INCARNATE

Guest writer – Joe Dukes

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

In times past, God spoke in various ways, but now He speaks to us by His Son.

So HOW does God speak to us through Jesus? 

HOW has Jesus appointed for God’s message to be delivered?

In Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15, we see that Jesus told his disciples to “Go… preach.”  In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul told Timothy to deliver the message to faithful men who in turn could teach others also.

This is how God speaks to us today.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14)?

Notice all of the examples of conversion in the book of Acts.  None of them received revelation directly from God telling them how to be saved.  The message was always delivered by the preaching of men.

•  Saul heard the voice of Jesus.  When he asked, “What would you have me to do”, Jesus could have told him, but instead He sent Ananias to tell him what he “must do” (Acts 9).  Saul learned he needed to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16) because Ananias told him.

 

• Cornelius had a vision from an angel.  The angel did not, however, tell him how to be saved.  Instead, he told Cornelius, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.”  Cornelius learned about salvation from the preaching of Peter.

 

• In Acts 8, the Spirit told Phillip to go teach the Eunuch.  The Spirit could have appeared directly to the Eunuch, but He did not.  Phillip taught him.  It is by teaching that God has appointed for men to learn of the Gospel. 

This is exactly how the Spirit speaks to us today.  The New Testament was written through the inspiration of God, and when we hear or read those words, we learn what God desires for us to know.

There is no New Testament example of a lost person being saved through a direct action of the Spirit.  It was always through the preaching of the gospel.  “Faith comes by hearing… the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Notice through the inspired Scriptures, we can be “thoroughly furnished”.   If you are thoroughly furnished, do you need any additional revelations?  “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

How are we called?  “Through the knowledge”!

“To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  How are we called?  By the gospel.

The very next verse says, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  How were they called by the Gospel?  They were taught.

How were they taught?  Was it a direct operation of the Holy Spirit separate and apart from the Word?  No, they were taught by word, or by epistle.  That is how they were “called.”

This is the same way we are taught today.  This is how Jesus established for the gospel to be spread through the world.

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17)   Likewise, we also receive the Spirit by hearing (Galatians 3:2).  Joe Dukes

Joe Dukes is a member of the Oxford church of Christ in Oxford, AL.

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

CAN WE BE sure of our salvation (1 John 5:13)?

The Bible answers in the affirmative.

And one reason we can have assurance is because all spiritual blessings are IN Christ.

Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Consider a few logical thoughts and questions based upon this passage:

1. How many spiritual blessings are IN Christ? (All).

2. How many spiritual blessings are OUT of Christ? (None–Ephesians 2:12-13).

3. Is forgiveness of sins a spiritual blessing? (Yes).

4. How many sins are forgiven in Christ? (All–1 John 1:9).

5. How many sins are forgiven outside of Christ? (None).

6. How many saved people are in Christ? (All).

7. How many saved people are outside of Christ? (None).

8. HOW does one get “into” Christ where all spiritual blessings reside? “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27; cf. Acts 2:38).

9.  If a person hasn’t been immersed into Christ, where all spiritual blessing reside, how then is it possible for him or her to have “put on” Christ?

Since all spiritual blessings are IN Christ, and since forgiveness of sins is a spiritual blessing, since only saved people are IN Christ, and since baptism is the point at which one is placed INTO Christ we can be certain about our salvation! Whether immersion took place ten minutes ago or five decades ago, it matters not. Salvation and security are found IN Jesus!

Dear reader, are you in Christ?

Are you saved?

Are you sure?

Have you been baptized (1 Peter 3:21)?

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

JESUS LOVED THEM. John says so.

He loved all three of them — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:3, 5).

And that’s why He waited.

The sister’s sent urgent news to the Lord. It was a sort of first-century 911 call for medical assistance. And they didn’t say, “Lazarus is sick,” but “he whom You love is sick.” Jesus not only knew the identity of the one who was ailing, but He recognized him as His dear friend.

Jesus wasn’t that far away either. He could have rushed to Lazarus’ side and healed him. All would be well, the sickness would be over, and their lives would continue as normal.

But oddly enough, Jesus didn’t make the trip. He didn’t hasten to Bethany and “treat” Lazarus’ condition. There was no hurried journey to see his beloved companion, in fact, just the opposite. Not only did Jesus not go to Lazarus (not that He needed to “go” at all — cf. Luke 7:1-10) as the sister’s anticipated, but he waited two more days! In a sense, the Great Physician failed to make a house-call and, in-so-doing, lost his first and only patient.

Think about it.

He waited.

Hours.

Days.

Yes, knowing Lazarus’ precarious condition, Jesus waited.

For a long time I didn’t understand that. Evidently Mary and Martha didn’t make sense of it either. They both rebuked the Lord for His slow response (vv. 21, 32). “If You had only been here earlier…”

It was Jesus’ fault.

He shouldn’t have waited; He should have come immediately.

He had wasted precious time.

If He really loved the family as they believed, He would have virtually run to see about Lazarus’ welfare.

Maybe He didn’t love them as they thought.

So why did Jesus wait…?

It wasn’t a matter of lethargy, lack of love, or apathy, dear reader, it was a matter of faith. You see, Jesus could have made his way to Bethany and healed Lazarus, and Mary and Martha’s faith would have been enhanced. Instead, Christ chose to wait until Lazarus was dead, buried, and in the tomb (a total of four days) and THEN raise him up!

Because He loved them, and because He was concerned with the sister’s spiritual maturation, Jesus waited until after Lazarus was dead and buried to show that not even a crypt and a corpse could impede His wonder-working power (John 11:25)!

Rush to Lazarus’ bedside and effect a cure, or wait until after he was dead and buried and then call him forth? Jesus chose the latter because He really did love (Greek — agapao) Mary and Martha and he wanted to see their faith grow to an even higher degree (John 11:23-27).

I don’t want the doctor to wait when I’m in the emergency room. I’m the emergency! I want the physician at my bedside, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, with prompt and accurate therapeutic care. I’m the same way when hurting emotionally or spiritually. “Lord, I need you NOW…!” “Come to Bethany!” “The one you love is very sick!” And sometimes…because he loves me…He waits.

Give it some thought.

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

With the Bible as our rule of faith and practice, containing as it does, the revelation of God’s will to us, we should be very anxious to do just the things that it authorizes.

This is especially true since we are saved from our past sins and become Christians only if we obey the truth (John 8:32; 17:17).

Also we are to be judge by the word of the Lord (John 12:48).

WHERE does the Bible say that inspired men ever invited alien sinners to the altar to pray for salvation?

In Acts 22:16, we read of an alien sinner, engaged in prayer when the Lord sent a preacher to tell him what to do.

Saul, who had been one of the worst enemies Christianity ever had, became convinced of the error of his way.

He asked the Lord what He would have him to do (Acts 9:6).

Jesus told him to go to Damascus and there he would be told what he must do (Acts 9:6).

So he went to the city and waited for – that information.

Ananias, a gospel preacher, was sent to tell him what to do.

When Ananias arrived he found Saul, the sinner, engaged in prayer.

Many modern preachers would have told Saul to “pray on until you pray to pardon.”

Did Ananias tell Saul to pray on?

He did not.

However, he told Saul exactly what God wanted him to do.

He stopped Saul from praying and said, “And now are you waiting?  Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

To “arise,” means “to get up.”

So Ananias told Saul to get up from his prayer and do something else – to be baptized and wash away his sins.

Has it ever occurred to you that the average preacher of our day would not tell an alient sinner what Ananias told Saul to do?

That is, to “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins…”

When one is thus baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), is is obediently “calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16; Mat. 7:21; Luke 6:46).  Garland Elkins, Sinners – Not Instructed to – “Pray Through,” COME AND SEE, 11

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike