mess up your life—religious traditions, secular humanism, and other philosophies. Daily intake of the King James Bible rightly divided will cleanse our souls of the filth and foolishness that we hear and see day in and day out in this evil world system. We highly exalt God’s Word, we know it is right “concerning all things,” and we hate and ignore the error.

Have a wonderful school year in our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂

*P.S.—Yes, the coronavirus pandemic has caused things to be quite different than usual. Some of you will be returning to in-person classrooms; others will be learning from home, via computer or other electronic devices. Please know that I will be in special prayer for you in these unique circumstances. God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)!

Get Them to Think!

Friday, July 29, 2022

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV).

Let us stop and think: may we get them to stop and think!

I just spoke with a Christian brother who came to trust the Gospel of Grace no more than 10 years ago. He explained how he is growing in the Scriptures rightly divided and trying to reach his family members with sound Bible doctrine. Except his wife, his relatives still belong to his former works-religion “Christian” cult. His daughter is particularly opposed to Christianity, and has no interest in the Bible. Nevertheless, he used his renewed mind to better approach her. Recently, he was having difficulty with an electronic machine he had purchased. When he asked her for advice, she directed him to read the instruction manual. He responded, “If you want to know how life works, you need to read the instruction manual—the Holy Bible!” While she is still lost, she certainly stopped and thought of the parallel.

Long ago, when I was just a few years into the ministry and recounting my “adventures” in college and elsewhere, a much older Christian brother (in ministry far longer than I) gave me some counsel I have never forgotten. “Shawn, you do not have to convince them. Just get them thinking about the truth!” Even if it is a single Bible verse, or just a phrase from the Scriptures, if we can see how it applies to the people we reach, then it is our privilege to share it with them. In doing so, they will gain a chance to learn something they have likely never considered before. As long as we are repeating the words of the Holy Spirit as found in the rightly divided Scriptures, He will do the rest. In the words of another Christian brother, “Let the lion out of his cage, and he will take care of himself!” Just remember, dear brethren, if we only give the Holy Bible a chance, it will revolutionize us and those around us throughout the endless ages to come. Try it and see!

Our latest Bible Q&As: “What does ‘cumbered’ mean?” and “Can you explain ‘holden?’”

Division! #3

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

“So there was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:43 KJV).

As it was then, so it is today!

The three occasions of “division” or schism amongst the Jewish people in John’s Gospel Record—today’s Scripture, John 9:16, and John 10:19—accentuated the vast chasm between those who believed their Hebrew Bible and those who did not. If all would have trusted God’s words to them, there would have been no such disagreements. Skipping over to the three “divisions” or schisms in Paul’s epistles, we find a similar pattern of disharmony.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions [schisma] among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions [schisma] among you; and I partly believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:18). These Corinthian saints were experiencing deep rifts because denominationalism/sectarism, philosophy, and other carnal pleasures had turned them away from the Apostle Paul, the Lord’s spokesman to them (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 11:17-22; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15,16; 1 Corinthians 11:1). As our human body is composed of many parts, so the Church the Body of Christ is made of many members who should work together to do the work of God’s ministry: “That there should be no schism [schisma] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Corinthians 12:25).

In this the Dispensation of the Grace of God, brethren, we should unite around the truths of Ephesians 4:3-6: “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Those who disagree with these verses are they who truly divide Christians, and we should avoid these errant souls at all costs (Romans 16:17,18)!

Bible Q&As #974 and #975: “What is a ‘cruse?’” and “What are ‘cracknels?’”

Division! #2

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

“So there was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:43 KJV).

As it was then, so it is today!

Reactions to Christ’s earthly ministry were just as varied 2,000 years ago as they are now. “And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people” (John 7:12). “Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him” (verses 40-44, today’s Scripture in context).

Chapter 9, verse 16, presents that striking contrast too: “Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.” Upon hearing His Parable of the Good Shepherd, there is a third schism amongst the Jewish people in the Book of John (verses 19-21 of chapter 10): “There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?”

Some viewed the Lord Jesus in a positive light, while others felt just as strongly in their negative appraisal of Him. Why is there such disagreement? The reason for these rifts or splits could not be clearer: doctrine divides. Not everyone is willing to join Almighty God in His purpose and plan for Israel. On one hand, there is faith; on the other, there is unbelief. These are the two general reactions to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Even today, some will esteem the truths of Scripture just as fervently as others will spurn them….

Division! #1

Monday, July 25, 2022

“So there was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:43 KJV).

As it was then, so it is today!

The Greek word rendered “division” in today’s Scripture is “schisma.” As you might have guessed, this is the source of our English term “schism.” In the Greek New Testament, the word appears eight times overall. Twice it is rendered “rent.” “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent [schisma] is made worse”(Matthew 9:16). “No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent [schisma] is made worse” (Mark 2:21). This is a literal tearing, the garment ripped apart because of the different natures of the types of cloth involved.

It is translated “division” five times. The first is today’s Scripture, John 7:43: “So there was a division [schisma] among the people because of him.” Secondly, John 9:16: “Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division [schisma] among them.” Thirdly, John 10:19: “There was a division [schisma] therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.” Fourthly, 1 Corinthians 1:10: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions [schisma] among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Lastly, 1 Corinthians 11:18: “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions [schisma] among you; and I partly believe it.”

Finally, the word was transliterated (Greek letters replaced with their English equivalents) in 1 Corinthians 12:25: “That there should be no schism [schisma] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” Now, we concentrate on these last six occurrences (the three in John, and the three in 1 Corinthians)….

Liberated to Serve

Monday, July 4, 2022

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 KJV).

Today, as we in the United States celebrate the 246th anniversary of our nation’s independence, we invite our Christian brethren worldwide to rejoice with us concerning our freedom in Jesus Christ.

When we proclaim Romans 6:14—“Ye are not under the law, but under grace”—people tend to assume “loose living.” Does “grace living” really mean we can now live any way we want? Lest anyone be misled in that regard, God the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write in the next verse, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid [May God never let that happen!]” (Romans 6:15). Grace living is not Law-keeping, but it certainly is not Law-breaking either.

God still cares how we live, albeit He is not operating the “weak and beggarly” system of “bondage” (Law) that He once did with Israel (Galatians 4:9). God proved to the entire world that since Israel could not keep His commandments perfectly, no other sons of Adam (the Gentiles) could either: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them [Israel] who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world [Gentiles] may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

We sinners cannot keep the Law. However, God in His grace provided us a way to escape that condemnation by sending Jesus Christ to offer Himself on Calvary’s cruel cross to pay for our sins. By simple faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the fully-satisfying payment for our sins, we can now be “made the righteousness of God in [Christ]” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can be delivered from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire) and the power of sin (flesh-walking).

Why are we Christians free? To selfishly live any way we want? NO! Today’s Scripture says we are liberated to now serve others, especially our Christian brethren, just as Jesus Christ selflessly served His Father and selflessly died on our behalf. That is grace living!!!!

Please see our 2011 Fourth of July Bible study “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land,” which can be watched here or read here.

Rubbish!

Friday, July 1, 2022

“Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:30-32 KJV).

If Satan successfully appointed false prophets six centuries before Christ, are we so foolish as to believe no counterfeit spiritual messengers are with us now?

While scanning television channels, I recently saw the program of a notorious televangelist who has promoted religious scams for decades. The gimmick this self-proclaimed “prophet” was peddling this time—in the name of “Jesus,” of course!—was the testimony of a woman who had written in to report how his “prophecy” had come true. He had foretold “God” would give her two new cars—and she “miraculously” received a BMW and a Bentley! Then, he turned to the camera and declared with a chuckle, “Amen! If you want a Mercedes, God will give it!” No thinking person, someone using common sense, would ever believe such folly. While we cannot be sure if someone in his own “ministry” did not forge that letter by feigning to be a viewer, we can be certain emotionally-driven and desperate watchers send him “generous donations” with the hopes of receiving “God’s blessings.”

In today’s Scripture, individuals were “stealing” God’s words from their neighbors. How? They were promoting a false message but claiming “the LORD said it.” By having people focus on spiritual error, they were void of God’s power and light, thereby making their nation vulnerable to Satan’s destructive doctrine. While not written to or about us, there is great profit in the LORD’S words through Jeremiah. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Bible Q&As #969 and #970: “What are ‘dregs?’” and “What is a “bolster?’”