____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ February 23, 1992 ____________________________________________________ Died With Christ by Chuck Bartlett While addressing the church at Colosse, Paul mentioned, ``Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations...according to the commandments and doctrines of men?'' (2:20-22). The apostle makes a powerful point concerning the new life in Christ. If people died with Christ it is to mean they leave a former lifestyle, to live anew. How one dies with Christ is told in Romans 6:3-4; it says, ``Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death....'' It is good to inquire if someone has been baptized, but there is more to it than that. The brethren in Colosse needed to forsake their old ways, and abide in righteousness. In Romans 6, Paul goes on to instruct, ``Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.'' (v. 6). We see that our service after we are baptized is vital. Also, any attempt to live faithfully without dying with Christ, will prove futile. This makes sense, since it is impossible to live when there hasn't been a birth. Jesus said, ``Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'' (Jn. 3:3). There is a danger in putting too much emphasis on baptism, since hearing the word, believing, repenting and confessing Christ is just as needful as baptism (Rom. 10:14-17, Jn. 8:24, Lk. 13:3, Rom. 10:9-10). But, the importance of being baptized is clear. Without putting to death our old man, we will always be a servant of sin (Rom. 6:17). We can guard against serving sin after we have obeyed the gospel by rejecting the traditions and doctrines of men and ``seeking those things which are above, where Christ sitteth'' (Col. 3:1). To do down into the watery grave, thinking sin is already removed, is to remain sin-stained. There is no power in water; it is in the blood (1 Jn. 1:7). Yet, if one denies the purpose of baptism (for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38, 22:16), one in turn denies the power of the blood of Christ. Have you been baptized? ___________________________________________ What Are You Mining For? by Tom Edwards Before I ask you how you would answer the above question, let me ask, How do you interpret this question? Are there not at least two ways it can be viewed? First, What are your mining for? makes the inquiry as to what one is striving to obtain; also, however, What are you mining for? can be used rhetorically to make the implication that mining is either a waste of time or simply not necessary. Though the diligent Bible student continues digging into the Lord's word for more of the precious gems of God's truth, others might feel that there is really no need for one to have to do so. A prevalent misconception among many of our religious friends today is that everything that pertains to salvation and blessings in Christ is all entirely up to God and by His doings; therefore, man is simply a ``passive receiver'' of these spiritual fortunes. Why this misconception is false can be clearly seen in view of various Bible passages which teach that man must be more than a ``passive receiver'' if he wants to be a partaker in the blessings of Christ (Matt. 21:28-31; Rom. 2:8,9; Phil. 2:12; Heb. 5:9); rather, he must be an ``active'' laborer who not only knows there is much treasure to be found in the Lord, but also spends his time mining after it (Deut. 4:29; 1 Chron. 28:9; Matt. 6:33; Heb. 11:6), acquiring it (Col. 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 2:2) and using it (2 Cor. 5:7; Rom. 1:17; Rom. 8:13; 1 Jn. 2:4-6; 3:7). Just as it would have been senseless for a forty-niner during California's gold-rush days to pan for gold, find it, look at it, but then merely leave it in the pan and leave the pan by the water, it is even more foolish for one to hear the word of the Lord, learn of its truth, but then merely walk away from it without making it a part of one's life (Jms. 1:23-27). James exhorted the brethren to ``prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves'' (Jms. 1:22). Why did he stress this? Because ``faith without works is dead'' (Jms. 2:26). And as Jesus also shows, we must obey God (which demands more than a mere mental assent toward His deity), if we want to be saved (Luke 6:46; Matt. 7:21-26). Jesus is the ``source of eternal salvation'' only to those ``who obey Him'' (Heb. 5:9). Gold and diamonds are not forever, but God's truth shall always endure (Matt. 24:35). As that great wise man of old once said, ``How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her'' (Prov. 3:13-15). What is it that we spend our time ``mining'' for along the riverbanks of life or in the dark caves of hidden possibilities? Are we concentrating on just that which is transitory and of little worth? or on that which is eternal and of far greater value? Jesus instructs the would-be worrier of food and clothing to not be overly concerned with these things, but instead to ''...seek first His kingdom and His righteousness'' (Matt. 6:33). One does this by putting God first in his life through obedience to His word. Clearly, the Bible shows that we do have some ``mining'' to do if we want to acquire the precious nuggets of God's truth; and it also shows that we need to use that which we find or else it will profit us nothing. Let us, therefore, strive to be spiritual miners for the mother lode of God's treasure that we may fill the coffers of our hearts with His gospel gems to overflowing and generously share this abundance with others around us--realizing that to not use it would be of little difference than not having it at all. ___________________________________________ IMPERISHABLE TREASURES "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21). ___________________________________________ ATTENTION: Would you like to see BIBLE FILM SLIDES in the convenience of your home? We have a five-lesson series that covers various highlights of the Old and New Testaments. To find out more about this, contact us at the address shown below or phone. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________