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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" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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December 13, 2009
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Contents:
1) Born Again Into The Kingdom (H.E. Phillips)
2) The Salt of the Earth (Donald P. Ames)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
Born Again Into The Kingdom
by H.E. Phillips
The church is the people who are "a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). The kingdom includes only those who are
"delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13). One enters the kingdom by the
birth of water and of the Spirit and not by a physical birth (John
3:5).
Among religious people it is almost universally accepted that one must
be "born again" in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is the
means by which one gets into the kingdom of God. Nicodemus came to
Jesus by night and acknowledged him to be a great teacher from God.
Jesus came directly to the point by saying unto him, "...Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God" (John 3:3). That is explicit! He further said,
"...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (vs. 5). This
language is plain and to the point. The word "Except" is used in both
verses and it allows no alternative if one enters into the kingdom of
God. He MUST be "born again" or "born of water and the Spirit" in order
to SEE or ENTER into the kingdom of God.
The context of John 3:3-13 shows that Jesus was speaking of entering
the kingdom of God upon this earth, and Nicodemus so understood that.
He did not understand the nature of the birth of water and the Spirit,
but he understood that Jesus was talking about entering the kingdom
here upon earth while man lives. Jesus distinguished this from a
physical birth and that is what confused Nicodemus.
One must be born again to enter the kingdom. "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved
us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost"
(Titus 3:5). "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever"
(1 Pet. 1:23).
The inspired John said that Jesus came to his own and they received him
not, but as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the
sons of God. "...Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). Jesus spoke
of ONE birth, not two. One birth of water and the Spirit, not a
physical birth.
Other expressions in the New Testament help us understand the
significance of the birth of water and the Spirit into the kingdom of
God. The germ of life is in the seed. Jesus said, "...the words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).
Peter said, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (1
Pet. 1:23). The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). "Of his own will
begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18). Paul said to the
Corinthians, "...I have begotten you through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15).
There are parallel passages to John 3:3-5 which make the meaning clear.
Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, "That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" (Eph.
5:26). That statement is equal to "birth of water and of the Spirit."
In the New Testament there is no cleansing or sanctifying by washing of
water except by baptism of a penitent believer.
Another is Titus 3:5, "not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." The washing of
regeneration is the washing of rebirth. The renewing of the Holy Spirit
is the effect of the work of the Spirit through the word. "Be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind..." (Rom. 12:2). The renewing of the mind comes from the teaching
of the Spirit by the word. Stating it plainly: "He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned"
(Mark 16:16). The word is the work of the Spirit which produces faith
(Rom. 10:17), and baptism is the only washing of water authorized in
the New Testament for cleansing anyone. "And now why tarriest thou?
arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of
the Lord" (Acts 22:16). The new birth which inducts one into the
kingdom of God is exactly the same as that which brings one to be added
to the church. It all occurs in the same way and brings the individual
to the same place in relation to Christ and the remission of sins (Acts
2:38,47; 16:31-34; Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12,13). These conditions
reconcile one to God through Christ in one body (Eph. 2:15,16). We get
into one body by baptism as directed by one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).
Since there is only one Spirit, one baptism and one body (Eph. 4:3,4),
the only way to get into that one body is by baptism as directed by
that one Spirit through the word of God. That equals "he that believeth
and is baptized" (Mark 16:16), and "born again of water and of the
Spirit" (John 3:5).
-- Via Searching the Scriptures, February 1992, Volume 33, Number 2
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-2-
The Salt of the Earth
by Donald P. Ames
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus referred to his followers as "the salt of the
earth" and as "the light of the world." Someone wisely commented, "As
salt, it is our duty to make the world thirsty for Christ." Certainly
that fits the context, as Jesus also said, "Let your light so shine
before men, that they might see your good works and glorify your Father
in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).
Peter said, "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that
even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by
the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct
accompanied by fear" (1 Pet. 3:1-2). Certainly we know the word is
necessary (Rom. 10:17, 1:16), yet Peter here says that even if they
can't reach them with the word, their actions may be the influencing
factor to lead them to the truth.
He also said, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul, having your conduct
honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as
evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God
in the day of visitation" (1 Pet. 2:11-12). Again, it is our actions
that will make them re-consider their charges, and ultimately lead to
their obedience (that they might glorify, not fear, God in the day of
visitation). Realizing the importance of what people look at, Jesus
prayed the night before he was crucified, "I do not pray for these
alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word,
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that
they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe You sent Me"
(John 17:20-21).
And he also said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this
all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another" (John 13:35). This love for one another, when seen by the
world hungry for such love, motivates them to seek to learn more of
that love, as John again says in 1 John 4:19: "We love Him because He
first loved us." "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love
one another" (4:11). Can you not see the drawing power of such love
being manifested to the world? Paul said, "You are our epistle, known
and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ" (2 Cor.
3:2-3).
Is your life such as to have a wholesome effect on other Christians
(i.e., to edify and build them up)? "And let us consider one another in
order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another..." (Heb. 10:24-25). Again Paul said, "Now we exhort you,
brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold
the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to
anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all"
(1 Thess. 5:14-15). Will it draw others to Christ, by how you live as a
Christian? Will it cause them to glorify God for such godly examples of
what Christianity is all about? Or, is it only fit to be cast out and
"trampled underfoot by men" (Matt. 5:13)? Again, 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. For it would have been better for them not to have known the
way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered to them" (2 Pet. 2:20-22). Jesus said, "Woe to
the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that
man by whom the offense comes!" (Matt. 18:7).
Let us truly try to live in such a way that we might make others
thirsty for Christ!
-- Via Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 11, June 6, 1996
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-3-
News & Notes
Eloise Craver is now in a rehabilitation hospital, as she is recovering
from her recent broken hip and surgery for it. Let those of us
who are Christians continue to pray that all will go well for her and
that she will heal up completely and speedily.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can
be
lost
(Heb.
10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
201 Rushing Road (at the Hampton Inn), Denham Springs, Louisiana
70726
Sunday services: 9:15 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 4 PM (worship)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards1109@gmail.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.
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