What must I do to be saved?

We have had a series of articles meditating on the use of “grace” (charis in Greek) in the NT. The word is found 155 times; we have looked at its use in the gospels, Acts, and Romans. The word is found a total of 28 times in 1 & 2 Corinthians. Grab your Bible and let’s take notes.

    As he often does, Paul’s greetings (1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2) and farewell (16:23; 2 Cor. 13:14) include “grace.” Paul is thankful for the “grace” shown the Corinthians in Christ (1:4). Grace had been given to Paul to preach the gospel of Christ (3:10). He allows us to share in teaching others!

    Paul states that he eats with “thankfulness” (charis, 10:29). He uses the word three times in 15:10. Paul was so thankful for the grace shown him through his salvation that he worked his fingers to the bone to see that others could know and enjoy that same grace. The “grace” of God with him refers to the empowerment to fulfill that task (see also 2 Cor. 1:12). 

    In 1 Corinthians 16:3, “grace” refers to the Christians’ contribution, translated “gift” in the NASV. This shows us that our giving is a gift of grace. We don’t deserve what God gives us; it is “grace.” Nor do people necessarily deserve what we give them; it is “grace.” In fact, in the two passages in 2 Corinthians which discuss our contribution (chapters 8 & 9), the word “grace” is used 10 times!

    God’s grace had been made known to the churches in Macedonia (8:1) which motivated them to beg Paul for the “favor” (“grace”; 8:4) of participating in the collection for the saints! Paul sent Titus to collect their contribution, this “gracious” work (8:6, 19) in which he hoped they would abound (8:7). The motivation for such gracious giving is the grace of Jesus Christ reflected in His self-giving (8:9). The earnestness to help was also in the heart of Titus, for which Paul gave “thanks” (“grace,” 8:16). 

    Regardless how much we give, God is able to make “grace” abound to us (9:8). Notice in 9:13 that our obedience to the confession of the gospel is tied to the surpassing grace of God in us (9:14). “Thanks” (“grace”) be to God for His indescribable gift (9:15)! 

    When Paul would visit the Christians, they would receive a “blessing” (“grace”; 2 Cor. 1:15). God leads us in triumph in Christ so that Paul gives “thanks” (“grace”) to Him (2 Cor. 2:14). In fact, when more and more people come to understand the grace of God, they will give thanks (4:15). It is possible to receive the grace of God in vain (6:1) – that is, if we do not stay faithful to Christ and His word.

    When Paul asked for his thorn to be removed, Jesus responded that His grace was sufficient to lift Paul above such inconveniences (12:9). 

Paul Holland

Last week was another tragic week in America.  Two school teachers and 19 elementary school children were killed by an 18 year old gunman.  This is almost  becoming a weekly occurrence in this country.  Everyone is shouting for solutions.  Some for more mental health screening … some for stricter gun laws … some want to outlaw guns altogether … some want to arm the teachers … some want more police presence in our schools … and, of course politicians are always to blame depending which side you’re on.

Any one of these solutions may provide a temporary band aide for this problem, but the real problem lies much deeper.  And until people recognize the real problem, no solution will be found.  The god of this world, Satan (2Cor 4:4), has literally “blinded the eyes” of this nation to the problem so that we do not even consider the solution.  Pass all the laws you want, but the problem will continue.  The real issue lies in the breakdown of the family.  Amongst the majority, there is little respect for marriage … little respect for the God-odained family unit.  Let’s face it, 100 years ago, when people still had some respect for the Bible, did we have these kinds of problems?  But now, in our sex-craved, permissive society, that’s obsessed with violence, where many disparage any kind of authority, let alone the Bible, we see these problems waxing worse and worse, which is actually a fulfillment of prophecy (2Tim 3:13).

In 2Cor 10:3-5 we learn we are in a “spiritual” warfare that we fight with a spiritual weapon (which is the word of God (Eph 6:17).  Our goal is to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  Our present society mimics the society of Romans 1:18-32 where God simply says, “That’s enough, you suppress the truth, so you’re on your own, I give you over to your depraved and reprobate mind.”

We open up our computers, look at the radar and discern the weather;  we need to open up our Bibles, look at the Word of God and discern the signs of the times.

–Toby Miller

BACKGROUND NOTES:

    The first king mentioned in Ezra is  Cyrus (559-529 B. C.; 15 times). The Jews had been exiles in Babylon since 598-586 B. C. But Cyrus allowed them to return.

Memorize 4:1-2. If you don’t memorize the text, read it every day this week.

ADULTS:

    How does the author of the text let us know immediately that these men are not interested in the welfare of Israel?

    Why did Zerubbabel reject the offer? What do Christians have in common with each other?

    Jesus warned us that we will be persecuted (John 16:33). What battles will the church have to fight in the years ahead?

TEENS:

    To whom do the enemies go with their request?

    When the enemies refer to “your” God (rather than “our” God), what does that indicate about their motivation?

    Is it true that Christians have to refuse having fellowship with some people (see Hebrews 13:10)?

YOUTH:

    What had the enemies been doing since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria? Can they be trusted? Why or why not?

    What is the goal of the Israelites in the days of Ezra?

    Draw a picture of Israel’s enemies threatening them:

Paul Holland

Turn on the news or plug into your favorite flavor of social media and within seconds you will hear about suffering all around us. There are countries tragically at war. We face a looming recession and economic struggles. The political divide and race relations continue to rage. There was another school shooting in Texas . All of these situations certainly can and do bring suffering into our lives. It seems that everyone wants us to be wound up and stressed out. I read one brother in Christ recently post, “prepare for the coming chaos.” Now I’m not going to suggest that there aren’t problems and that times are tough – they are. They may get worse. Only time will tell. But as Christians, we have a great opportunity to show people around us what faith does for us in difficult times. FAITH SHOULD PROVIDE PEACE.

At the end of Peter’s first letter to the early church, he encouraged them to remember who they are and what that provides. “Peace be to all who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:14). Peace is a sometimes misunderstood quality. Some would define peace as the “lack of conflict.” The idea is that we will have peace when there is no strife or struggling. While that is a common way of looking at the word peace, God never promises a “lack of conflict.” We live in a fallen and sinful world. Man’s push to put himself first and satisfy his own desires often give rise to conflict and suffering. But the word “peace” in Scripture is more often talking about a calmness of heart in the face of conflict rather than a lack of conflict. It expresses “a state of tranquility” even as the struggles swirl around us. Peter addresses persecution and great suffering in his letter and yet he says that we are to “seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11). The question becomes, are we feeding the chaos and panic in people’s lives by echoing the chaos or are we seeking and pursuing peace by showing others the calmness that comes from trusting God to see us through anything that comes? Are we contributing to the “worries of the world,” choking the word of God out in the lives of our brethren by echoing the doom and gloom around us? Or are we showing the tranquility and peace that comes from a saving relationship with the Master of the Universe? If we have “entrusted our souls to a Faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19) there should be a marked calmness and peace that surrounds us.

May we be lights in the world that brings peace (a calmness in the face of conflict) to those around us. May our behavior be so different in difficult times that people will ask us to explain the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). But more than that, may we be those who show the world that “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard OUR hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). Truly, may “peace be to you all who are in Christ.”

Michael Hite

THE PENALTY FOR DISTORTING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST – 1:8-9:

“We” cannot preach a gospel different than what “you” have heard! Notice that Paul wrote if “we” – if an apostle – were to teach anything different than what had already been preached, they would be accused! Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 16:22 that if anyone does not love Jesus, he is accursed. The person is accursed who distorts the gospel of Christ, which puts him into the same category as someone who does not love Jesus Christ!

But not only that…

An “angel” cannot preach a gospel different than what you have heard! Paul writes that even if an angel came out of the unseen world and preached something different than what had already been preached, that person, that angel would be accursed. In other words, God revealed His will in the first century and there is no further need for a revelation from God and there is no further revelations from God. The gospel does not need any additions and it does not need any modifications.

The Bible – the gospel message – as it is is adapted to man as he is. If you adapt the gospel message to fit a changing culture, then you distort the gospel message so it is no longer suitable for man’s needs.

That’s why it can’t be distorted!

THE ESSENCE OF A BOND-SERVANT OF CHRIST – 1:10-12:

The “bondservant” of Christ seeks to please Him. Who do we seek to please in our teaching? Our friends or family or Jesus Christ? In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, Paul tells us that God is the one who examines our hearts; therefore, we need to seek to please Him.

A young minister-friend of mine was antsy about studying with someone about some false ideas that person held. My friend was fidgety because he did not want to offend his student. I encouraged him to teach the truth with kindness, love, and patience, but with courage – to be sure he didn’t offend God in his study with that person. Does that concern us at all? That we might offend God as we talk about the gospel to other people?

Paul’s gospel is not according to men. If the gospel was “according to men,” we could change it. We could adjust it. We could take out the parts that we didn’t like. Just about two weeks ago, a man told me that we don’t have to believe Genesis is a literal account of the creation because the “majority of Christian scholars” say that Genesis is not literal. Seriously? How much can we reject out of the mouth of God and not offend God? This book is not “according to men!” Rather…

The gospel came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. King David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). That’s the idea of inspiration. That’s the idea that the gospel came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. We can’t distort the words out of the mouth of God! How can we get to heaven if we distort the message that came out of heaven which tells us how to get to heaven?

Don’t distort the gospel of Christ! Understand the text, embrace His words, obey His commands, in order to enjoy His blessings!

Paul Holland

THE DISTORTIONS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST – 1:6-7:

    Some people desert Christ (ver. 6) – We will notice in verse 10 that some people choose to seek the favor of men rather than the favor of God. This is the source of all false gospels – wanting to appease the crowd of men first and foremost as opposed to wanting to please Jehovah God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

    Let’s take a moment to see just what challenges the Christians in Galatia were facing… Read these passages: 2:14, 21; 3:13, 24, 26-27, 29. The Christians in Galatia, then, were being  challenged – not to turn their backs on Jesus Christ per se – but to add aspects of the Law of Moses to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Specifically, they were being challenged to add circumcision to the gospel of Christ.

    We could also see how the Jew would try to compel the Gentile to be circumcised, even if they were baptized into Christ. The problem is that circumcision was no longer a part of the gospel of Christ, not under the New Covenant. Notice Paul’s clear words in Galatians 5:2-4.

    Again, we observe that the Galatian Christians were not being encouraged to abandon Christ per se – they were simply being tempted to add the Law of Moses to salvation in Christ. But, even though circumcision had been a part of Christ’s law under the Law of Moses, the teachings that one must be circumcised as a part of being a Christian was now a teaching of man, not a teaching of Christ!

    Some want to distort the gospel of Christ (ver. 7) – Let’s make an application of this principle now in our modern society. Just how much of the gospel of Christ can we distort and still obey the gospel of Christ?

    Can we distort the nature of God and not distort the gospel of Christ?

God is unchanging and eternal
God is Spirit
God is omnipotent and omnipresent
God is omniscient
God is wisdom and light
God is majestic and beautiful
God is life and immortal
God is One and Three
God is holy and righteous
God is jealous and perfect
God is truth and God is good
God is merciful and God is full of wrath

    Can we distort the nature of man and not distort the gospel of Christ?

Man was created in the image and likeness of God.
Man was created on the 6th day of a week of creation.
Man was created as the pinnacle of God’s creation.
Man was created as the center of God’s world.
Man was created with a free will to respond to God.
Man has an intellectual nature which he is to engage in his obedience to Christ.
Man has a volitional nature which he is to engage in his obedience to Christ.
Man has an emotional nature which he is to engage in his obedience to Christ.
Man has a spiritual nature which he is to engage in his obedience to Christ.

    God designed the gospel message as it is to meet the needs of man as he is.

    Can we distort the nature of the gospel and not distort the gospel of Christ?

Man is to believe the gospel (Heb. 11:6; John 8:24). Faith is not a miraculous gift of God implanted into the hearts of men. Faith is an act of the will whereby man examines the evidence and then draws conclusions based on that evidence (John 20:30-31).

Man is to repent of his sins (Acts 17:30). Are there any sins that man does not have to repent of and he can still be saved? Paul gives a list of “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21. Can we say that a man can continue living in these sins and still be saved? Doesn’t that distort the gospel?

Man must confess his convictions in Christ in order to be saved (Rom. 10:9-10).

Must must be immersed into water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). This is a biblical doctrine which has been distorted and perverted by Satan and people who preach Satan’s doctrine, perhaps more than any other aspect of the gospel of Christ.
Satan teaches that you are baptized in order to associate with a specific church.
Satan teaches that you are saved by faith without having to be baptized.
Satan teaches that baptism is simply showing your faith in a visible way.
Satan teaches that baptism can be through the act of sprinkling.
Satan teaches that baptism can be through the act of affusion.
Satan teaches that baptism is simply a command of Christ without having any connection to salvation from sins.

    All of these are distortions of the biblical doctrine of baptism and that’s why it is so important for us to listen to the words of the Holy Spirit about baptism and not man’s words (John 3:3-5). You can’t be saved by obeying man’s doctrines! You can only be saved by obeying what the Holy Spirit teaches. Otherwise, we’re obeying a distorted gospel of Christ.

    Notice what Paul writes in verses 16-18 and verse 25: “walk by the Spirit,” be “led by the Spirit,” “live by the Spirit,” and again “walk by the Spirit.” 

Paul Holland

    The gospel of Christ is God’s power to save man, for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). In the gospel of Christ is revealed the righteousness of God as it leads to faith and builds on faith.

    The apostle Paul had to deal with people in his time, just as we do, who have – under the influence of Satan – perverted the simple message of the gospel of Christ. Let’s feed on Paul’s warning this morning from Galatians 1:1-12 and take serious his admonition not to change or alter the gospel of Jesus Christ. If man does not properly understand the Gospel message of Christ, how can he properly obey the gospel message of Christ? This will be a three part study.

PAUL’S SALUTATION – 1:1-5:

    Paul’s authority – The first thing Paul does is to tell his Christian audience that he is an apostle! He is not an apostle sent from men. When someone challenges the teachings of the apostle Paul, of course, the true and accurate response is: That man was an apostle of Christ. 

    Jesus set the teachings of the apostles on the same level as His own teachings: Luke 10:16. We must take the teachings of the apostles seriously! It’s no joking matter.

    The essence of the gospel – Having mentioned Jesus Christ and God the Father, Paul states in verse 1 that God is the one who raised Jesus from the dead. Of course, the resurrection of Christ is the heart and core of the Christian message.

    In verse 2, Paul extends his normal greetings to his fellow Christians: Grace and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, but then in verses 3-5, Paul gives the “essence” of the gospel message:

    “Jesus gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.” That’s the essence of the gospel message. 

    When I was in college, Wendell Winkler told us that the theme of the Bible in one sentence is (and notice how closely it relates to Paul’s statement in verses 4-5): “The salvation of man through Jesus Christ to the glory of God.”

    1. Jesus gave Himself for our sins.

    2. Jesus gave Himself so that He might rescue us from this present evil age.

    3. Jesus gave Himself according to the will of our God and Father.

    4. Jesus gave Himself for the glory of God forevermore.

    That is the essence of the gospel. But, there is more to the gospel than just that. In fact, in Galatians 3:8, Paul will apply the word “gospel” or “good news” to the message God gave to Abraham back in the book of Genesis. So we could broaden our understanding of the word or message of the gospel to include everything from the beginning of the Bible to the end – everything that has to do with God’s plan to save man from sin is a part of the gospel message.  The Hebrew word for “gospel” is used 24 times, 7 in the prophecy of Isaiah. Let’s keep that in mind as we continue our study…

Paul Holland

The largest and finest bell in the East was in the great Buddhist Temple, Shwee-da-gone, in Rangoon. During a war the bell sank in a river. Over the years, various engineers tried but failed to raise it. At last a clever priest asked permission to try, but only if the bell was given to his temple.

The priest had his assistants gather an immense number of bamboo rods. One by one the rods were fastened to the bell at the bottom of the river. After thousands of them had been fastened, the bell began to move. When the last bamboo rod was attached, the buoyancy of the accumulated rods lifted the bronze bell from the mire of the river bottom to the stream’s surface.

Every act of trust we exhibit toward God, from simple prayer to putting God’s word into practice in our lives in obedience, is like one of those bamboo rods. Each prayer or act of obedience might not seem like much at the time, but with time and persistence, the enemy is conquered. The walls of Jericho fall down. Let’s meditate on psalm 53 together.

THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF SIN – 53:1-3:
The word “fool” is used 18 times in the OT, five times is Psalms: 14:1; 39:9; 53:2; 74:18, 22. In the Psalm 74 passage, Asaph writes “a foolish people has spurned Your name” (vs. 18) and “the foolish man reproaches You all day long.”

This “foolish” person is not necessarily an atheist. In fact, there were probably very few atheists in the ancient times. Everybody believed in some type of god. Rather, the “foolish” person is the one who lives as if there is no God, no one to whom to be accountable. When the Bible says “every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6), it is describing the fool.

The fool is corrupt: see Genesis 6:11-13, 17.

The fool has committed abominable injustice. Look at Deuteronomy 7:26.

The word “injustice” is used frequently by the prophet Ezekiel; I’ve counted 9 times. There is no injustice in God (Deut. 32:4) so God demands that mankind not practice injustice. He abhors it.

Then, to emphasize the point, David says “there is no one who does good.”

In verse 2, David comments that God has looked down from heaven, from His throne of holiness and justice, to see if there are any among the “sons of men” who understands the moral nature of the universe. Is there anyone who understands spiritual truths, spiritual realities? Is there? Is there anyone who seeks after God? The idea is that this individual – who does not exist – seeks after God without God first reaching out to him. Is there anyone who seeks after God without God first appealing to him? No. There is not.

Everyone one of them (the sons of men) has turned aside.

Together, they (the sons of men) have become corrupt.

No. No one is right in the eyes of Jehovah God. No one, left to himself or herself, can be good and right and holy and stand in the presence of God.

So, what can be done?

RESTORATION COMES FROM GOD – 53:4-6:

Before David gets to the “hope,” he still emphasizes the “hopelessness” of mankind…

Verse 4: Do the workers of evil not know? Can we see here where it is important to have the right knowledge? You recall that God said through Hosea the prophet that His people were destroyed for lack of knowledge – Hosea 4:6.

What is their problem? It is found at the end of verse 4: “they have not called on God.”

The wicked do not “call upon the Lord.” Why? They do not know what the end result of life will be if they don’t call on the Lord. That’s where our job begins – telling people who God is and that they need to call upon Him.

Verse 5 notes the end result of this type of lifestyle. “Perfect love casts out fear,” we recognize from 1 John 4:18. Then perfect wrath, or perfect hatred as God’s wrath is directed at those in sin, creates or stimulates fear.

The good news, the hope, the “gospel” is in verse 6…

Who will give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob will rejoice. Israel will be glad.

Does God want us to be happy? Yes. But not at the expense of being faithful to Him. Because if we can be faithful to Him in this life, the joys we will experience in heaven will engulf, supersede, overpower all the joys we have experienced in this life.

Do you trust God? To conclude our study of Psalm 53, we go to Paul’s use of the text in Romans 3 and we note 3:23-24: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

How do we acquire the knowledge of God that the wicked lack? Through Jesus Christ. How do we obtain salvation which the wicked lack? Through Jesus Christ. How do we approach God? Through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer to the sentiments expressed in Psalm 53.

Let us know God, fear God, and teach God. Then we will rejoice and be glad in ways that we can only imagine.

Paul Holland

“Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.”  (Proverbs 14:34)

This proverb is unique.  Most of the time these sayings of wisdom are directed to individuals.  As a result, this one stands out.  “Righteousness” is a common word in the book, describing compliance to God’s laws in thought and action.  So, here it is talking about an entire nation that is living right.  Wow! Show me that nation and I’ll book my flight immediately!

Sadly, no such nation exists.  John burst that bubble when he said “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).  There’s the problem.  Nations have chosen the path of sin (which Solomon says “is a disgrace”).  The desire to follow sensual lusts, to covet more (of everything) has conquered the minds of nations throughout the world.

So what should we do?  Throw up our hands and give up, resigning to this awful truth?  Not a chance.  Instead, here is the proper course of action:

First, do what is right regardless of what others are doing.  God sees the nation, but he also sees the individual.  We will not be judged as a group.  You will be judged by yourself and so will I (John 5:28, 29; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15).  The plea “well everyone is doing it” will not resonate with God!

Second, believe in the power of influence.  Christians are the “salt of the earth.” They are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14).  Did you get that?  “The earth” and “the world”!  I think that covers all of the nations, doesn’t it?  Through the power of God we can impact the world for good.

Third, begin with one soul at a time.  The apostle Andrew is mentioned a meager 12 times in the New Testament (mostly in listings with the other apostles).  However, in John 1:41 he brings his brother Peter to Jesus.  Peter, who became one of the leading apostles and preached the first gospel sermon (Acts 2) is mentioned over 120 times!  We never know what that one soul might mean to world evangelism.

Denny Petrillo

Just a few weeks after I graduated from high school my older sister got married. Because my father performed the ceremony, my younger brother and I walked my sister down the aisle. As a part of the wedding party, I got some new clothes: a new black suit, a tie that coordinated with the rest of the party, and a pair of black dress shoes. One of my feet is larger than the other, and this particular pair of dress shoes fit a little bit differently than others. In fact, my parents actually had to buy two pair of shoes to make one pair that fit me properly!

When the young shepherd boy, David, responded to the taunts of the Philistine giant, Goliath, in 1 Samuel 17:26, he had no thought in his mind about what he would wear or how it would fit. Yet, when King Saul learned that Jesse’s youngest son planned to fight the Philistine warrior, the king tried to clothe the young man in his own armor. David ultimately rejected this honor, stating, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them” (1 Samuel 17:39). Instead, David went with his everyday equipment: a staff, a sling, and five stones. But he went with more than that; David went with the LORD (1 Samuel 17:37).

You may be familiar with the Lord’s armor recorded in Ephesians 6:10–18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Do you know where Paul got that imagery? It comes from Isaiah 59:14–20. The LORD takes up armor because he sees the injustice and dishonesty of the people, so he acts to correct it.

Here’s what’s fascinating to me. David couldn’t wear Saul’s armor. It was too big and too clumsy because it was untested. In the age of modern mechanical manufacturing, I had to buy four shoes just to get two that fit me properly. It’s not always easy finding clothing that fits well. Yet, Paul tells us that God’s armor will fit us. We can wear the very same armor God wore. He marches into spiritual battle with us. What a precious gift. What a pity if we wasted it!

Clay Leonard