The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at New Georgia

Tim Johnson, editor

June 19, 2005

 
In This Issue:
Eternal Life
by Steve Klein

The Gospel of Christ -- God's Power to Save
by Larry Fain

Sin's Blinding Touch
Anonymous

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Eternal Life

        Stories sometimes begin with the words, "A long, long time ago&ldots;"  When we hear these words, our minds immediately imagine life as it may have been decades or even centuries ago.  What is a long, long time to you? Someone might say, "Well, eternity is a long time."  But that's crazy talk.  Eternal things cannot be measured in time.  Measurements of time have beginning and ending points.  Eternity has neither.  The longest amount of time that man can conceive has no significance at all in eternity.

  The phrase "eternal life" is found 32 times in the New Testament, and the phrase "everlasting life" 12 times.  These phrases describe something that is nearly beyond the ability of mere men to grasp.  Our idea of an extended lifetime is so limited.  When someone lives 90 or 100 years in this life, we say that they've lived a long time.  But even Methuselah's 969 years cannot be compared to "eternal life".

  Eternal life, then, is an almost incomprehensible concept.  It defies measurement.  Its value is priceless.  Yet, God has made it possible for you and I to experience it. Romans 6:23 states that "the gift of God is eternal life."

  • God gave His Son to be crucified so that believers might have eternal life (John 3:15-16).

  • The words of the Lord are the words of eternal life.  We learn about eternal life and how to receive through God's word.   In John 6:68, Peter said to the Lord, "You have the words of eternal life."
  • When men reject those words, they reject eternal life. To the Jews who rejected God's word in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles". (Acts 13:46)

  Friends, there is no greater goal than to live this life in such a way as to gain eternal life.  Believe and obey God's word.  He gives "eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Romans 2:7).  Let us so live.

-- Steve Klein

The Gospel of Christ -- God's Power to Save

 Romans 1:16-17 says this: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ' The just shall live by faith.' "

  This passage of scripture has long been recognized as the great theme of the beloved Book of Romans. It is a great theme of a great book. How much attention do we give it as a guide to life? Every tenet and every encouragement offered by the inspired apostle is founded on this truth concerning the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ is dynamic. It is explosive. It is revolutionary. It can effect more changes on the heart of an individual than an atomic bomb on a crowded city. "... if anyone {is} in Christ, {he is} a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

  In the great mountain message, our Lord declared, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Where can any man go to discover the righteousness of God? He must go to the gospel of Christ. There are many people today having a great deal of trouble in dealing with what to do with the Old Testament and God's covenant with the Jews. May I suggest that you engross yourself in the Book of Hebrews to find those answers? The first has been put away to establish the second (See Hebrews 8).

  In questions dealing with instrumental music in worship, as well as others, many go to the Old Testament to find justification. There is no justification there. We are justified by faith in Christ Jesus. "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, {even} in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:8-10).

  Faith in Jesus as the Son of God will motivate a person to find and do the righteousness of God found in the gospel of Christ. There is no need to go looking in any other source. The answers are to be found in the good news of Jesus. John said, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9). The doctrine of Christ is the gospel of Christ. Do you believe it? Have you obeyed it? Are you continuing in it? The Bible teaches beyond question that we must obey the gospel and then maintain purity in our lives and in our service to God. Halfway faith and partial obedience will never do. We urge you to obey the gospel. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).

-- Larry Fain

 

Sin's Blinding Touch

PRIDE touched Naaman, the Syrian general, and mad him revolt at Elisha's command to dip seven times in Jordan. (2 Kings 5)

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS  touched  the Pharisee and blinded him to his own corruption and the publican's virtues.(Luke 11:12)

WORLDLY AMBITIONS touched the eyes of the young ruler and blacked out the possibility of an eternal crown. (Luke 18:23)

LOVE OF THIS PRESENT WORLD touched the heart of Demas and led him away from Paul and a faithful life. (2 Tim. 4:10)

COVETOUSNESS touched Balaam and blinded him to the tragedy of loving the wages of unrighteousness. (2 Peter 2:15)

SELF-WILL touched the vision of Saul and blinded him to the practice and consequence of presumption. (1 Samuel 15:22)

ENTICEMENT OF WOMEN finally put out Samson's eyes and sent him to grind in a Philistine mill. (Judges 16)

HUMAN TRADITIONS blinded Jerusalem so that she could not see her Christ. (Mark 7:7-9)

Beware!!!
"Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily1 while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:12,13).