What must I do to be saved?

Last week we began an important discussion regarding the beatitude found in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We begin this segment of the lesson noting just a few related passages concerning purity of heart…

1. Romans 6:17 – “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.” What comes to your mind when you think about obedience to Christ? When the apostle Paul thought about the obedience of the Roman Christians, he gave thanks unto God! Paul did not see obedience to Christ as a plague, but a reason for rejoicing and for giving thanks! It wasn’t a cold sort of obedience that He referred to, but an obedience that complied to the will of the Father with a good and genuine heart. It did the right thing with the right attitude or motivation. Obedience to Christ in deed and in heart is a privilege and blessing in this life and eternally.
2. Matthew 22:36-40 – “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” These are the two greatest commandments of the Law: (1) Loving God and (2) Loving neighbors. How do we love God? With all of our heart, soul and mind! We love God free from impurity and from the depth of our heart. And how do we love our neighbor? As ourselves. As we want to be loved and be treated (see Mt. 7:12.)
3. Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” In order to guard the purity of the heart we must focus our heart and mind on good things. There is so much evil in the world. If we aren’t careful it can consume us. Read and meditate on the holy Word of God like the Psalmist. Psalms 1:2 says, “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
4. Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s evaluation of a man is at the heart level. Someone might say, “I thought the things that a Christian does matters?” Of course they do, but if the heart is right, those things naturally follow. Live your faith and your life at the heart level before God, and evaluate your faith according to the purity of your heart.

FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD

What is the blessing of the “pure in heart”? “They shall see God” (v. 8). Now, I think that a good way of seeing this blessing, as well as the others in the beatitudes, is understanding that the blessings begin in this world. God’s faithful people begin to get a small sample of heaven, a powerful inward blessedness. They don’t visibly see God in this life, but they see Him by faith. They understand and are able to live with a sense of His presence. A sense of understanding that He is yet in control. What an amazing blessing that is!

Hebrews 12:14-15 – “Strive for peace with everyone, and for holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” It seems the Hebrew writer is referring primarily here to eternity. Strive after holiness. That is a challenge in our world! Why strive after it? Because no one will see the Lord who does not!

CONCLUSION

In truth, God, of course, merits our hearts, but He is not merely challenging us by asking for our hearts. He knows it is best for us. A corrupt, tainted-heart leads to problems in relationships. It often leads to great inward stress. Heart problems are what lead Christians to walk away from our Lord.

When God likes what He sees in our hearts, we then have the capacity to see Him. That’s a great motivation!

Daren Schroeder

At the moment I am writing these thoughts, I am doing pre-marital counseling with two separate couples here in our congregation. One thing I continue to emphasize is that they should do whatever is necessary to build and protect their relationship with each other. Whatever hurts or weakens that relationship, they should stop. The same thing is true with parents and children.

First, the Bible… Under the guidance and influence of the apostles, the early church was “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). To have this relationship, you must: 1) spend time together; and 2) communicate with one another. A similar comment is made by Jonathan’s armor-bearer to Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:7: “Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire.” We’re not talking, of course, about doing all that your children desire; that would be catastrophic. But we are talking about building a relationship. When I was in college under brother Wendell Winkler, he told the preacher-students to say “yes” to their children as often as they could, because there would be plenty of occasions to say “no.”

In 1 Peter 4:8, Peter writes: “keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Parents cannot get so focused on discipline, discipline, discipline that they forget relationship. Brother Winkler also strongly advised us students to take time off in the afternoon to spend with our children if we have a Bible study or counseling session in the evening. He wisely advised us to adjust our work schedule so that we do not lose our children while we are trying to save others. He was very wise.

I have relearned lately that it is important to express empathy with your children. If they feel pain or discouragement, they don’t necessarily need the message “Keep your chin up!” They might need you to be sad with them. They may or may not need advice. What they do need, however, is a listening ear. That builds relationship.

When we empathize, we show love. It doesn’t mean we keep them from experiencing the consequences of poor choices. But we can emphasize with them because we understand that we too, made poor choices in the past and sometimes we still make poor choices.

While you are discipling your children, make sure you connect with them on an emotional level. That strengthens your relationship.

Paul Holland

A badger recently found itself trapped in a skate park “bowl” in Cornwall, England.  The “bowl” is something like a swimming pool without water, but its sides are steeply sloped, providing skateboarders with an adventurous ride.  A badger, however, is at a disadvantage as its claws can’t grip the concrete sides, and the slope is too great to climb out of.  The badger was trapped.

Dave Hudson of the Cornwall Badger Group came to the rescue.  He brought a large blanket and a plank of wood to give the badger something to grab onto and climb out.  It took a few attempts, but eventually the badger was able to escape using Hudson’s blanket.  You might say Hudson’s efforts were an act of grace.

In his book, Two Roads To Heaven, Ken Stegall uses the image of a turtle sitting on top of a fence post.  We can deduce one thing with certainty about this situation: that turtle didn’t climb up there by himself!  Someone had to lift him up, though it may not be clear why it was done.

Stegall used that image to describe the grace of God in lifting us out of the “bowl” of sin we find ourselves in.  In case you’re wondering what this has to do with you, consider the truth found in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Then ponder the announcement in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“All have sinned” – that includes you, me, and everyone else alive today.  If the wages of sin is death, we are trapped in this “bowl” unless someone helps us out.  That’s why the last part of Romans 6:23 gives hope: “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  God provides us a gift.

Paul had more to say about this saving grace in Titus 2:11: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.”  How do we receive that grace?  He addressed that in Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”  That’s the same idea expressed by Peter in Acts 2:38 after the people asked what they should do about their horrible sin of rejecting God’s Son: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Baptism is the “washing of regeneration”.

We’ve all slid down the slippery slope into the bowl of sin.  Left alone to our own devices, that’s where we’ll remain until we receive the wages of our sin.  But thank God He came along and provided for us a way to escape that doom!  Why would anyone refuse to accept the offer of salvation?

If you’d like to discuss these ideas further, let’s talk.  We’ll only point you to what God has said.

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall

In the genealogy of Jesus, in Matthew chapter one, there are 48 men named, by my count. Among all these men, four women are named. To be among such a distinguished list, to be in the blood line of the Christ, these women must have been special ladies. They were.

There was the twice widowed Tamar (vs 3), who bore twins with Judah. Then, Rahab (vs. 5), the harlot of Jericho whose life was spared by her faith (He. 11:31). Next, Ruth (vs. 5) is named, a Moabite woman who loved her mother-in-law and became the grandmother of King David. Also, Bathsheba (vs. 6), who committed adultery with the King, but gave birth to a future king.  Lastly, Mary (vs. 16), the mother of Jesus.

Why were these women named among all these men of the tribe of Judah?  I do not know.  I am sure they were, or became godly, faithful mothers who gave birth to and raised some important men. That is not to be dismissed.  After all, while the woman is not to “teach or exercise authority over a man” (and none did), they, however, were saved “through the bearing of children…in faith and love” (1 Tm. 2:12,15). There is much to respect regarding godly women. Their place in our churches, in our families, and in bearing and raising our children, is highly regarded in the eyes of God as clearly seen in the genealogy of our savior.

Happy Mother’s Day to All of God’s great Mothers!!

-Dennis Doughty

Jesus dealt with people who had a hard time believing that He was the Son of God. He was met with much skepticism and many of the Jewish leaders believed that His words were blasphemous. Jesus did have many lessons that were hard for them to understand. However, this was only because their thinking was so focused on how they believed things ought to be that they could not conceive that things could be different. Jesus tried to get them to think “outside of the box” but to no avail. Jesus then reasoned with them not based on His teachings but concerning His works.

Jesus, speaking to the Jewish leaders, said in John 10:37-38, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Jesus tells them that if they do not believe His teachings then believe the works that He is doing. The works themselves should confirm to them that He is the Son of God because no one else could do these things. The previous verse is from the book of John. John is called the book of belief because it records numerous miracles of Jesus.

John 5:2-9 describes one such miracle. It says, “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed… Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.” No one else either then or now can make a man who was lame for thirty-eight years walk again. Yet, Jesus was able to heal him.

In John 6, a great multitude of people were following Jesus. Because they had been with Him for so long listening to His teachings, they began to grow weary and hungry. Jesus said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” The best the disciples could do was to find a lad who had five barley loaves and two small fish. Yet, that was enough for Jesus as He blessed it and commanded that His disciples disperse the bread and fish to the multitudes. Not only was the multitude fed until they were full but twelve baskets full of fragments were taken up. Across the timeline of human history, who else was able to do such a feat?

In John 6:16-21, we see Jesus walking on the water. This passage reads, “Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Do you know of anyone else that can walk on water?

In John 9:6-7, Jesus and His disciples come across a blind man. Out of compassion for him, the passage reads, “He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” Who else could make the blind see again?

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Not only is this a miracle in itself but even more so that he had been dead for four days! Martha, Lazarus’ sister, was so shocked at Jesus’ request for them to remove the stone from the tomb that she said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” That did not stop Jesus. He went ahead and resurrected him nonetheless. Do you know of any one who can resurrect the dead? Jesus was able to do it.

This is only surpassed by His own resurrection in John 20. Yet, Jesus had told many before hand that this would happen. John 2:18-21 says, “So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” Not only is the miracle of His resurrection revealed before our eyes but the prophecies of His resurrection are miracles within themselves because they show us an ability that is beyond ourselves.

Finally, following the Lord’s resurrection, He appeared to many. One such meeting was with Thomas. Though the other apostles had seen Jesus, Thomas was absent from those appearances. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Thomas got his chance in the following verses by which he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” That is the conclusion that Jesus wants everyone to come to.

Even if like the Jews, we cannot get our mind around Jesus and His teachings, we can conclude that He is the Son of God because of the many miracles He has done. Coming to that conclusion, we can set our minds about knowing Him and His word and the reason why He came into this world and that is to save us from our sins.

If you would like more evidence that Jesus truly is the Son of God and learn of the salvation that He offers, please let us know.

Roy Knight

INTRODUCTION

This morning we are dealing with what may be, at least in some ways, the most significant attribute a Christian wears… purity in heart. Jesus in Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

The Pharisees were outwardly righteous and appeared to be pure. Jesus says that in order for a person to enter the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 5:20). So this matter is serious. Our righteousness must be deeper, or more pure, than that of the scribes and Pharisees or else our eternal soul will be lost. Jesus described the Pharisees as being like white-washed tombs (see Mt. 23). They looked nice on the outside, but they were full of dead men’s bones. Jesus said that they had the appearance of being righteous but were actually filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Their faith was not at the heart level. The exterior was a mere facade.

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART

The word “pure” means “clean, innocent, guiltless, or free from dirt.” This cleanliness is not a physical cleanness, nor merely a cleanness that can be seen by others. It is purity in the recesses of the heart. It is purity in the eyes of God.

The heart in Scripture is seen as the domain in which our spirituality operates. It is the control center of our faith and the epicenter of our real relationship with God. When we become His children, we pledge our allegiance to our Lord from the depth of our hearts.

PURITY IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Notice just some of the heart issues mentioned within this sermon:

1. Anger (5:21-26). In this text we are dealing with anger that is to the point of being expressed. But anger itself begins in the heart. It is a heart disease that needs to be dealt with.
2. Next, Jesus mentions the sin of lust in 5:27-30. Lust itself, even if it is kept to the confines of the mind, is sinful in the sight of God, called here: “adultery of the heart.” Likely, the next section about divorce and immorality is mentioned because it is a natural progression that can begin with lust.
3. Then Jesus talks about the making of oaths (5:33-37). Swearing falsely here is saying one thing while having the desire to do another, being deceptive.
4. In chapter 6 Jesus spends considerable time addressing the motives for performing acts of righteousness (worship and good deeds). He starts the chapter with a strong warning: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen by them” (v. 1). Beware, or be very careful, concerning your motivations. Righteousness that is performed for the sake of the applause of others is no righteousness at all. Our righteousness, our faith, our purity needs to proceed from the heart. Any less depth than that is simply not purity. Purity is through and through. We need 24 karat purity!
5. One verse in particular we should note is 6:21, where Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The heart follows what it places value in.

Therefore the Christian must make certain that his or her values are what they ought to be. If I value the way others perceive me too much, it may cause me to compromise my integrity. Look at 6:19-20. Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

When we treasure the right things, the heart will follow! Value the things of God more than anything else. Set your affections on Him; on His Son; on His will for your life. Set your heart on being with Him eternally! In 6:33 Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Lord willing, we will finish this lesson soon…

Daren Schroeder

Imagine the Master Carpenter’s tools hold a conference:

Brother Hammer is presiding when several protest and suggest he leave the meeting because he is just too noisy. Brother Hammer replies: “If I have to leave this shop, Brother Screw will also have to go. You have to turn him around again and again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”

Brother Screw can’t remain silent. “If you wish, I will leave. But Brother Plane must leave also. All his work is on the surface. His efforts have no depth.”

To this, Brother Plane cannot remain silent. “Brother Rule is always measuring others as though he were the only one who is right. He will also have to withdraw!”

Brother Rule, not to be ignored in this mutual fault-finding, complains about Brother Sandpaper: “He ought to leave, too, because he’s so rough and always rubbing others the wrong way.”

So goes the discord.

Until the Master Carpenter enters the shop. He has come to start His day’s work. Putting on his apron, he goes to the bench to make a pulpit from which He can proclaim His saving Gospel message. He uses Brothers Hammer, Screw, Plane, Rule, Sandpaper and all the other tools.

After the day’s work, when the pulpit is finished, Brother Saw arises and remarks, “Brethren, I observe that all of us are workers together with the Lord.”

“What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).

Paul Holland

Practically all issues a child (or an adult for that matter) has relates to a problem within the heart, whether it is meanness or messiness or belligerence. When a parent recognizes a persistent pattern of bad behavior like this, then it is certainly time to address the heart-issue that is involved. God requires each of us to grow: “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:18).

Parents have to help their children grow through these issues by focusing on the bigger heart-issues or character traits that are being reflected in the behavior. Jesus frequently shifted responsibility back to His audience, for example, in commanding His disciples to feed the crowd with what they had (Mark 6:37) or challenging the audience, “Have you not read?”

Address the issue with your child by pointing out that their weakness is going to hinder their success in life and have a negative effect on their service to Jesus. Challenge your child to develop a plan, with your help, that will deal with the issue at hand and help them to move toward better behavior. All of us are tempted to do certain things, but Mom and Dad can help the child develop a plan for success so that they can choose to do the right thing instead (James 1:13-15).

We, as parents, can help train our children to talk to themselves, in their minds and hearts, and talk themselves out of bad behavior and toward good behavior, knowing that Jesus sees all we do, for better or for worse. If your child finds it difficult to develop such a plan, offer suggestions: “I saw you do such and such and it worked out well, what can you do to continue that behavior?”

The “problem,” of course, is the child’s, but Mom and Dad can help them evaluate themselves to learn to modify their behavior in order to keep it within acceptable boundaries. When the child does well, Mom or Dad can say, “Why did things go well, when you followed your plan?” When the child does not do well, Mom and Dad can say, “Did you follow your plan in this area, or do you need to modify your plan to help you have success in the future?”

If you help your child with such a plan and hold your child accountable to that plan, you are helping your child to evaluate themselves based on an objective standard. In this way, Mom and Dad become a mentor to the child. This does not alleviate the need for forms of punishment when such is necessary. But remember that discipline means “making a disciple” of your child for Jesus Christ.

When you shift responsibility for making proper decisions to your child, you are helping him or her develop respect for themselves and for those around them, including their parents and siblings. And nothing builds self-esteem better than self-respect.

Parent with intention.

Paul Holland

As I study the Word of God, I am amazed how frequently God emphasizes humility. It is easy to be humble when people agree with you. As long as no one challenges me, my pride stays in tack. But when someone else thinks his or her opinion or view is just as valid as mine, then I either display arrogance or humility.

Coriolanus was a military hero in Rome, about 500 years before Jesus came to earth. His exploits on the battlefield were legendary although few Romans had ever met him personally. In 454 B. C., Coriolanus decided to run for a political office: consul. He gave a public speech at which he displayed the many battle scars he had received over a 17-year span, fighting for Rome. Few people actually paid attention to the speech, but his talk about his scars for Rome won many people’s hearts.

The day to vote came and Coriolanus strode into the Roman forum flanked by the senate, the aristocracy, and other important politicians. He gave another speech, but this time his words came across as arrogant and disrespectful to the common people. He assumed he had already won the vote and he boasted of all his accomplishments. He came across as a pompous blowhard.

The common Romans decided they would not allow Coriolanus to be elected. They turned out in droves and voted against him. He was defeated. And he was bitter. A shipment of grain had arrived in Rome to be distributed to the people and Coriolanus gave a speech against the distribution. He spoke against democracy and suggested Rome get rid of her representatives.

At this third speech, the common Romans were very angry. Riots broke out around Rome. Eventually, the grain was distributed as it was supposed to. Coriolanus spoke yet again before the people but, again, he presented himself arrogantly and insulted those who disagreed with him.

Under pressure from the common people, the senate condemned Coriolanus to death which was eventually commuted to banishment for the rest of his life. The people celebrated in the streets in a way they had never done before.

Coriolanus showed what type of person he truly was through the words that he used. A person who cannot control his words cannot control his actions. James, the Lord’s brother, said as much: “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;  from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.  Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh” (James 3:8-12).

James will go on to say that the wisdom (and the tongue) that reflects Jesus Christ is the one which is pure, peaceable, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy (3:17). The tongue reflects the heart.

Paul Holland

There will be some interesting “Last Days” in our lives.  The Last day of High School or College.  The last day of work before retirement.  The last day in a beloved home before moving away.  The last day worshiping with a beloved group of Christians.  Many of these “last days” will be filled with the mixed emotions of sadness and joy, of both loss and excitement.

Jesus said to the crowds, “everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). There is truly one great “last day” coming in our lives. It is the day “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Pe. 3:10).  On that day Jesus promises those who come to him that “I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

Most of my “last days” are behind me. The last day of college, the last day of preaching full time. I have one more “last day” to look forward to, the day the Lord returns, the last day of earth, moon, and sky. The day when time ends and eternity with God begins. How many last days do you have behind you?  Are you ready for that final last day, the day Jesus returns?

-Dennis Doughty