Leaves Of Gold

A Call To Return To The Teaching Of The Bible

A ministry of Evangelist James A. Nelson   jan23@cox.net

Year III, No. 3              APRIL              2009

 

Master Outline Number Thirty-nine

"The Christian Life Bible", Thomas Nelson Publishers, notes by Porter L. Barrington

 

The Ordinances of the Church

                  

                   The old covenant given to the nation of Israel through Moses, in the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews, "...had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary (the tabernacle)...various washings, and fleshly ordinances, Hebrews 9:1, 2, 10.  But Christ "...after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God";  Hebrews 10:12.  Thus (with the penalty of sin having been forever paid) Christ did not perpetuate the Old Testament system of countless ceremonies, but established only two ordinances for His church: baptism (by immersion) and the Lord's Supper.  These are called "ordinances" because Christ Himself ordained them.

                   Unlike those manifold ordinances given to the Nation of Israel, many of which could only find their fulfillment with that nation when it was in the land and possesses its won tabernacle or temple, t he two given to the church by Christ are simple and adaptable t o multiplied millions of new believers.   They provide:

(1) An entry rite....rich in the symbolism of the great Christian truths, which would symbolize the entrance of a church into the church;

(2) A fellowship rite... which would regularly call to the believer's mind he essentials of the faith, his ongoing fellowship with Christ, and the one which would challenge the believer to reconsecrate himself to his Lord with renewed service and devotion.

 

39-A. The Baptism of John the Baptist, Matthew 3:1-12.  The mother of John the Baptist, Elizabeth, was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus, so, John the Baptist and Jesus were second cousins, Luke 1:36.  John the Baptist must not be confused with John the Apostle.  John the Baptist was beheaded in A. D. 28 by Herod Antipas, while John the Apostle outlived all the other Apostles, dying in A. D. 99 and was the writer of the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation.  Let us consider these elements in the career of John the Baptist:

(1) John's birth announcement (Luke 1 :13-17). When Zacharias entered the temple alone to burn incense, an angel spoke to him, "Do not be afraid." This broke a silence of over four hundred years from God (and His angels and prophets) to the Jewish people. The angel announced to Zacharias that he would have a son, to be named John, who would "make ready a people prepared for the Lord"-the Christ who was to come (Luke 1 :17, cf. Mal. 3:1

(2) John's mission (w. 1-4). John was selected by God, from before his birth, to be the One to announce the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1 :13-17). Isaiah the prophet, in 700 B.C., prophesied of a "voice" that would come from the Judean wilderness and desert, announcing the arrival of the long ­awaited messianic kingdom (Is.

40:3-5). Isaiah spoke of straightening the crooked places in preparation for the great King. Thus John the Baptist had the task of proclaiming that the Messiah's kingdom was imminent and that all should make their hearts ready by repenting of their sins (w. 1,2).

(3) John's identity (Mark 9:11-13). The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi, which predicts the coming of the Messiah and His messenger (Mal. 3:1-3). Christ and the angel both affirm that John fitted the "Elijah" description as the announcer of the Christ, at His first advent, when John went before Christ "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17; cf. Mark 9:13).

(4) John's baptism (v. 6). John's baptism was an outward washing by water depicting an inward cleansing of the soul by repentance. John preached repentance in preparation for Christ's coming; he warned of the awful consequences of unforgiven sin (vv. 2, 10, 12). He preached in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1 :15), and multitudes responded. They confessed their sins and came for baptism. The exact manner of John's baptism has been debated for many centuries. The Greek word baptizo means "dip" or "immerse," and symbolized that God forgave and washed away the sin of the one who repented and confessed to God. This baptism was not yet "into Christ" since the Savior had not yet died for man's sins (Acts 2:37, 38).

(5) John's warnings.

(a) To the self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees he spoke with special force, calling them a "brood of vipers" and warning them that they too were sinners (v. 7).

(b) To the casual listener he said that repentant people must "therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance" (v. 8).

(c) To those who relied on their Jewish birth he said that God could raise up other children of Abraham from stones (v. 9).

(d) To the crowds who procrastinated he spoke urgently, saying that the farmer, God, has the ax ready to chop the tree, Israel (v. 10).

 

39-B. The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)-John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth, had surely told him at least part of the story concerning Jesus' birth and its angelic announcements (Luke 1:35-45). He also must have known that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace of the Christ, Micah 5:2.. A heavenly voice instructed John that the Christ would be positively identified by, manifestation of the Holy Spirit, descending like a dove and remaining on Him (John 1:33; Mark 1:10, 11; Is. 11:2). This final identifying sign appeared when Jesus came to John for baptism (vx 16, 17).

(1) It was Jesus who came to John to be baptized (v. 13). Christ is an example to all believers.  The rule of courtesy has always been that the lesser walks over to the greater; the one seeking mercy seeks out his master. Jesus did not wait for John to come to Him, but in humility He came to John to be baptized.  As He said, "Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (v. 15). Because He was not a sinner, Jesus did not need to repent. He came to be baptized because it was the right thing to do in order to identify Himself with the God-seekers in the land. '

(2) Jesus actually was baptized by John (v. 15). If Christ submitted to baptism by John because it was the proper thing to do, how much more important it is that every convert to Christ "follow the Lord" in when we, as sinners now cleansed, have been plainly directed to be baptized (Matt. 28:19.   Baptism is a picture of the believer's faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom.6:4, 5). Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward cleansing.

 

39-C- The Baptism of the Believer (Acts 2:41, 42)-  On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand believers in the  Lord Jesus Christ, repented of their sins, and were obedient to follow their Lord in the ordinance of baptism.  Water baptism does not cleanse us from our sins. Water baptism is an outward symbol of inward cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). The apostle John said, "To Him [Jesus] who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood ... be glory and dominion forever and ever. Rev. 1:5, 6..

(1) Baptism is the ordinance signifying public entrance into the church (v. 41). The words "were added" mean that those baptized were added to the assembly of believers, the church. Water baptism was open to all believers, giving them their first opportunity to obey their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Beginning Day of Pentecost, baptism took place immediately after their profession of faith in Christ as their personal Savior; "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized" (v. 41). . .

(2) Those baptized "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (v. 42). Therefore they continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18).

(3) Christ commanded His church to disciple those whom it baptized (Matt. 28:19, 20); baptism became the initiatory rite of the new faith. Those receiving baptism were to be discipled.

(4) Baptism is to be performed "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). In this way the Christian becomes identified with the local church and Christ, who is the head of the church. The church is itself a microcosm (small model) of the total body of Christ.

(5) Baptism symbolizes our burial with Christ, and our newness of life with His resurrection (Rom. 6:4, 5)            ,                  '

(6) The thief on the cross was saved, though never baptized. "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). This example of a person being saved without baptism explains how Paul could write, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 1:11-17).

(7) Water baptism was commanded to all who trust in Christ (Matt. 28:19). Note that it is Christ's command. He allowed Himself to be baptized by John "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15); likewise we are to obey and follow the lord in baptism.

 

39-D. The Lord's Supper (Mark 14:12-26)- The Lord's Supper was Christ's adaptation of the Jewish Passover feast for His church (vv. 12-14). The Passover was primarily for Israel; it looked back to the deliverance from Egypt and forward to the dying of the Messiah-the Lamb of God, sacrificed for the sins of all (Jew and Gentile) who would believe.

(1) Partaking of the lord's Supper allows us to look back to Christ's death to save sinners, and forward to His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26).

(2) The broken bread represents Christ's body, broken on the cross for our sins (v. 22).

(3) The cup represents Christ's "blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many" (v. 24). Jeremiah 31 :31-34 describes this new covenant, in beautiful words, as someday being made with Israel and Judah; this will occur in the future (Rom. 11:26, 27). Christ here extends it in the present to "many"-to all nations.

(4) When we partake of the Lord's Supper, we must examine ourselves. This does not mean that we are to try to remember all of our sins that we have committed since the last Lord's Supper, nor that we are to abstain from the Lord's Supper until we feel worthy. It means just the opposite. The Lord's Supper is a memorial to Him. He said, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (1 Cor. 11:24)-not in remembrance of your sins. We do not come to the Lord's Table to dwell on our sins, we are to practice 1 John 1:9  before we come to the Lord's Table: "If we [Christians] confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." When we come to partake of the Lord's Supper, we are to focus Our thoughts on Christ's broken body when He bore our sins and shed His blood that cleanses us from all sin. This memorial is to be repeated "till He comes" (1 Cor. 11:26).  "But let a man examine himself" (1 Cor. 11:28). The partaker of the Lord's Supper must examine his own heart and be assured that he truly is "in Christ," that he truly repents of his sins and that the blood of Christ has covered his guilt. The Lord's Supper should never be taken casually, merely as a formal religious ceremony (1 Cor. 11:27-31).

(5) The Lord's Supper is His, not ours. Jesus said, "This is My body ... My blood" (vv. 22-24). The invitation comes directly from Jesus to the obedient believer.

(6) The Lord's Supper signifies the fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover (Mark 14:15, 16).  The Lord instructed Israel that each family was to take a lamb, as specified by the Lord, kill it in the, and roast it over the fire. Using hyssop, they were to apply the blood to the two side posts and crossbar (lintel) of the door to each house. This prefigured the time when God's Lamb would bleed and cross for our sins.

                   Partaking of the Lord's Supper should promote a spirit of repentance and worship. The Lord's Supper is a time of the richest spiritual blessing, where we experience true communion in the fellowship with other believers, for "...in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore"  (Ps. 16:11).  (These studies will continue each month)

 

 

Baptist Doctrine

A study course of 15 lessons by E. C. Gillentine, Bogard Press, Texarkana, Ark.

 

Chapter two: The Inspiration of the Scriptures

 

               One of the greatest questions in the minds of men today is: "Is the Bible true?"

                   There are many questions with which we are confronted.  The question of the wars, the economic question, the sin question, the industrail problem, but the most important question is:  "Is the Bible true?"  "Is it God´s Word".  If we can settle that, it will be easier to settle the others, for by the Bible, all men,

all creeds, all nations, and all problems must be settled, if settled right.

The Bible is either true or it is false; it is either the Word of God, or the work of men. If it is the work of men, then it is not the Word of God. If it is the work of men, unaided by the Spirit of God, it is the greatest imposition ever palmed off on the world of humanity. From its first page to its last one it claims to be the Word of God.

The word "inspired" means God breathed, or God given--spoken. God spoke through men.

Does the Bible claim to be the Word of God? Four texts of Scripture will answer this question to the sat­isfaction of all concerned:

1. "For ever, b Lord, thy word is settled in heaven," Psalm 119:89.

2. "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name," Psalm 138:2.

3. "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth," John 17:17.

4. "And he said unto me, These sayings are faith­ful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done," Rev. 22:6.

                   The first reference to the written Word is found in Exodus 17:14: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remem­brance of Amalek from under heaven.

 

FIVE SOURCES OF EVIDENCE ARE CONSID­ERED:

 

1. THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF THE BIBLE.

The Bible is absolutely incapable of being destroyed.

It cannot be shaken or changed-it is the "Rock of Ages." It is one Book, every word in it is essential. Jesus said, "Not one jot or tittle shall pass away until all shall be fulfilled," Matt. 5:18; "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word shall not pass away,"  Mark 13:31. The Lord hath set His seal to it, "The scriptures cannot be broken," John 10:35. The Scrip­ture cannot be set aside, whatever it says is true. "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while I was with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me," Luke 24:44. Whatever Moses, the prophets, and David wrote was true. It must be fulfilled. "The word of God which liveth and abideth for ever," I Peter 1:23.

                   Tom Payne, the great infidel, said in his day that the Bible would not live, but the printing press that he used to print his damnable soul-destroying doc­trines on was, after his death, turned into the hands of Bible makers. Tom Payne was like the king to whom Jeremiah brought the Word of the Lord and as he read it, he tore it to pieces, thinking, no doubt, that if he could destroy the very words he would destroy the facts spoken in them. But, even if Tom Payne had been successful in destroying every Bible in print, that would not have destroyed one single fact contained therein.

                   If the Higher Criticism of today should prove to your mind that the Bible is not the Word of God, and that it is not an inspired book, that would not change one single fact contained in its sacred pages. If Roman­ism, which tried to burn up and destroy all the Bibles in the world had been successful in its attempt, that would not have destroyed the facts contained in it. The Bible is the foundation of the Christian's faith and it can never be destroyed, II Tim. 3:16-17. It is ~ver:. lasting: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word SHALL not pass away," Matt. 24:35. It is in­

destructible.

 

II. THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF ITS INSPIRA­TION.

                   "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,· for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" II Tim. 3:16-17. There are three verses from one chapter of one book in the Old Testament that mean more to man than all the books men have ever written. These three verses are in the first chapter of Genesis. The first one is Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning God." This is the only verse ever written that explains the creation of the universe in such a way that you can believe it and de­fend it. D. L. Moody said it was the hardest verse in the Bible to believe. If you can believe it all the others are easy.

                   You ask the atheist where he begins, and see what he says.  He has no answer.  He cannot tell you.  He may make a wild guess, but anybody can make guesses.  The Bible tells us where creation had its beginnings: "In the beginning God....".  Creation started with God; God was the first Great Cause.  Any Christian....it maters not how ignorant he is...can tell you where it started.  He can tell you that  he started where the Bible says he started "In the Beginning".  The atheist cannot say he started with God for he does not believe in the existence of God.  He cannot go back of God for there is nothing back of God.

                   The second verse of the three is Genesis 1:24.  "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the earth after his kind; and it was so".  In this we have Gods law of reproduction according to kind.  No living thing in the animal or vegetable kingdom has ever violated this law.  Where is this law found?  In the Bible.  Who is  its Author?  God.  Every life is reproduced according to kind, even man, with all his power, has never been able to compet or change that  intangible, invisible thing that we call life to violate t he law of God as laid down in His Own Inspired Word.  The species may be improved, but there is absolutely no such thing as the transmutation of t he species.

                   The third verse is Genesis 1:26.  "And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likenesd, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle......"  Here is the only explanation that has ever been given that tells how man came into existence.  No man apart from the Inspired Word of God has ever been able to solve the problem of life.  Destroy the Bible and you cannot tell what you are.  Destroy the Bible and you cannot tell where you came from.

In these three verses we have:

 I-The origin of life.

2-The law governing life's continuity.

3-The origin of man. You cannot find these facts anywhere else ex­cept in the inspired Word of God. You may search your libraries; read your books; attend all the universities; get all the information possible for you to obtain from human sources, but you will never find anything to equal what you will find in these three short verses, found in the first chapter of Genesis.

FULFILLED PROPHECY PROVES THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.

                   The word "prophecy" means to foretell future events, especially under divine guidance. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God's prophets were en­abled to foretell future events with accuracy and pre­cision. There are many fulfilled prophecies to which we might refer, but for lack of space we call atten­tion to only a few.

1. Moses foretold the dispersion of the nation of Israel, Deut. 28:49, 52, 64. In verse 64 we read: "And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone." This pro­phecy has been utterly fulfilled and the poor wander­ing Jew has had no place that he could call his own country for many hundreds of years, but the Lord has promised to regather them in the future.

If I were called upon to speak just one word that would prove the inspiration of the Scriptures that one word would be the word "Jew." The Lord promised to scatter them, and He also promised to regather them He promised to preserve them and while they were be­ing preserved they were scattered.

2. Jesus prophesied that the Jewish race would be preserved, Luke 21:32: "Verily I say unto you, This generation (race) shall not pass away, till all be ful­filled." The Jewish race still remains and the purest on earth today.

3. The downfall of Egypt was foretold in Ezek. 29:14-15. "And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, "" ,~ * and they shall be there a base kingdom, It shall be the basest of the kingdoms: for I will dimin­ish them, that they shall no more rule over the nation." Look at the Egyptians now, they are despised by all peoples.

4. In Nahum 2:3 we have a prophecy which has been literallv fulfilled in the automobile. "Chariots' with flaming torches rage in the streets-jostle one against another in the broadways * * * seem like torches'::' *' *', run like the lightnings." No one can doubt that the automobile fulfills this de­scription.

5. In Nahum 3:2, "The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots." This, no doubt, is fulfilled in the army tanks of our day.

6. Great river locks and dams, through which ships pass. Nahum 2:6: "The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved." Such river ­locks as are built at Panama Canal, Muscle Shoals, Ala­bama, and in many other places through which great ships are permitted to pass.

7. The radio, Isa. 5:26: "And he will lift up an en:' sign (a flag) to the nations from afar, and will HISS (call) unto them from the ends of the earth." That has been done in our day. Hitler, Roosevelt and many others have spoken to the entire world at one time.

8. The submarine, Psalm 107:23-26: "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters ~, ,;:, 0::'."

     9. Electricity, Psalm 77:18. "The lightnings lighten­ed the world." Look at the wonderful electric signs, neon, etc.-surely this is a fulfillment of this prophecy.

    10. Dust storms, Deut. 28:24: "The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed"".

11. Airplanes, Isa. 31:5: "As birds flying;" and Isa. 60:8: "Who are these that fly as the clouds, and as the doves to their windows," (hangars).

12. The crime-wave which is sweeping over our land is a fulfilment of prophecy. God, in His Word, said it would come, II Tim. 3:13; 3:1-5, "But evil men and seducers (imposters) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." "This know also, that in the last days perilous (grievous) time shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce­breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." How did Paul know about the awful conditions described in these passages? He could not know it except as God revealed it to Him by His Spirit.

 13. The religious cancers of today were plainly fore­told by God's prophets of old. Read Amos 5:18-20; Jer. 14:13-14; II Peter 2:1-22. These passages foretell, of such religious cancers as have been produced by such men and women as C. T. Russell, "Judge" Rutherford, Raymond T. Ritchie, Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy, Mrs. Arnie Simple McPherson.

14. Depressions such as we have had here in Amer­ica and such as has been experienced in other parts of the world are foretold in the Scriptures. Read Amos 4th chapter and Zech. 8:10.

15. The recapture of Jerusalem as took place in World War Number One, was a direct fulfillment of prophecy. Read Isa. 31:4-5.

16. Heart-failure, one of the most dreaded diseases known to man today is foretold in the Word of God. Read Micah 7:16; Luke 21:26.

III. EXTERNAL EVIDENCES OF THE INSPIRA­TION OF THE BIBLE.

We offer the following scientific facts which prove the Bible to be an inspired Book:

1. Science has discovered that the blood is the life of the flesh. The Bible has taught this fact hundreds of years before it' was ever discovered by science, Lev. 17.:f1, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood."

2. Science teaches that the earth rests on nothing.

The Bible taught this fact hundreds of years before the scientists found it out, Job 26:7.

3. Science teaches that the earth is round and that it turns, but the Bible taught both these facts years and years before science discovered them. Science found it out by searching, God's prophets learned it from God through inspiration. Read Isa. 40:22 and Job 38:12-14.

4. Science teaches more worlds than one, but the Bible taught it before science found it out, Heb. 11:3, and Heb. 1:2.

5. Science teaches that the rain-clouds are formed of particles of dust--science discovered this fact, but God revealed it to His prophet hundreds of years be­fore science discovered it, Nahum 1:3.

6. Science teaches that the moisture is caught up by the sun and is formed into clouds which float back to the mountains and then come back to the earth in the form of rain. This is a discovered fact of science ­but it is a revealed fact in the Word of God, Eccl. 1:7. "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers came, thither they return again."

7. Science teaches that the air has weight. This fact has been discovered by scientific investigation, but God revealed it to His servants hundreds of years be­fore science discovered it, Job 28:25.

8. The telephone and radio are well known scientific facts and both of them were invented or rather dis­covered since many of us were born, but the Bible knew about them all the time. Job 38:35: "Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?"

Many other scientific and proven facts which prove the inspiration of the Bible could be given, but this will suffice.

 

IV. THE IRRESTIBLE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE.

                   For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing aSUl1der of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," Heb. 4:12. The Bible is more than light; it is an enlightener. Not only does the Bible reveal the grandest, the sublimest and most practical truths, but it improves and enlarges the vision.

1. The Word of God is compared to fire to burn its way into the very soul of man, Jer. 23:9 "But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay."

2. It is compared to a hammer that beats the rock to pieces, Jer. 23:29. "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

3. It is like rain, that softens and causes the hard clods of earth to melt and wear away with its constant pouring on it, Deut. 32:1-3. "Give ear, 0 ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, 0 earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye great­ness unto our God."

4. The Bible is compared to a mirror in which all may behold themselves, James 1:23-25.

5. The Word of God has a cleansing power on the lives of those who read it, Psalm 119:9. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word." Again in John 15:3 we read: "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Eph. 5:26: "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."

6. The Word of God sanctifies, builds up and gives an inheritance to God's children: "Sanctify them through the truth: thy word is truth," John 17:17. Acts 20:32: "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."

7. The Word of God begets and barns sinners, James 1:18: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be kind of firstfruits of his creatures." I Peter 1:22-23: "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again by the word of God which liveth and abid­eth for ever."

8. The gospel, which is contained in the Word of God, is the power of God unto salvation, Rom. 1:16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

9. The Word of God must be met at the judgment, John 12:48: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one the judgeth him: The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Rom. 2:16: "In that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

              Any sinner who listens to the Word of God in its simplicity and power will sooner or later be saved, or else his bed in hell will be made terribly hard.

                   Why is America, this young nation, the leading nation in the world today? It is because of the Bible.

              One of the greatest examples of the power of the Word is given in I Thess. 1:5-10. Read it and be con­vinced of the power and influence of the Word.

V. ITS INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY.

The Bible meets every need of man, and every de­mand of life. It is supernatural in its origin; divine in its Authorship; human in its penmanship; infallible in its authority; infinite in its scope; universal in its in­terest; eternal in its duration; and personal in its ap­plications. It is bread to the eater; a sword to the war­rior; gold to the merchant; milk to the babe; and meat to those who are of riper years. To those who walk, the Word of God is a lamp to their feet. Psalm 119:105; Provo 6:23. To the builder, it is a hammer, Jer. 23:29; to the sower, it is seed, Luke 8:11. To the hungry, it is food for the soul, Matt. 5:6; to the thirsty, it is wa­ter; to the sinner, it te11s of the Saviour.

Do you want stories for your children? Go to the Bible. It answers every question, solves every problem, and meets every need. Do you want stories for red-blooded men? Go to the Bible and find the best ever told. Do you want pictures of satanic power in human nature? Go to the Bible and begin with the story of Cain, down to Herod, and the rulers of the Jews and you will have the best ones that have ever been told. There is not one single need for saint or sinner that is not met in the Bible. It is the only book that tells about Christ as the Saviour of lost men. It reveals Him to:

1.       The sinner as a Saviour, John 3:16; 10:9.

2.       The dead as the only source of life, John 14:6.

3.       The seeker as the door, John 10:9.

4.       The blind as light, John 8:12.

5.       The learner as the truth, John 14:6.

6.       The hungry as the bread of life, John 6:35.

7.       The traveler as the way, John 14:6.

8.       The weak as power, I Cor. 1:24.

9.The bereaved as consolation in the time of sor­row, Luke 2:25.

10. The troubled as Peace, Eph. 2:14.

11.       The doubter as the Faithful Witness, Rev. 1:5.

12.The saved as a blessed assurance, Heb. 7:25 and Jude 24.

13. The learner as the greatest of all teachers, John 3:1-2 and John 21:17.

The Bible contains three solemn warnings against adding to or subtracting from its teachings. It is full and complete within itself, and you cannot add to a perfect thing without mutilating its perfection; neither can you subtract from it without making it imperfect. In reality, no one can add to, or subtract from the Word of God, but he can, by his perversion of it, de­ceive the uninformed and cause them to be lost or led astray from its teachings. The three warnings are as follows:

1. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I com­mand you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord which I command you," Deut. 4:2.                   .

2. "Add thou not unto his word lest he reprove thee, and thou shalt be found a liar," Provo 30:6.

3. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book," Rev. 22:18, 19.

"The word of God endureth for ever." By its own weight, it has crushed all its rivals and will continue to do so unto the end.

(These studies will continue next month)

 

 

Evangelist James A. Nelson also publishes a monthly Spanish magazine "Hojas de Oro" which is sent free.  Write to him at:

jan23@cox.net    or 660 S. Front, Salina, Kansas EE. UU. 67401

Our Web Master is Martin Gutzmer    mrgutzer@gamil.com   and our sponsor is David R. Pickett    dr_pickett@hotmail.com