by Roland W. Keith
 
    For regular readers you have probably noticed that for the past month or so (the holiday season) we have been focused mainly on the life of Christ from a variety of perspectives. This week will continue that trend as we spend some time discussing Jesus as the suffering Savior. Truly, no one has lowered himself as far below his given station for the benefit of others as the Son of God did when He left His place beside His Father in heaven to come to earth. Choosing to be born as a babe in humble circumstances, He rose to manhood thoroughly acquainted with the griefs of the world and prepared to lead His fellow man out of the darkness of sin into the light of God’s grace.
    Paul described the Lord’s earthly sojourn with these words, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).
    By humbling Himself, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, put both the will of His Father and the welfare of the human race above His own interests and well-being as a man. Moreover, He did it without compulsion, acting of His own free will, as He Himself said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him Who sent Me… For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father” (John 6:38; 10:17-18; see also Luke 19:10).
    By acting in accordance with His Father’s will He chose to suffer for sinners, knowing that most of them will reject the sacrificial gift He has offered on their behalf. Nonetheless, both He and God the Father deemed the salvation of those who would accept God’s gift of grace as sufficient reason for them to implement their plan to redeem mankind. A plan set forth because of the great love that God has for His creation.
    Although we often talk about Jesus’ death the fact is, He lived His life with a singular purpose— to save man from eternal punishment and to provide a heavenly home for those who choose to become citizens of His kingdom. Only, after devoting His entire life to obedient service (Luke 2:49; John 10:25; 15:10), and implementing the plan given by heralding the coming kingdom and preparing His disciples to carry on upon His ascension, did He lay down His life for us.
    As with His entire life, the last twenty-four hours played out according to prophesy. He was betrayed by a friend (Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 26:14-15, 48-50, 52-56). He was a righteous or falsely accused sufferer (Psalm 69; John 15:25; Romans 15:1-3; Matthew 26:59-60), and without proper examination His faithful testimony was deemed a lie (Matthew 26:63-66). He was a victim of treachery, deceit, betrayal, lies and political manipulation (Mark 15:3; Luke 23:2; John 19:12-15).
    After His betrayal He was abandoned to His fate by His followers (Matthew 26;56), who had proclaimed their willingness to die with Him (Matthew 26:33-35). Not only did they run, but Peter, perhaps His most ardent follower, denied Him with an oath and curses (Matthew 26:69-75).
    After the mockery of the trials He was subjected to, and a rush to judgment Jesus was beaten and mocked, then presented to the people (John 19:1-3), before Pilate examined Him one last time, and bending to the will of the Jewish leaders and the crowd turned Him over for crucifixion (John 19:1-16). At the end, beaten so severely He could not bear the burden of the cross alone, Jesus was crucified between two criminals (Luke 23:32-33).
    In the final hours of His life Jesus was forsaken (Psalm 22:1-31; Matthew 27:39-44, 46; Hebrews 2:12), calling out in the end, “"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” After His death one of the Roman guards pierced His side driving his spear through His lungs and heart validating His death. It was only after His ordeal on the cross was over that two of His followers took courage and claimed His body (John 19:38-40). However, His story was not over!
    Three days later Jesus Christ stood resurrected, becoming the chief-cornerstone of the kingdom He had come to earth to establish and die for (Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:22-32; 13:35-37; Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:20; I Peter 2:6-8)!  

by Roland W. Keith

Tomorrow millions of people will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Although we are not commanded to do so in scripture, many will take the time midst the more commercial exchanges to offer a prayer, or sing a song, or read a few verses from the Bible to honor God’s great gift to man, esteeming the day above others during the year for that purpose (Romans 14:4-6). Others will, in fact, give little or no thought to our Savior. As Christians we may want to take a few minutes to tell our children and grandchildren the Biblical account of our Savior’s arrival on earth (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 2:1-40), noting that every day is a good day to meditate on what God has done for us. Having said that, today we will consider the life of Jesus in our study.
    According to John’s account: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). Jesus is the eternal Son and Creator, Who humbled Himself according to His Father’s plan and came to earth, taking the form of man. In obedience to God the Father, in the likeness of men, He prepared humanity for the coming kingdom of God, and then gave His life on the cross to purchase it with His own blood (Philippians 2:5-8). Having accomplished all that he had been given to do He returned to His heavenly home, where, as Paul wrote, “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
    For the earnest Christian tomorrow is just another day in the year that we honor the divine birth and life and sacrifice of the child called Immanuel, that is to say, “God with us,” giving thanks for God’s saving grace (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23). For us Jesus’ birth fulfilled God’s promise of a Messiah, the One who would not only lead us to God, but Who would tear down the barrier erected between God and man because of sin (Matthew 27:50-51; Hebrews 10:19-20), by paying our ransom with His own life, thus redeeming us from our sins (Matthew 10:45; Titus 2:11-14). As Messiah, Jesus was a man without sin, Who’s life and death not only won our eternal freedom, but is also an example of how each one of us should live our lives (I Peter 2:21-22). It is because of what Jesus has done for us that we can, no matter how sinful we have been, be assured that God will forgive the penitent heart, for we now have a perfect high priest, Who has Himself been tempted as we are yet has overcome, and is now our mediator before the throne of God (Hebrews 4:15-16; I Timothy 2:5).
    During His life Jesus left no doubt as to Who He was. His knowledge and understanding of scripture, His teaching, and authoritative ownership of God’s word and revelation astounded people (Luke 2:46-49; Matthew 7:28-29). Furthermore, He asserted His claim to deity by saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 4:16). Not only did He claim to be the truth, but that the truth (that is He is our Savior), would set those free, who truly followed Him (John 8:31-32). Having accomplished His earthly task and resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-19).
    Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in human terms— He died for others. In His case He gave His life in place of ours. An innocent man paying the penalty for the guilty. It is due to that sacrifice that God is willing to forgive our trespasses of His commands (Ephesians 1:7-10). He has reunited God and man through His blood. Noting the Son’s sacrifice Peter wrote, “And if you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:17-21).
    Some may point out that many have given their lives for others, and that is true. However, few innocent people have been willing to die in the stead of a guilty person. And only one perfect being has given His life for sinners. And, only the Son of God, our Creator, has died for His creation. Moreover, Christ proved Who He was not only by the life He lived, but more specifically by the many miracles and works that He did, and even more specifically by rising from the dead (Matthew 28:5-6). So essential is the resurrection to the validity of Christianity that Paul wrote, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (I Corinthians 15:12-14). Yet, Jesus resurrection was verified- by over 500 eyewitnesses (I Corinthians 15:1-8). Had these evidences not prevailed in first century Jerusalem and beyond no one today would have ever heard of the carpenter’s Son from Nazareth.
    The result of Jesus’ life is the New Testament, God’s final covenant with man on earth, which includes the gospel plan of salvation (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; see Mark 16:15-16; also Acts 2). For those who heard Peter’s gospel account on the Day of Pentecost and asked, “What shall we do?”, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; 22:16). God has given us a way to escape the eternal punishment that awaits those who reject Him. The question is why would He give such a rebellious race an opportunity to enjoy eternity with Him? According to John, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18).
    God has no desire to condemn the world or a single soul in it. However, His justice requires the condemnation and punishment of sin. Therefore, in order to ascertain justice and to be able to extend His infinite grace to man, because of His great love for man, He came up with a plan that would satisfy His justice and permit the redemption of all men who are willing to come to Him in obedient acknowledgement of what He has done for them (Romans 5:6-9). It is by the grace of God that we may be saved (Ephesians 2:8010; Titus 2:11); a free gift that exceeds all the wealth of the world, extending God’s love and salvation throughout eternity in heaven.
    When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth, He told His followers, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:1-4). Jesus left us a roadmap or plan to get to heaven. All we have to do is follow His instructions; that is, follow in His footsteps. He has already cleared the path for us. The sacrifices we are asked to make in following Him are small in comparison to what we gain in pursuing the truth and calling on His name. What we can look forward to on the other side of our physical death makes what we have in this life pale in contrast.
    Paul once wrote, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:13-17). There is a great day that awaits those who trust in the Lord. He Who gave His life for us, has also prepared an eternal home for those who accept His invitation to join Him. Will you be one of those on that day who clasps our wonderful Savior’s hand giving thanks to Him as He welcomes you into His heavenly abode? Merry Christmas to all!

by Roland W. Keith  

As a book the New Testament makes a rather remarkable claim about the leader of its cause. According to Luke’s account the angel Gabriel visited a young, betrothed virgin named Mary, telling her, “’behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God’” (Luke 1:31-35). Subsequent to this conversation the angel visited her fiancé, Joseph, to prepare him for this immaculate birth as well (Matthew 1:20-23).
    Many a work of fiction has dealt with the gods and their offspring, some might say. There is only one problem with that assessment. The New Testament is not Greek mythology. It is not an epic poem or story. It is not a fairy tale. Nor is it a tragedy for the stage. It is, in fact, not a story at all. From a publishing standpoint it is a collection of writings and letters unrelated by intent of writing. That is to say that there was no collaboration or intentional building upon one another’s work among the authors. For instance, Luke acknowledged that others had written accounts of the events surrounding the life of Jesus yet having followed the events himself felt that it was good for him to write his own account to Theophilus (Luke 1:1-3). Peter mentions the writings of Paul (II Peter 3:15), marking a distinction in their writings by saying of Paul’s work “according to the wisdom given to him.”
    There were eight or nine writers of the New Testament, depending on whether Hebrews was written by Paul (I think so) or an unknown author. There are four gospel accounts written by four men (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). One history written by Luke. There are 21 letters written by five men (John- 3, Peter- 2, James- 1, Jude- 1, Paul- 14). And, there is one book of revelation, written by John. So, if these writings are unrelated by intent and were not meant to be part of a larger body by the writers (not being fully bound together for several centuries (A.D. 400)), then how did they become one? First, the writings had a common theme or goal. To share with others the writers experiences with a single man— Jesus Christ, and to inform the world of His deity and teachings regarding God and salvation. Two, they had a common audience. Three, each work was one of inspiration that was providentially separated from lesser writings and slowly coalesced into a single volume.                
    That’s two paragraphs to get to this— The New Testament is not a story in itself, nor a collection of fiction. It is a collection of eyewitness accounts, inspired teachings and revelation written and passed on to us at great peril to the men who wrote them. They risked life and limb to spread the knowledge they had been given. Their purpose and goal was for all of humanity to come to know of that child heralded by Gabriel, Who would grow up with a purpose of His own— to save all who would come to Him from their sins. So, Who is Jesus?       
    According to Moses He was a prophet like himself, raised up by God to turn men from their wickedness (Acts 3:22-26). To Matthew though, He was more than just a prophet: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus Himself acknowledged the heavenly testimony of God calling Him His Father when He told His followers to abide in Him and keep His commandments (John 15:1-11). Later, Jesus would ask His disciples, “‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16; see also John 9:35-38). Peter’s answer reflected not only what Jesus had been teaching them about Himself, but the evidence that He had provided them through His miracles and teachings.
    In his history of the early church Luke recorded Peter’s gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost, when he declared, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it…This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus Whom you crucified” (Acts 2:22-24, 32-36). Had Peter spoken false words to that audience Christianity would have died right there, before it had even really started. The advent of the church succeeded because Peter spoke the truth, eliciting the listeners own personal knowledge as evidence of what he was saying. They had witnessed Jesus' works for themselves, and for those willing to acknowledge that and make the connection Peter was laying before them there was only one correct response to his call for repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus.
    As deity Jesus is the Son of God, the second member of the Godhead and the source of eternal life (I John 5:20). As a man, He was the Son of God, the son of David, and the son of Mary, sent to earth to be the Messiah. As such His job was to herald the kingdom of God and prepare man for its inception. It was also His job to offer His life as a ransom for all who would hope to enter that kingdom. John also called Him the “propitiation for our sins” (I John 2:1-2), because He continues as the ransom for our sins from His throne in heaven. He was by turns a carpenter and a rabbi (Mark 6:3; John 3:2), and so much more. Much as Peter called on his audience as its own witness, Paul reminded his readers of all those of past generations who had borne witness of the Christ, in one way or another, describing Him as the “founder and perfecter of our faith,” Who, having accomplished His work was seated at the right hand of God awaiting those who would endure in His name (Hebrews 12:1-2).
    Paul would also describe Jesus as not only the Son of God, but as the “apostle and high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1-6). Who do we pray to? God the Father. But in Who’s name do we pray? In the name of the Son. He is the mediator between His Father and men (I Timothy 2:5). However, He is more than just an arbitrator, as Paul made clear to the Hebrews: “Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). Not only does he mediate the new covenant between God and man, both the covenant and its promise of eternal life were established by His death— purchased with His blood as our redeemer.
    Do we sometimes take what Christ did for us for granted? How often do we pray in His name, read from His word, or discuss His life without really meditating on it? How often do we catch ourselves daydreaming in the church pews on a Sunday morning? Jesus pushed me out of the way of an oncoming car, stepped between me and the gunman and took the bullet meant for me, pulled me from a burning building moments before it collapsed, gave me the last seat on the lifeboat before slipping into the icy waters. You say He didn’t do any of those things? How about this— when I deserved death, both physical and spiritual, He died a most excruciating death on a cross, and innocent man just for me. So that I do not have to spend an eternity separated from God. He might not have taken a bullet for me, but he did die for me. And, He did literally pull me away from falling into the fires of hell.
    In Revelation John wrote this to the seven churches, “from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’ (Revelation 1:5-8).
    Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the Dead, the Ruler of Kings. And, because He loves us and was willing to come to earth and die for us— the Savior of Man.   

By Roland W. Keith
 
 
    What does it mean to fall away from God? To fall from grace? Many in Christendom believe that such a thing cannot happen, that once one is saved, they are always saved. After all, it was Jesus Himself Who said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:37-40). However, to understand what Jesus is saying here we must focus on a key word used twice in this text— that word is should. As used, it is an auxiliary function to express the futurity of an outcome that is probable or expected. It is not an absolute or foregone conclusion.
    Jesus would go on to say, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand” (John 10:28-29). Here we focus on another word: will. Although it is not always used in absolute terms, here it is used to express the inevitability of what is being said. No one has the power to “snatch” a child of God from the grasp of his Savior. So how do we reconcile these two statements of Jesus’ concerning salvation? It is God’s will that all men should be saved (I Timothy 2:3-4), but clearly that is not the case. Many will reject God outright. But, what about those who have come to Christ and accepted Him as Savior? Are they not protected? The answer is yes— as long as they are obedient. All men— saved or unsaved— maintain their free will. No outside force can pull us away from God. If we lose our salvation subsequent to being saved it will be an inside job. It will be because we voluntarily forfeit what God has given us. You see, falling away is synonymous with turning away from or turning our backs on our Savior after all He has done for us. We should be saved after accepting Christ as Lord and obeying the gospel, but ultimately the choice is ours (Philippians 2:12).   
    In his letter to the Hebrews Paul wrote, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29). In similar fashion, Peter wrote, “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first” (II Peter 2:20). It is a notable, and sobering warning, that Peter said of such people, “For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (v. 21).
    It is clear that neither Paul nor Peter are addressing the unsaved about their spiritual condition, but are speaking to those already sanctified, and issuing a warning as to the consequences of turning back to the world after having received the gift of salvation. The New Testament is full of examples of those who had jeopardized their eternal standing. Simon the sorcerer was warned to repent and pray for the possibility of forgiveness (Acts 8:9-24). Paul turned Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan with the hope that they would learn not to blaspheme (I Timothy 1:18-20). Demas deserted Paul (and the Lord) because he turned back to his love for the world; and, there is no indication that he ever returned to the church (Titus 3:10). In his letter to Titus, Paul instructed him to have nothing more to do with those within the church who stir up division after one or two warnings, writing that “such a person is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11).
    God did not spare the angels of heaven when they sinned, nor will He spare us if we leave our position in the church (II Peter 2:4-9; Jude 1:6). Certainly, He knows how to, and is willing to rescue us from our trials, but when they are self-inflicted, we must repent. The prodigal son was received by his father with great joy, but only after he came to himself and returned to his father’s house (Luke 15:11-32). On the other hand, Judas Iscariot was a legitimate disciple of Jesus, casting out demons, anointing and healing the sick, and testifying for the Lord with the other apostles (Mark 6:11-13), yet he ultimately turned his back on the Lord and betrayed Him (Mark 6:11-13; 14:10; Luke 6:16; 22:3; Matthew 26:14-16). Of him, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21).
    Judas is not alone in the Bible as one who turned from God, forfeiting the promise given to him. An entire generation died in the wilderness because of their failure to trust in God and obey Him. Speaking of them Paul wrote, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:11-12). With regard to those of us under the new covenant Paul additionally wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (I Timothy 4:1-2). These can be numbered among those who have escaped the defilements of the world, only to become entangled in them again (II Peter 2:20-22).
    So, how or why do some who have salvation in their grasp give it up? Many believe there is a God, and that Jesus is His Son, but they do not trust God to deliver His promises, much as the Israelites in the desert suffered from this form of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19). Others will be misled by men who twist the truth to draw them away (Acts 20:29-30). Still others will fall under the weight of tribulation or persecution (Matthew 13:20-21). However, the greatest number perhaps will suffer condemnation in a manner wholly self-inflicted— because of their own selfish desires. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (II Timothy 4:3-4). John also seemed to recognize the continual draw of the world among many in the church warning, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:15-17).
    Those who continue to be tempted by the world must find a way to submit their will to that of God. Moreover, while God does not shield us from the world, He does have our back, as Paul noted, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (I Corinthians 10:13). For our part we must remain diligent, trusting in the Lord. Not only does He provide an escape, He provides the tools we need to overcome (II Peter 1:3-10; Ephesians 6:12-18). We also must have a determined, disciplined approach to how we live as Christians (I Corinthians 9:27). God has given us the play book, but we are the one’s responsible for properly executing it, so we must study the book and execute its commands appropriately. For those who are successful Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death” (John 8:51; Acts 10:32).
    When we fail, and we will fail, we do not fall back; instead we repent, and move forward, knowing that God will forgive the penitent heart (I John 1:9; Revelation 2:5). The sincere Christian takes his own salvation and his responsibility to others seriously. He seeks wisdom and strength through the word, via prayer, in fellowship, and in action. There is no better way to become good at something than by practicing it. We have all heard the old saying “practice what you preach.” Well, for the Christian that should be a way of life. We should be doing the Lord’s work, stirring one another up to do more, worshiping and fellow-shipping together (Hebrews 10:24-25; I Corinthians 10:16).
    Those who succeed in their Christian walk seek to instill the qualities of Christ in themselves, such as those mentioned by Peter (II Peter 1:5-10). He learns to let love abound toward all men (Hebrews 13:1-6). The Christian learns to deny himself for the sake of Christ (Matthew 16:24-25), sacrificing himself for others.  He becomes a diligent watchman, confident in the strength he has gained in Christ (I Corinthians 16:13). And, he is sober-minded, willing to suffer for what he believes in (II Timothy 4:4-8), certain of victory.
 

by Roland W. Keith

    Last week in our discussion of life and happiness we considered the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way” (Philippians 3:13-15). We may not be able to truly forget the past in every respect, but we do not have to be one of those people who spend more time looking backwards than than they do ahead.
    We can learn from the past, but we can’t change it. So, take life’s lessons and use them to move forward. That includes letting go of our tendency to judge others from a purely selfish (self-righteous) perspective, and holding on to old grudges, remembering that judgment awaits all of us, therefore it is best to get our own house in order first (Matthew 7:1-5). As Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). It is amazing how much understanding and tolerance we can gain when we take a hard look at ourselves before criticizing others. We may just discover we’re all bailing water out of the same boat, so its best to work together.
    One of the stepping stones to happiness is in discovering that we all have more in common than we realize. We have all fallen short (Romans 3:23), we will all be judged (Revelation 20:12-13), we all need God’s mercy (Romans 11:32; Hebrews 4:16; I Peter 1:3; 2:10), and we can all find salvation in Jesus (Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16; I Thessalonians 5:9; Titus 2:11). It is easier to get along with others when we focus on our commonalities rather than our differences. And, it is easier to be happy with ourselves when we judge ourselves in humble regard to the teachings of Christ.
    Another stepping stone to true happiness is in learning the power of positive thinking. For the Christian that begins with the word of God and the wisdom imparted there (Job 12:13; 28:12-28; I Corinthians 1:24, 30; James 1:5). When we meditate upon His word it becomes the source of enlightenment that will forever change how we view and live life. Among the scriptures are these words from Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:4-9).
    Peace and happiness are within our reach. Not every minute of every day. There will always be sadness and loss, pain and disappointment or regret. But for the Christian those periods can be all but washed away in the joy and contentment of knowing Jesus Christ. Even our sadness can be tinged with the understanding that our lives upon this earth are but a moment in eternity, and that peace awaits the followers of Christ on the other side of death.
    Like all things worth having happiness and contentment require something of us. Paul said we needed to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, holding fast to the word of life (Philippians 2:12-16). To me the hope of salvation is the ultimate manifestation of happiness or joy. If we truly believe that all of life’s upsets can be held in the proper perspective. As Paul wrote, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).
    The faithful, obedient Christian is heir to the promises of God (Romans 8:14-17). We have a Spirit who intercedes for us when we are struggling, but calling on the Lord; moreover, we can rest assured that all things work for our good in a spiritual, eternal sense (Romans 8:27-29). Therefore, no matter what the world throws at us we can be at peace with ourselves and live in peace with others, so long as it is within our power (Romans 12:18). Along with Paul we can abound, no matter what the circumstances, because our happiness and joy are bound up in the promises of God, not in the pursuit of worldly things are how the world treats us. Christ and our Christian family are the source of our comfort.
    This world, and this life are temporary. We are just passing through on our way to another place, as John wrote, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
    What greater source of happiness is there than to know what awaits us in eternity? Why let the world get you down? Ask, and God will not only guide you in the here and now, but He will also prepare a home for you in the hereafter. All you have to do is obey His call.