The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
January 13, 2002
In
This Issue:
"God
is Greater Than Our Heart"
By
Steve Klein
"Can
A Christian Fall Away and Be Lost?"
By
Charles Spence
"God Is Greater Than Our Heart"
Every Christian wants to feel that he is right with God. In fact, feeling that you are right with God is one thing that is necessary in order to actually be right with God. John wrote, "If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God" (I John 3:20-21). Of course, some say that feeling you are right is the ONLY thing necessary in order to be right with God. They're wrong!
They're wrong because "God is greater than our heart." When folks say they know they are saved because they "feel it" in their heart, they are making their heart greater than God.
They're wrong because our confidence is not to be based on the heart alone. According to Hebrews 10:19, it is based first of all on the provisions of Jesus' blood; we have boldness to enter the presence of God "by the blood of Jesus." We take advantage of Jesus' blood by "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" in baptism; only then can we draw near to God "with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (10:22). When we've met these conditions, we can know we are right with God because He said so in His word, and "He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
So many people claim to be right with God because of what's in their hearts, but the reality is that they fail to be right with God because of what's in their lives. There will be those who will stand in the day of judgment and boast of the "many mighty works" they have done in Jesus' name, and they will undoubt-edly feel in their hearts that they are right with God. To them Jesus will say, "depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). "Lawlessness" involves the practice of anything not authorized by God's law. The confidence felt by those practicing things not found in God's law is nothing but false assurance. It is only those who truly meet God's conditions and do what is right who have real assurance. Isaiah 32:17 teaches that "the effect of righteousness" is "assurance forever."
May each of us come to the realization that God is greater than our heart, and that our heart is only truly right if it is cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We all need to deal honestly with the question posed by the old spiritual song: "Is thy heart right with God, Washed in the crimson flood, Cleansed and made holy, Humble and lowly, Right in the sight of God?"
--by Steve Klein
Questions Our Neighbors Ask
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).
The book of Hebrews is a magnificent book. Found on almost every page is an encouraging word addressed to Christians in general and Jewish Christians in particular. Hebrews is a book of exhortations put forth in poetic eloquence. The melting heart of concern of the Holy Spirit bursts forth through the language of the writer of Hebrews. The general theme is "Go on unto perfection&ldots;" (Hebrews 6:1). The book exhorts the child of God to grow unto spiritual maturity. There is a danger, however, in failing to heed the exhortation of the Holy Spirit - apostasy.
The threat of apostasy was real. In the book of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit went to great lengths to warn Christians of the seriousness of falling away. Observe, "Therefore we should give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation&ldots;" (Hebrews 2:1-3)? The Hebrew writer was telling his audience that they could be neglectful of the great salvation that is in Christ. For this very reason, Paul exhorts the brethren in Philippi to "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Paul, in other words, was telling those brethren to see their salvation through to completion. He goes on to say, "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). When a child of God no longer works out his salvation, God's work is hindered. This puts the Christian in jeopardy of falling. This is negligence of the worse kind because it makes it hard for the child of God to escape condemnation (Hebrews 2:3).
In the context of Hebrews chapter 3, there is a contrast made between Moses and Christ. Concerning the house of Christ (v.6), the writer says, "Whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing steadfast until the end." As long as the child of God "holds fast," he will be a part of the household of Christ. The writer exemplifies the danger of letting go of the confidence and the rejoicing by referring to Israel in the day of temptation in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:8). God said, "Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest'" (Hebrews 3:12). The exhortation in the book of Hebrews is to Christians. The exhortation is real because the danger is real.
Some people believe that once a person is saved, that person can never be lost. Why would a biblical writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, write with such eloquence, passion, and conviction, with no uncertain terms and ambiguity, that apostasy was a real possibility? The fact is that apostasy was a real possibility and concern. For this very reason, the Holy Spirit further warns, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6). For the faithful child of God, there is great expectation and hope (Hebrews 6:9). Once saved, there are things that the child of God must do to keep and maintain his salvation. As had previously been mentioned, one thing he must do is heed the things that he has heard or he will drift away.
Let us all be concerned enough about the real threat of apostasy that we exercise diligence in keeping our spiritual heads about us.
By Charles N. Spence, Jr.,
via Christianity Magazine, August, 1999