____________________________________________________ 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 19, 1993 ____________________________________________________ Salvation By Experience? by Tom Edwards Several years ago I had a conversation with a man who, when he learned I was a preacher, wanted to relate his ``salvation experience.'' He said he looked out his window one bright, moonlit night and saw in his garden a cross with blood on the center of it. The next morning he investigated further and saw that it was a cabbage head with a ripe tomato right in the center. Since he could not explain how it got there, he took it as a miraculous ``witness'' to his salvation. Many have told a similar ``experience'' and based their hope of salvation on it. Isn't it amazing that people can come up with such opinions, in spite of the fact that the New Testament contains no such case of conversion? No, not one convert in the New Testament ever based his hope of salvation on an ``experience'' of this nature. While miraculous events did accompany a few of them, they were not for the purpose of convincing the sinner that he had been converted and that he was accepted by God. A miracle occurred on the day of Pentecost, but not upon the audience. The miracle occurred upon the apostles and enabled them to speak as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, Acts 2:4. Those converted heard the apostles' preaching, believed and were commanded to ``repent and be baptized'' for the remission of their sins, Acts 2:38. Philip ``preached Christ'' to the Samaritans, Acts 8:5, and his message was ``confirmed'' (Mark 16:20) by ``the signs which he did,'' Acts 8:6. But the Samaritans received no ``experience of salvation.'' The Bible says, ``When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women,'' Acts 8:12. Miracles accompanied the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, but the eunuch never knew anything about them. An angel told Philip to go to the Jerusalem-Gaza road, and when he arrived, the Spirit told him to ``join the chariot'' in which the eunuch was riding. But Philip ``preached Jesus'' to the man, Acts 8:35, and when they came to a certain water the eunuch wanted to be baptized, Acts 8:36. He was baptized upon a confession of faith, not upon the relation of his experience. In the Bible, men heard the gospel, believed in Christ, repented of sins and were baptized. ___________________________________________ Bible Tongues by Jason Hosfield We can read throughout the pages of God's word about people who were able to speak in tongues. There are some religious organizations in our society who claim to have the power of ``speaking in tongues" today. However, their ``tongues'' are nothing more than a lot of chaotic, hysterical jabbering that nobody can understand. We can clearly understand from the Scriptures that Biblical ``tongues'' were not wild, maniacal babblings, but clear understandable languages. Let us notice some reasons why this is so: 1) The Bible Identifies Them As Such. The first occurrence of miraculous tongue speaking is recorded in Acts 2:1-11. Verve 4 of this passage tells us that the Apostles ``began to speak with other ``tongues.'' Then note how the people reacted to this: ``they were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.'' Notice here that the Bible uses the terms ``tongue'' and ``language'' interchangeably. Therefore, we discover from this passage that the tongues which the Apostles were speaking on this occasion were languages. 2) Circumstances Necessitated Them To Be Such. The Apostles were given an important mission in Mark 16:15-16: That mission was to ``Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.'' In Acts 2:5 we read that there were ``Jews...out of every nation under Heaven'' dwelling in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The Bible then goes on to mention 16 different localities from which these various men hailed. In order for the Apostles to preach the great message of the Gospel to these individuals, as well as the rest of the people of the world, it was necessary for them to speak in languages that could be understood. 3) Edification Demanded Them to Be Such. Tongue-speaking was useless unless people could be taught and edified by it. Paul commanded this in I Corinthians 14:12. Discussing speaking in tongues he said, ''...seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.'' The only way for the church to have been edified by tongue-speaking was for people to be able to understand it. This necessitated the use of an interpreter. I Corinthians 14:27 tells us, ``If any man speak in an unknown tongue...let one interpret.'' The sole purpose of tongue speaking was for teaching and edification. ``Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue'' (I Cor. 14:19). When a religious person such as a Pentecostal who claims to have the power to speak in tongues is approached about the subject, he says, ``The Spirit is guiding me. I don't know what I'm saying.'' A good response to that would be, ``Well, neither do I!'' ___________________________________________ The Grace of God by Johnie Edwards Man cannot be saved without the grace of God. This does not mean that we are saved by grace alone. The Ephesians were told, ``For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'' (Eph. 2:8-10). There are three things involved in this passage: 1) Grace. Grace involves all that God has done in saving man. The loving kindness bestowed upon us, who do not deserve it, as is extended as a favor of God. Grace is a gift of God. ``But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us'' (Rom. 5:8). That's grace! We are justified by the grace of God. ``Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'' (Rom. 3:24). This is God's grace at work. But did you note that all of this takes place in Christ? But, we must be baptized to get into Christ (Gal. 3:27). 2) Faith. Faith includes all that man does in obeying and pleasing God. Those faith heroes of Hebrews 11 were said to have faith, not just because they believed, but because of what they did. They obeyed God! After the jailer of Acts 16 heard, believed, repented and was baptized, he was said to have ``believed in God'' (Ac. 16:30-34). 3) Works. Ephesians 2:10 says, ``For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works...'' James says, ``Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only'' (Jas. 2:24). Man is not saved by his own works of righteousness but by the works commanded by God. ___________________________________________ Selected Sentence Sermons Fine eloquence consists in saying all that should be, not all that could be said. Some women work so hard to make good husbands that they never quite manage to make good wives. If Christians do not "come apart and rest a while," they may just plain come apart. ___________________________________________ DEEP LIVING We love to spread our branches; The root-life we neglect. We love to shine in public, And human praise expect; While in the inner chamber, Where creature voices cease, We may meet God in silence, And breathe in Heaven's peace. The secret of deep living Lies in the secret place Where, time and sense forgotten, We see God face to face; Beyond mere forms and symbols, Beyond mere words and signs, Where in that hidden temple The light eternal shines. -- Max I. Reich ________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________