What Does the Bible Say About Why Am I A Member of the Church of Christ #13?

In this episode, we continue our discussion about the old law, the law of Moses where the Hebrew writer said it was a shadow of good things to come but not the real thing which is the law of Christ. We talk about a number of things relating to His law and how that pertains to us today. We note that the word of God was preached throughout the whole world and continues to be available to all people today. We discuss the fact that the credibility of the word of God is established by the facts contained in it that cannot be refuted. We look at the New Testament and note that it contains a history of Christ's time on the earth, the history of the early church and the instructions on how Christians should live, worship and serve God. We discuss some of the specific books and what they contain. We talk about how important it is to read, study and do what the New Testament scriptures say to us. The Lord expects us to become teachers of the scriptures as the Hebrew writer specifically directs. We continue discussing the law of Christ and its universal application to all people. We talk about what it says concerning the pattern and truth it contains, and the fact that it is our guide to heaven. We complete this episode by referring to two scriptures that tell us how important God's word is. We will begin the next episode with those two passages. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.

Transcript

Fred Gosnell: 0:00

This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com..

Arnie: 0:42

Good evening. This is what does the Bible say? This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell and Glenn Landrum. Eric couldn't be with us today, but hopefully he'll be back next week. And what we want to do is consider some Bible passages, talk about some things that the Bible says that might surprise you, things that you might never have have heard before. We try to give you a pretty thorough bit of information from from God's Word. So we hope that you'll stay with us. We hope that you'll be with us in future, future days when we're when we're trying to study with you things from God's Word. Woodland church of Christ meets about two miles east of the Shaw Air Force Base main gate. So we hope, if you're at Shaw, or if you're just visiting in there or in Sumter, that you'll stop by and worship with us and study with us. And if you have questions, we should sure be delighted to try to answer those for you. Glenn, where do we want to pick up today?

Glenn: 2:01

Well, we've more recently, been talking about the different divisions of the of the Bible, the the those periods of time and the the laws that that were associated with them and who they applied to. And we read a very important passage at the end of our last session, and that was Hebrews 10, one through 10. And I'm just going to mention a few of the things that are that are in that that are that are important to take a look at. One, It started off by saying that the the old law, that would be the law of Moses, that law that applied to the Jews was, it was a shadow of good things to come, and it was not the very image, or it was not the very law that would apply to to God's God's people in the end. It also said that those who were a part of it, they had they couldn't be made perfect. They couldn't be have their sins forgiven. They offered sacrifices, year by year and every year as a reminder of the sins that they they had committed in in the past. It was not possible. It tells for the blood of bulls and goats, that's the sacrifices that they were offered. It wasn't possible for those sacrifices to take away their sins. Therefore, there needed to be a sacrifice that would come, that would be sufficient to take away the sins of everybody, and that would be Christ that came, that offered himself to to take away our sins. So the passage that I just mentioned, it started out, mentioned the law of Moses, saying that it was a shadow of good things to come. It was something similar, but not the actual thing. The old law was sacrifices each and every year, could not forgive people of their sins. Remember, the law identified sin. If the old law would have been able to forgive sin, there would not have been a need for a new law, and that would be the law of Christ. If the old law had been able to forgive or remove sin, there would have been no need for the new law to come in, there would have been no need for Christ to come. Under Christ's law, there is no need to remind people each year of their sin. That is what happened under the old law. The high priest went into the most holy place of the tabernacle or the temple, and they offered sacrifices of animals for for the forgiveness of the sin of Israel's people. Once Christ died upon the cross, all sin would be forgiven of those who believed, confessed and repented and were baptized. Acts 17, 30 and 31 says truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked. Now that's talking about those, those times in the past, the times of ignorance God overlooked. But now, that's during this time of Christ's law, now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has adorned ordained, he has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

Fred Gosnell: 5:51

So so there was a time when when God overlooked some of the ignorance of people, and but now he no longer overlooks man's ignorance. Now, as the passage says, he's commanded all people everywhere to repent. Of course, just turn away from their sins and then, of course, obey the gospel. So God's word has been taken to the entire world. Of course, we're told that in several places, Romans, 10, 18, First, Thessalonians, one, eight, both make the statements that God's word has gone out to all the world. Romans, 10, 18, says, But I say, have they not heard? Yes, indeed, their sound has has gone to all the earth. And their words to the ends of the world. And then, First, Thessalonians one eight is, For from you. And of course, Paul's addressing this letter to the Thessalonians, the church there at Thessalonica, For from you the Word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything. So that local church at Thessalonica had preached the Word. It had gone everywhere. So God has made sure that His word is available. It has been preached throughout the world, of course, that was in the first century. It's even continued to go even to our day. So so even without that, of course, Romans 1. 20 explains that no one has an excuse anyway, for not believing that God is the Creator, that He is the eternal power and Godhead. And Paul wrote that in Romans one verse 20, he says, For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they're without excuse. So all we have to do is look out and look at the creation. Look at all the physical created things and and there's no excuse. God created those things. Of course, there's a lot of people that deny that, but that's simply the truth. So God's done His job and made sure that His word is available to us. Therefore it is our responsibility to recognize and learn what God has given to us. There's more evidence, of course, for God, for Christ, having lived, been crucified, dying, buried and resurrected, than any other event in history. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone, including the Israelites who worshiped under the old law, to not believe in Christ. No other document has as much credible verification that it is true than the Bible or the scriptures of God. Neither the Jews, who were descendants of Abraham, those who worshiped under the old law, nor people of today who may be of beliefs opposing Christ's law, have an excuse for not believing in Jesus Christ and His Word. So in the Old Testament, there are over 300 Old Testament, prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ. So you have any idea what kind of odds are that of that happening, even for just a few prophecies to be fulfilled, is amazing, no less, not, not less, over 300 so. And besides the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus was witnessed by well over 500 people at the same time, so there's no excuse for people to not believe what the Bible has to say and about Christ and the new law.

Arnie: 9:10

Well, Fred, let's, let's shift to the New Testament. Since we we've kind of introduced the the old. Christ's word, of course, includes the four gospels as well as the book of Acts, the letters written and preserved in the New Testament, and the book of prophecy. And of course, that that book is the book of of Revelation. These are the books that we're obliged to read, to study, to learn, to believe in order to learn of salvation, to serve and worship and to be a member of Christ's body, which is, of course, as we've said before, the Church. The New Testament is the history of Christ's time on Earth, the history of the the early church, and the instructions on how Christians should live, how they should worship, how they should serve, with within God. And we've mentioned that the the Gospels are the history of Christ's time on earth, from his birth to his death, including his burial and, of course, his resurrection. In those books, Jesus teaches many lessons that teach us how to be people who are pleasing to God in our character and lives. We learn principles of living for God in these books, as well as learning the things God requires of us in order to be saved. We learn both positive lessons and we learn negative ones as well. Jesus teaches much in what are called parables, which are stories or anecdotes that illustrate the lessons Jesus was telling about that he was teaching. The Book of Acts we've mentioned gives the history of the New Testament Church from the day that it was begun, through the journeys that Paul made to various locations, teaching and preaching God's word. Paul made three journeys throughout the world, teaching and preaching, establishing local churches, giving instruction to those churches concerning their service. And then the book of Hebrews was was written. Most scholars believe that Paul was the one who, who wrote that. Others believe that there might it might have been John, or maybe somebody, somebody else, but we'll stick with Paul for the time being here. It was written to Jewish Christians who kept wanting to revert to the old law for the conduct of of worship and as well as work of the church, James wrote a book he directed. He was directed by the Holy Spirit, and that book is instrumental in understanding that our faith is more than just belief. Faith is action and must be demonstrated by the life we lead and the things we do. Two of the the great statements we find in James. One of them is in James, chapter one and verse 22, But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only. It's good to hear, but also it's just, not just for entertainment, it's it's for instruction in what we need to be doing. And the second one is in James, chapter two and verse 24 where James said, You see, then how that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. I hope that you'll catch that, that that we just read that from from the Bible, from Acts, from James, chapter two, verse 24, Man is justified by works and not by faith only. So if somebody tells you that all you need to do is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, they've misled you, and you need to call them on that. Let them, let them know what what James had to say about it, because they're they're mistaken in that regard. The letters by Peter and John and Jude are important letters that teach many truths about God's word and the the love of God. Of course, Revelation is a book of prophecy, but it's not so much the prophecy that most people claim that it is. That the beginning of Revelation in chapter one, of course, begins with verse one, John tells us that he's writing to servants of God about things which will shortly come to pass. Remember that statement as well, if you will, please. Most people in denominations believe and teach that the things written in Revelation relate to a time in the future about a great war that's to come with Christ returning to Earth to reign for a 1000 years in Jerusalem on the throne of David. None of that fits the narrative of the book of Revelation. Read it carefully and. Uh, try not to read your own opinions that you might have already formed into the things that John has written for us there in in that book, and you'll find that it's very informative and and useful, useful to you. Revelation, of course, relates to time in the future when a great war that is to to come with with Christ returning to Earth to reign for 1000 years in Jerusalem on the throne of David, is is a mistake. It's just not true at all. None of that fits the narrative of of the book of Revelation. Once again, John was writing about things which would shortly come to pass. We're 2000 years away from from shortly come to pass, I think. And most of the book points to the destruction of Jerusalem as being that time, time which occurred in AD 70,. Then the very end of Revelation, does deal with the Heavenly Jerusalem, which is referred to, which is referring to heaven.

Glenn: 16:15

We in the churches of Christ, we learn of the teachings of God, of Christ, of the men who were guided by the Holy Spirit in writing the books of the Bible. See again, we've read this many times, second, Timothy, 3, 16, and 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Now we've read that a number of times in the past, and we'll probably read it a few more times before we're in the end with this study, because it is so important, and if we pay attention to it, it's letting us know that that God's Word, the Bible, was given by him, specifically, that he breathed these words, and that it basically gives us everything we need to equip us for living for Him. By reading and studying God's Word, the scriptures, we can learn all that we need to know, and we'll be able to perfectly, be perfectly equipped for everything God wants us to do, that includes his doctrine, which is law, reproving or correcting others, to learn the things we need to know, to live the lives that God wants us to live that would be righteous lives. The scriptures are indeed inspired of God, which literally means that they were God breathed. They came directly from God. We learn many great principles of life throughout the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. We learn of the nature of God and how he deals with people, primarily through the Old Testament, and we learn the rights and wrongs throughout God's word. When reading and studying God's Word, we need to ask the questions, when, where and to whom is the message being given? Now that's every time we're reading, and each chapter that we're reading and in each book that we're reading, we need to ask those those questions. What, what is it primarily about? How does it compare or relate to other passages? Does it add to any other truth being taught and how? How does it compare to other similar passages. We want to know the who, what, when, where, how, of each passage. One of the big mistakes many people make is is that they do not examine scripture in a contextual concept. We have to know the situation of each passage, who it was written to and who does it apply to? These things all make a huge difference in how we read the Bible. We know that sounds like a lot, but the more you read and study, most of these things will come naturally. As you read, you will see the context and be able to answer the question, Does this apply directly to me, to others in the church? When reading a passage, if you do not know the when, where and who of the passage, go back to the beginning of the paragraph, then to the beginning of the chapter, then to the beginning of the book. Always ask the question, how does this passage relate to me, or who is this passage speaking to?

Fred Gosnell: 19:50

So as members of the Church of Christ, we are very aware of these things, and we do our very best to always rightly divide the Word of God. We always try to see who the word is speaking to and what its application is to us and to the church. We don't try to go outside the Bible itself for explanations. We do look to tools such as concordances, Bible dictionaries, Bible maps, etc, to help us in our study. So we may use commentaries by men, but when we do so, we are skeptical of those, since they are someone else's opinion. Of course, these people are not inspired, so they're no better than than anybody else. So we always try to learn for ourselves, just like the Bereans did in Acts 17, verse 11. So this process probably sounds like a lot of work to you, and it is, in order to learn for ourselves, we have to study God's Word. Study requires time and effort and some digging. So second, Timothy four, one through five, Paul writes to Timothy. He says, I charge you. It's a charge, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living in the dead at his appearing and His Kingdom, preach the Word, be ready in season, out of season, convince rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up to themselves teachers. They will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables, but you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. So so the charge was to preach the word, of course, the reason is that we will be judged by these words. Jesus said that the words that he has spoken, the same will judge us in the last day. So focus primarily on the third and the fourth verse above there about those who would turn away from the truth and only want to hear the things that would tickle their ears, things that they like to hear. So there's a great tendency for people, even Christians, sometimes, to want to hear the positive things and the things that are not hard to understand. So we need to always challenge ourselves to learn more deeply the Word of God. So check out what the Hebrew writer says. Hebrews 5, 12, through 14 says, Therefore, though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who takes only a milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe, But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So the writer of Hebrews, through the Holy Spirit said that those Christians he was writing to had been Christians long enough that they should be able to teach others, but they were not. They still needed to be fed or taught the basic principles, of course, the milk of the word and not solid food. So as members of Christ's church, we should be growing and learning and becoming better equipped to serve God and teach others. We all realize that we Christians are as First Peter two nine says, he says, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Of course, that passage identifies them. Each of us has very important things that we do. So the tendency a lot of people have sometimes they go to church and they sit in the pew and then they listen to what the preacher says, then they go home and they check that square, and everything's fine. They don't study on their own. So we are a priesthood. We're the ones who teach and preach God's word. We don't have to rely upon others to be able to teach God's word. Each of us has a responsibility to do so ourselves. So in order to do that, we have to study and learn and set ourselves to going about God's word work.

Arnie: 23:59

Let's take a couple of minutes to think about where we've been and the direction that we're that we're heading here in the things that we're looking at. We've now set forth that the Bible has different divisions, other than just the Old Testament and the New Testament. We mentioned the Patriarchal age that applied to people before God gave the law to the Israelites, what we refer to usually as as the law of of Moses. God gave it to him on Mount Sinai while the Israelites were on their way to Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abraham. There is some evidence that this age continued to be in effect for the Gentiles after the law was given to Moses. We saw very clearly that the law of Moses was not perfect and that it couldn't forgive sins through the sacrifice of animals. The Israelites remembered their sins each year when the high priest went into the Holy of of holies to offer sacrifice for the people's sins. But those sins were not forgiven in those animal sacrifices. They would be forgiven much later, much later, by the the blood of Jesus, blood of Christ. The purpose of that law was to identify sin and to bring the Israelites to Jesus Christ. After Jesus Christ came and died, offering Himself as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice, not the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer. We're talking now about Jesus death as as the sacrifice for our sins. His Testament came into effect. Thereby the the age of Christ's law began, and once the law of Christ came into effect, all people everywhere became subject to it. Second Peter, chapter three, verse nine, tells us the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness, but is long suffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that we should come to repentance. God wants everyone to listen, to obey and to come to repentance, not just the Jews, not just the Gentiles of the New Testament times, but all people, every generation, every time span and and everywhere. And you remember that we've quoted John 14 and verse six several times. Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life No one comes to the Father except through me, not through animal sacrifices, through Christ, and only through him. And then John, chapter three, and beginning in verse 16, we'll add 17 to that as well. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Glenn: 27:40

Jesus is simply saying that everything concerning doctrine, advice and law go through him. He gives the pattern, the rules, the truth about how to get to heaven. If anything we read or hear disagrees with what Jesus has said, or his apostles or the other writers in the New Testament, we know that that's wrong. Only the words contained in the New Testament can give us the way to be saved, how to become a member of his church, and what we need to do to get to heaven. If anyone tells you something different than what is in the New Testament is a lie. The second passage in John 3, 16, and 17 that we just read is well known, and it tells that God sent His Son to die for everyone who would believe. Note that he said, through him, the world might be saved. Now let's look at Galatians, one, eight and nine. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you, then what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now say I again, If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. We see in this passage how important the word that had been presented to Galatia was. It was so important that God warned that even if someone as important as an angel were to come to them with a different gospel, that angel, or anyone else, should be condemned or accursed. So we can apply this today to the Bible entirely. The letter to the Galatians was an example and a and a portion of the entire Bible. We need to maintain this principle, especially knowing that other passages we have cited about not adding to God's Word or taking from it. What does that mean? A good example is when Satan changed one word in the Garden of Eden when speaking to Eve about the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Instead of what God had told Adam and Eve about the tree, he said, You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Satan told Eve You will not surely die. That's in Galatians, or Genesis three, three and four. This is a simple but relative example. We are not to even change a little bit of God's word. Why? Because it makes a difference in the meaning of what God said. We have looked at the following two scriptures before, but they are vitally important to us respecting God's word. And we'll we'll stop at that point. And these two passages are the one we just read, the ones we just read a little while ago, or at least one of them is and we haven't read the other one. Those are Second Timothy 3, 16, and 17 and second. Peter, one, two through four. Those are very important passages for they let us know that scriptures are all we need.