Know Your Bible

VOL. 13 December 14, 2014 NO. 41

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HAVE YOU CLOSED YOUR EYES, STOPPED YOUR EARS, AND HARDENED YOUR HEARTS?

It is obvious that God has given us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to understand. Although this is true, many do not see, nor hear nor understand God's Will for their lives. Why is this true?

In Mt. 13:14-15 Jesus explained why He spake unto the multitudes in parables. He said: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross (have grown dull-NKJV) and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them ('and their sins be forgiven them’”- Mark 4:12). See Mark 8:14-21; 4:11-12; Acts 28:24-28.

Although many people have closed their eyes and cannot see, Jesus said unto His disciples: "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." (Mt. 13:16). Paul desired that "the eyes" of the "understanding" of the saints be "enlightened" that they might know some spiritual things. (Eph. 1:18).

Are you able to see and read God's Word? Are you doing so as you should? (See Eph. 3:4; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; Rev. 1:3). Are you thankful that you have eyes with which you can see and read the Word of God? Have your eyes been closed to any thing that the Word of God teaches?

Although in times past God told the people to hear His Words, many refused to hear. The Lord said "They have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not..." (Ezekiel 12:2).

In Mark 4:9 Jesus said: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus said to the seven churches in Asia: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; Rev. 3:6, 13, 22). In Mark 4:24 Jesus said: "Take heed what you hear..." and in Luke 8:18 He said: "Take heed therefore how ye hear…"

To have saving faith we must hear the Word of God. (See Rom. 10:17). We cannot have faith unless we understand what God's Word teaches. Inspired men of God wrote it down so we can read and understand it. (See Eph. 3:2-6; 2 Tim. 2:7; Proverbs 2:6; Nehemiah 8:7-8).

Our faith must cause us to obey the Word. We must repent of our sins, confess our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and be baptized for the remission of sins so we can be washed in the blood of Christ and become children of God. (See Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:37; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:26-27). As God's children we must continue to live and walk by faith! (2 Cor. 5:7; Rom. 1:17). We must worship and serve God according to His Word.

We must never close our eyes, stop our ears or harden our hearts to anything that God's Word says on any subject. Have you closed your eyes or stopped your ears or heartened your heart to anything God's Word says?

—Carroll R. Sutton

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THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

The majority of religious denominations, which I am familiar with, believe that salvation from sin comes through the blood of Christ. In this respect, they are correct. If salvation could be had without His blood, there would have been no need for Christ coming to this world and dying on the cross. Thus, the blood of Christ is absolutely essential when it comes to our being cleansed from sin. Jesus Himself said, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." So, while there is agreement in the religious world concerning the need of Christ's blood for the remission of sins, there is much discord over the question: How do we contact the blood of Christ?

Ask yourself: Are you willing to accept the Bible's answer to this question? If so, read on. If not, read on anyway! "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"(Romans 6:3-5). Christ shed His blood in His death. When we are baptized into His death, we contact the blood which He shed in His death. Is that not simple to understand? It is so simple we would have to have help to misunderstand! We are baptized INTO His death and we are buried WITH Him by baptism. Baptism relates to BOTH the death and burial of Jesus Christ. Yes, His blood was shed on the cross sometime before His burial but the plain words of Romans 6:3 are: "baptized into his death"

From what Romans 6:3-5 teaches, what possible conclusion could anyone reach than we are to contact the blood of Christ in baptism? Have you contacted the blood of Christ?

—E.R. Hall, Jr.

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THE JEWEL OF CONSISTENCY

Stealing is a grievous sin, listed along with other grievous sins. Those who practice such shall not inherit the kingdom of God. "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9,10).

One steals from God by withholding that which rightfully belongs to God -- by failing to give as he has been prospered (1 Cor. 16:1,2; Mal. 3:8-10).

One can even steal the Word of God. God brought this charge against the prophets of Judah: “Therefore behold, I am against the

prophets, says the Lord, who steal My Words everyone from his neighbor" (Jer. 23:30). They stole God’s Word by teaching the people their

own word rather than the Word of God.

It continues today. Christ, with all authority in heaven and on earth, plainly said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16). When one teaches salvation is by faith only, he steals from the people what Christ

actually said. Jesus said, "He who believes (but He did not stop there) and is baptized will be saved." To teach that baptism is not essential to

salvation is to make the same kind of mistake for which God condemned the prophets of Judah.

The epistle of James gave Luther, with his salvation by faith only concept, a world of trouble. He called it a pile of straw. it is still giving advocates of Luther's doctrine a world of trouble, for James said, "You see than that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (Jas. 2:24).

Paul said, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something

to give him who has need" (Eph. 4:28). If this is good counsel in regard to material matters, how much more in spiritual matters when

multiplied millions in every generation need salvation!

Do not rob the lost, of the Word of the Son of God, that tells them what they must do in order to be saved from sin and its dreadful

consequences.

Do no forget what God said to the false prophets of Judah: "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal My Words every one from his neighbor" (Jer. 23:30).

—Billy Norris

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