____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ December 5, 1993 ____________________________________________________ The Spirit of Christ by John L. Nosker ``Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his'' (Rom. 8:9). Courageous and Uncompromising The spirit of Christ was courageous and uncompromising. He was not ``soft'' when it came to dealing with sin and hypocrisy. Read Matthew 23 and hear his scathing denunciation of the religious hypocrites of his day: ``Woe unto you hypocrites!'' ``But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men'' (Matt. 15:9). It took courage of the highest order thus to expose the religious leaders of his day. One with the spirit of Christ today will have the courage to denounce sin in high places. The Christian will never compromise the truth. Love The spirit of Christ was the spirit of love. Why did God send Jesus into the world? Love prompted this sacrifice upon the part of the Father. Why did Jesus come, suffer and die for mankind? Love was the motivating principle. ``For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life'' (John 3:16). Compassionate Although Christ rebuked sin, the record of his life is replete with examples of compassion. He did not wink at sin, he forgave it. ``Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more'' (John 8:3-11). The Christian is compassionate and forgiving because he has the spirit of Christ. ``And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you'' (Ephesians 4:32). Service Jesus, seeing the multitude, was moved with compassion because they were as ``sheep without a shepherd.'' As a result he ``went about all the cities and villages, teaching...and healing every sickness and every disease among the people'' (Matt. 9:35,36). His tears at the grave of Lazarus show his compassion for the sorrowing. His account of the Good Samaritan reflects his concern for one in distress. As one follows in the footsteps of Christ, his footsteps will tread the path of service. They will lead to the room of the sick and the shut-in, to the side of the sorrowing, to the unfilled needs of the destitute. Walking in such steps will open doors of opportunity to render the greatest service of all: teaching the lost the way of Christ. Humility The spirit of Christ caused him to ``humble himself and become obedient unto death'' (Phil. 2:8). He also taught his disciples that ``whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted'' (Luke 14:11). In view of this, those with the spirit of Christ do not think of themselves ``more highly than they ought to think'' (Rom. 12:3). Prayerful The Savior spent much time in prayer. The night before selecting his apostles he ``continued all night in prayer'' (Luke 6:12). He taught those who would have his spirit that they ``ought always to pray and not to faint'' (Luke 18:1). ___________________________________________ CLOSE TO GOD by Keith Bender We have friends and loved ones here to whom we are particularly close. If we are a friend, we will have friends (Pro. 18:24). But how close are we to God? Most people would want God to be close to them. The Psalmist pleaded (Ps. 69:16-18) for God's near presence and redemption of his soul. We know we need God in times of sickness, sorrow, pain, or despair. Could we think of a better friend to have than one who is as loving, kind, gentle, patient, and generous as He? How wonderful it would be to be called, as Abraham was, the ``friend of God'' (James 2:23). Often God is not as far from us as we think. Men may not know God or appreciate His gifts, but He is there, all the same (Acts 17:27-28). His word is near us, understandable and simple to obey, whenever we are ready to listen and submit to its demands (Rom. 10:8-10). But many are mistaken when they try to draw near to God on their own terms. Jesus condemned the Pharisees (Matt. 15:7-9), for drawing near to Him with their lips, but their heart was far from Him. Their religion was more to impress men than to obey God. Is it any wonder then that they taught the doctrines of men? God loves us, and has made a way whereby we can draw near to Him. God, in Christ, has reconciled the world unto Himself (II Cor. 5:18-21). By Christ's shed blood on the cross, we are made nigh unto God (Eph. 2:13-17). The better hope that came through this redemption is that by which we draw nigh to God (Heb. 7:19). But what must we do to draw nigh to God? We must draw nigh to Him for Him to draw nigh to us (James 4:8). For God to abide with us, we must love Him and faithfully keep His words (John 14:23-24). Then we must continue to abide in Him or be cut off (John 15:5-6). God's nearness is promised to them that call upon Him, and Paul said that such can be saved (Ps. 145:18-20; Rom. 10:12-13). But we must understand this phrase to mean more than just a little prayer uttered to God, because one who thus ``called upon the name of the Lord'' did so by being baptized (Acts 22:16). The one who will be near to God must obey all of God's commandments out of an honest heart, and part of that obedience includes submission to baptism. The saint can draw near to God by approaching His throne of grace in prayer, and we can have boldness to thus approach Him through Christ our High Priest (Heb. 4: 14-16). We can also have confidence that He will hear us if we are walking in the light of His word and obeying Him (I John 3:22; I John 5:14-15). We must never neglect the wonderful avenue of prayer. How close are you to God? Have you obeyed His commands, calling on His name? Are you a saint, regular and fervent in prayer? If we fail to draw near to Him now, in the ways He has made possible, how can we hope to dwell with Him in Heaven after the end of this age? ___________________________________________ LAWFUL DISPOSITION by Chuck Bartlett This past Sunday night at services, we heard a lesson on attitudes. I often wonder, just how many people are convinced that their soul can be lost for eternity over a bad attitude. A survey of the scriptures proves, without a doubt, that there can be no hope for any individual who persists with an unlawful disposition. It doesn't matter if we cover up our hatred, envy, and jealousy with hypocritical actions, God is not impressed. We all realize how difficult it is to ``pretend'' to be nice, but the truth is, concealing a bad attitude is not better than making an effort to improve it. Before we venture off into thoughts of this being an over-exaggeration, consider the words of our Lord when He stated, ``Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets'' (Matt. 22:37-40). This passage sets forth God's place with man; He is the one we must please. No matter what attitude we are to have towards another, if God demands something, then we must listen; if not, then we are not loving Him to the extend that He requires. Attitudes are a hard subject to deal with. This may be why specifics are not addressed as often as they should. It is also hard to prove someone's disposition is sinful, since you cannot read minds. It is true that all indications may seem to be there, but if someone harbor hatred, yet offers lip service (doesn't believe or feels what is expressed), you still cannot prove it. Knowing this, tells us that the warnings need sounding and each person must take a close look at himself and examine his own life. Another worthy note on this topic, is that bad attitudes most often bear their ugly head in actions. As stated earlier, it is hard pretending to be righteous, so much so, that rarely is it ever completely concealed. Cain's hatred for Abel increased to the point where he killed his brother (Gen. 4:8). Saul's jealousy over David led to attempts to injure him (I Sam. 18). Judas' love of money led him to betray Christ (Matt. 26:49). The list can go on and on. We might think we can hide such attitudes, but beware. Those who think less of someone will often tell others to gain support (III John 10). A haughty spirit will cause individuals to avoid talking with certain people (Luke 18:10-14). Being filled with envy will prevent sharing in the joy of another (Rom. 12:15). There is no question that some may feel secure knowing it is possible to have a bad attitude and others not know, but remember, God knows, and it's what He is aware of that will matter on judgment day--not what man knows or doesn't know! May we all strive for a Christlike attitude. ________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________