[Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 5/13/07
tedwards at onemain.com
tedwards at onemain.com
Tue May 15 08:00:57 CDT 2007
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THE GOSPEL OBSERVER
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"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).
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May 13, 2007
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Contents:
1) Romans 8:28-39: God Is Working For Us (Johnny Stringer)
2) The Spirit of Error (Carrol R. Sutton)
3) The Scriptures Teach We Are Saved By: (Johnie Edwards)
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-1-
Romans 8:28-39: God Is Working For Us
by Johnny Stringer
"And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"
(Rom. 8:28).
Just how extensively is this principle to be applied? Are there
no limitations to the "all things" that work together for our good?
Many apply this statement without limitations, but to do so leads
to some strange conclusions. If a dog over in Mongolia digs a hole,
does that hole benefit you or me? It is a thing, but is it included
among the "all things" which work together for our good? I do not
believe so. I believe we would be just as well off if the dog had
never dug the hole.
It seems clear that the term "all" is limited by the context in
which it is found. For example, when Paul said, "All things are
lawful," we must understand that the "all things" did not include
drunkenness, murder, and adultery. Some people who say "All things
are lawful" may mean to include those things, but in the context of
the Bible, the writer must not have meant to include them, for they
are prohibited in the Bible. Similarly, I am convinced that the
"all things" of Romans 8:28 are limited by the context. The dog's
hole in Mongolia is not the kind of thing under discussion in the
context of Romans 8:28.
Paul proceeds in verse 29 to elaborate on verse 28. The
connection between the two verses is seen in the word for at the
beginning of verse 29. In verses 29-30 Paul summarizes the things
God has done which culminate in our glorification. God is doing
many things for us, and all these things are working together for
our good. The "all things" working together for our good are the
things God is doing toward our ultimate glorification. These are
the things under consideration in the context. Paul speaks of our
glorification in the past tense because it has occurred in God's
plan or purpose. Such usage of the past tense is also found in
Genesis 17:5, Joshua 6:2, and Isaiah 53:4-8.
Comforting Assurance
Paul's purpose in this passage is to give assurance. The
assurance is only for those who love God (v. 28), and loving God
involves obedience to him (1 Jn. 5:3). Having stated that God is
working things out for the ultimate good -- the glorification --
of those who love the Lord, Paul proceeds to assure that God will
carry out his purpose.
We can find wonderful comfort in the assurance Paul gives in
this passage. We can feel secure in the knowledge that no one has
the power to defeat God's purpose for those who love him (v. 31).
Moreover, we should realize that if God was willing to give his Son
to die for us, he surely will continue to work toward our
glorification, giving us all the things that he purposed for us --
if we continue to love him (v. 32). Then Paul points out that if
God has justified us (acquitted us of our sins and declared us to
be not guilty), no one can charge us with sin and bring about our
condemnation. Jesus died for us and there is no force that can
cause us to be lost if we avail ourselves of his intercession (vv.
33-34).
Finally, Paul assures us that God's love toward us is constant
and unfailing (vv. 35-39). We may go through many tribulations and
hardships, but we can be comforted by the knowledge that God still
loves us. Things may not be going well for the present, but we can
be confident that he is still working toward our ultimate
glorification. As we endure suffering and hardship, it may not seem
that we are winning a glorious victory, but regardless of how
things seem, we are "more than conquerors"; for after the
suffering, the glory will come (vv. 35-37).
Verses 38-39 assure us in majestic language that no power or
force whatever can cause God to quit loving those who love him. If
we lose our souls, it will not be because any of the forces listed
in these verses caused God to quit loving us and therefore withdraw
our salvation. Rather, it will be because we renounced him and his
blessings. This passage does not say anything about what we can do.
We can renounce God and salvation if we choose; God does not force
his blessings on anyone. But so long as we love him, he continues
to work toward our ultimate glorification as promised in Romans
8:28-30.
-- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 4, p. 111, February 20, 1992
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-2-
The Spirit of Error
by Carrol R. Sutton
John, an inspired apostle said: "We are of God: he that knoweth
God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know
we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 Jno. 4:6).
There is a vast difference in truth and error; in the spirit of
truth and "the spirit of error." Truth is of God but error is not.
Those who know God will hear the truth as was made known by
inspired men such as John. Those who do not hear the truth are not
of God, but are of the devil. They do not have the Spirit of truth,
but the "spirit of error." Some who claim to have the Spirit of
truth obviously have "the spirit of error." John tells us in 1 Jno.
4:6 how we can tell the difference, as we have already noted.
Some Traits of Those
Who Have the Spirit of Error
Those who have "the spirit of error" will not hear ALL of what
has been taught by inspired men as recorded in the Scripture. Paul
declared the whole counsel of God to the Ephesian bishops (See Acts
20:27). The devil used some Scripture in his attempt to get Jesus
to sin, but he misused it. Many do likewise today. Although they
appeal to the Scripture for some point or points, they are not
willing to accept the whole counsel of God. For example, "faith
only" advocates will use verses that condition salvation on faith
and then they will ignore verses that condition salvation on
repentance, confession, and baptism and will assert that the
Scripture teaches salvation by "faith only." Such is the "spirit of
error." Some will accept what Jas. 1:27 says about a MAN "visiting
the fatherless and widows in their affliction," but they will not
accept what 1 Tim. 5:16 teaches relative to the CHURCH relieving
widows indeed. They say the church cannot relieve, but can only
supply the money for such and then another institution must do the
work of relieving. Such evidences unbelief! It is "the spirit of
error."
Many who have the "spirit of error" are inconsistent religious
hypocrites. Read Matt. 23 for a vivid description of such people.
They were inconsistent in their teaching and practice as well as
hypocritical in their actions. Jesus denounced them in very plain
terms.
The proud, self-righteous person has "the spirit of error."
Jesus spoke a parable in Lk. 18:10-14 in which He shows that "every
one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." Humility of mind, meekness of spirit and
contriteness of heart should characterize all of us.
Often times, those who have "the spirit of error" lie in wait
to deceive (See Eph. 4: 14). They use cunning craftiness to
accomplish their goal. They employ carnal weapons. They resort to
treachery, misrepresentation, mockery, blasphemy, and lying in an
effort to crush the proponents of truth. They love darkness rather
than light because their deeds are evil. (See Jno. 3:19.) Those who
propagate error often use pressure or force to stop the mouths of
the advocates of truth. They do not want people to examine candidly
their teaching in the light of God's eternal truth. They would, if
they could, erect an "iron curtain" around their followers because
they fear the results of an honest investigation of their doctrines
in light of the Scriptures.
Truth and its propagation are not dependent upon the employment
of carnal weapons. Truth can and will be propagated by those who
are pure in heart and upright in life, whose primary purpose is to
"fear God and keep His commandments." Do you have the spirit of
truth or "the spirit of error?" Remember, dear reader, your soul
can be purified by your obedience to the truth, but error will
cause you to lose your soul eternally! If you are sincerely
interested in going to heaven, you will have a genuine love for the
truth and a hatred for error.
-- Via The Instructor, Vol. 4, No. 9, Sept. 1967
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-3-
The Scriptures Teach We Are Saved By:
Christ's words (Jn. 6:63), the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:8; Ti. 3:5),
faith (Rom. 10:10), repentance (Lk. 13:3), baptism (Mk. 16:16; 1
Pet. 3:21), God (Jn. 3:16; Ti. 2:11), Christ's works (Jn.
20:30-31), calling on His name (Acts 2:21), Christ's name (Acts
4:12), Christ's resurrection (Rom. 4:25), Christ's death (Rom.
5:6), hope (Rom. 8:24), confession of faith (Rom. 10:10), hearing
(Rom. 10:15-17), preaching (1 Cor. 1:18), the gospel (1 Cor.
15:1-2), love (Gal. 5:6), grace (Eph. 2:8), ourselves (Phil. 2:12),
the love of the truth (2 Th. 2:10), Christ (1 Tim. 1:15), heeding
and continuing in the doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16), God's mercy (Ti.
3:5), obedience (Heb. 5:9), Christ's blood (Heb. 9:14), works of
faith (Jas. 2:24).
Note: The question is not, which one of these will save; but
all combined insure to us salvation.
You cannot eliminate any of the things to which salvation is
ascribed in the Scriptures and still have salvation. It takes all
of these! If you take your pen and scratch off one of these,
someone else will scratch off another, and we'll do away with
salvation altogether!
-- Johnie Edwards, via a bulletin of the Elletsville
Church of Christ
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MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
1022 Myrtle Street
Denham Springs, LA 70726
(225) 664-8208
Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 PM
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com
web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go
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