The Never Failing Scriptures

The Claims of the Scriptures

The writers either told the truth or else they did not. If they did not tell the truth about this [i.e. that they were writing by inspiration], then how can we put any confidence in anything else they said? Why should they desire to misrepresent the truth? If they did misrepresent the truth in their claims to inspiration, then they condemned themselves most severely. The apostle Peter’s second letter was written for the sole purpose of rebuking false prophets and deceivers. One could hardly find anything that even resembles it outside of Holy Writ. The apostle Paul often Warned his reader to “lie not one to another.” In the first chapter of Romans, he listed deceit as one of the deadly sins committed by the Gentiles, which caused God to “give them up unto a reprobate mind.” The beloved John Was very outspoken against those who misrepresent the truth. He tells how Jesus rebuked some of the Jews in strong language, thus: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the Way of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof” (John 8:44). In Rev. 21:8 John writes: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and idolaters, and all liars. their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” It is inconceivable that these men could write such bitter denunciations against all who misrepresent the truth when they themselves made false claims about the revelation which they gave to us.

L.R. Wilson

Life Line Printing and Book Co. 1948. Pages 11-12

THE PURPOSE OF PREACHING

Jesus has given the command to go and preach the gospel. Mark 16:15-16 states, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

When Jesus used the word preach in this passage, he used a word that conveys a unique concept. Preaching is a proclamation of a message. It is a declaring of one’s position. Therefore, it is a very common form of presentation that is heard day after day by someone somewhere peddling their positions, whereas genuine Bible preaching is a very unique thing. Nothing can take the place of real Bible preaching, nor can its power really be measured.

BIBLE PREACHING REFUTES FALSE IDEAS

Over and over again Christ and the apostles challenged the false positions of their day through preaching. Jesus refuted the false teachings of the Jewish teachers of His day. Notice His rebuke of them in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 is but one example of many incidents of the Lord’s hatred for false doctrine. Though He had supreme love and compassion for the sinner, he hated every false way, for He knew that such would cause souls to be lost. Peter, in his sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2) as well as Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill (Acts 17), are two illustrations of how Christ and the apostles used the medium of preaching to expose error. We must do the same.

BIBLE PREACHING EXPLAINS THE SCRIPTURES

Bible preaching comes from the Bible. It is a presentation and an explanation of the greatest book in the world, the Bible. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, filled his sermon with quotations from the Old Testament. But, notice that it was not just a Bible quoting session; rather he went on to explain the scriptures which he used. There was no doubt in the minds of his hearers as to how these scriptures should be applied (Acts 2:16, 25). Gospel preaching must be Bible based and centered (Acts 2:17-21), but it must also let the people know what the scripture means and how it applies today. A person can read the Bible at home for him self. He can memorize every verse in the Bible, but if he misses the Bible’s proper explanation and application, then he has gained nothing toward growing in faith (II Peter 3:18). Bible preaching is based on God’s Word and is a correct explanation and application of that Word.

BIBLE PREACHING CONVICTS MEN OF SIN

In Acts 2, Peter let his audience know they were sinners (Acts 2:36). There was no misunderstanding him about the matter. He exhorted them to do something about their spiritual condition (Acts 2:40). Peter stirred their consciences (Acts 2:37). Paul’s sermon to Felix caused Felix to tremble (Acts 24:25). Bible preaching is to convict men of their sins and exhort them to turn to the living God.

We need a revival today of the preaching that we hear. We need a return to first century preaching—the kind of preaching that is filled with the Bible—preaching that causes the hearer to realize his condition and urges him to do something about it. Then we will see, as the Word of God instructs, that it is indeed “quick, and powerful, and sharp er than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).

Author Unknown

WILL KNOWLEDGE SAVE?

In chapter four of Hosea, God condemns Israel for her refusal to obey His Word. In verse 1 we note, “Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” What a desolate condition!

This was a time when there is no truth. A time where the mercy of God is not accepted nor is the knowledge of His goodness respected. God says  that the people have separated themselves by “swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery…” (cf. Hosea.4:2). In verse 6 the ancient prophet penned words of destruction due to the malady of the time, hear him, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

It is the case that the people of Hosea’s day had refused to acquire and live by knowledge of the Word of God. They never thought of the penalty for their neglect in all likelihood. They were going along to get along and practicing the same sins as the people about them while God had commanded them to be separate or different from those nations around them, but this seems to have never entered their thought process. They wanted to be like the nations about them when they desired a king. God granted them their wish, but their desire led to great suffering and turmoil.

As Hosea writes God is rejecting His priests and His people. He even forgets their children. A calamity exists in the land that does not respect and know God. We are taught in the Scriptures that eternal life is to “know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). It is rather obvious that there is trouble in our land this day in the year of our Lord, 2014.

Unless we come to a knowledge of God, man will be lost. We remember a classic passage in Judges 2:10 that address situations like this. “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” The first generation out of Egyptian bondage perished in the wilderness.

The second generation is the one that Judges is addressing who were faithful. The third generation was lost because they did not know the Lord. They served Balaam while forsaking the Lord.

Are we talking about an antiquated condition? No! A thousand times NO! We are describing present day America. We are talking about a time when God is respected less and less. There is lying, swearing, killing, stealing, adultery and the list goes on and on. Filth and turmoil fill our news programs while the Bible is closed on the shelf and most of all closed to our hearts. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Knowledge alone will not save. It must be applied to the heart of man. The condition of our time is such that we had better WAKE UP, OPEN UP and READ UP if we want to GO UP to heaven some day. All one has to do is read the front page of the newspaper and we see Hosea all over again.

Harrell Davidson

What We Hear Today

From the same pulpits where brave and faithful men stood we are hearing:

  1. Salvation is by grace alone. There is nothing man can do toward his own salvation.
  2. Others are saying we are saved by faith alone.
  3. We are told that instrumental music is a matter of tradition or opinion.
  4. Pattern theology is to be rejected. We should be less rigid in our beliefs.
  5. The “old paths” mentality should be rejected.
  6. We should not believe we are the only true church.
  7. The Scriptures should not be used as proof texts.
  8. We need to give women a more prominent role in the church.
  9. Preachers are swapping pulpits with denominational pastors.
  10. Fellowship among all who believe in Christ should be practiced.

B.C. Carr

Salvation in the New Testament Is Ascribe to Eight Causes

We are said to be:

  • “saved by grace” (Ephesians 2:5)
  • “saved through his life” (Romans 5:9-10)
  • “saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:31)
  • “saved by baptism” (I Peter 3:21)
  • “by faith and baptism” (Mark 16:16)
  • “By the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5)
  • “By the gospel” (I Corinthians 15:1)
  • “By calling upon the name of the Lord” and “by enduring to the end” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; Matthew 10:22)