____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 4, 2009 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Sanctify the Lord God in Your Hearts (Bill Moseley) 2) The Christian's Creed (Rufus R. Clifford) 3) We Must Be Careful (Lewis Willis) ____________________________________________________ -1- Sanctify the Lord God in Your Hearts by Bill Moseley Peter said, "but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Pet. 3:15). This verse is usually used to show that we should know why we are Christians, and to tell others the reason why, and to be able to reply to their inquiries to this effect. This is well and good, but many times we completely overlook the import of the first part of the verse. We are commanded to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." In order to do this, we need to find out something about the heart as Peter uses the term, and know what it is and what it does. First of all, the "heart" here is the mind; the intellect of man. The mind of man thinks and reasons. Jesus asked, "wherefore think ye evil in your hearts" (Matt. 9:4). In the long ago God said that "the thoughts of man's heart were evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Again, the Lord asked his disciples, "why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts" (Lk. 24:38). So we see that with the heart man thinks. The heart is also the center of desires. "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved" ( Rom. 10:1). This is what Paul desired for Israel. How did he desire it? In his heart! The Psalmist said, "delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart" (Psa. 37:4). That which is evil as well as good originates and proceeds from the heart, or mind. This is evidenced again by the Psalmist. " ... which imagine mischiefs in their hearts" (Psa. 140:1-2). That which is evil as well as good originates and proceeds from the heart, or mind. Jesus taught that man's deeds, good or bad, come forth from the heart (Matt. 12:34-35; Mk. 7:20-23). The heart is also a workshop of spiritual activity. When the heart is not willing, man does not produce for God. Moses said, "whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring his offering ..." (Exo. 35:5). In this same chapter (vv. 21, 26, 29) we see people working for the Lord because their hearts were "stirred up." They were active. Solomon said to "keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Pro. 4:23). So we will do what our heart determines. When you see one busily engaged in God's work, you can usually be assured that "his heart is in it." The heart is the seat of courage. We read of people who lost courage, and it is said that their "hearts melted" (Josh. 5:1). Do we lose heart when called upon to face the enemies of God? David said to Saul, king and commander of Israel's armies, "let no man's heart fail because of him (Goliath)" (1 Sam. 17:32). Before this terrible enemy the soldiers of Saul's army lacked "heart," or courage. But David's heart did not fail, and the result was that he defeated the Philistine giant and routed their army. As God's people today, we need to continually take "new heart" and go forth and meet all the enemies of truth. That is the only way that victory may be assured. Finally, the condition of the heart determines the life a person may live (Pro. 14:30). We will do what the heart commands us to do. We see from these passages some things the heart does, and what it is. But what of the command to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"? "Sanctify" is to hallow, separate from things profane and dedicate to God; to consecrate, set apart for God, to be as it were exclusively his (Thayer). Have we done this with God in our hearts? Since we have seen that the heart thinks, reasons and is the seat of desires and passions, to "sanctify God" in our hearts is to allow God to overrule any of these other things in the heart. Anything else in the heart, or mind, is to be subservient to God's will. He is to be "set apart" in our thinking and reasoning from these other things; to occupy first place in our hearts. Some people have not done as Peter instructs. God, in their heart, occupies a position on the same plane, or level, as other things. He is not particularly revolting to such people; they simply think as much of other things that arise in their hearts as they do of the Lord. When this condition exists, it ought to be changed. We need to give God first place; set him apart -- "sanctify God in the heart." Whether or not a person has done this is evidenced by the things he thinks, says and does, for "as a man thinketh in the heart, so is he." -- Via Putting the Brethren in Remembrance, June 1997 ____________________________________________________ -2- The Christian's Creed by Rufus R. Clifford If you were to ask a Christian for a copy of the "creed" or "book of rules" of the church of Christ, he could only offer you a copy of the New Testament. The only written creed the church that Christ built (Mtt. 16:18) has ever had is the New Testament. It was given by inspiration of God, and is sufficient to furnish the man of God unto all good works (1 Tim. 3:16-17). It meets the needs of the whole world (Mk. 16:15). This is the only message we are authorized to use in the conversion of sinners (Mk. 16:15-16; Mtt. 28:18-20). Jesus taught that the word of God is enduring and that by it we shall all be judged (Lk. 21:33; Jn. 12:48). The authority of Christ, as expressed in the New Testament, is the only safe guide for the church. It is sinful for the church to submit to any other authority. The Gospel is God's power to save (Rom. 1:16). James says it is able to save (Jas. 1:21). Paul writes that it did save the Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:1-2). The curse of God rests upon the man who preaches another Gospel or dares to add to or subtract from it (Gal. 1:8; Rev. 11:18-19). In spite of the plain Bible teaching above, we find good, religious people subscribing to human creeds. Even those who subscribe to man-made creeds will not claim for them any saving power. They are but the products of human opinion and stand as barriers to the unity of religious people. Man-made creeds are based upon two wicked assumptions: (1) The New Testament is not sufficient to meet the needs and govern the people of God, (2) This supposed insufficiency can be remedied by weak, fallible, erring man. Without such assumptions there is no excuse for the making of any human creed. Human creeds are objectionable for a number of reasons. 1. They are not inspired of God. 2. They do not meet the needs of the whole world. 3. They are not perfect. 4. They must be revised every few years. 5. We will not be judged by them. 6. They set aside and make void the word of God. 7. They teach many things contrary to the New Testament. 8. They keep people divided on the question of religion. -- Via Bible Basics ____________________________________________________ -3- We Must Be Careful by Lewis Willis The children of Israel were often taunted by their heathen, idolatrous adversaries. Because they could see no physical presence of Jehovah, they mocked at his existence. One of the Psalms makes an excellent point based on this conflict: "Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased" (Psa. 115:2-3). The Psalmist proceeds to discuss the idols of men. He said they were made of silver and gold. They had mouths but could not speak; eyes but could not see; ears but could not hear; noses but could not smell; hands but could not handle; feet but could not walk; nor could they speak through their throat. In fact, he said, they had been made in the image of the men who made them (vv. 4-8). How could these people seriously question Jehovah? They wanted to know where God was. David said that he was not on the earth, but that he resided in heaven. Thus, to expect God to resemble dumb idols made in the image of man, by men's hands, was futile. All of this is undoubtedly true and I have noted as much in the paragraphs above. However, the point I wish to make is stated in the last phrase of our text: "he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." This is a truly profound and important fact to recognize and respect. In his deliberations concerning time, earth and man, he has acted as it has pleased or suited him! Candidly, I do not see how we could ever please him without recognizing this truth. Furthermore, things that God has done to his own pleasure are "good" for man. Moses spoke of God's commandments, "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day" (Deut. 6:24). Jeremiah made a similar statement, "And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer. 32:39-40). It is essential that we recognize today that when God did as he pleased, his every act was good for man. If we deny this, then we will be searching for something else that we believe to be good for us. If we acknowledge this truth, we will content ourselves with what God has done and set ourselves to the task of submissive obedience unto his will. It occurs to me that this could well be the reason why so many of us are disobedient unto God; why we are trying almost constantly to rework what God has done. Now, let us apply what we have learned. God had the right, being Almighty God, to do whatever pleased him. That is exactly what he did and we must accept this. "Good" will come to us only if we confine ourselves to his pleasure. Consider, then, the following thoughts: 1. It pleased God to put the blessing of salvation in Christ and his body, the church (Eph. 3:11; Acts 2:47). We must be careful to respect this and get into Christ and his church. 2. It pleased God to grant entry into Christ on the conditions and terms of the Gospel (Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:3-4; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). We must be careful and obey those things he has commanded. 3. It pleased God to assign a specific worship to be offered by the church (Acts 20:7; 2:42; Eph. 5:19; 1 Cor. 16:2). We must be careful that we confine our worship to that which pleased God who appointed it. After all, we are not worshiping ourselves so it does not matter what pleases us. 4. It pleased God for the church to engage itself in only edifying itself, discharging its benevolent duty and evangelizing the world (Eph, 4:12). We must be careful that we not try to involve the church in more than God assigned. 5. It pleased God to organize the church so that each congregation was independent of all the rest, governed by elders who were assisted by deacons, evangelists and all the saints (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2; Phil. 1:1). We must be careful that we not try to set up an organizational structure different than the one God gave. Many other aspects of the doctrine of Christ could be included in this list of things that pleased God. I think enough has been said to establish the point I am seeking to emphasize. Too many people are trying to re-work the provisions God has made, and re-write the law that governs our lives today. We cannot improve upon that which God has given, nor should we try. We should simply be obedient to his will in all things. Only then will things be "good" for us. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). -- Via Guardian of Truth XXXV: 6, p. 170, 3/21/91 ____________________________________________________ CHURCH OF CHRIST 201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn) Denham Springs, LA 70726 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 tedwards@onemain.com http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go DIRECTIONS: Take the Denham Springs exit (exit 10) off of I-12. At the end of the exit ramp, turn north. Go about a stone's throw to Rushing Road. (You'll see a Starbucks, Circle K, and two other gas stations; with each on each corner.) Turn left on Rushing Road, and go less then 0.3 of a mile. Hampton Inn will be on the right. We assemble in its meeting room, which is very close to the reception counter. ____________________________________________________