What Does The Bible Say?
30 Minute Discussions Of Bible Subjects
What Does The Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say About Why Am I A Member of the Church of Christ #18?
Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue to discuss what Peter said about how important God's word is, noting that within it is contained all things that pertain to life and godliness. We look at Second Peter chapter two verses 2 through 11, noting how many times knowledge is mentioned, and the actions Peter says that if a Christian does, he will never fall. Paul told Timothy that the scriptures are profitable for doctrine and a number of other things that the man of God may be complete. Consequently, we talk about the need for new Christians to study their Bibles and grow in knowledge so they will not stumble and fall, which many denominations teach it is impossible for a Christian to do. We discuss what Paul said to the Christians in Corinth about being vigilant so that they wouldn't fall. We note that Paul used an illustration of one running in a race and the preparation needed and the requirement to follow the rules in order to win the crown. We discuss the race and the crown the Christian seeks and how this relates to Paul's illustration. We find that the Hebrew writer uses the Israelites in the wilderness as examples of those who failed to trust and obey God and the consequences of that. The Hebrew writer then shows that some Christians do the same thing not trusting and obeying God and depart from Him. We talk about how important it is for members of the local church to help one another, encourage one another to live faithfully and how this is lacking in some churches. The Hebrew writer has some very specific words about Christians who fall away and what this means. Later on, the Hebrew writer discusses willful sin and the fact that this leads to one falling away. We have a good discussion about this. Paul writes to the Galatian Christians about them considering returning to the law of Moses and the problem with them doing so. We discuss this and note that numerous denominations today continue some of the practices found in the law of Moses which has been done away. We begin looking at what Peter said about Christians becoming entangled again in the pollutions of the world that they had escaped. However, we ran out of time before finishing it. We will begin that discussion in the next episode. 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.
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 fuive 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@i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is what does the Bible say? Brought to you by the Church of Christ at Woodland in Sumter, South Carolina. I'm Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell and and Glenn is is with us. We don't have Eric with us today, but hopefully he'll be back there. He had had some other problem that he had to deal with there. But we've, we've been talking about a number of topics that we want to continue on, with regard to why we are Christians. And I think I'll just hand you to to Glenn and ask him to take it from there.
Glenn:Arnie mentioned that we're talking about reasons why we are Christians. More specifically, we're talking about why we are members of the Church of Christ, which are is basically the same, same statement, but just in in different terms. But what we're talking about now are some some errors in in teaching, some doctrinal issues that that some denominations teach, that the scriptures don't support. And what we ended up with last last week, and we're talking about this, this idea of being saved by grace, and that those who teach that would teach that, that I a Christian, cannot fall from grace or lose their salvation after they have become a Christian. We believe the Bible teaches that that's that's not true. We believe that the Bible teaches that that a Christian can fall from grace or lose their salvation after they have come to to the knowledge. We read Second Peter one, two through 11 last week, and I'm going to read it again. That's where we ended up. And it reads Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, our Lord, as his divine power, has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by a glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. That through those these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence add to your faith, virtue and to virtue, knowledge, to knowledge control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is short sighted even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old from these things, is shortsighted even to blindness, has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, Christ. Particularly the last part of that applies especially to what we're talking about. This passage talks about the importance of God's word, that it is able to give us all things that we need to put that pertain to life and godliness. Notice the number of times it mentions knowledge. We have mentioned in the passage Second Timothy two or Second Timothy 3, 16, and 17, that God, as God's word is good for doctrine, for reproof, for correction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect. We need to be diligent in studying God's Word in order to rightly divide it. That's in Second Timothy 2, 15, and that enables us to use His word correctly. There is a growth process in becoming an effective Christian. We do not know everything as soon as we are baptized. At that point, we know that Jesus, Christ is the Son of God, and that He gave His life for us by shedding His blood and being crucified on the cross, then being buried, raised from the dead to live again, then ascending into heaven, and he now sits on the right hand of God, alive, ruling the king as the king of his kingdom, the church. Beyond that, we may not know a whole lot about what He has commanded, but it is our responsibility to learn. That passage we read a few a few minutes ago in Second Peter, shows that growth is expected, so that we can make our call and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For so the entrance will be supplied to you abundantly in everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That says a lot. We are to grow in those areas mentioned so that we can be sure that our salvation is sure. It is by our salvation and our growth that we make it sure or positive that we are saved and that we continue in Christ's Kingdom, the Church. Peter also mentions that we need to grow in these areas so we never stumble. What happens when you stumble? You often fall. If there were no chance of a stumbling, why did Peter, Peter mention that? Tie this with what we read in James 2, 14, through 26 not long ago, about faith and works. Remember that James said we are saved by works and not by faith only. That's James, 2, 24. There are things we must do, both to initially enter the saved condition and to remain in it. We mentioned the idea of growing in the areas mentioned, and for most people, they are helped along by the upbringing they they had as children. We can't absolutely, absolutely say everyone receives a solid foundation in moral upbringing. Most parents or guardians of children teach them the basics of right and wrong, which are common to most, most societies. Therefore, most all of us have a base knowledge of what is right and wrong before we start learning of God's plans and teachings. Actually, those moral standards that are common originate with God. This passage we read in Second Peter goes deeper into learning God's will, and we should, should and must develop in those areas so that we can make our calling and election sure, that's to confirm and continually affirm the nature of our salvation, and that we never stumble and fall from that position that we possess. Peter through the Holy Spirit would never have mentioned these things if they were not so. You got to, gotta remember we talked about looking at the Scriptures and who was it was being spoken to and and the context in which is being spoken. This passage in Second Peter, Peter is speaking to Christians, people who had already obeyed the gospel and had entered that saved condition.
Fred Gosnell:Well, Paul talks about this problem as well when he wrote to the Corinthians in First Corinthians 10, 12, and 13. Notice what he says. He says, Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you, except such as common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able, but with the temptation, will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. So. So Paul, first of all, he says him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. Of course, that's the problems a lot of us have. You know, we think we're doing pretty good. Think we're standing for the Lord. We're faithful to Him. But then, if we're not paying enough attention to what the Bible says, Remember, it says that we've been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. Everything we need is in God's written word. If we don't participate and study it and apply it in our lives, we can have problems. So So Paul, he's speaking to the Corinthians, and again, these are members of the Church. These are Christians. And he mentions that they Christians need to be careful, need to be aware, be vigilant, so that they don't fall. So one might say, well, this doesn't say anything about losing salvation. But the implication is there, the Corinthians and we, us need to be on our guard to NOT SIN and fall. Of course, he talks about the next verse, verse 13. He says, let us know that he's talking about sin. He mentions that God will not let us be tempted beyond our capability to withstand it. So how did Christ stand against Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness? Of course, each time, three times there, Satan tempted him. And what Jesus did, he used a passage of scripture that related to the temptation that Satan was trying to get him to follow. So that's the same way that we can resist temptation, the temptations of Satan as well. So we remember that God's given us instructions we need to take heed to those instructions over the temptations of Satan. So it doesn't say that we will not be tempted. Matter of fact, we will be and but if we use God's word to strengthen us and remind us of what is right, we can resist it, but not resisting results in falling. Not knowing God's word will hinder us from using it to resist. Remember what we showed showed as a result of sin. It's separation from God. First, Corinthians, 9, 27, Paul makes a statement there about disciplining his body, But I discipline my body and bring it into sunjection, lest when I have preached others I myself should become disqualified. So what do you think Paul meant when he said, I myself should become disqualified? I believe we mentioned this verse and mentioned a larger passage before, First Corinthians 9, 24, to 27. Paul says, Do you not know that those who run in a race run all but one receives the prize, Run in such a way that you may obtain it, and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it use of subjection, lest what I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified. So Arnie why don't you take that run with it.
Arnie:Well, you know, I notice from that, from that passage, Fred, that Paul begins by talking about his life as a Christian compared to an athletic event, a race where where a runner would be running trying to be the first to get to the finish line. He mentions competition for the prize and being temperate in all things. And an athlete not only trains his body or her body in the actions required for the event, but he or she must control their diet, their mindset, their frame of mind and their preparation for the event in order to be successful. There are quite, quite a number of aspects of this that are important if you're if you're trying to become a winning athlete. And the same is true if you're trying to become a faithful Christian. If the athletes do not take care of all these things, they're not going to be successful. They will not receive the crown. Back in Paul's day, winners of athletic events were crowned with a crown. Usually it was made of woven leaves and vines and and things of that sort, not something that would last for years and years for them to put in their in their cabinet and show everybody, but something that would deteriorate sooner or later. For us Christians, the crown is salvation. And when we look at Revelation, chapter two and verse 10, that becomes, that becomes clear because it mentions the crown of life. So we're not going to get one of these green crowns, made out of out of vines and things of that sort. We're looking for something that's that's permanent throughout and throughout eternity with with the Lord. Paul said that he does not do all these things in prep, preparation. And he'll be disqualified and and one disqualified from an athletic event has any medals or crowns or anything that that represents achieving the goal removed. There was an interesting case in in American athletic activity. In 1912 Jim Thorpe completed competed in the Olympics in Sweden, and he won the decathlon and the pentathlon, and the King of Sweden declared him to be the greatest athlete, athlete in the world. Shortly after the Olympics had ended, the athletic or the Olympic Committee learned that Thorpe had played minor league baseball for room and board during one of the summers between his college semesters. That disqualified him from completing in the Olympics because he had played professionally, ruining his amateur status. This is a good example for us, possibly becoming disqualified for the crown of of life, we we hope that we'll receive after judgment. How much does it take to disqualify? Well, that's a good question, if, if we think that we can, can answer that. What is sin? What's the result of sin? Sin is lawlessness, and it separates us from God. You think we can be in good relationship with God when we have been separated, when his face is hidden from us, when he doesn't listen to us? So we ask the question, Is Paul saying that not preparing and not following the commands results in our being disqualified? We believe he is. Paul is saying that that he must discipline his body and his mind to do the things God requires of him, and we're subject to the same thing.
Glenn:Now we're going to look at Hebrews three, seven through 13, and it reads, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion, In the day of trial, in the wilderness where your fathers tested me, tried me and saw my works 40 years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my way. So I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. Beware brethren, lest there be any of you of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it's called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, That last phrase, or from a couple of sentences that we read there is, is very important. And the whole passage that that we read is very important. It, it indicates that that we, we Christians, can, can fall just like those in Israel. The Israelites, while they were in the in the wilderness, they they continued to go against God, and He said, They shall not enter my rest. The first five verses of this passage is a quote from Psalms 95 seven through 11. And we we include it because it is an example the Holy Spirit gave in leading into what he had to say in verse 12. Verse 13 is the remedy for the the situation or the method to prevent the hardening of the heart through sin. The example the writer gave was from Psalms, but it was speaking of when Israel was in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan, the situation was that the Israelites had left Egypt as free people being led by God in a pillar of cloud. During the day, in a pillar of fire. At night, God was taking care of them completely. Yet every time something went wrong or a challenge came their way, they hardened their hearts and rebelled against God. The Israelites were safe with God taking care of them, and they were were his people. All they had to do was continue in the relationship of, with God, to continue to trust Him and to obey Him. They failed to do that. Therefore God said I was angry with that generation, and said they always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Now read the last two verses again, the Holy Spirit gave the the word through the writer of Hebrews is saying the same thing happens to Christians when they fall fail to trust and obey God. They had been in the covenant relationship with God, just like the Israelites had been, but they failed to do their part, trust and obey. The last verse in this passage we read is very important to us. In the church, we are to exhort, build up each other and each and every day, to keep each other from hardening our hearts through sin. In the church we have been placed, we need to be helping each other navigate our paths. When one is having difficulties the other in the church need to pick them up and help them make it through. This is this is probably one of the weaknesses of most congregations of the Lord. They fail to know enough about the other brethren and and be involved in their lives to even know when they are having problems, health, business, family and or sin. We clearly see that God is saddened when his people turn, turn away from Him. But it is possible for that to happen. It is not God who must turn, but the ones whose heart was hardened and left. When we sin, we depart from God and cause that separation. And it is a falling away from God, a falling away from his grace. The Grace is still there, but the individual must make the turn to come back.
Fred Gosnell:Well, we're going to move on to Hebrews six, four through six. That's the next section we'll look at. Now notice what the writer of Hebrews said there. He said, For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame. So this may be one of the most direct passages about the subject, because it actually spells out the condition. It says it is talking about those who have already been, quote, enlightened and became partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, unquote. So there should be no doubt at all. This is referring to those who have obeyed the gospel and have become born again Christians, as they're referred to so they put on Christ as their Savior, and experience the life of a Christian. They understood what the future had in store for them as Christians a heavenly home. The passage clearly states that they could fall away from the condition of relationship they had with God. Arnie why don't to take that. I'm having a little voice problem here.
Arnie:Okay, well, you know that that passage Hebrews chapter six has, there's another passage that's similar to that, and that's Hebrews chapter 10 and and in verse 26 we'll start there, and we'll, we'll read about four verses down to verse 29 I think, For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment, worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God under foot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? Once again, it's clear the writer is saying that those who have been in a covenant relationship with Christ and and God and received the knowledge of the truth can fall away and enter a condition in which they're lost again. They've been outside of God's grace, learned the. Gospel, they obeyed it. They entered a saved covenant relationship with God, then turned away after this. The writer, again, gives an example of those under the law of Moses, and goes on to say that it'd be worse for Christians who have left the faith, they are trampling the Son of God under foot and treating that the blood of Christ that was shed for them as a common thing. Blood of Christ is much more than something common. It's the most important thing in relation to our salvation. It was the blood of Christ that that Christ shed, that cleanses us of our sin. Yes, a Christian or a child can fall from grace.
Glenn:The next passage we'll look at is Galatians, five, one through four. It says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed, I Paul, say to you that you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again that every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law, have become estranged, have become estranged from Christ. You who attempt to be justified by the law, you have fallen from grace. For we, through the Spirit, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ, Jesus neither circumcision nor or uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. Paul starts this by saying, stand fast in the liberty which Christ has made us free. He is referring to the situation of a Christian, since that is who is love the letter is two. By saying, stand fast, there is the implication that there is something that may blow us over, knock us off of our stand. He identifies what that stand is, being a Christian, he says that this person can become entangled in the yoke of bondage, again, a debtor to the law of Moses, which identifies that the person had been there before they had obeyed the gospel and were baptized. Paul is speaking to both Gentiles and to Jews who had become Christians. He uses the practice of circumcision to explain the concept he is presenting. The Jews were required to circumcise babies on the eighth day after birth, and that placed them in a covenant relationship with God. Many Jews had become Christians after the gospel of Christ was preached, wanted to continue the practice of circumcision as a requirement for salvation. Paul tells them that circumcision in the gospel of Christ is not required. He says that even if a person is circumcised after becoming a Christian, it profits them nothing. He even mentions that if a person is circumcised, believing it to be a requirement, is a debtor to the law. That's the law of Moses, and it no longer exists. This should cause us to think about some, some of the other things that were practiced under the Law of Moses, but have been carried forward into the law or the age of Christ, such as tithing instruments of music in the whole in worship, elaborate clothing for priests, burning of incense, lighting candles, considering the church a holy, the church building holy, needing a priest to go through, to speak to God, sacrificing animals or the use of holy water. Many people who call themselves Christians still hold on to some or all of these practices that were only in effect during the law of Moses. We need only to do the things which we find in the New Testament, in our service to God, our worship and our daily living. To summarize this, it was a possible for Christians to become entangled in the yoke of bondage things associated with or things not associated with the gospel or fall from grace, and Christians need to take a stand against falling prey to those ideas.
Fred Gosnell:Well, Peter addresses being entangled in Second Peter 2, 20, through 22 and we're not going to be able to get to all of this in the amount of time, but we'll read the passage. Peter says, For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. It would have been better for them had they not known the way of righteousness than having noted to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true pot, true proverb, The dog returns to his own vomit and a sow having washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Of course, Peter gives us a picturesque look at this by mentioning the dog, and everybody has that picture in their mind and how bad that is, and the sow that was washed and returning to the mud hole. So he uses that to show how bad it is for the Christian to then be become entangled in the things of the world again once they obey the gospel. So we're going to continue this next week talking about what Peter had said about those becoming entangled. So grateful for you listening to us today. Praying you would be with us next week. Same time, same station.