by Barry Newton

For me, sometimes the irony gets real thick. I remember watching a television evangelist spend fifteen minutes emphasizing "you are saved by faith not by works." He correctly pointed out that we are not capable of being good enough to save ourselves; this would be salvation by works. And the scriptures do teach that we are not saved by our own merit; we must rely upon Jesus.

However, he also went beyond these biblical affirmations when he claimed that works meant doing something. Because of how he defined works, he concluded that there was nothing we could do in order to be saved. But then as the program came to an end, he began to encourage people to respond to Jesus. Guess what! He told them to do something in order to be saved! He told his listeners to say a prayer confessing that they were sinners and to ask Jesus to come into their hearts!

He obviously failed to realize that by defining works as "doing something", he had also condemned saying a prayer and inviting Jesus into one's heart! He could have avoided this whole awkward dance if he had just focused on preserving Paul's definition of works and faith in Christ which boil down to self-reliance and trusting in Jesus.

Each branch of Christendom teaches that you must do something in order to be saved. Does it not make sense to ask, "what does the Bible teach us to do?"

Examining Luke-Acts

This question is raised several times in the biblical books of Luke and Acts. We first encounter it being directed to John the Baptizer who was proclaiming a baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins as he preached the good news about the One to come (Lk. 3:3, 16-18; Acts 19:4). To him the crowds queried, "what should we do?" (Lk. 3:10,12,14). In each case, John's response called for them to repent, that is, to cease ungodly behavior and exemplify lives of love. And of course, they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River.

After Jesus died on the cross establishing the new covenant, Peter preached for the first time on the next Pentecost the good news that Jesus was the Messiah and Lord. They had killed Jesus, but God had raised him to life. In response to his lesson, his Jewish listeners asked their Jewish brethren, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter's answer was, "repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38 NASB).

Later when Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul came to realize that Jesus was Lord. And yet, Jesus told Saul, "Rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do" (Acts 9:6).

What was Saul to do? When Saul retold this story in his own words he recounted Ananias' words, "For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:15,16).

Perhaps the Philippian jailer had in mind saving his skin when he asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). But Paul and Silas jumped at the opportunity to teach him the gospel. What did he need to do? He needed to understand who Jesus was and to believe in him. But this jailer had no idea who Jesus was nor how he should trust in him. So Paul and Silas taught him. And immediately he and his household were baptized. Upon being baptized, they rejoiced because they had come to believe in the Lord (Acts 16:31-34).

Conclusion

Whether in the Gospels, the historical literature of Acts, or the Epistles, consistently the New Testament message announces what we need to do in order to be saved/1. We must rely upon Jesus, not ourselves, for salvation. We start down the path of relying upon Jesus and his blood by being baptized.

Every group in Christendom teaches that you must do something in order to be saved. Why not teach what scripture announces?

1/ Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:19,20; John 1:12,13; 3:3-5; Acts 2:37,38; Galatians 3:26,27; Romans 6:1-4; 17,18

by Mitchell Skelton

Bill Keane's comic strip, Family Circus, has communicated a beautiful truth about Christmas. As the children were setting up their nativity set, little Dolly held up the baby Jesus and declared, "Here's the star of Bethlehem!" /1

As we approach Christmas, and while the majority of the "Christian" world will be thinking about Christ during this season, I want us to consider "The star of Bethlehem." It would be careless if we ignored the reason placed upon this season and failed to teach Christ to a lost and dying world.

Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians, "When I came to you brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1,2). The very fact that Jesus did come to earth and became human is the very cornerstone of our faith. For Jesus to die, he had to become human. For Jesus to endure the cross he had to be born of woman. While we certainly must admit that we do not know the exact day of Jesus' birth we certainly must admit that he was indeed born. Instead of ignoring Christmas, let us embrace the season as an opportunity for evangelism.

J. G. Dailey, wrote a timeless hymn asking a very poignant question, "Why did my Savior come to earth, and to the humble go? Why did he choose a lowly birth? Because he loved me so! Why did He drink the bitter cup of sorrow, pain and woe? Why on the cross be lifted up? Because he loved me so! He loved me so, He loved me so; He gave his precious life for me, for me, because he loved me so."

We must never forget that for all the trial and persecution that Christ endured since his birth, he had no sin. Christ lived a sinless life to be a perfect sacrifice (1 Pet. 2:22). Christ's sinless perfection paved the way for our future perfection. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). The fact that Christ did live a perfect life means that we can attach ourselves to Christ's sinless perfection, and this is the Christian's hope.

Christ did not stop at living a sinless life as a man. Christ went further and became sin for us. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). God, being just, could not overlook sin. The penalty for sin had to be paid. "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people (Heb. 2:14, 17).

It is in Christ that we become the righteousness of God. In Christ, we become new creatures. "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him (Rom. 6:1–8).

Why did my Savior come to Earth? "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (Jn. 3:16,17). God's love is wide enough for the whole world! If you are included in the world then you are included in God's love. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross. The cross is where God forgave His children without lowering His standards. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).

1 Houston Chronicle, Family Circus, Dec. 23 1988

by Jimmy Jividen

The city of Corinth was filled with immorality. Paul preached there about Jesus. He told them that their sins would damn their souls.

"Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9b,10).

The listeners did not try to excuse or justify their sins. Instead, they repented. Paul described their change, "such were some of you." This reflected two things:

First, the demands of repentance. They gave up those sins which would have damned their soul. The fornicators did not blame the culture. The homosexuals did not blame their genes. The thieves did not blame their environment, and the drunkards did not say they had a disease. They simply repented — quit practicing sin.

Second, the magnitude of grace. This catalog of sin describes a pretty raunchy bunch of people. The good news is that these sinners were washed, sanctified, and justified in and by the blood of Christ.

God's grace is sufficient to save the most de-spicable sinner, if that sinner is willing to repent. In this case, their change of heart in repentance brought about a total change in their life-style. This brought a change in their relationship with God.

Hearing God's message and being moved by it to obedience will do the same for us today as then — it will save our souls.

by J. Randal Matheny

Start with the end in mind. Those words of Stephen Covey reflect a wonderful Biblical thought. For a great beginning, consider the conclusion.

Solomon said it better, "Better the end of anything than its beginning; better patience than pride" (Eccl. 7:8, NEB).

As is common with Biblical truths, this wisdom seems madness to pagan man.

We don't want things to end. We want everything to continue as it is.

Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade wrote about the lost feeling after the party's over:

What now, Jose?
The party's over,
the light's out,
everybody's gone,
the night's chilled,
What now, Jose?

At the end of the poem, Drummond asks, "you're marching, Jose! / Jose, to where?"

What an awful feeling!

So Drummond would shake his head at the Christian's prayer, "Maranatha!" (1 Cor. 16:22). Come, Lord! Let's get it over with now! Usher in the end!

Perhaps that's the sense in which we should understand Peter's encouragement to those who were "waiting for and HASTENING the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!" (2 Pet. 3:12, ESV).

Because the end signifies the beginning of something much better, a never-ending blessedness at the side of God.

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (v. 13).

We can hardly wait for that day to come! The end is clearly in view. It's the destination I want, not just the journey.

So start your day today, start your week, start the new 2004, with the end in mind.

by Ancil Jenkins

Most have heard the old story of the man who refused to stand up when the preacher asked the audience how many wanted to go to heaven. "Don't you want to go to heaven when you die?" the preacher asked. "Oh, I want to go to heaven when I die," the man replied. "I thought you were getting up a group to go today."

How true of so many to see heaven as the only reward of Christianity. Paul said that godliness is profitable, not only for the life to come, but for this life also (1 Tim. 4:8). Even if there were no spiritual, eternal benefits from being a Christian, there are enough temporal benefits to make such a life worthwhile.

Christianity is profitable physically. The Christian regards his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and therefore respects and cares for it (1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 5:29). Harmful abuse from carelessness or use of drugs is not respecting the temple of the Holy Spirit. With such an attitude on the part of many people in the world, a Christian should naturally live longer, but because he has taken care of his health, his quality of life should also be much higher than average. He feels good enough to enjoy so many of life's blessings.

Christianity gives an economic benefit. We are called to be honest in all things. As Christians we are to give a full day's work for a day's pay. God's children do not work to please men, but work for their secular masters as if they worked for the Lord. Christian business should provide courtesy, service, and honesty, and such a business should prosper (Rom. 12:17; Eph. 6:6,7). Yet, personal satisfaction and security are not the only reasons a Christian earns money. He desires to have enough to share with those who have less (Eph. 4:28).

Christianity is also profitable from an emotional standpoint. I am constantly amazed and even amused that so many self-help programs are based largely on Biblical teachings. This does not say that some Christians will not have to seek help, guidance, and even therapy. However, unlike the non-Christian, God's child has the resources to meet life's stresses and make life's decisions, if he will only avail himself of them. The resulting security and self-assurances provide strong, healthy, and lasting relationships, strengthening every phase of life.

Even with all these wonderful physical benefits, still the greatest blessings of Christianity are the spiritual ones. One can endure a lifetime of sickness, pain, and disability and still have hope of the richest of all blessings. Even living in abject poverty without any of life's luxuries is not the greatest loss in the world. The greatest loss is the loss of the soul. And contrary to what most humans think, the greatest gain is to depart from this world and be with Christ, to live eternally with Him. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord! It pays both now and throughout eternity.

(Thanks to The Voice of Truth International, Vol 39.)