The Key which Opens the Door of Salvation

I stand amazed at how men respond when confronted about doing right. Some think they have the right to ignore what the Lord said and just rely on His grace to take care of them. Others seek to minimize obedience by saying that devotion to keeping His commandments is legalism and seeking salvation by works. In spite of such efforts to turn attention away from the Biblical emphasis on obeying God, the truth is that God ties our spiritual blessings and our hope of heaven to keeping the commandments.

To enter into life—keep the commandments. Jesus told the young man who asked about salvation, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:14). The Lord tied salvation to obedience. Who has the right to untie it?

To love Jesus—keep the commandments. Hear the Master, “If you love Me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Love is shown by obedience. Now who said that keeping His commandments is seeking salvation by legalistic works?

To abide in Jesus’ love—keep the commandments. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). What if I ignore His commandments?

To know the Lord that we know the Lord—keep His commandments. People sometimes ask, “Do you know the Lord as your personal Savior?” The Bible says, “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). When we think of the salvation of our souls, the most important question of life, we must not look to an inward feeling. The test is whether we are doing what He says! John says that every person who simply says that he knows the Lord and does not obey Him is a liar (1 John 2:4)!

To have prayers answered—keep the commandments. John described the blessing of answered prayers and its relation to obedience. “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments” (1 John 3:22). The word because, used in this verse, joins answering of prayers to listening to the Lord. Before He listens to us, we must listen to Him!

To love God—keep His commandments. “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). Think of how many, when asked, will say that they love the Lord. It is not what they say, it is what they do.

May we never be guilty of minimizing obedience. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9). It is the key that opens the door to our salvation.

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A Dangerous Pitfall for Elders, Deacons, Preachers, and Church Leaders

How could anyone not love the apostle John? Jesus loved him and four times the Bible described this apostle as the one whom Jesus loved (John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). He was so special that Jesus even committed to him the care of His mother!

How could anyone not love John? John uses the word “love” over 100 times in his writings. You cannot read his words without seeing the gentleness of this man. How could anyone not love and respect him?

Add to this the fact that he was an apostle. He was one of the “inner three” who were the only apostles to witness the resurrection of Jairius’ daughter, the transfiguration and who were closest to Him in Gethsemane. Even if there was someone who did not love John, how could anyone not respect him?

As strange as it might seem, there was one man who had no use for this apostle who was so close to the Master. John even wrote a letter to the church where this man was a member and he did all he could to keep it from having any impact on the other members. What kind of heart must one have to not see how great this apostle was?

Look at how John described this man in 3 John 9-10. “I wrote to the church, but, Diotrephes, who loved to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does no receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.”

What kind of man does it take to treat a godly man in such this way? What kind of man does it take to use malicious words to harm the apostle? What kind of man does it take to forbid others to show hospitality and kindness to other faithful brethren? What kind of man does it take to force those whose hearts were filled with kindness to leave the church?

The answer found in one simple phrase—he loves to have the preeminence. Men with such hearts, while seemingly members of the church, are men who use the church as a means to exalt themselves. It is the pitfall of many church leaders. It is seen in preachers, who long to be noticed in the church, to preach at large churches and be used widely. They do not serve the church, they use the church. It is seen in elders who use their position and lord it over the church, and even lord it over the other elders, ignoring their wishes until he gets his way. It is seen in deacons who love the honor of being deacons, but never do the work.

The church is not a place of preeminence. It is a place of service! It must never be used, it must always be served!

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My Friend and His Text Messages

I don’t know what we would do without friends. God created us with a need for them. Each day of God’s creation has the phrase, “God saw that it was good,” in connection with it. However, after God created man, He said, “It is not good that man should be alone.” He created us as social beings and has given us friends.

We need friends. This is one of the reasons for the popularity of mobile phones, as it allows one to be in constant contact with others. Statistics show that in 2008, the average monthly usage of cell phones was for 204 calls and 357 text messages. The monthly average for those ages 13-17 was 231 phone calls and 1,742 text messages. These numbers do not begin to reflect the astronomical increase since that study. Another study shows that each day Americans send 2,500,000,000 text messages!

I have to admit that I am very much involved in that texting world. I need friends in my life like everyone else, but let me tell you about a special friend who has sent me so many text messages which have enabled me to grow to be more like Jesus. I hope you have a friend like I do.

I remember the emotional struggle I had this time last year when my big brother, my hero, died. I remember the empty feeling I had as Judie and I left the hospital having seen Jerry for the last time. That night my friend’s text was there. He always seems to have the perfect words to enable me to keep going. His text lifted my soul and gave me strength to deal with this matter. I needed my friend. I needed his text message. I hope you have a friend like I do.

I remember dealing with other problems. Problems in the family and problems in the church arise and sometimes I feel the burden is so great. I am amazed at my friend. When I am at the lowest points in my life, his text message just changes the way I am looking at life. I hope you have a friend like I do.

My friend is so much part of my life. I talk to him often. Whether on the mountaintops of joy or in the deep valleys of life, my friend is there. I cherish every text message from him. I hope you have a friend like I do.

I have every text message he has ever sent written in a book. It has more than a thousand pages filled with those text messages from Him. When I want to know what to preach, I check that book and right in the text is the answer. When I am asked to give counsel and advice, I check that book and right in the text message is the answer. My friend has sent thousands of texts to supply every need I have.

You have that book—the Bible. Check your text messages from my Friend often!

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God’s Existence in Your Body

When the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, He left behind amazing proof that mankind is not simply the result of a “big bang” billions of years ago. Design demands a designer and our Designer has left in our bodies absolute proof that we are created beings. When the psalmist said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa. 139:14), he was affirming that which is so readily obvious to every man. The complexity of your body shows beyond any doubt that there is a God.

The following facts can be found by anyone who spends the time in research. They can be found immediately by using the search capability of a computer. I have not attempted to verify each of them, but they are found in various places.

The heart is a prime evidence of the existence of God. This muscle beats almost three billion times in the average person’s life and supplies blood for every part of our body. The blood’s “plumbing” system has “pipes” as large as a garden hose (the aorta) and as small as the capillaries, where in some of them the red blood cells must pass through in single file. The six quarts of blood travel through a network which would stretch more than two times around the earth. Remember David’s words, “I am wonderfully made.”  Design demands a Designer!

The nerve system in the body is remarkable. In one square inch of skin, there are four yards of nerve fiber, 600 pain sensors, 1300 nerve cells, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors. Using 43 pairs of nerves (12 which go to and from the brain and 31 going from the spinal cord), messages are sent to the brain at speeds the average automobile cannot attain—some messages traveling at over 200 MPH. There are 45 miles of nerves running through our bodies. Our brains regulate all of this. It is far more complex than the most powerful computer and has over 100,000,000,000 nerve cells. David was right—we are wonderfully made.

Add to this the following facts. We have over 600 muscles. We make over a quart of saliva every day. The surface area of the sacs in the lung is approximately the same size as a tennis court. The liver performs over 500 functions. We lose about 100 hairs per day from our scalps. You breathe 23,000 times a day. Your eyes can distinguish more than eight million shades of color. Your brain can record over 86 million bits of information daily. Your ears can distinguish more than 300,000 different sounds. David was right. We are wonderfully made!

The point is obvious. God designed us. God left undeniable evidence of His existence in every part of our body. How can anyone deny the existence of the great Designer!

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Should We Preach Jesus and Ignore Doctrine?

Sometimes we hear individuals say, “Why should we be so concerned about doctrine? We should just preach Jesus and ignore doctrine. Preaching doctrine creates division, but preaching Jesus will bring unity.” Those who say these things often are motivated to bring about harmony among those who follow Jesus, but we must begin by asking, “What does the Bible teach about the importance of doctrine?” Think about all you would  have to give up if you never preached doctrine.

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about Jesus’ resurrection. When Paul was teaching in the marketplace in Athens he proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. He was taken to the Acropolis where he was questioned by the Greek philosophers. They said, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak” (Acts 17:18-19)?

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about the sermon on the mount. Matthew devoted three chapters to this amazing lesson taught by Jesus. It is filled with moral teachings like the beatitudes, Christian influence as salt and light, loving our neighbors, humility in prayer, the goodness of God in His providence, the Golden Rule, etc. “When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine; for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29). If I cannot preach doctrine, I cannot preach the sermon on the mount!

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about the parables of Jesus. Mark described the preaching of Jesus. “And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine . . .” (Mark 4:2). Jesus spoke more than 30 parables, but I could not use them. I could not tell about the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the pearl of great price, the wise builder, etc. How can I preach about Jesus without using His parables, but they are doctrine!

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never free men from sin. Paul described the salvation of the Romans using these words, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18). If the heartfelt obedience to doctrine brought freedom from sin, how can anyone, who loves the lost, minimize the preaching of doctrine?

Take time to use your concordance to read all the Bible says about doctrine. Do this with a sincere heart and you will never again speak of separating Jesus from doctrine. Take time to study the Bible, it’s not that hard to understand!

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