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Part 3 of 5
THE BIBLE IS THE
SOURCE BOOK OF OUR MESSAGE
Q. What is the
Bible?
A. The Bible is
the record of God's increasing revelation of Himself to His
ancient people Israel and to the early church. It is Christ
that gives meaning to the whole revelation. Bible is a Greek
word meaning "book." It is. the most valuable book in the
world, and is still the world's best seller. The Bible is
God's revelation of Himself to man. The Bible is a collection
of books with forty different writers and sixty-six different
books, written over a space of fifteen hundred years. Someone
has well told its importance to man in the following statement
from an unknown author:
THE BIBLE
CONTAINS
The mind of God
The state of man
The way
of salvation
The doom of sinners
The happiness of
believers
IT FURNISHES
Light to direct
Food to support
Comfort to cheer
IT IS
THE
Traveler's map
Pilgrim's staff
Pilot's
guide
Soldier's sword
Christian's charter
IT WILL
Fill
the memory
Rule the heart
Guide the feet
Reward the
laborer
"All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16. There is no accounting for the
marvelous unity of the Bible, nor for its accuracy in
presenting truth, other than inspiration. Inspiration means
"God breathed." Inspiration is the ability to receive and
communicate truth without error, through dedicated human
instruments. The Old Testament consisting of thirty-nine
books, contains the world's most perfect set of laws called
the Ten Commandments; the world's most beautiful poetry, the
Psalms; the world's most treasured revelation of God pointing
to the coming of Christ and called by the general name of the
prophets. Although it was first written in Hebrew its message
is for all mankind.
The Old Testament
tells how God promised a Messiah to redeem His people. In the
New Testament we read of how those promises were fulfilled in
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation of God.
Because the four gospels reveal Christ to us, they are
unquestionably the most important books in the Bible, or for
that matter, in all the world. Hebrews 1:1-3 expresses God's
revelation superbly, "God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets
(that is the Old Testament times) hath in these last days
spoken unto us by His Son (the New Testament) whom He hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;
Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image
of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His
power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high." When priests in the Old
Testament times ministered they remained standing. When Christ
ministered the Atonement He sat down on the right hand of God.
His work was completed. He purged our sins by Himself. Sin is
not expiated by what we do or by how we suffer in purgatory,
but by what He has done FOR US. The Bible does not tell of any
intermediate place called purgatory. Christ has purged us from
sin when we trust HIS work, not our works.
Q. What is the
chief purpose of the Bible?
A. The chief
purpose of the Bible is to reveal God to man. To tell what God
has done to save us from sin and evil. Its purpose is to claim
the allegiance of our mind and will. Through the Bible we do
not just learn 'about' God, and 'about' Christ and 'about' the
Bible. But we learn to know God, and Christ and know the
Bible. This is clearly stated in I John 5:13 "These things
have I written unto you that believe on the Son of God; that
ye MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe
on the Name of the Son of God."
Q. How are we to
regard the Bible?
A. God has given
us His holy Word, the Bible, to be spiritual food and
nourishment in our lives. When we read it, or hear it read, we
must listen attentively to hear His voice speaking to our
hearts. It is important to meditate, that is to think, ponder,
reflect and consider what is read to assimilate or digest what
we read or hear. We should read the Bible by disciplined
habit, and it is wise to memorize selected portions of its
most beautiful passages. By repeating these in times of
quietness, fear and sorrow, we are reminding ourselves of His
promises, love and care. When Jesus was tempted by the devil,
He met every onslaught with quotations of the Scriptures. Luke
4:2-13. We need to be well equipped through the Word of God to
meet every situation in life.
Q. What benefits
flow from reading the Bible
A. "All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, (that is teaching) for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy
3:16,17. The influence of the Word is recalled by Paul in 2
Timothy 3:15, "And that from a child thou has known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Timothy's mother and
grandmother were both devout believers. See 2 Timothy 1:5. The
most important thing that parents can do is to instruct their
children in a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible. The old
Hebrews knew the value and importance of being knowledgeable
in the Scriptures as seen in Psalm 78:5-7, "For He established
a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he
commanded our FATHERS, that they should make them known to
their CHILDREN; that the GENERATION TO COME might know them,
even THE CHILDREN WHICH SHOULD BE BORN: who shall arise and
declare them TO THEIR CHILDREN: that they might set their
hopes in God, and not forget the works of God, but to keep His
commandments." Here are five generations listed in unbroken
testimony to continue the faith. This is the way faith came to
you and it is your responsibility to continue to tell it to
others. The greatest mission field in the world is the
children of Christian parents. More converts come from this
source than all other efforts combined. If you are a parent,
your children are a prime missionary field. You should not let
a day pass without reading a portion of the Word, praying God
to enlighten and speak to you, so that you may be wise unto
Salvation, ready to teach others the truth they long to hear.
THE
ORDINANCES OF THE BIBLE
Q.
What is a sacrament?
A. A sacrament is
an act of worship instituted by Christ. It has a deep
spiritual meaning which no one can fully understand. In the
sacraments, God used ordinary things as signs of the inward
working of the Holy Spirit. Mystery should not be confused
with 'magic.' There is no magic in the symbols to change a
man. Likewise the elements used in the Lord's Supper do not
have any magical power to confer spiritual graces and Divine
favors. The benefit of the Sacraments is obedience to Christ's
command coupled with faith in Him, not faith in the elements
or in the act itself.
Q. What is
baptism?
A. Baptism is an
outward symbol of an inward spiritual grace. Peter explains
the benefits of Baptism thus..."God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is
eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto
even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." I Peter
3:20,21. Bible baptism is by immersion entirely into the
water. Thus it symbolizes the death and the resurrection of
Christ. When a person is immersed and raised from the water,
the candidate testifies to his faith in the resurrection. No
other form of baptism, such as sprinkling or pouring
symbolizes this faith. Like- wise the eight souls in the ark
were "saved" be water, but they had to be in the ark first.
Baptism does not precede salvation, nor does it confer
salvation. Just as the eight souls were in the ark first, so
believers must be in Christ, the Saviour, and redeemed by His
blood, then they are candidates for baptism with the "answer
of a good con- science toward God."
The Bible is very
clear on this subject as seen by Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all
things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding
of blood is no remission," (i.e. no remission of sin.) Note it
is not purgatory, not fire nor water, but blood. This argument
is strengthened by reference to Romans 5: 10,1 1. "For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be 'saved'
by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the
ATONEMENT." Thus the atonement and the reconciliation were
accomplished through faith in the death and resurrection of
Christ; and having thereby appropriated these mercies, we have
the answer of a good conscience to God, and are legitimate
candidates for baptism.
This is very
beautifully set forth in Romans 6:4,5, "Therefore we are
buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in 'newness' of life. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be
also in the likeness of His resurrection."
Q. Is it
Scriptural to baptize little children and babies?
A. In Mark 16:16
we read very explicitly, "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
The Bible teaches that baptism is for believers. Children are
under the mercy of God until the age of accountability, that
is, the time when they know the difference between right and
wrong and deliberately choose the wrong. This is stated in
Romans 7:9, "For I was alive' without the law once; but when
the commandment came, sin revived and I died." Paul was
'alive' to God as an infant having no condemnation for
childish wrong doing, and therefore, no need of baptism, but
when the commandment came, that is when he became aware of sin
and transgressed, "sin revived and I died." He was then
outside of God's mercy, and as a sinner, he needed salvation
and baptism. Many churches that do not believe in infant
baptism, do have a ceremony of consecration and dedication. In
these services the parents bring their children forward to
consecrate them to God and to pledge their efforts to bring up
the child "in the fear of the Lord." Christ also said, "Suffer
little children and forbid then not to come unto Me, for of
such is the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14. Jesus blessed
little children, but did not require them to be baptized.
Someone has summed it up correctly by stating, "Without this
work of the Holy Spirit within the soul, without true
repentance and faith, the mere receiving of the outward rite
is an empty form."
Q. What is the
Lord's Supper?
A. The Lord's
Supper is perhaps the most solemn and sacred service in the
Church. It is sometimes called Holy Communion, that is, 'doing
things in common.' Some prefer to call it the Eucharist, the
Greek word meaning Thanksgiving, since Jesus took the bread
and gave thanks, and likewise the cup, giving thanks. The
origin of the Lord's Supper is significant. It was instituted
at the time of the Jewish Passover, commemorating the
deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses. Christ
became our "Passover Lamb" on Calvary and His death brought
deliverance to all souls in bondage of sin who trust in His
Atonement. Salvation does not come from what we do for God.
Isaiah describes this graphically in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are
all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as
filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities,
like the wind have taken us away." It is what Christ has done
for us that saves us. As Isaiah says , "But He was wounded for
'our' transgressions, 'He' was bruised for, our iniquities;
the chastisement of, our peace was upon 'Him' and with 'His'
stripes 'we' are healed." Salvation is God's gift to man.
Man's work is to believe and to accept forgiveness and
henceforth live unto God. Even our righteous works have no
more efficacy than filthy rags. Righteous works are the fruit
of Salvation rather than the means or cause of salvation.
Titus 3:5 says, 'not by works of righteousness' which we have
done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing
of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Q. Who has a right
to eat at the Lord's Table?
A. We gather at
the Lord's Table as a family, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul gives us a word of caution. "But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that
cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body." Before we come to the Lord's Table we should search our
hearts, that we bear no ill will or grudge against a brother.
If we need forgiveness we must forgive others accordingly. It
is wrong to come to the Lord's Table in a state of
condemnation. To eat and drink damnation means condemnation,
but in any event we should not allow any barrier to fellowship
where we honor the Presence of the Lord.
Q. Why do some
churches observe footwashing as an ordinance while the great
majority, just observe baptism and the Lord's Supper?
A. While the great
majority of churches perform the rites of baptism and the
Lord's Supper, by no means do all do it in the same way, or
for the same reasons. Some believe in infant baptism, some in
Triune Baptism, some believe that by baptism they are
regenerated and thus taken into the Church. Some believe
baptism is by sprinkling, some by pouring and others by
immersion. The same holds true with the administering of the
Lord's Supper. Some believe the Lord's Supper is a means of
grace, some believe the bread actually becomes the literal
body of Christ when it is blessed by the officiating priest.
Then the ceremony of the Lord's Supper becomes a sacrifice
instead of a sacrament and it is called the Mass. The Mass, or
sacrifice of the Body of Christ continually…is contradicted by
Hebrews 9:25,26. "Nor yet that He should offer Himself often,
as the High Priest entereth into the holy place every year
with others; for then must He often have suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world
hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."
The fact that different denominations and churches have
different ways of appropriating the ordinances is not
sufficient evidence that they are right.
The account of
Christ washing the disciples feet is only related in John's
gospel. Apparently John only mentioned what was missing in the
other three. But all four gospels give prominence to the
betrayal of Judas. This is evidence that both events took
place at the same gathering. A short time prior to this, Jesus
had been confronted with the mother of James and John
requesting that her two sons would be appointed to sit on the
right hand and the left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom. Jesus
said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise
dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority
over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever
will be great among you, let him be your servant." Read
Matthew 20:20-29.
The following
points should be observed in John 13. Jesus rose from supper,
that is, the supper table. He girded Himself with a towel,
thus assuming the task of the most humble slave. The encounter
with Peter, at first refusing to be washed, and then when
Christ explained the purpose, he wanted an entire bath,
further shows the purpose and limitation of the ceremonial
washing. Then in verse 12 Jesus asked the disciples if they
understood the meaning of His action. They did not. So Jesus
explained further that His action was designed to show both
the magnitude of His stature and the humility of service.
Continuing He said, "Ye ought to wash one another's feet." He
crowned this with a statement that has been the experience of
many who have followed this act, "if ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them."
But there is a
danger to guard against. We can actually become proud in
performing the simple mechanics of foot washing without really
having the spirit of humility and desire to serve. Jesus said,
"I have left you an example, that ye should do as I have done
to you." v. 15. According to "The Pulpit Commentaries," this
little word "as' has two meanings. The one is "like as" and
the other is "that which." We can do "that which" Jesus did,
or we can do "like as" He did. Clark's Commentary may be
helpful. He says, "That is, you should be ready after My
example to condescend to all the weakness of your brethren, to
be willing to do the meanest offices for them, and to prefer
the least of them in honor to yourselves. Christ has ennobled
the acts of humility by practicing them Himself. The true
glory of a Christian consists in being, in his measure, as
humble as his Lord. The service of foot washing was intended
for the suppression of all worldly ambition, and lordly
domineering conduct in the apostles and their successors in
the ministry."
GOD'S KEEPING
POWER
Q.
What is the ground of assurance that God will keep us to end?
A. The best answer is given in Jude 24, "Now unto Him that is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." The
goal, to which we aim is guarded by a two-way monitor. One is
our willingness to obey. The greatest assurance is God's
ability to keep. "Unto Him that is able to keep you from
failing." This is supplemented in 2 Timothy 1: 12, "I know
Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is 'able to
keep' that which I have committed unto Him against that day."
Paul did not say, I know 'what' I believe, but "I know WHOM I
believe." Christianity's strength is not in a doctrine or a
teaching, but in a person.
Q. Is it God's
will that all men shall be saved?
A. In 2 Peter 3:9
we read, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance." We read in 2 Samuel 3:33,34, "And the king
lamented over Abner and said, "Died Abner as a fool dieth. Thy
hands were not bound, nor thy feet put in fetters; as a man
falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou." Abner had killed
a brother of Joab in battle. Joab was his avenger but Abner
fled to Hebron, one of the cities of refuge, where he could be
safe. But Joab went to Hebron and succeeded in enticing Abner
outside the city gate, where he slew him. The king said, "Died
Abner as a fool dieth, His hands were not bound nor his feet
in fetters." He did not need to expose himself to the Avenger.
He could have been safe. Christ is our refuge. Satan is the
Avenger. We do not need to die outside of Christ. We are free
moral agents and can choose Christ and safety. "God is not
willing that any should perish," but if we neglect or reject
our only safety, we die in our sins. It is a foolish and
disastrous choice.
Q. What does the
future hold for those who accept Christ and His redeeming
love?
A. To those who
accept Christ's redeeming love, God gives eternal life, a life
of fellowship with Him and His people, beginning in this world
and completed in the life to come. Eternal life is not only
something we receive after death. We receive it here and now.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name
of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal
life." I John 5:13. The Bible is full of promises about the
blessings of the future for those who are true to Christ in
this life. "For our light affliction which is but for the
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory." 2 Cor. 4:17. Again in Philippians 1:23, "For I am
in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better nevertheless to abide in the
flesh is more needful for you." Peter anticipates the future
with joyful longing, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom,
though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving the end of your
faith, even the salvation of your souls." I Peter 1:8,9. "The
Christian's future is as bright as the promises of God."
Q. What is heaven?
A. When we speak
of heaven, we mean the place where believers go after death.
Jesus has described it in John 14:2,3 as follows: "In my
Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." Jesus
said to the repentant thief dying on the cross, 'Verily I say
unto thee, Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise." Paul said
in I Thess. 4:17 "So shall we ever be with the Lord." In
Revelation 21:4 we read, "And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for
the former things are passed away." The Bible portrays heaven
by comparing it with the best things in this world, but heaven
will exceed our imagination for it will be the fulfillment of
all the goals to which man aspires and God provides.
Q. What does the
future hold for those who reject Christ and His redeeming
love?
A. Those who
reject Christ's redeeming love shut themselves out from the
favor and fellowship of God and His people, a future dark
beyond our power to conceive. "The wages of sin is death."
Romans 6:23. If people refuse to be reconciled to God, they
shut themselves out from faith, fellowship and the mercy of
God. They would not be at home in heaven anyway for they had
never made heaven their choice in life nor the fellowship of
God and the redeemed. That is eternal death. To exclude
oneself from Christ during life can only pave the way to that
permanent separation that is eternal death and hell. All shall
be raised again from the dead. Those, who rejected Christ, as
well as those who accept Him. But for the unrighteous it will
be a resurrection unto Judgment. "So then every one of us
shall give account of himself unto God." Romans
14:12.
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