The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
June 1, 2003
In
This Issue:
The
Best People in Any Town
By
Mark W. White
Do
You Love God?
By
Carrol Sutton
The Best People in Any Town
Who are the best people in your town? Would it be the rich or the handsome? Perhaps the best people you know are members of some civic-minded service organization. Each town might draft a long list of its most respected and well-thought-of citizens. Would your name be on the list?
There may be all kinds of different people who contribute greatly to the good name and reputation of the community. It is a pleasure to live and work among good, morally upstanding neighbors - people who live by high standards of morality. They will make any community a better place. But the very best people in your town are more than just morally pure.
It might surprise you to know that the very best people in any community ought to be the people of God. The "people of God" must have "honorable conduct" among their neighbors and friends so that their "good works" will yield glory for God (1 Peter 2:1-12). When the apostle Paul addressed the Philippian Christians (the collectivity of them composing the church at Philippi) he wanted them to comprehend their peculiar position in that City. In effect, Paul charged them with the responsibil-ity of being the very best people in town. In 2.14, he exhorted: "Do all things without mur-muring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine forth as lights in the world." Paul saw it as imperative that these Christians radiate a good influence. Their effectiveness could be diminished by unnecessary and senseless complaints and arguments among themselves. They had to be more than just "good moral people." They must be Christians in the truest sense of the term.
The very best neighbors, parents, employers, and employees in any town should be Christian men and women, boys and girls, who have been added to the church of Christ (Acts 2:47). If they are not, Jesus will be ashamed that they wear His name.
To be sure, there are other good people besides Christians in any city. But there should never be anyone better than the disciple of Christ.
-Via The Main & 13th Visitor, Blythevrne, Arkansas
Many blessings are promised to the people who love God. In Romans 8:28 the apostle Paul said: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, . . ." James said: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." In John 14:23-24 Jesus said: "If a man love me, he will keep my word.: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."
To sum up what we have read in the preceding passages: A "crown of life" is promised to them that "love him;" The Father and the Son will come and make their abode with the person that loves the Lord, and all things work together for good to them that love God.
Do you love God; Do you love Jesus Christ? Really? You probably think you do, but do you, really? Unless you keep God's commandments, your claim to love the Lord is false! John says: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3). He ~ said: "And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." (2 John 6). Jesus Christ said: "If ye love me, keep my com-mandments", and "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:15,21).
If you do not keep the sayings of the Lord, you do not really love Him! IF YOU LOVE HIM YOU WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS! You won't try to find a way to get around what the Lord says, if you love Him. But you will hunger and thirst after His righteousness.
To be saved from past sins and thus become a child of God, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (See Acts 16:31 & John 20:30-31). One must repent of his sins. (See Acts 17:30-31 & Acts 2:38). One must confess Jesus as Lord. (See Rom. 10:9-10). One must he baptized for the remission of sins. (See Acts 2:38 & Mark 16:16).
Have you obeyed these commands? How much do you love God?
by Carrol Sutton
via The Instructor, June 1984