What Meanest Thou, O Sleeper? Born of the Flesh and Born of the Spirit. What Are They Among So Many? God Is Not Helping Us

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1 Wat Meanest Tou, O Sleeper? By Timoty J. ille of Asland, Illinois Jona 1:1-17 Wat meanest tou, O sleeper? arise, call upon ty God, if so be tat God will tink upon us, tat we peris not (Jona 1:6). No doubt most of you are familiar, at least in passing, wit te Bible record of te propet Jona. e was called of God to go and preac to te city of Nineve, By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia but e fled from te presence of Jeova, te living God, in disobedience and sougt to flee from is God-given responsibility. e tougt evil of God s command, and e did not appreciate God s program of preacing to te eaten and granting tem repentance. e (Continued on page 46) Wat Are Tey Among So Many? Tere is a lad ere, wic at five barley loaves, and two small fises: but wat are tey among so many (Jon 6:9)? In te beginning of tis capter, we ave an account of te time wen te Lord Jesus Crist fed a ost of 5,000 men wit te meager store of five barley loaves and two small fises. Tis is a momentous and memorable occasion, being recorded in eac of te gospels (See Matt. 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, Jon 6). Toug our text describes te number of men as 5,000 men, we find tat in a parallel account we are told tat te total number of te persons was somewat more: And tey tat ad eaten were about five tousand men, beside women and cildren (Matt. 14:21). Te crowd of people could ave exceeded ten or fifteen tou- (Continued on page 50) Born of te Fles and Born of te Spirit By Lucien J. Le Sage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana Jesus said, Tat wic is born of te fles is fles; and tat wic is born of te Spirit is spirit (Jon 3:6). So exactly wat does tat mean? Wat does it mean to be born of te fles? Wat does it mean to be born of te Spirit? Wo are te ones born of te fles? Wo are te ones born of te Spirit? ow is one born of te fles? And By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma finally, ow is one born of te Spirit? Wat does it mean to be born of te fles? It sould be apparent tat Jesus is speaking of two birts ere. One tat is natural and one tat is spiritual. To be born of te fles means to be born (Continued on page 66) God Is Not elping Us A long-time friend recently said to me, God is not elping us. We go to curc and try to do rigt by everybody. My usband applies for jobs, but cannot get work. We just aren t getting by. We can t pay our bills. People tell us tat God is just testing us, but wat is te use of trying to serve God and do rigt? Tis lady as attended Baptist curces from er yout. Se went on to say tat er usband does not any longer want to attend curc services. S e v e r a l tougts and feelings immediately surfaced in tis preacer s mind at earing tese words. Some of us ave been saring food wit tis couple and oters ave elped (Continued on page 55) e tat is full of imself is very empty. A man s pride sall bring im low: but onour sall upold te umble in spirit (Proverbs 29:23).

2 Page 46 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Marc 5, 2014 Volume XXXIV, Number 3 Wole Number 416 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. 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DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. Berea Baptist Banner PO Box 39 Mantacie, Mississippi (662) request@bereabaptistcurc.org bbcurc@nexband.com Planning a move? Please let us know your new address. Te post office carges us $.57 for eac returned wrong address. Wat Meanest Tou (Continued from page 45) was a self-centered person, in and of imself; and e did not view tings as God viewed tem, except wen e was castened and scourged by God s rebuke and stern correcting rod. e even ad to ride in a wale s belly for tree days and tree nigts. Even toug e was, apart from God s mercy and grace, very rebellious; yet e was used of God so tat is very life experience was a testimony of te gospel of te Lord Jesus Crist, wo was buried in te eart of te eart for tree days and tree nigts (Matt. 12:39-41; Luke 11:29-32). Beloved, you wo ave believed on te Lord Jesus Crist and wo call upon te name of te living God are, as Jona was in is day, a sign and a witness and a testimony to tis generation. You are cosen and called of God to be a sign unto te people about you and to wom God sends you by is oly Spirit s leading and guiding, and is providential ruling over your life. As Jona s life and preacing were to be a testimony of te Lord Jesus Crist, wo is te centerpiece and sum of all true Bible propecy and preacing; so, too, you are to be living testimonies, living epistles known and read of all men, lamps sining and giving ligt in te midst of a dark, crooked, perverse generation. Your lives are to testify of te grace of God tat bringet salvation to all men troug te sed blood and mediatory office work of is Son Jesus Crist. Sadly, many Baptists are like Jona. Tey are rebellious to te call of God. Tey ad rater go te opposite direction tan tat wic God as commanded. Tey ad rater engage in anoter program, follow anoter plan, and work toward a different result, tan tat wic God as decreed, ordained, and cosen. Because of teir spiritual indifference to te Word and will of God, tey ave fallen into a spiritual state of slumber. Wile tose about tem peris for want of te gospel and te trut of God, tey sleep! Wile te devil rages, tey recline in drowsiness and unconcern! Wile teir friends, family, acquaintance, neigbors, coworkers, classmates, and cildren go swiftly down te broad way wic leads to destruction, tey do noting but take teir ease, unalarmed, undisturbed, uncaring, and seemingly unconscious of te woe and doom tat sall soon come! In our text, we see te sipmaster running to and fro troug te sip. e is making every possible effort to try and save te sip and tose aboard. e sees no ope but to call upon God; but yet in trut e does not even know God. e is a eaten, Gentile, infidel, and worsipper of idols. Yet, e finds one in te old of te sip, a passenger, wo, toug every oter person on te sip is about to peris because of te fierce and raging storm tat as come upon tem, and wile all oters are calling in desperation upon teir false gods seeking deliverance, sleeps away and knows not even wat is taking place. e is astonised at te man s complacence, indifference, and seeming ignorance. Does e not know tat all sall soon die, and tat most miserably? Does e not know tat tey sall all be lost, except tere be some urgent and miraculous deliverance? Does e not know tat tey are all in te worst extremity tat could be imagined, and witout ope? Wat kind of a man is tis, wo can sleep wile e and all about im are about to die most violent and awful deats? e exclaims, wile arousing tis dull and apatetic person, Wat meanest tou, O sleeper? arise, call upon ty God, if so be tat God will tink upon us, tat we peris not. Is it not strange ow people can perform te very same outward action, and yet te caracter, meaning, purpose, and outcome of tat action be entirely different? Te ypocrite can pray as well as te just man; but te ypocrite receives te reward of is praying from men, wile te just man is eard in secret of God and answered by God. Te ypocrite can give alms and perform beneficent acts of rigteousness and goodness toward oters, wic e does to be seen of men, and from men e receives applause and onor; wereas te just man, by is alms and acts of rigteousness, wic e performs in secret te rigt and not knowing wat te left and is doing for God s onor and glory, receives in due time te praise of God, and is blessed of God. We see te propet Jona asleep on a sip in te midst of a great storm wic, if unabated, would surely destroy te sip and tose aboard. If we look in te New Testament, we may see im wom Jona prefigured, te Lord (Continued on page 47)

3 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 47 Watering te Tulips By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama Te Old, Old Story For I know tat my redeemer livet, and tat e sall stand at te latter day upon te eart: And toug after my skin worms destroy tis body, yet in my fles sall I see God: Wom I sall see for myself, and mine eyes sall beold, and not anoter; toug my reins be consumed witin me (Job 19:25-27). It is often tougt tat Old Testament saints knew noting of Jesus. Tis simply is not true. Job is considered to be te oldest book in te Bible by most scolars. And yet, our text is a clear declaration of te coming Redeemer. Let us consider a few tings tat Job affirms ere centuries before Jesus was born in Betleem. First of all, Job unesitatingly admits is own sinfulness. Job undoubtedly saw imself as a sinner and guilty before God. Tere would be no need to be redeemed if tis were not true. Job s confidence in eternal life was not wrapped up in is own works, but in te work of te coming Redeemer. Secondly, Job understood tat te Son (te 2nd person in te Trinity) was very muc alive during is own lifetime. Tere is muc confusion about te incarnation today. Many suppose tat Jesus did not exist until e was born to Mary and laid in a manger in Betleem. But, tis is not so. Te first few verses of te Gospel of Jon plainly declare, In te beginning was te Word, and te Word was wit God, and te Word was God. Te same was in te beginning wit God. All tings were made by im; and witout im was not any ting made tat was made (Jon 1:1-3). And later, And te Word was made fles, and dwelt among us, (and we beeld is glory, te glory as of te only begotten of te Fater,) full of grace and trut (Jon 1:14). Te Son is as eternal as te Fater. Tirdly, Job knew tat is redeemer, Jesus, would one day reign on tis eart. Job s declaration tat Jesus would one day stand at last on te eart pointed fort to Crist s coming as King. Yes, tat very one tat would bruise te ead of Satan (Gen. 3:15) will one day reign over tis eart as te King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 20). Fourtly, Job fully understood te resurrection from te dead. e anticipated a time tat after [is] skin is destroyed, tis [e knew], tat in [is] fles [e] sall see God. Toug te Sadducees doubted te resurrection from te dead during te ministry of Jesus, Job looked forward to suc a grand event. Job s confidence was similar to Paul s, For tis corruptible must put on incorruption, and tis mortal must put on immortality (I Cor. 15:53). Lastly, my friends, Job longed for suc a time. e said, ow my eart yearns witin me! Is tis te attitude tat we ave today or are we far too attaced to tis sinful world? Can we say wit Jon, even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20)? Be encouraged, cild of God. Te same One tat you trust in today is te One tat was promised long ago to take te place of is seep and purcase tem back from te fall. Wat Meanest Tou (Continued from page 46) Jesus Crist, asleep in a boat on te sea of Galilee in te midst of a terrible storm, wile te disciples figt in fear for teir lives as te wind beats te waves into te boat ensuring teir doom if deliverance cannot be found from anoter quarter. Yet, wile Jesus slept in perfect peace, secure in te fait wic e ad in is eavenly Fater s care and will; Jona slept in complete indifference and rebellious exaustion from fleeing and defying te will of God. I ask you, beloved: wen you lay you down to sleep, do you sleep as Jesus, or as Jona? Do you sleep in fait, or in disobedience? Do you sleep in te peace of God wic passet all understanding; or do you sleep in te willful indifference and ignorance of an uncaring and unconcerned eart wic as wearied itself wit te pursuit of eartly cares and comforts, and as crowded out te call of te Master to go to te unconverted and testify of te grace of God unto tem, lest tey peris? Many today attend curc services, put money into offering plates and tite boxes, sing spiritual songs and ymns, and listen to Bible teacing and preacing. Yet, some do so for one reason, and some anoter. Some do so because tey love te Lord Jesus Crist, and tey are seeking to let teir ligts so sine before men tat men may see teir good works and glorify teir Fater wo is in eaven. Oters are doing so to be see of men for sure, mostly by temselves and teir own self-rigteous, willful conceits; to receive te applause and onor tat comes from men rater tan tat wic comes from God only; to get teir religion in; and to seek teir own temporal benefit and eartly gain by way of religion. Jona was asleep, but not because e ad grown weary from doing God s will and needed a respite. God ad not said to im as Crist did to te disciples wen tey were so busy tat tey ad no time even to take a meal, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a wile (Mark 6:31). No, Jona ad wearied imself in running from God and from God s will. e ad not been bearing te burden of te Word of te Lord, nor taking upon im te yoke of Cristian service and Crist-like cross-bearing. e was not weary from bearing is broter s burden, and so fulfilling te law of Crist. No, e was asleep for a sameful reason. e slept te sleep of te drunkard, wo is unconscious and knows not wat befalls imself and tose around im. e slept te sleep of te slotful, taking is rest wile vital work and opportunity were left undone and ignored. e slept te sleep of te fool, wo knows not tat it is day, and te nigt comet wen no man can work. Wat business ave you ere today? Are you ere today because you love te Lord Jesus Crist, e as called you out of te darkness of your sin into is marvelous ligt by te trut of te gospel, and you ave set your lamp upon te lampstand of is kind of New Testament curc in support of te gospel being preaced among all nations and te name of Crist magnified in te earts and lives of men? Or (Continued on page 48)

4 Page 48 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Wat Meanest Tou (Continued from page 47) are you ere because of some oter reason? Are you like Jona, in a sip eading in a direction of your own devising and not God s? Are you, like Jona, fraugt wit cares and worries and fears of eartly and carnal tings, and not concerned about te souls of men lost, and dying, and on te road to ell? Are you, like Jona, asleep wen you ougt to be aroused to te pligt of te perising souls of men about you, wo are about to be plunged into te abyss, into outer darkness were teir portion forever sall be unending weeping and gnasing of teet, were teir worm diet not and te fire is not quenced? Are you, like Jona, senseless to wat is going on about you, eedless to God s Word and will, and in reality bringing trouble and sorrow to tose about you by your feckless, foolis, and flesly living? Beloved, I tink te majority of Baptist curc members are sleeping spiritually today. To tem could be said as Paul said to te Epesians, Awake tou tat sleepest (Ep. 5:14), (Ep. 5:8-17). It is not a time for engaging in worldly pursuits and pleasures, a time for spiritual slumber and drowsiness, a time for lackadaisical and slotful religion (Rom. 13:11-14). It as been said many times by many Baptists, particularly in recent years and days, tat it is not wrong to engage in te pleasures and enjoyments of tis world and tis temporal life. I say tat it is wrong if te time is not a time tat is appropriate and fit and seeming for suc tings. Wen wat is needed is prayer, devotion, mourning over sins and backslidings, zeal and earnestness, steadfastness and faitfulness, and someone to stand in te gap, ten it is certainly not a time for spiritual tings to take a backseat to oter tings. It is a time to seek first te kingdom of God and is rigteousness. It is a time for wole-earted devotion and service to te God of our salvation, and not a time for laying back and taking our ease and finding our own pleasure. People today beave as toug tey ave no spiritual concerns, no spiritual priorities, and no spiritual responsibilities. Tey beave as toug tings are well in all quarters and no problems exist. Was tat not Jona s condition? e was beaving as toug te seas were calm, te wind and weater fair, and is companions aboard sip were not in jeopardy of losing teir lives and souls in a migty tempest. Are you beaving as toug your kindred and acquaintance are not on te road to ell at tis very moment? Are you living as toug te curces of God are in a condition of great spiritual prosperity and peace, wen tey are in reality in a great decline? Are you conducting yourself as toug te true gospel of God was everywere being preaced wit liberty and unction from on ig, wen in reality tere is little trut being eard and most of te so-called gospel tat is being proclaimed in pulpits, on te radio, on te television, and on te Internet is in reality no gospel, but a false, man-made, devilinfluenced doctrine tat makes men two-fold more te cildren of ell? Are you beaving as toug men were stepping forward and standing in te gap, taking up te cross of our Lord Jesus Crist, filled wit te oly Spirit, and bravely trumpeting out te gospel of is pure and precious blood and eternal and endless love; wen in reality, we see and ear of few wo will bear te Master s yoke and stand fast in te fait once and for all delivered unto te saints? Wat will it take to arouse and alarm you wo are sleeping today? Wat will cause you to be stirred from your slumber so tat you become sensible to te tempestuous state of tings about you, and you become concerned tat tose about you are on te brink of eternal woe and ruin? Wat will cause you to fall upon your face to your God and Fater in eaven, beseecing on te grounds of is tender and everlasting covenant mercies tat e would grant revival to is curces, send fort laborers into is arvest, and save our cildren, grand-cildren, greatgrand-cildren, neigbors, civil leaders, and eaten in te regions beyond? ow can you sleep wen all is about to be lost? I tink te rebuke tat was given to Jona is quite instructive for us. Many ave, wen emotionally stirred but not spiritually instructed, set out upon courses of action tat were scripturally untenable and Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM spiritually unprofitable. Many will spasmodically be stirred up from time to time, and set forward on a course of conduct for a little wile, only to soon settle back into teir condition of indifference and indolence. Beloved, wen a cild of God becomes spiritually aroused and revived, wat will tat person do? Arise, call upon ty God, if so be tat God will tink upon us, tat we peris not. Te first act of a regenerated eart is to call upon God. Te life of a bornagain believer is a praying life, because it is a believing life, and prayer is te action of believing. Te first ting you need to do if you ave been asleep and not fulfilling God s will in your life is return to living by prayer. And you need to pray about specific tings in te Spirit according to God s will. If you ave no eart for praying for te tings tat God tells you to pray for in is Word, ten your eart as a serious problem, and you need to repent of your great wickedness and obstinacy toward God. First of all, you need to pray tat God would forgive you and oters like you of your spiritual sleeping and indifference. Ten, you need to pray tat God would eal you and restore you and revive your and oters concern and zeal for te tings of God. Ten you need to pray tat God would save your lost kindred, acquaintance, neigbors, community and civil leaders, and tose wo in oter parts of te world are earing te gospel from faitful servants of God. Ten you need to pray tat God would call men into te ministry, true, sound, faitful men, wo will receive te divine deposit of trut and be faitful stewards of te mysteries of God; and tat God would send tem (Continued on page 49)

5 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 49 Wat Meanest Tou (Continued from page 48) fort as laborers in is field and vineyard. You need to pray for your pastor and is ministry, tat God would supply im wit mercy and grace to prove faitful, and tat God would elp im fulfill is ministry wic God as given im. You need to pray likewise for oter ministers of te gospel, tat God would elp tem to ave a good conscience and to andle faitfully te Word of life, not making sipwreck of te fait, but contending faitfully for te fait. You need to pray for one anoter daily, tat God would grant grace and wisdom to your broters and sisters in Crist, tat eac one migt sow fort te praises of im wo called you out of darkness into is marvelous ligt by a oly and rigteous deportment and walk; and tat eac one migt, as pilgrims and strangers upon te eart, sow by teir living tat tey look for a city wic at foundations, wose builder and maker is God, and tat tey seek a better country, tat is an eavenly. O, can you or rater, will you pray for tose wo are perising? Will you, like Crist, take compassion on te ignorant and out-of-te-way, te alf-dead, te brand tat must be swiftly plucked from te fire before it is consumed? You may be saying witin yourself, Tey would not listen to me. Tey do not need to listen to you, tey need to listen to God; and e is able to rouse tem from te deadness of teir sins and give tem life. You did not listen to many people wo told you of God s saving grace and power in is Son Jesus Crist; but wen God called you, you eard and you came. Your first responsibility is to pray for tem, and make intercession for tem, according to te will of God and te Word of God (I Tim. 2:1-6). God wo rouses te backslider is also te One wo rouses te lost sinner and awakens im or er from te slumber and unconcern of teir lost, sinful, and perising state, to lay old upon Crist By Ricard. eaterly of Wingo, Kentucky It as always been relatively easy to draw curious crowds to religious gaterings by appealing to teir intellect or emotions, but extremely difficult, actually impossible apart from te supernatural work of te oly Spirit in regeneration to get men to come to Crist in true salvation. In Mark 5:24-33 we ave te incident were te woman wit te problem of profuse bleeding is seeking Jesus for ealing, and being indered by te crowds around im. In Luke 11:52 Jesus tells te lawyers (tose wo were experts in te knowledge of te Mosaic law, but wo despised and rejected Crist;) tat tey not only refuse Crist, but get in te way of tose wo would come to im. In Mark 2:4 men trying to get a sick man to Jesus ad to tear up te roof because of te crowd of spectators, some of wom accused Jesus of blaspemy and denied is deity. Luke 8:19-21 tells us te moter of Jesus and is broters were not able to get to im for te crowd wo did not ave any real interest in knowing is Word. Luke 19:1-7 tells of te sinner Zaccaeus s difficulty getting to Crist because of crowds of people wo saw temselves as te only ones rigteous and deserving salvation. and im crucified for salvation and eternal life. Will you obey im in praying for sinners, and in seeking teir salvation by way of witnessing to tem of te grace of God and te preacing of te Word of God? Wen Crowds Get In te Way All wo know and love te Lord Jesus Crist long to see people come to Crist in salvation. And tose wo know im would rater ave te curc ouse filled tan to see empty seats. Te Scriptures do make it clear tat tere will be multitudes in eaven. owever, wen crowds become more important tan glorifying Crist and olding faitful to is Word tey can become a great indrance to te work of God. It is not only not a elp, but a indrance wen a curc troug compromise and desire to please everyone sets out to gain crowds of people by using worldly metods. Tose wo are brougt into te curc tis way may be religiously zealous but tey are unsaved. Because tey ave usually been led by some person to make a profession of fait or give teir eart to Jesus and not by te power of te oly Spirit. Terefore tey can not love and obey Jesus Crist and is Word (I Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:7). Tat kind of crowd, no matter ow ric, cultured, or educated, is a indrance to te work of God, not a blessing. All of God s preacers wo are onest will tell you tat tere are many people in te curces wic are not only no elp in glorifying Jesus Crist and getting out te gospel, but wo are actually a indrance and te curc would be better off witout tem. Tose wo would use Proverbs 11:30 as proof to defend te false doctrine of man-centered evangelism and promote te title of soul winner to men are making an exegetical mistake. Tere is no suc doctrine in te Word of God teacing tat men can win souls. Listen to tat verse in Proverbs: Te fruit of te rigteous is a tree of life; and e tat winnet souls is wise. Te context of te verse sows tat it is te fruit of te rigteous (te saved) wic is te source of te object (winnet souls) and not te effort of te person. Galatians 5:22 and Epesians 5:9 clearly sow tis, tat te fruit of te born again believer is solely te work of te oly Spirit and not any effort of te person. Listen to tose verses, But te fruit of te Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, fait (For te fruit of te Spirit is in all goodness and rigteousness and trut). In Galatians 2:20 Paul makes it distinctly clear tat te work in us is Crist in us....wo ten is Paul, and wo is Apollos, but ministers by wom ye believed, even as te Lord gave to every man? I ave planted, Apollos watered; but God gave te increase (I Cor. 3:4-6). Tis seems to make it clear tat for any person to claim to ave won any soul to Crist would be to claim credit for a work wic only te oly Spirit is capable and worty of. Some men wo claim to believe (Continued on page 50)

6 Page 50 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Wen Crowds Get (Continued from page 49) te doctrines of grace make statements suc as I believe te doctrines of grace, but you cannot build a curc preacing tem. Tere are several problems wit suc reasoning. First, Jesus Crist said e would build is curc. e never even intimated tat we were to build it. Ten second, if tese doctrines are taugt in te Word of God as tey say tey believe, it is at least foolis and at te most blaspemy to say tat tey cannot be used to build a curc. Ten tirdly, if a preacer cannot build is curc on te Scripture, ten wat is e building it on? Tis migt sed ligt on wy so many curces today seem to pay so little attention to te preacing of te Word in practical living. If you cannot build a curc on te preacing and teacing of te Word of God, ten wat you are building is crowds and not a curc; and it matters not ow large you build it, tose crowds are a indrance and not a blessing. Wat Are Tey (Continued from page 45) sand persons. Yet, ow ever many persons were present, te Lord did someting tat was not umanly possible: e took five barley loaves and two small fises; e distributed tis small amount of food to is disciples; and is disciples did dispense tis food to a multitude. And ten, after tey ad all eaten and been filled, tey took up twelve baskets tat were full of te fragments (See Jon 6:13). Wat a manifestation of te power, grace, and mercy of God Almigty! For te purposes of our study, I want us to concentrate on te question tat Andrew, Simon Peter s broter, asked of te Lord Jesus concerning te small amount of food, and te large multitude to be fed, Wat are tey among so many? TE GOSPEL OF JESUS CRIST Many commentators see a picture of te Gospel of Jesus Crist, represented for us in our text, in te form of te five barley loaves and te two small fises. Is it not amazing tat someting so small can feed so many? Is it not likewise amazing tat someting so (apparently) ordinary as te gospel of Jesus Crist wic gospel comes from suc umble beginnings can grow in power and effect until tat gospel is effective unto te salvation of souls in all corners of te eart? Tese five barley loaves, were probably of a baser sort of bread. In oter words, tis was not a bread made from some fine weat flour. Rater, tis was a sort of bread tat migt be eaten by te poorer folks. And yet, in many ways, tis common bread is a good picture of te way in wic te Gospel of Jesus Crist is someting tat is common to all of tose tat are saved; and, it is, for te most part, te blind, te poor, te sick, te weak, and te sinners tat were called out and saved in te time of Jesus Crist, and for most of te times tat ave passed since ten. I suppose tat tese first disciples migt ave wondered, Wat is tis message tat we preac? Wat is te ope of us few, and tis gospel tat we proclaim? Wat is tis Word of God among so many? Tere were just a few of te disciples gatered togeter ere especially wen compared to te trong of tousands tat were assembled ere today. In fact, at te end of te day, tere were probably not many more tan just te twelve tat were loyal to Jesus Crist (See Jon 6:66-67). And yet, just tese few could (and would) proclaim te gospel of Jesus Crist wit great success. Later on, te Apostle Paul would take up te cause of Crist, and e would say tis about te power and effectiveness of te gospel of Jesus Crist: So, as muc as in me is, I am ready to preac te gospel to you tat are at Rome also. For I am not asamed of te gospel of Crist: for it is te power of God unto salvation to every one tat believet; to te Jew first, and also to te Greek (Rom. 1:15-16). Te gospel of Jesus Crist wic some may count as a common, or small, or insignificant ting is, in fact, te power of God unto salvation. If souls will be saved, it will be troug te preacing and belief of te Gospel of Jesus Crist. is DON T COMPLAIN IF YOUR READING BASKET IS EMPTY! Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 03/2014 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t complain if your reading basket is empty! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. deat, burial, and resurrection must be proclaimed and believed if souls will be saved. Te world (and we, too) may doubt te power of te gospel of Jesus Crist. Te world may tink tat tis message is puny or insignificant just as many may ave doubted tat five barley loaves and two small fises could feed 5,000 men. And yet, tis gospel is migty! Te power of te grace of tis gospel is invincible! For te preacing of te cross is to tem tat peris foolisness; but unto us wic are saved it is te power of God. For it is written, I will destroy te wisdom of te wise, and will bring to noting te understanding of te prudent. Were is te wise? were is te scribe? were is te disputer of tis world? at not God made foolis te wisdom of tis world? For after tat in te wisdom of God te world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by te foolisness of preacing to save tem tat believe. For te Jews require a sign, and te Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preac Crist crucified, unto te Jews a stumblingblock, and unto te Greeks foolisness; But unto tem wic are called, bot Jews and Greeks, Crist te power of God, and te wisdom of God. Because te foolisness of God is wiser tan men; and te weakness of God is stronger tan men (I Cor. 1:18-25). TE BREAD OF LIFE In muc of te rest of Jon capter 6, te Lord Jesus Crist preaces and teaces in suc a way, as to reveal imself as te all-important Bread of Life. Te world may consider tis Bread of Life to be insignificant. Te wisdom and te religion of tis world may consider te Bread of (Continued on page 51)

7 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 51 Wat Are Tey (Continued from page 50) Life to be someting fabricated by men, or someting to be clung to by te weak, te poor, and te foolis. Oters may say, Wat is tis Bread among so many? ow can suc a man and suc a doctrine be te salvation of so many? Tey may ridicule us, but we ave at our disposal we ave te glory and onor to proclaim te glorious Bread of Life wic came down from eaven! Tis Bread of Life our Lord Jesus Crist is capable of filling all te eart, and filling all te desires of te sons of God. e is te sustaining Grace of God, and te inexaustible Life of Men. I am tat bread of life. Your faters did eat manna in te wilderness, and are dead. Tis is te bread wic comet down from eaven, tat a man may eat tereof, and not die. I am te living bread wic came down from eaven: if any man eat of tis bread, e sall live for ever: and te bread tat I will give is my fles, wic I will give for te life of te world (Jon 6:48-51). Werever men call upon te name of God, te Lord Jesus Crist is te Bread of Life. Te world would ave no life, witout te presence and te power of te Son of God. Tere would be no life in mankind, were it not for te Bread of Life wo is Jesus Crist. Of course, tese were ard tings, and ard teacings for te Jews to understand. At te end of te capter we read tese words: Many terefore of is disciples, wen tey ad eard tis, said, Tis is an ard saying; wo can ear it? Wen Jesus knew in imself tat is disciples murmured at it, e said unto tem, Dot tis offend you? Wat and if ye sall see te Son of man ascend up were e was before? It is te spirit tat quickenet; te fles profitet noting: te words tat I speak unto you, tey are spirit, and tey are life. But tere are some of you tat believe not. For Jesus knew from te beginning wo tey were tat believed not, and wo sould betray im. And e said, Terefore said I unto you, tat no man can come unto me, except it were given unto im of my Fater. From tat time many of is disciples went back, and walked no more wit im ( Jon 6:60-66). Te average person yea, te unquickened and unregenerate person, cannot and will not understand te need to partake of Jesus Crist. e is our salvation! e is te source of our eternal life! e is te bread of wic we must partake, if we are to partake of spiritual and everlasting Life! Upon te eels of tese events, te Lord Jesus Crist turned to te disciples tat remained, and e wondered aloud if tey would remain wit im. Of course, te response of Peter and te oters is very famous indeed! Ten said Jesus unto te twelve, Will ye also go away? Ten Simon Peter answered im, Lord, to wom sall we go? tou ast te words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure tat tou art tat Crist, te Son of te living God (Jon 6:67-69). Te Crist, te Son of te living God, is our Bread of Life. Te Crist, te Son of te living God, is vital to our salvation, and to partake of im is not only indispensable; but, to partake of im is also all tat we need. We do not need te doctrines of men we only need Jesus Crist! We do not need te approval or te guidance of eartly religions we only need Jesus Crist! We do not need te standing or te prestige of eartly wisdom we only need Jesus Crist, te Bread of Life! Te manna tat te cildren of Israel partook of in te wilderness of Sinai, was a wonderful food. Toug e ad commanded te clouds from above, and opened te doors of eaven, And ad rained down manna upon tem to eat, and ad given tem of te corn of eaven. Man did eat angels food: e sent tem meat to te full (Ps. 78:23-25). Yet, even tis angels food was but coarse fare, wen compared to te Bread of Life! Ten Jesus said unto tem, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not tat bread from eaven; but my Fater givet you te true bread from eaven. For te bread of God is e wic comet down from eaven, and givet life unto te world. Ten said tey unto im, Lord, evermore give us tis bread. And Jesus said unto tem, I am te bread of life: e tat comet to me sall never unger; and e tat believet on me sall never tirst (Jon 6:32-35). TE PEOPLE OF GOD It seems tat te world is full of wickedness and wicked men. It seems tat te race of mankind is doomed to grovel and wallow in iniquity and same. Te dominions and places and powers of men are only poor and sinful. In eac of te Synoptic Gospels, as tey give an account of tis miracle of te feeding of te five tousand, we are told tat te disciples and te crowd tat tronged tem were in a desert place. And wen te day began to wear away, ten came te twelve, and said unto im, Send te multitude away, tat tey may go into te towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are ere in a desert place (Luke 9:12), (See also Matt. 14:15, Mark 6:35). And yet, in te place were Crist is, tere is muc grass, and tere is sustenance from God. And Jesus said, Make te men sit down. Now tere was muc grass in te place. So te men sat down, in number about five tousand (Jon 6:10). Te Psalmist once said, e maket me to lie down in green pastures: e leadet me beside te still waters (Ps. 23:2). I know tat te prase desert place as it is used in te accounts of tis miracle, probably mostly refers to te fact tat tere were no fields and no source of food immediately at and. But, I tink tat we ougt to also understand tat we, te people of God, do wander tis eart as it were a desert place, and a place of te dead and te dying. And yet, wen we are near Jesus, everyting is better. Wen Jesus Crist is nig, ten tere is muc grass, and tere is sustenance. owever, it seems tat tere are only a few tat are called out by God. Tere are some few wo are saved by God s grace. And, tese few are ordained to someting better a better occupation, and a better vocation in tis life; and a better and more glorious future in te realms of eaven in te eternity to come. Tis life is not our ome, but we belong to a better fate, and our earts and souls are desirous of better and iger tings. Toug we are few among many, still we are reacing out for someting tat is more glorious tan tese pleasures and attractions of tis mortal realm. And yet, wile we are ere on tis eart, we migt ask, Wat are we among so many? Wat effect, and wat influence can we ope to ave, amongst suc a wicked place and iniquitous race? (Continued on page 52)

8 Page 52 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Wat Are Tey (Continued from page 51) Well, we, te people of God, are te elect of God, te ones wo are called unto is purpose. And, we, te people of God, are te salt of te Eart. We read te words of te Lord Jesus in te Sermon on te Mount, Ye are te salt of te eart: but if te salt ave lost is savour, werewit sall it be salted? it is tencefort good for noting, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are te ligt of te world. A city tat is set on an ill cannot be id. Neiter do men ligt a candle, and put it under a busel, but on a candlestick; and it givet ligt unto all tat are in te ouse. Let your ligt so sine before men, tat tey may see your good works, and glorify your Fater wic is in eaven (Matt. 5:13-16). As te saved of God as citizens of te kingdom of eaven ours is a wondrous and blessed place. We are te representatives of God in te world of men! And yet, in tese verses tat we ave just read in te Sermon on te Mount, te Lord Jesus also provides a warning: but if te salt ave lost is savour, werewit sall it be salted? it is tencefort good for noting, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. I suppose tat it seems tat in tese last days tere are fewer and fewer of us tat will boldly proclaim te Word of God. It seems tat te numbers of te cosen ave diminised, wile te ranks of te followers of Satan ave multiplied. And, we spend our times commiserating wit ourselves, and we say to ourselves, Tis is ow it is supposed to be. We refer to suc Scriptures as I Timoty 4:1, II Timoty 3:1-5, and II Timoty 4:1-5, and we complain tat, Te time is upon us! Men will no longer tolerate te gospel of Jesus Crist, and te Bread of Life tat we proclaim! Wat are we among so many? Well, I want you to know tat te (seeming) demise of true Cristianity, is not te fault of te world; rater, te fault can be laid at te feet of tose tat ave failed to properly proclaim te gospel of Jesus Crist! Notice tat our Lord warned tat te salt may lose its savour. Tis, I fear, is te problem today. Surely, every generation of God s people as lamented te fact tat many will reject Jesus Crist. And, every generation of God s people as lamented te fact tat many will even violently oppose te propagation of te Word of God. But, in many of te generations of our forefaters, te people of God toug few in number ave still striven to preac and teac te Gospel of Jesus Crist. And yet, te people of God in our generation and peraps in te last few generations ave largely laid down te task given to us, and we ave taken up lives of ease. We are largely bereft of te savour tat is needed to not only differentiate ourselves from te world of men, but te savour tat is needed to provide a pleasing odor unto God, and te savour tat is needed to preserve te lives of men on te face of tis eart. O, ow seldom is te Gospel of Jesus Crist proclaimed wit trut and vigor! O, ow rare are te times in wic te people of te world are properly warned of te need to repent and demonstrate fait in Jesus Crist! Peraps, tis is wat te Lord spoke of wen e said, Neverteless wen te Son of man comet, sall e find fait on te eart (Luke 18:8)? Te lack of fait amongst men ougt not be laid at te feet of te wicked, so muc as it ougt to be laid at te feet of te Cristians wo ave not sared te gospel and te bread of life wit oters. Satan is not now more powerful tan e was tougt it seems tat is influence in tis world is greater tan it was. Rater, it may be argued tat te salt of te eart is not now as effective as it once was. owever, I do not want to leave you in a depressed or opeless state of mind. Yes, we tat are saved are few among many. Yes, it seems tat muc of te conviction tat once possessed our people as been lost. Yet, te world as only progressed in wickedness, wile we ave languised and failed in our own courage and resolve. But, we still serve an awesome God! We are still te servants and te ministers of te invincible Word of God! We need only turn to im, and rely on im, and e will give us success as e sees fit! From te Pen of a Country Preacer Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Beold te Lamb of God Te next day Jon seet Jesus coming unto im, and sait, Beold te Lamb of God, wic taket away te sin of te world Jon 1:29)! Our text is te notable words of te greatest preacer born among women to is earers. Tere was a time wen Jon did not know Jesus Crist as te glorious Messia. But from te moment e witnessed te descent of te Spirit upon Jesus after is baptism, Jon ceased not to cry: Beold te Lamb of God! Te next day e repeated tis same prase: Beold te Lamb of God! (Jon 1:36). Te Baptist Te world may laug, and tey may say, Wat are tey among so many? We may doubt, and we may cry out, Wat are we among so many? But, te Lord as a purpose, and te Lord will work out is will amongst te sons of men. And, amazing as it may seem, te Lord will use us te poor and miserable saints of God as te tools and te instruments by wic e will accomplis is will and is purpose. Do not trow up your ands in despair! Neiter sould you resign yourself to defeat! God will still yet save souls; and, God will still yet ave is Word proclaimed in tis world. Now ten we are ambassadors for Crist, as toug God did beseec you by us: we pray you in Crist s stead, be ye reconciled to God (II Cor. 5:20). ever rejoiced in te coming of Crist and continually preaced about im. Jon te Baptist was an ideal preacer. e was not given to extreme emotionalism. No angry rebuke is uttered ere to sinners. Jon just makes a simple declaration of God s trut. Wat better work can any minister engage in today? Is it not our supreme duty to set fort te gospel of God s grace? Yes, it is our great duty to set fort te Person and work of Crist to a lost world. (Continued on page 53)

9 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 53 Beold te Lamb (Continued from page 52) Tis is te trut of God, ligt from eaven, power from on ig. God is pleased to use tis simple trut to rouse sinners. Te most expressive and common figure used of Crist in te Bible is tat of a lamb. In tis message I want us to beold te Lamb as e is presented in te oly Scriptures. First, let us beold im as PREFIGURED IN OLD TESTAMENT TYPES. In Revelation 13:8 te Apostle Jon writes of Crist as te Lamb slain from te foundation of te world. Tis does not mean e was actually put to deat from te foundation of te world, but tat it was te Fater s plan and purpose to give Crist as a sacrifice from eternity past. It was an event so certain tat it migt be spoken of as actually ten occurring. Te trut of Crist dying for te sins of is people was constantly represented by bloody sacrifices from te earliest ages tat it migt be said tat e was slain from te foundation of te world. In Genesis 4:4 we see rigteous Abel offering te firstlings of is flock to te Lord to sow is fait in a coming Redeemer. Tis act of Abel foresadowed te firstborn Son of God, te spotless Lamb wic would take te sins of men away from te justice of God. Some years later anoter lambtype of Crist appears. Wen Abraam and Isaac were going to Mount Moria tis conversation is recorded: And Isaac spake unto Abraam is fater, and said, My fater: and e said, ere am I, my son. And e said, Beold te fire and te wood: but were is te lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraam said, My son, God will provide imself a lamb for a burnt offering; so tey went bot of tem togeter (Gen. 22:7-8). Abraam s answer ad respect to te coming Messia, God s appointed and approved Sin- Bearer (Jon 8:56). In Exodus 12 God instituted te Passover for te nation of Israel. Te ead of eac ouseold was to take to tem every man a lamb (Ex. 12:3) and slaugter it on te evening of te 14t of Nisan. Tis lamb was to be a male witout blemis and spot (Ex. 12:5). Te sedding of te blood of te pascal lamb pointed to te sedding of te blood of God s Lamb, Jesus Crist. Tis wole affair was designed to direct teir fait to a far greater deliverance by Crist (eb. 11:28). I Corintians 5:7 says: For even Crist our passover is sacrificed for us. Peter tells us ow we are redeemed wit te precious blood of Crist, as of a lamb witout blemis and witout spot (I Pet. 1:19). Many tings about te pascal lamb was typical of Crist our Passover. First, it was to be a lamb wic was slaugtered. Crist is called te Lamb of God by Jon te Baptist. Second, it was to be a male in te prime of life. Crist was a male Wo offered imself in te midst of is days. Tird, it was to be witout blemis. Crist was witout spot. Fourt, it was to be set apart four days before slaugter. Jesus entered Jerusalem four days before is crucifixion. Fift, it was to be slain and roasted wit fire. Tis denoted te extreme sufferings of Jesus Crist. Sixt, it was to be killed by te wole congregation in te evening. Crist suffered in te end of te world (eb. 9:26) at te ands of te leaders of te Jewis nation (Luke 23:18). Sevent, not a bone was to be broken of te lamb. According to Jon 19:33, 36, not a bone of Crist was broken. In te tabernacle, and later in te temple, two lambs were offered as a daily sacrifice to te Lord. Exodus 29:39-41 relates: Te one lamb tou salt offer in te morning; and te oter lamb tou salt offer at even: And wit te one lamb a tent deal of flour mingled wit te fourt part of a in of beaten oil; and te fourt part of a in of wine for a drink offering. And te oter lamb tou salt offer at even, and salt do tereto according to te meat offering of te morning, and according to te drink offering tereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto te LORD. At about 9 o clock in te morning te priest would slay te first lamb in te nortwest corner of te altar. At about 9 o clock in te afternoon e would slay te second lamb in te norteast corner of te altar. Tis pointed to Jesus Crist, te Lamb of God. e was crucified at te tird our, or about 9 o clock in te morning. e died te nint our, or 3 o clock in te afternoon (Mark 15:25, 33-34). Te continual offering of te lambs signified te ever-abiding efficacy of Crist s blood. As te Lamb of God e continues to take away te sins of is people (I Jon 1:7). Wat were te Old Testament saints expected to do? Tey were expected to beold te Lamb of God in types and sadows. Tey were to see Crist coming to give is blood as te Lamb of God for te remission of te sins under te first testament. In te tabernacle and temple worsip and in te Passover, tey were to beold God s coming Lamb. Te Propet Isaia beeld te Lamb in is day, undreds of years before Jon te Baptist did. e penned tese words of Crist: e was oppressed, and e was afflicted, yet e opened not is mout: e is brougt as a lamb to te slaugter, and as a seep before er searers is dumb, so e openet not is mout (Isa. 53:7). Now let us beold im IN NEW TESTAMENT ANTITYPES. Te subject of te book of Revelation migt be said to be: Beold te Lamb of God. Twenty-eigt times Jon speaks in tis book of Crist as a lamb. In picturing Crist in propetic symbol in eaven Jon speaks of im as a Lamb as it ad been slain (Rev. 5:6). Ten e tells us tat te four and twenty elders fell down before te Lamb (Rev. 5:8). Te saints in eaven are seen beolding te Lamb in worsip, saying: Worty is te Lamb tat was slain to receive power, and rices, and wisdom, and strengt, and onor, and glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12-13). In Revelation capter 6:1 te Lamb is seen opening te book wit seven seals. Tis capter closes wit ungodly men trying to escape from te wrat of te Lamb (Rev. 6:16). In capter 7 a great multitude is seen in eaven, saying: Salvation to our God wic sittet upon te trone, and unto te lamb (Rev. 7:10). Tis great company of Gentile nations ave wased teir robes, and made tem wite in te blood of te Lamb (Rev. 7:14). Te Lamb is said to feed tem, to lead tem, and to wipe away teir tears (Rev. 7:17). In te 12t capter te saints are said to overcome te devil by te blood of te Lamb (Continued on page 54)

10 Page 54 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Beold te Lamb (Continued from page 53) (Rev. 12:11). Anticrist is said to imitate Crist by taking to imself two orns like a lamb (Rev. 13:11). In capter 14:1 Crist is seen as a a Lamb on Mount Zion. Te 144,000 wo are wit im are tey wic follow te Lamb witersoever e goet (Rev. 14:4). In capter 14:10 te beast worsippers are said to be tormented in te presence of te Lamb. In capter 15 te victors over te beast are said to sing te song of te Lamb (Rev. 15:3). In capter 17:14 te ten kings of te revived Roman Empire are said to make war wit te Lamb. Capter 19:7 mentions te marriage of te Lamb, wile verse 9 discloses te marriage supper of te Lamb. In capter 21:14 te walls of te eavenly Jerusalem ave te names of te twelve apostles of te Lamb. Te Lamb is said to be te temple in te New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22) and te ligt of it (Rev. 21:23). Tose wo enter te city are tose wic are written in te Lamb s book of life (Rev. 21:27). Jon informs us tat in te city is a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of te trone of God and of te Lamb (Rev. 22:1, 3). If one begins to read te first book of te Bible, Genesis, in te Old Testament, e will beold Jesus Crist as te Lamb of God. On te oter and, if e reads te last book in te New Testament, Revelation, e will beold te Lamb of God. Te wole Bible centers in, points to, and revolves around Crist as te lamb of God! It beooves us to beold TE WORK OF TE LAMB OF GOD. Te work of God s appointed Lamb is stated by Jon te Baptist: it was to take away sin. Eac word in Jon s profound statement is worty of our consideration and intense study. Let us wit great reverence and earty pleasure examine eac word. First, Jon said: BEOLD... * Jon is saying, Listen to me. ere stands te One typified by all te Old Testament lambs in te tabernacle and temple. ere is te One foresadowed by te pascal lamb. e is not a lamb, but te Lamb of God. People of Israel, before you stands God s appointed Sin-Bearer promised by te patriarcs, priests, and propets on centuries past. Look upon te Redeemer Wo will give imself a ransom for many. Second, Jon said: Beold TE LAMB... * Like te little inferior creature tat is so valuable to man, Jesus Crist is meek and umble as a lamb. Crist is patient and useful as a lamb. e is te servant of Jeova Wo came as a lamb to te slaugter (Isa. 53:7). To te Jewis mind tis suggested te idea of te pascal lamb and te lambs offered in te tabernacle and temple so familiar to tem. Tird, Jon said: Beold te Lamb OF GOD*... Crist was te Lamb wic God te Fater appointed and approved for te redemption of te elect in te Covenant of Grace. Speaking of Crist, Paul said: Wom God foreordained to be a propitiation troug fait in is blood (Rom. 3:25 margin). Te Fater foreordained im to suffer and die before te foundation of te world (I Pet. 1:18-20). Te propet declared: Yet it pleased te LORD to bruise im (Isa. 53:10). Te slaugter of God s Lamb at Calvary was noting more tan wat te Fater by is counsel determined before to be done (Acts 4:28; 2:23). Fourt, Jon said: Beold te Lamb of God WIC TAKET AWAY... * To take away means tat Crist voluntarily took upon imself our sins and bore tem away from us as te scape-goat in Israel (Lev. 16:21). Crist was actually carged wit te guilt of our sins (Ex. 28:38; Lev. 5:1; II Cor. 5:21). Our guilt was transferred to im, and e bore our sins away as far as te east from te west. e took tem away by te merit of is deat: Wo is own self bare our sins in is own body on te tree, tat we, being dead to sins, sould live unto rigteousness: by wose stripes ye were ealed (I Pet. 2:24). O, wat a wonderful tougt for te believer. is sins are clean gone forever. Tey are under te blood of Crist. Te Saviour as put away sin by te sacrifice of imself! (eb. 9:26). Te Lord from eaven bore our sins away wic were offensive to te oliness of God and destructive to te appiness of man. By te Lamb of God we are bot justified and sanctified. Taket denotes a continual act. Tis points to Crist s constant office and work. e is always taking away sin from our guilty conscience upon our confession (I Jon 1:7, 9) by is continual intercession in eaven. And if any man sin, we ave an advocate wit te Fater, Jesus Crist te rigteous (I Jon 2:1). Crist now appears in te presence of God for us (eb. 9:24). We are saved by is deat (Rom. 5:9), and we are kept saved by is interceding life (Rom. 5:10). Fift, Jon said: Beold te Lamb of God wic taket away TE SIN... * Wat is meant by te use of te word sin? It is used in te singular meaning to denote te principle of sin. It suggests te collective burden and all-embracing efficacy of Crist s sacrifice. Te Arabic and Etiopic versions read in te plural--- te sins. But eiter rendering is true. Crist takes away sin as a principle and actual sins committed by individuals. In te ages to come Crist will completely take away all sin and lost sinners from tis planet. Sixt, Jon said: Beold te Lamb of God wic taket away te sin OF TE WORLD. * Tis does not mean every individual person in te world as is sins taken away by Crist, for some die in teir sins and suffer in ell for tem. Only tose justified by Crist ave teir sins removed. By use of te word world Jon means te elect world of Jew and Gentile. Crist is a propitiation for te sins of te wole world of is people (I Jon 2:2). Te legal sacrifice ad respect only to te sins of Israel, but te deat of Crist is not confined to one part of te world or to one race of people. Te Lamb of God purcased pardon for all wo repent and believe te gospel, regardless of teir color, race, nation, or language. Werever tere sall live a sinner trougout te wide world sinking under te weigt of sin and desiring a Saviour, e sall find in te Lamb of God a soulder equal to te weigt. OUR GREAT DUTY It is te cief business of tose saved from sin to tell men to beold te Lamb. Tis is wat Jon te Baptist did. Tose wo eard Jon speak turned to Jesus Crist and followed im. Some preacers are very good at making teir own followers, but utterly fail to make teir earers followers of Crist. Jon led is (Continued on page 55)

11 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 55 Beold te Lamb (Continued from page 54) followers to leave im tat tey migt beold te Lamb. Te Baptist said: e must increase, but I must decrease (Jon 3:30). Tis was te glory of Jon te Baptist. Te early Cristians sougt to get men to beold God s Lamb. Te apostles said: We preac Crist crucified (I Cor. 1:23). Again tey said: For we preac not ourselves, but Crist Jesus te Lord (II Cor. 4:5). Paul told te Corintians: For I determined not to know any ting among you, save Jesus Crist, and im crucified (I Cor. 2:2). Te great responsibility of tose saved by te Lamb is to call upon men to beold te Lamb. Since Crist took away our sins (Rev. 1:5), we must not complain about wat e takes away from us. Wen service to im requires tat we give up farms, friends, and family, we must gladly and willingly give it up for im. We must lose our life for is sake and te gospel. Suffering and tribulations must not deter us in tis important work. CONCLUSION Te more I live in tis world of sin and sorrow, te more I beold of te Lamb of God. Te more I go to curc and read te Bible, te more I beold of God s appointed Sin-Bearer. I wonder in admiration at te love and grace of Crist in taking up my sins and bearing tem away from te justice of God. Wen I see im taking away my sins, it makes my atred for sin increase. I will ever go on looking to im by fait for everlasting peace and pardon. Wen I move iger up, I will still go on beolding te Lamb in a muc better ligt. Sinner friend, Crist will eiter take away your sin, or e will take you away for your sins. Crist must become your sinless and allsufficient Sin-Bearer, or you must bear your own sins in te fires of ell for an eternity. To ave te knowledge of your sins taken away, you must look to te Lamb of God. If from sin you are longing to be free, ten look to te Lamb of God. Tis is so simple and easy. It was beolding te forbidden fruit te race became lost, and it is by beolding God s Lamb tat men are saved. May it please te Spirit to cause you to cry out: All glory to te dying Lamb...I now believe in Jesus. * (Empases by MRC) God Is Not elping (Continued from page 45) tem financially. We feel teir pain. But sympaty was only one of te feelings tat arose in tis preacer s eart and mind: someting else a more serious concern came to mind. Tat concern is tat tese two friends just do not know te Lord. Not tat God is not prospering tem no, tat is not te concern: rater my concern is tat tey are trying to live rigt because of wat tey tink tey can get from God. Tey are of te mistaken notion tat tey ave someting to trade wit God in order to get tings tey desire. One of te predominant ideas tat fill te minds of natural, unregenerate men and women is tis: if I serve God I will prosper. At least I will not suffer serious financial problems. Curces and oter religious organizations are built upon tis very idea. TV preacers fund temselves quite well off tis idea, scamming money from credulous people. Credulous people people ready to believe someting witout good evidence believe tis false idea probably because tey want to believe it. Tey tink it is possible to serve God motivated by a desire for te tings tey can get in tis life plus eaven in te next life. Te question is tis: is tis desire for tings and prosperity a proper motive for living rigt? By tat we mean is tis a motive tat God accepts? Is God pleased wit religious actions based upon tis motive? Or, is tis noting more tan a false religion based upon selfisness? Is it devotion to God, really? Or is it just bartering wit God? Does God operate suc a flea market as some people seem to tink? Tis flesly idea sometimes results in exactly te feelings expressed by my friends words: We are not getting along well in our lives, so wat is te use in serving God? Actually suc people ave not served God at all: tey ave served teir own bellies for selfis reasons. Tey are like some wo attend curc as long as te curc gives tem food, pays teir bills, etc., but wen te curc stops doing tose tings, tey stop attending and look for anoter generous benefactor. Tey do not want God: tey want a sugar daddy and would settle for a fairy godmoter if suc creatures existed. It seems tat te devil may be te originator of tis idea. At least e is te propagator of it. For tis reason, God initiated a confrontation wit te devil tat involved a man named Job. God eld Job up to te devil as an example of a rigteous man not a sinless man, but a just one. And te LORD said unto Satan, ast tou considered my servant Job, tat tere is none like im in te eart, a perfect and an uprigt man, one tat fearet God, and escewet evil? Ten Satan answered te LORD, and said, Dot Job fear God for nougt? ast not tou made an edge about im, and about is ouse, and about all tat e at on every side? tou ast blessed te work of is ands, and is substance is increased in te land But put fort tine and now, and touc all tat e at, and e will curse tee to ty face (Job 1:8-11). It is a fact: God ad blessed Job in every way. e was prosperous so muc so tat e was styled te greatest of all te men of te east ( Job 1:3). Satan s reasoning was tat of te natural (unsaved) man. e tougt tat Job was serving God for wat e could get from im. e raised te question we wis to deal wit in tis article, namely: will a man serve God for noting? Tat is anoter way of asking wat Satan asked: Dot Job fear God for nougt? Will a man serve God weter God prospers im or not? Will a man serve God because it is rigt and proper to do so? Will a man worsip and serve God because God is worty of our worsip and service? Do you serve God for noting? It is important to understand tat tis confrontation wit te devil was started by God. We tink God ad several tings in mind to accomplis by tis confrontation wit te devil. e accomplised some tings in Job s life and no doubt in te lives of is wife and peraps oters wo observed Job s experience. One ting God did: e proved to te devil and is demons as well as angels and men for all time tat tere are some people wo really do serve God for te rigt reason. Living before te law was given and tus before tere was a Levitical priestood, Job was (Continued on page 59)

12 Page 56 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. According to I Corintians 5:9, Paul wrote an earlier letter to te curc at Corint (earlier tan I Corintians). Was tat first letter inspired? Wat appened to it? - Oklaoma Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Paul came to Corint during is second missionary journey as set fort in Acts 16:11-18:11. As was is custom e began preacing in te synagogue every Sabbat. e met wit fierce opposition but many Corintians were converted (Acts 18:7-11). Verse 11 indicates tat e stayed in Corint for anoter 18 monts teacing te Word of God. Paul departed from Corint. Apollos, wit a letter of recommendation from te curc at Epesus, began to minister to te saints at Corint (Acts 18:24-19:1). Sometime after Paul left te curc at Corint and prior to sending wat is today recognized as First Corintians, Paul penned an epistle tat urged te Corintians to be separate from fornicators (I Cor. 5:9). As far as I know tis is te only reference to te previous letter. I am sure tat Paul wrote many letters tat are not included in te inspired record and II Corintians 10:9-11 lends support to tis assertion. owever, te principle of not keeping company wit fornicators was cosen by God to be preserved in te inspired record of I Corintians. I do not know wat appened to te letter in question. Some commentators refer to it as te lost letter. Rest assured tat if God ad willed tat it be included in te inspired record we would ave it preserved as part of te sacred Canon. TOM ROSS Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rigteousness (II Tim. 3:16). For te propecy came not in old time by te will of man: but oly men of God spake as tey were moved by te oly Gost (II Pet. 1:21). Te secret tings belong unto te LORD our God: but tose tings wic are revealed belong unto us and to our cildren for ever, tat we may do all te words of tis law (Deut. 29:29). By reading te Scriptures given above we can see tree tings; 1) ALL Scripture is given to us and tey are by te inspiration of God, 2) and only oly men of God spake by te leadersip (as tey were moved or lead) by te oly Spirit, 3) Only te tings God wants us to know will be revealed to us. We sould never question God s motives, take tem for wat tey are and obey tem. Wit tat said, (and it is not good to speculate ere, or say wat if) te part about fornicators not to company wit fornicators was inspired and God did want us to know, is apparent tat Paul was moved to write it down in a letter and send it again to te curc at Corint. Te reason, (in my opinion) tat we do not ave tat first epistle is 1) te first letter, not I Corintians, was lost and/or never made it to te curc (records ave gotten lost over te years), 2) Paul could ave put is own tougts in (maybe e was upset wit tem), terefore if tat was te case it was not inspired, 3) tat letter is not in our Bible, terefore God cose not to ave it recorded. But for watever te reason, again te empasis is on not to company wit fornicators, not weter an epistle tat Paul wrote or wat appen to it. We migt add, tis is a very good question, not too many would ave caugt it. Not trying to be sarcastic at all ere, but te question was asked, Wat do you tink of tem finding te Lost Dead Sea Scrolls? Te answer was given, tey were never lost, God knew were tey were all along. (Tink about tat). Tat is wy we try never to question God s motives (toug we do at times anyway) because e knows wat e is doing, not us. God Bless! ROGER REED Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV I am sure tat te Apostle Paul was a prolific letter writer, as were many of our forefaters before te advent of suc modern conveniences, suc as cars, pones, s and texts! We probably only ave a small percentage of is writings preserved. Even as late as te 19 t century, writing letters was te ONLY realistic form of communication available as te writings of George Wasington, Jon Adams, James Madison, etc are clear evidence. You could not just ring up te pastor of te First Baptist Curc of Corint and give im a piece of your mindyou ad to write a letter, or sow up! Bot of wic te Apostle Paul did! Sela! Tink about it! It is an interesting question to me about te possible inspiration of tat (lost) first letter. Inspiration, as a Bible doctrine, means tat it is God-breated (II Tim. 3:16). Peter writes tat propecy came not in old time by te will of man: but oly men of God spake as tey were moved by te oly Gost (II Peter 1:21). Certainly we do not ave every word tat every propet spoke as tey were moved by te oly Gost trougout istory. In oter words, every inspired word (of God) tat as ever been spoken or written is NOT in te Bible. On te oter and, tese core Scripture passages DO teac tat every word found in te oly Writ, WAS inspired of God. Te King James Bible is te preserved Englis version of te inspired oly Scriptures! God s explicit words to every generation! Te words of te LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of eart, purified seven times. Tou salt keep tem, O LORD, tou salt preserve tem from tis generation for ever (Ps. 12:6-7). aving made tat distinction, I ave no problem if tat first letter to Corint was inspired (Continued on page 58)

13 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page On more tan one occasion, I ave eard preacers use I Timoty 5:1 as a basis for oters not to be able to rebuke tem if tey are in error. If tis is so, sould tey not also believe in women preacers since te verse following is part of te same sentence tat states elder women? I tougt tese two verses were speaking more about respect. Am I wrong? - Tennessee Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV If we say tat we ave no sin, we deceive ourselves, and te trut is not in us (I Jon 1:8). For I know tat in me (tat is, in my fles,) dwellet no good ting: for to will is present wit me; but ow to perform tat wic is good I find not. For te good tat I would I do not: but te evil wic I would not, tat I do (Rom. 7:18-19). Tere is no person outside of our Lord tat ever walked tis eart witout need of rebuke for teir errors! No title of elder or preacer will exclude any from tese sinful ranks! Sela! Tink about it! Elders/Preacers/Pastors need rebuke as muc as any oter mortal uman! From te Scripture we see tis: But wen Peter was come to Antioc, I (Paul) witstood im to te face, because e was to be blamed. For before tat certain came from James, e did eat wit te Gentiles: but wen tey were come, e witdrew and separated imself, fearing tem wic were of te circumcision. And te oter Jews dissembled likewise wit im; insomuc tat Barnabas also was carried away wit teir dissimulation. But wen I saw tat tey walked not uprigtly according to te trut of te gospel, I said unto Peter before tem all, If tou, being a Jew, livest after te manner of Gentiles, and not as do te Jews, wy compellest tou te Gentiles to live as do te Jews (Gal. 2:11-14)? Even OPEN rebuke migt be necessary in some cases, tat all migt be edified. Tis is carried out in te furter passage of our text. Rigtly so, an elder of te curc is eld to a ig standard (I Tim. 3:1-8), and ougt to be respected (double onour!) on tat ig standard, but as we get to our text, so sould also elders EVERYWERE (mature men/women) be venerated and esteemed! Let te elders tat rule well be counted worty of double onour, especially tey wo labour in te word and doctrine. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or tree witnesses. Tem tat sin rebuke before all, tat oters also may fear. I carge tee before God, and te Lord Jesus Crist, and te elect angels, tat tou observe tese tings witout preferring one before anoter, doing noting by partiality (I Tim. 5:17, 19-21). Partiality is sowing preference for a favored one (an elder?), or turning a blind eye toward te misdemeanors of a select few (elders plural?). Beloved, God is no respecter of persons, as Scripture tells us so often! e is only a respecter of good works; primarily te good works of is precious Son! Even elders tat labor in te Word and doctrine are to be eld as accountable as every single cild of God. Sela! Tink about it! My question is: Wat truly oly person would not DESIRE rebuke? We would never know te ALF of our faults, if not for caring folk and te discerning words of Scripture! Wat sall we say ten? Is te law sin? God forbid. Nay, I ad not known sin, but by te law: for I ad not known lust, except te law ad said, Tou salt not covet (Rom. 7:7). My wife does tis for me many times! Werewital sall a young man cleanse is way? by taking eed tereto according to ty word (Ps. 119:9) Moreover by tem is ty servant warned: and in keeping of tem tere is great reward (Ps. 19:11). We all need exortation! Te context of our study is to Rebuke not an elder, but intreat im as a fater wit an attitude of respect! Carry tat on tru te text. Rebuke not a young man, but intreat im as a broter! Rebuke not an elder (woman) but intreat er as a moter! Rebuke not a young lady, but intreat er as a sister! Respect is a good word for understanding tis passage correctly, because te Scriptures are ere commanding us to ave te rigt attitude wen we find a mote in our broters eyes! Bretren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye wic are spiritual, restore suc an one in te spirit of meekness; considering tyself, lest tou also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). And te servant of te Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teac, patient, In meekness instructing tose tat oppose temselves (II Tim. 2:24-25). Respect, meekness, purity, oliness! and, yea, sometimes rebuke. Te LORD bless us all! Sela! Tink about it! P.S. I ope te beloved reader sees tat te question about women preacers is a moot point. Neiter tis passage nor any portion of Scripture can validate women preacing in any New Testament Baptist Curc! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio In my opinion, no you are not wrong tat I Timoty 5:1-2 is speaking of respect for elder men and women. But, to be very clear, let me explain myself so I do not receive a bunc of letters cewing me out for agreeing wit te questioner. Tere are two keys to verses 1 and 2, but entreat im as a fater ; Te elder women as moters. Tis is not true today as muc as it was in te days I lived at ome wit my parents. But if I ever even tougt about rebuking (or telling somebody off; to criticize or reprimand somebody, usually sarply; a reprimand or expression of criticism or disapproval) someone tat was an elder or an adult, I would ave spent a lot more time at te dentist tan I did, and it would not ave been to get my teet cleaned. It just was not done! Also, we ave to realize wo is doing te talking ere, Paul; and wo e is talking to, Timoty, wo is a young preacer at te Curc in Epesus. Te elder ere is not an officer, or preacer, (Continued on page 58)

14 Page 58 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Forum #1 (Continued from page 30) (breated) by te oly Spirit into is instrument of grace called te Apostle Paul. Weter all or in part, we will not know until we get to glory. I am confident tat even today te oly Gost uses men of God to preac te trut! For tis cause also tank we God witout ceasing, because, wen ye received te word of God wic ye eard of us, ye received it not as te word of men, but as it is in trut, te word of God, wic effectually worket also in you tat believe (I Tess. 2:13). Te apostle to te Gentiles was referring in tis passage to words tat te Baptists tere in Tessalonica ad eard! Tis migt be as a result of te two epistles to teir curc being read audibly in teir presence, but it could just as easily be te fact tat tey ad eard te beloved apostle preac sermons to tem tat God inspired! A valuable bit of advice for modern preacers tat desire tat same inspiration? Use te Scriptures! Use LOTS of Scriptures! We know for SURE, tat at least TOSE portions of our sermons will be inspired! Sela! Tink about it! Every WORD of te oly Bible is present and accounted for in our Englis King James Version. If God ad desired and foreordained tat tere be tree Corintian epistles in te Bible, ten tat first letter would ave been preserved by te Almigty. It was not- so it is not Bible, even if te genuine article were uncovered today by some arcaeologist Tat is not cain-link preservation- tat is not te order of Scripture! Sela! Tink about it! Wat appened to tat first letter, is wat appened to all te oter letters Paul wrote, including te epistle to te Laodiceans (Col. 4:16). It was written on parcment or some material tat as disintegrated over time. If it was copied a few (or many) times, it still only lasted as long as God wanted it to- and no more. It was not intended to be eld to te level of Scripture. Te power of God is just as sure in is canonization and preservation of is Word as it is in is inspiration of is Word! I know tat, watsoever God doet, it sall be for ever: noting can be put to it, nor any ting taken from it: and God doet it, tat men sould fear before im (Eccl. 3:14). eaven and eart sall pass away: but my words sall not pass away (Luke 21:33). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Forum #2 (Continued from page 57) but men and women older tan Timoty. So Paul is exorting young Timoty wo as older folks in te congregation ow to treat tem, basically to treat tem as e would is fater and moter. A little study will bear tis out. So it is about respect, as te questioner as stated to believe. We will say tere is not muc respect sown to parents today and ardly any, (mostly none) to preacers today. Tis brings me to anoter point. Preacers, wo tink tat tis Scripture teaces tat tey sould not be questioned (rebuked) and tat tey ave arrived and ave te final autority do not gain my respect at all. We are te servants of te Lord and I will be te first to tell you, and you can ask anyone tat I ave ad in te congregation, I tell tem not to take my word for it, and to ceck me out. I migt not like to be questioned (because it goes against te fles) but I can and ave made mistakes. If a preacer can not answer a question because te congregation may tink e is in error, ten tat preacer as a serious problem. But again, I believe tese verses are not talking about rebuking a pastor. Also, someting in te question tat always its a sore spot wit us is, sould tey not also believe in women preacers since te verse following is part of te same sentence tat states elder women? I know wat te questioner is asking, and it is a good question because one may tink tat, but let us be clear on someting, tere is not ONE Scripture, NOT ONE tat can in anyway lead a person, no matter ow ard tey try, to prove tat tere ever was or can be women preacers. And I ave eard some of my Baptist preacer bretren say a woman could probably do a better job tan some preacers tey ave eard, and tey may be rigt, but a woman as no business speaking, let alone preacing in te pulpit (I Cor. 14:34; I Tim. 2:11). Enoug said. Lastly, te Lord s curces sould ave te most passionate respect for teir pastors, and wen tey do not, tere undoubtably will be problems. And if tis were a Scripture tat was talking about rebuking a pastor (elder), great care sould be taken (prayer and love) before anyone would approac teir pastor wit an error issue. We live in a society tat is too eager to find fault and jump to conclusions instead of pursuing peace and love for one anoter, Neiter yield ye your members as instruments of unrigteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as tose tat are alive from te dead, and your members as instruments of rigteousness unto God (Rom. 6:13). May we all learn respect, not just for te elderly, but to all. Tat is wat I Timoty 5:1-2 is really about. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O No one, including preacers, are above being rebuked for error. In Paul s Second Epistle to Timoty e makes it clear tat one of te reasons we ave te inspired record is for reproof and correction (II Tim. 3:16-17). I tink Paul is referring to te manner in wic rebukes are to be delivered. Te error must first be substantiated by two or tree witnesses (II Tim. 5:19). Ten te rebuke sould be delivered wit respect and love as evidenced by te prase but intreat im as a fater. Jon Gill, te learned Baptist expositor, did not believe te verse in question even applied to te office of te elder, but rater to elderly members of te curc: By wom is meant, not an elder in office, but in age; for elders by office are afterwards spoken of, and particular rules concerning tem are given, ver. 17, 19. Besides, an elder is ere opposed, not to a private member of a curc, but to young men in age; and te apostle is ere giving rules to be observed in rebuking members of curces according to teir different age (Continued on page 59)

15 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 59 Forum #2 (Continued from page 34) and sex, not according to teir office and station; and tis sense is confirmed by a parallel text in Titus 2:2-6. Now an ancient man, a member of a curc, is not to be rebuked in a sarp and severe way... (Gill s Expositor, Vol. 9, p. 99). TOM ROSS God Is Not elping (Continued from page 55) faitful in continually sacrificing on bealf of is cildren as a fater-priest. e...was perfect and uprigt, and one tat feared God, and escewed evil ( Job 1:1). By tis description of im, we know tat Job was a true cild of God for noting like tis can be ascribed to a natural or unregenerate man. We can be assured tat Job knew God. More importantly, God knew Job and described im as my servant Job (Job 1:1). is outward rigteous life was an outworking of wat God ad done witin im. We know tat God regarded Job equally as rigteous as Noa and Daniel. In speaking of te sinfulness of Israel, God said, Toug Noa, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, sait te Lord GOD, tey sall deliver neiter son nor daugter; tey sall but deliver teir own souls by teir rigteousness (Ezek. 14:20). Now ten, we are expressly told tat...noa found grace in te eyes of te LORD (Gen. 6:8). Of te servants of te Lord we read,...teir rigteousness is of me, sait te LORD (Isa. 54:17). God is rigteous. Rigteousness is wat e demands and rigteousness is wat e provides for is cildren by imputation. But imputed rigteousness can never be divorced from actual rigteousness. By tat we mean tat wile God imputes rigteousness to all wo believe, e also begins te work of sanctification in tem. e declares is cildren rigteous and sets about te process tat will eventually conform tem to te image of is dear Son. So it was tat God justified Noa, Daniel and Job and continued is work in bringing tem into a oly walk before im. Job said, Te rigteous also sall old on is way, and e tat at clean ands sall be stronger and stronger (Job 17:9). God s cildren are preserved, and because tey are preserved, tey persevere in oliness. God does not begin a work in a person witout completing it (see Pilippians 1:6). So we conclude tat Job found grace in te eyes of te LORD. In oter words, God ad saved im and was in im. And so it was tat Job served God for te rigt reason. is old stony eart ad been replaced by a new eart - a tender one tat sougt to please is Savior. We too, by grace, are enabled to serve God for te rigt and acceptable reason. ebrews 12:28-29 makes tis clear. Tere we read, Werefore we receiving a kingdom wic cannot be moved, let us ave grace, wereby we may serve God acceptably wit reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. It does matter wy you do wat you do! It does matter wy you serve God! In spite of te fact tat te religious world is filled wit people wo ave no concern as to te proper motive for worsip and service to God, tere are some people wo do ave suc a concern. And tere are people wo serve God acceptably wit reverence and godly fear. Tey are not your foot-stomping, and-clapping, get-me-all-i-can-get-from-god crowd. Tey are not te ones wo brag on being a part of te flock on te block tat rocks. Tey are te ones wo say, like Mary to te angel, Beold te andmaid of te Lord; be it unto me according to ty word (Luke 1:38). Se expected stares, comments and questions regarding er supernatural pregnancy. Se ad not yet been taken in marriage by er usband. Se knew of te possibility nay, probability tat Josep would put er away. And if put away se would ave noting. And yet, se was willing to experience te will of God in er life. Se would worsip and serve God weter e prospered er or not! And tere are a remnant of people today God s true cildren wo say Lord, watever you will for me to ave or not to ave, it is rigt for me to worsip and serve you. If you will give me grace to do it, I will do it. Suc people as tese do not boast of temselves. Nor do tey tink temselves entitled to receive good tings from God because of teir obedience. Tey serve God wit a reverential fear and eart-felt love for im and is trut. Sorrowfully, we make tis observation: tose wo are out for wat tey can get from God do not know im. Tey ave not experienced is grace and rest assured, tere is an experience of grace. For te grace of God tat bringet salvation at appeared to all men, Teacing us tat, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we sould live soberly, rigteously, and godly, in tis present world; Looking for tat blessed ope, and te glorious appearing of te great God and our Saviour Jesus Crist; Wo gave imself for us, tat e migt redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto imself a peculiar people (Titus 2:11-14). Regarding tis last quoted text we note tese tings: first of all we doubt tat te grace of God as appeared to all men tat is all men witout exception, but it as appeared to all kinds of men and we tink tis is te meaning. Second: we point out tat it is grace tat brings salvation to individuals. Grace is not an offer to be spurned or received according to man s wim. Grace brings salvation! Grace does not offer salvation, it actually brings it. Since salvation is by grace, it does not come to tose wo seek to be rigt in God s eyes by teir works or law-keeping. Tird: te same grace tat brings salvation teaces us to deny ungodly lusts, to live seriously, rigteously and godly rigt in te middle of tis wicked world. Furter, it teaces us to live expecting te return of our Lord Jesus Crist wo redeemed us and made us wat we are. And wat we are is a people of God s own particular possession a people wo serve God for nougt! Tere is a way tat seems rigt to man but wic ends in disaster (see Proverbs 16:25). Man tinks e as tings figured out. e tinks God is like e is (Psalm 50:21) and concludes tat e can bargain wit God. God wants man to do rigt, e reasons, so if I do rigt, God will give me wat I want. Tis kind of swap is completely reasonable to te natural man s mind. It is te same reasoning tat caused te tree-year-old preacer-boy to say, People, if you re good, God loves you. If you re not good, God doesn t love you. People be good. It is works for salvation! (Continued on page 60)

16 Page 60 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 God Is Not elping (Continued from page 59) But tat is all it is: it is te natural reasoning of one wo as not experienced God s grace and as not been taugt te Word of God. Peter spoke of some people tat are unlearned and unstable. Tese, e wrote, wrest, as tey do also te oter scriptures, unto teir own destruction (II Pet. 3:16). So it is tat some wo tink to follow te Bible are actually torturing te Scriptures by making tem say tat people can obtain tings by serving God for tem. Teir wresting is finding proof for teir flesly ideas in te Bible. Tey make te Bible say wat tey want it to say instead of letting it say wat it says! Tis all-important question must be asked: do you serve God for nougt? Or are you serving im for selfis reasons? If yours is only a tinly disguised seeking after tings rater tan im wom to know arigt is life everlasting, you are yet in your sins. If your so-called fait in Crist is in reality an attempt to get good tings from im, you ave not te fait of God s elect. Te Lord Jesus said: And tis is life eternal, tat tey migt know tee te only true God, and Jesus Crist, wom tou ast sent (Jon 17:3). as God made imself known to you? as te grace of God wic brings salvation taugt you? Paul, writing about Israel as a nation said,...tey ave a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:2). Tat last statement may be applied to many people today even we fear, many wo are called Baptists wose zeal of God is actually a selfis desire for is temporal blessings. Tey ave a zeal of God, but it is ignorance of te trut. Tus tey miss God and teir religion is flesly in every way and springs from a flesly motive. Is it any wonder tat tis crowd of unbelieving Cristians ends up seeking to entertain te fles in teir socalled worsip services. Tey tickle te fles wit teir music, dramatics, media presentations, and all tat makes religion popular and pleasant to te fles. Teir aim is not edification of saints, but entertainment of sinners. O sir: O madam: seek to worsip and serve God in spirit and in trut: for te Fater seeket suc to worsip im. (See Jon 4:23-24). True believer, serve God for nougt leaving te consequences in is capable ands. Serve im in prosperity and in adversity. Serve im! Serve im for nougt! e is worty of our adoration, our service and our worsip. Certainty of Instruction By James L. Reynolds of Cornersville, Tennessee Forasmuc as many ave taken in and to set fort in order a declaration of tose tings wic are most surely believed among us, Even as tey delivered tem unto us, wic from te beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of te word; It seemed good to me also, aving ad perfect understanding of all tings from te very first, to write unto tee in order, most excellent Teopilus, Tat tou migtest know te certainty of tose tings, werein tou ast been instructed (Luke 1:1-4). Te divinely inspired uman writer of te book of Luke and te book of Acts is Luke, te beloved pysician, and bot of tose books are addressed to Teopilus. Tere is uncertainty as to wo Teopilus was, and we will not engage upon any speculation as to is identity, as it as no bearing upon our tougts. Sufficient is our assertion, tat any instructions wic God gave to Teopilus troug Luke are also beneficial for all of is people, including tose of us in tis present age. Terefore, we would like to briefly focus our on verse 4 of Luke s divinely inspired narrative, Tat tou migtest know te certainty of tose tings, werein tou ast been instructed. From Luke 1:1-3 we can correctly surmise tat Teopilus ad received some instructions concerning te Lord Jesus Crist. Luke desires to assure Teopilus tat tose instructions are certain, tat is, tat tey were true and valid. According to te Webster s dictionary one definition for certainty is an assured fact. It beooves all seekers of te trut to make sure tat te tings in wic tey ave been instructed concerning God and mankind are certain tings, tat is, tat tey are assured facts. Te Greek word wic is translated certainty in Luke 1:4 (asfaleian - asfaleian) is a grammatical variant of a Greek word tat was only used two oter times by te oly Spirit in te New Testament. In bot of tose instances it is translated safety in te King James Version of te Scriptures. One of te primary meanings of tis word is not liable to fall, ence denoting security or safety. Various lexicons also define it as meaning: firmness, stability, security, safety, trut, undoubted trut. In tose two oter instances were tis Greek word is found te King James Translators rendered it as safety as we just previously noted. Saying, Te prison truly found we sut wit all safety, and te keepers standing witout before te doors: but wen we ad opened, we found no man witin (Acts 5:23). Saying, Indeed we found te prison sut securely, and te guards standing outside before te doors; but wen we opened tem, we found no one inside (NKJV)! For wen tey sall say, Peace and safety; ten sudden destruction comet upon tem, as travail upon a woman wit cild; and tey sall not escape (I Tess. 5:3). So we see ere tat te word also denotes security, safety, or assurance. It was an assured fact tat te prison was sut wit all security. Wen tey sall feel so confident and assured tat tey can say Peace and security; ten sudden destruction will come upon tem. Luke desires for Teopilus to ave assurance and security, tat is, to feel tat e as safety of soul as a result of tose tings in wic e was instructed relative to te person and te work of te Lord Jesus Crist. And Luke s desire for tat safety, security, and assurance for Teopilus is primarily focused on tose benefits for Teopilus wic are everlasting ones. ave full evidence or proof of. -Albert Barnes Make no slip. Luke promises a reliable narrative. -A. T. Robertson Te end te evangelist ad in (Continued on page 61)

17 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 61 Certainty of (Continued from page 60) writing tis Gospel, and sending it to Teopilus, was tat e migt be more strongly assured of, and more firmly establised in te truts of te Gospel. -Jon Gill We all need to emulate Luke in tis aspect. It is rigt and proper for us to ave a concern for te temporal safety and security of tose wom we know and come in contact wit. But it is infinitely more important for us to ave a concern for teir everlasting safety and security. Te everlasting safety of anyone can only be assured if teir instruction in tings pertaining to te person and work of te Lord Jesus Crist is certain, tat is, if tose instructions are valid and true. Tose instructions must be based on assured and divinely declared facts. Tere is only one sure source, tere is only one certain source, tere is only one totally true source for instruction in tings pertaining to te person and work of te Lord Jesus Crist. Sanctify tem troug ty trut: ty word is trut (Jon 17:17). Wile te inspired Word of God is te only totally certain, and terefore entirely safe, source of instruction in tings pertaining to te person and te work of te Lord Jesus Crist, God as given mankind oter sources of evidence of imself. Speaking of te revelation of God in nature te Apostle Paul confirms in te book of Acts tat e was witnessed to by is goodness to mankind in general. Neverteless e left not imself witout witness, in tat e did good, and gave us rain from eaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our earts wit food and gladness (Acts 14:17). Wile tese tings are sufficient to reveal te certainty of God tey are not sufficient to declare mankind s total depravity and te free and unmerited grace tat God bestows upon some unworty sinners troug is only begotton Son, te Lord Jesus Crist. Wit tose tougts in mind, let us briefly look at eigt tings wic all of mankind need to be certain of, in order to ave an assurance of an everlasting safety. 1. God is absolutely, entirely, utterly, and totally oly. One of mankind s greatest and most tragic mistakes is teir malformed concept of God s oliness. Because of our total depravity we can not on our own begin to correctly conceive te oly caracter of God. God carges us wit tat malformed concept in Psalms 50:21, Tese tings ast tou done, and I kept silence; tou tougtest tat I was altogeter suc an one as tyself: but I will reprove tee, and set tem in order before tine eyes. Because mankind is so prone to ignore sin and iniquities we sometimes ignorantly tink tat God will likewise ignore it, tat e will just turn is back on it and let it go unpunised. Tat is a very erroneous concept and for many it will be an everlastingly detrimental belief. Twice in te inspired Word of God we are instructed, tat God is trice oly. And one cried unto anoter, and said, oly, oly, oly, is te LORD of osts: te wole eart is full of is glory (Isa. 6:3). And te four beasts ad eac of tem six wings about im; and tey were full of eyes witin: and tey rest not day and nigt, saying, oly, oly, oly, Lord God Almigty, wic was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8). It is not only te lost world tat as a malformed concept of God s oliness, but muc of te religious world, even some of professing Cristianity is also lacking in a proper perception of God s rigteousness. Even te nation of Israel, unto wom God ad revealed imself in a unique way, was guilty of not properly compreending God s oliness. For tey being ignorant of God s rigteousness, and going about to establis teir own rigteousness, ave not submitted temselves unto te rigteousness of God (Rom. 10:3). Te certainty of God s infinite oliness brings us to our second point of consideration. 2. God ates sin. Because God is so pure and oly, and because sin is so diametrically opposed to is oly caracter. e ates it wit a oly and perfect atred. e will not beold it, and it will never be permitted in is acceptable presence. But it is not only sin tat God ates. e also ates all workers of iniquity, tat is all wo are outside of is Son, te Lord Jesus Crist, and wo persist in teir sin and in teir rebellion against im. Te foolis sall not stand in ty sigt: tou atest all workers of iniquity (Ps. 5:5). Peraps tere ave been occasions in our lives wen we were confronted wit an immoral and sinful circumstance or event, wic we found to be loatsome and disgusting. We may ave commented to ourselves, or peraps to anoter individual, tat we really ate tis situation, (Continued on page 62)

18 Page 62 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Certainty of (Continued from page 61) and tat we wis we could do someting about it. owever, our weaknesses and frailties proibit us from carrying troug our design to take action against suc injustices or suc wrong doings. Beloved, God as none of our limitations to constrain im from taking appropriate action against wrong doers. e will in is due time render to every man according to is works. Te way of te LORD is strengt to te uprigt: but destruction sall be to te workers of iniquity (Pro. 10:29). It is joy to te just to do judgment: but destruction sall be to te workers of iniquity (Prov. 21:15). Evil and sinful people may ide from te autorities, and live teir wole lives witout being appreended and punised for teir crimes wic tey ave committed. A few years back, one of te popular television sows was a fictitious drama called Cold Case, in wic detectives solve murders tat ave been unsolved for years. Tis sow was based on real Cold Cases being solved, some of wic were also sown on anoter television program. But for all tose cases wic are not solved, for all tose criminals wo escape te justice of mankind and tink teir sinful crimes are unknown, tere is no iding from te oly justice and oly wrat of God. Tere is no darkness, nor sadow of deat, were te workers of iniquity may ide temselves (Job 34:22). In tat day wen all sall stand before te Lord, many will ear te frigtening and dreadful command to depart from te acceptable presence of te Lord, and tey will be cast into te everlasting torments of is oly ell. But e sall say, I tell you, I know you not wence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:27). 3. All of mankind are sinners and tey are all totally estranged from teir Creator. Tere are many wo will attempt to give instructions to teir fellow umans in matters pertaining to te spiritual condition of mankind, and sometimes tose instruction are false. Moreover, tose instructions are sometimes detrimental to tose wo receive tem. Tere are tose wo will tell us tat altoug mankind as somewat of a tendency to make bad coices tere is some goodness in all of mankind and tat given te proper motivation a person will nouris and fan tat spark of goodness until it breaks fort into a raging flame of rigteousness, wic is acceptable unto God. Wile suc concepts are certainly appealing unto te fallen nature of mankind, for tey instill witin tem a false sense of power and ability, tey are in reality diametrically opposed to wat we see in our own lives, and more importantly tey are in direct opposition to te clear declarations and teacings of te inspired Word of God. Werefore, as by one man sin entered into te world, and deat by sin; and so deat passed upon all men, for tat all ave sinned (Rom. 5:12). As te representative of te entire uman race wen Adam sinned we, being in is loins also sinned, and we became sinners by nature. And it is just not a tendency to make bad coices tat all of Adam s posterity inerited as a result of is rebellion against is Creator. Adam, wo ad been created wit a living soul and a living spirit died spiritually wen e sinned, and all of is descendants came fort from teir moter s wombs in tat spiritually dead state. Te Apostle Paul speaks of tis very real spiritual deat wen e writes to te Epesian saints, wo ad been made alive in te Lord Jesus Crist. And you at e quickened, wo were dead in trespasses and sins (Ep. 2:1). In te pysical realm a person can not be a little dead or partly dead. A person is eiter alive or tey are dead. Tere is no middle state tat a person may inabit concerning life and deat. So it is in te spiritual realm, tat a person is from teir birt spiritually dead in Adam and tey will remain in tat condition unless tey ave been by God s sovereign power quickened and made alive in te Lord Jesus Crist. To contend tat tere is some inerent good in all of mankind is to contradict our own experience, and again more importantly, it is to deny te straigtforward declarations of te Bible. From te sole of te foot even unto te ead tere is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: tey ave not been closed, neiter bound up, neiter mollified wit ointment (Isa. 1:6). Speaking of te entirety of te uman race as tey are looked upon outside of te Lord Jesus Crist our Creator and LORD give us te certainty of our condition. Tey are all gone aside, tey are all togeter become filty: tere is none tat doet good, no, not one (Ps. 14:3). Te Apostle Paul refers to tis divinely inspired assessment of mankind s condition in Romans 3:10-18, As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God. Tey are all gone out of te way, tey are togeter become unprofitable; tere is none tat doet good, no, not one. Teir troat is an open sepulcre; wit teir tongues tey ave used deceit; te poison of asps is under teir lips: Wose mout is full of cursing and bitterness: Teir feet are swift to sed blood: Destruction and misery are in teir ways: And te way of peace ave tey not known: Tere is no fear of God before teir eyes. God declares tat every man at is best state is altogeter vanity, tat is, altogeter sinful. If at our best state we are in suc a deplorable condition, wat is our condition wen not in tat best state? God is not ere talking about tose instances wen is people are engaged in tose good works, wic God at before ordained tat we sould walk in tem. But e is talking about tose tings wic religious and moral mankind engage in wile seeking to commend temselves unto God tereby. 4. Mankind needs a Redeemer. aving sown from Scripture tat God is oly, tat e ates sin and tat mankind is unoly, it necessarily follows tat if tere is ever going to be a reconciliation between God and man, tat it must be a result of te purpose and plan of God. Tere is an enormous debt owed unto te trice oly God for violating is oly commandments and for offending is perfect oliness. Mankind is in an everlastingly desperate and dire predicament and it is a pligt in wic e is entirely powerless to extract imself. Speaking of te elplessness of God s people to extract temselves from teir (Continued on page 64)

19 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 63 Readers of te BBB are urged to submit religious news items wic tey may read in teir local paper or some oter publication. In sending tese please give te name of te publication as well as te date it was printed. We will not be able to print all wic are submitted, but we welcome any item you may feel we sould read. Send tem to Te Berea Baptist Banner, PO Box 39, Mantacie, MS Virginia AG Won t Defend Voter- Approved Gay Marriage Ban (WNS)--Following a seismic political sift in Virginia s top elected offices, te new attorney general said Tursday e as decided is state s ban on samesex marriage is unconstitutional. In filing a brief Jan. 23 in federal court, Attorney General Mark erring officially joined a lawsuit callenging te state Constitution s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Te Democrat campaigned in part on marriage equality but won by only 907 votes. Te lawsuits in Virginia claim te state s ban violates te U.S. Constitution s equal protection and due process clauses. Federal judges recently struck down gay marriage bans in Uta and Oklaoma altoug te U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed Uta s law sould stay in effect wile te case tere moves forward. ****** Cevrolet Rolls Out Pro-omosexual Olympic Ads (WNS)--Cevrolet as rolled out a series of Olympic ads tat take unprecedented steps toward normalizing omosexual families. Cevy says te ads are not political statements. One ad, called Te New Us, for te Cevrolet Traverse crossover SUV, sows a gay male couple wit a son and a daugter. Wile wat it means to be a family as not canged, wat a family looks like as, a voiceover states. Tis is te new us. Anoter ad includes a sot of a gay couple getting married. Like te old love, te new love starts wit a kiss, a voiceover states. Like te old community, te new community still keeps us connected... A wole new lineup for a wole new world. ****** No Big Bangs in am on Nye Science Sowdown (WNS)--Te muc anticipated debate between Creation Museum founder Ken am and evolution advocate Bill Nye likely disappointed spectators oping to see a spirited excange, wit jabs and intellectual punces flying. Bot men seemed more interested in offering academic explanations tan lively repartee. But more tan 900 people braved a winter ice storm to attend te debate at te Creation Museum, just across te Oio River from Cincinnati. am represented te youngeart creationism perspective and Nye, popularly know as Bill Nye te Science Guy and te former ost of a PBS cildren s science sow, argued for secular evolution in an attempt to answer a very academic-sounding question: Is creation a viable model of origins in today s modern scientific era? Online tickets for te debate sold out witin two minutes, an estimated 1 million or more people watced te event streaming online, and it was te top Twitter trend of te day. Te packed auditorium included every age group, from silveredaired seniors to flaming-cerryand-electric-blue-aired college students. ****** Soutern Cities Owe Bible Devotion to illbilly Roots (WNS)--Te American Bible Society and te Barna Group s Cities Project is out wit an updated ranking of te Biblemindedness of te 100 largest American metropolitan areas. Cattanooga, Tenn., leads te way tis year, snatcing te top spot from its Volunteer State neigbor, Knoxville. Unsurprisingly, te rest of te top 10 cities are also located in traditional Bible Belt states. On te oter end of te spectrum, most of te bottom 10 are in te Norteast. Te Barna Group counts someone as Bibleminded if tey bot report weekly Bible reading and regard te Bible to be accurate in te principles it teaces. ****** Cruz Defends Marriage (WNS)--U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Uta, ave introduced a bill tat attempts to turn te tide engulfing state marriage laws. Tis past week, federal judges, citing precedent set by te U.S. Supreme Court last summer, overturned laws in Kentucky and Virginia tat banned same-sex marriage. (Kentucky s in-state ban remains in place, but te state must recognize same-sex marriages performed in oter states.) Tose decisions followed similar cases in Uta and Oklaoma, and a ruling on te issue is expected soon in Texas. Te Cruz-Lee bill, called te State Marriage Defense Act, would correct, inconsistencies among federal agencies tat look to state laws wen deciding weter a couple is married. Te Obama administration, owever, as been quite consistent lately in its insistence on recognizing gay marriage in all states. Last weekend Attorney General Eric older said te Justice Department would recognize all same-sex marriages in federal courts, regardless of local law. ****** INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Overseas Cristians Consider America A Mission Field (WNS)--Te United States is turning into a mission field for Cristians in oter countries. Te Anglican Curc of Nort America (ACNA) and its dozen or so associated Anglican groups ave been looking to Africa for leadersip. Now comes word tat one of Africa s biggest Cristian movements, te Redeemed Cristian Curc of God, is spreading across te United States. According to te BBC, te Pentecostal movement started in Nigeria and opened its first American paris in Detroit in Today, Curc leaders say tey ave 720 congregations trougout Nort America. Teir eventual goal: a curc witin 10 miles of every community on te continent.

20 Page 64 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Certainty of (Continued from page 62) deserved wrat, te Apostle Paul in Romans 5:6 explains wat ad to be done, For wen we were yet witout strengt, in due time Crist died for te ungodly. A grammatical form of te same Greek root word ere translated witout strengt (asqenwn - astenon), is also translated impotent in Acts 4:9, If we tis day be examined of te good deed done to te impotent man, by wat means e is made wole. Te impotent man was powerless to make imself pysically wole and all of mankind are witout strengt, tey are impotent, tey are powerless to make temselves spiritually wole. A form of tis Greek word is also translated as weak in Mark 14:38, Watc ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Te spirit truly is ready, but te fles is weak. Te fles is weak, tat is witout strengt, to resist temptation unless aided by te indwelling oly Spirit. So wat can sinful, puny, and weak mankind offer unto God for an atonement for teir sins? Or wo at first given to im, and it sall be recompensed unto im again (Rom. 11:35)? Wat are we going to offer to God tat e will judge acceptable in lieu of te everlasting punisment due unto us for our sins against im? Or wat sall a man give in excange for is soul (Mark 8:37)? Sall we give im te totality of all of our eartly possessions? For every beast of te forest is mine, and te cattle upon a tousand ills (Ps. 50:10). Peraps one will rigtly conclude tat suc a tougt of offering material possessions unto God for our redemption is preposterous. owever, some of tose same objectors will ten declare tat we can give God our eart. Some will claim tat it is in our power to offer unto God someting acceptable in excange for te sin debt we owe and te punisment due us. Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it (Jer. 17:9)? Can we onestly say after reading God s estimation of our earts tat we believe tat a trice oly God would want tem. We do read in God s Word tat is people get a new eart and tat it is God wo gives it unto tem. A new eart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put witin you: and I will take away te stony eart out of your fles, and I will give you an eart of fles (Ezek. 36:26). 5. Mankind can not redeem temselves. It is impossible for us to remove ourselves from te awesome sin curse and resulting debt tat is upon us. Tere is noting in mankind tat is acceptable unto God, noting tat is commendable unto im. No action or effort on te part of mankind will bridge te casm between a trice oly God and a totally depraved sinner. Tey tat trust in teir wealt, and boast temselves in te multitude of teir rices; None of tem can by any means redeem is broter, nor give to God a ransom for im (Ps. 49:6-7). Not only are we unable to redeem ourselves from God s just fury, but we are also totally powerless to redeem any of our loved ones from teir justly deserved wrat of our oly Creator. Tere is not given unto mankind in God s Word any ope tat tey can in any wise pay te sin debt owed unto God. And we must be ever cautious and diligent so tat we never present any suc false opes unto anyone. owever, tere is ope given in is Word tat e as purposed to redeem a people from teir ell deserving future, and to deliver tem unto is everlasting bliss and acceptable presence. God as provided a Redeemer for is people. e as purposed to redeem a number from Adam s fallen posterity and tat purpose will, in is due time, be openly manifest as aving been perfectly and solely accomplised by im. aving predestinated us unto te adoption of cildren by Jesus Crist to imself, according to te good pleasure of is will, To te praise of te glory of is grace, werein e at made us accepted in te beloved (Ep. 1:5-6). Note tat te oly Spirit ere declares clearly and pointedly Wo it is tat as brougt to pass te redemption and terefore te acceptance of God s people. e at made us accepted in te beloved. God did all tings necessary so tat is people would be acceptable in is everlasting presence. Tose wo are redeemed and acceptable are so because tey are in te beloved. Te Fater, in is infinite grace, placed tose wom e ad given to Crist, in te eternal covenant of election, in is Son. By divine imputation tey became partakers of is perfect and sinless nature, as tat was te only way any one would ever stand acceptable in God s presence. owever, te imputation of Crist s rigteousness unto is people was only one side of te redemption process. Tere yet remained te unpaid sin debt owed unto our oly God. is perfect and infinite oliness would not allow tat sin debt to go unpunised, so it was necessary tat one be punised to pay te sin debt wic was owed by tose wo were unable to pay tat sin debt. For e at made im to be sin for us, wo knew no sin; tat we migt be made te rigteousness of God in im (II Cor. 5:21). 6.) Te Lord Jesus Crist is God s only acceptable redeemer for is people. Altoug depraved but religious, mankind may ave a pletora of scemes and ways tat tey declare are satisfactory to make a person acceptable unto God, and tat everlastingly so, te inspired Word of God declares all of tose ways to be false, to be uncertain, and to be unsafe. Jesus sait unto im, I am te way, te trut, and te life: no man comet unto te Fater, but by me (Jon 14:6). Our dear Lord ere, wit te finality and veracity of is eternal Godead, declares tat e is te way unto te Fater and in so doing proclaims is singularity as te way. e announces tat e is te way and in so doing e excludes all oter ways. All te religions of te world claim to ave a way to make one acceptable into God s presence. Some will claim tat Crist is a way but tey are adamant tat e is but one of many ways. All suc claims are false and all suc claims come from te fater of lies, te devil, wo will encourage lost and depraved mankind to be as religious as tey like as long as e can keep tem in a state of deluded, uncertain, unsafe, and false instruction. Tere is but one way tat any sinful mortal will be permitted in te acceptable presence of our trice oly God and tat is if tey are as oly as e is. Suc a state of (Continued on page 65)

21 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 65 Certainty of (Continued from page 64) perfect oliness is only obtainable by being in te beloved. Neiter is tere salvation in any oter: for tere is none oter name under eaven given among men, wereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Wen someone instructs oters tat tere are more acceptable ways to redemption tan te singularity of te Lord Jesus Crist, tey are not simply contradicting wat you, or I, or any oter of God s people believe. By tose blaspemous statements tey are contradicting te blessed and inspired Word of God. For tere is one God, and one mediator between God and men, te man Crist Jesus (I Tim. 2:5). Tere is but one redeemer, tere is but one mediator, tere is but one ope for a lost and perising world and te sinless Son of God, te Lord Jesus Crist is all of tose and infinitely more unto all tose to wom e as revealed imself. 7.) All wo ave been enabled to put teir trust in te Lord Jesus Crist are acceptable in God s sigt and tat everlastingly so. Tere is a segment of instructors wo teac tat after one as been made alive in te Lord Jesus Crist tat tey must maintain tat acceptable state by teir own efforts. Tey claim tat if te newly birted saint fails to keep temselves in God s favor tat tey may fall from tat favor. If, according to tose instructors one dies in tis fallen state tey will be forever consigned to te flames and torments of God s ell. Before sowing te terrible and God disonoring fallacy of tis lie, let us make a few statements concerning people wo engage in willful and continual sin. First, we must wonder if tose wo once seemed to ave a personal relationsip wit te Lord Jesus and ten fell into, and remained in sin were indeed recipients of is grace. Outward appearance can be deceiving. We look on te outward appearance, but te LORD looket on te eart. All tose wo claim to be partakers of God s wondrous grace are not necessarily correct in tose claims. Not every one tat sait unto me, Lord, Lord, sall enter into te kingdom of eaven; but e tat doet te will of my Fater wic is in eaven. Many will say to me in tat day, Lord, Lord, ave we not propesied in ty name? and in ty name ave cast out devils? and in ty name done many wonderful works? And ten will I profess unto tem, I never knew you: depart from me, ye tat work iniquity (Matt. 7:21-23). Secondly, tose wo once seemed to ave a personal relationsip wit te Lord Jesus, and ten fell into sin and were not castened by te Lord are declared by is Word to not be sons. For wom te Lord lovet e castenet, and scourget every son wom e receivet. If ye endure castening, God dealet wit you as wit sons; for wat son is e wom te fater castenet not? But if ye be witout castisement, wereof all are partakers, ten are ye bastards, and not sons (eb. 12:6-8). Now let us proceed to see wat instruction we are given from te inerrent and infallible Word of God on tis matter of te saint aving everlasting life. My seep ear my voice, and I know tem, and tey follow me: And I give unto tem eternal life; and tey sall never peris, neiter sall any man pluck tem out of my and (Jon 10:27-28). Our Lord ere declares tat is seep will ear is voice and tat tey will follow im. e also affirms tat e will give tem eternal (or everlasting) life, tat tey will never peris and tat no one is able to pluck tem from is loving, caring, and omnipotent and. For tose wo ave been truly enabled to trust in te Lord Jesus Crist as teir exclusive means of acceptance in te Fater s acceptable presence, everlasting life is not someting to be obtained at some future date wen tey take teir last breat and ave eld out unto te end. For tem everlasting life is a sure and positive current possession. Tese tings ave I written unto you tat believe on te name of te Son of God; tat ye may know tat ye ave eternal life, and tat ye may believe on te name of te Son of God (I Jon 5:13). Te inspired Scripture says tat tose wo believe on te name of te Son of God, tat is tose wo trust completely, totally, and solely in is person and work, may know tat ye ave eternal life. It is a sure ting because God is te autor and finiser of it. It is not up to puny and sinful mankind to begin, to maintain, or to finis te work of redemption. In Romans 8:38-39 te Apostle Paul concludes tat as a result of God s marvelous grace in electing im unto salvation and calling im in te fullness of time to be a recipient of tat salvation tat e is persuaded tat tere is no circumstance or creature tat can separate im from tat divine love. For I am persuaded, tat neiter deat, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor tings present, nor tings to come, Nor eigt, nor dept, nor any oter creature, sall be able to separate us from te love of God, wic is in Crist Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39). Te Lord Jesus Crist wen instructing is people on te certainty of teir salvation, and of Wo instigated it, and Wo will consummate it, gives tem peace and comfort in tose instructions. All tat te Fater givet me sall come to me; and im tat comet to me I will in no wise cast out (Jon 6:37). If God s people were left to maintain teir salvation troug teir own efforts tere would not be a single redeemed person in eaven s glory. Because of our yet sinful nature and finite caracter we would all fail to keep ourselves. No one is kept secure by teir own power or by a mixture of God s power and teir own power. Peter says tose truly saved ave a eavenly ineritance awaiting tem as a result of teir being kept by God! To an ineritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and tat fadet not away, reserved in eaven for you, Wo are kept by te power of God troug fait unto salvation ready to be revealed in te last time (I Pet. 1:4-5). 8.) Tose wo ave been enabled to trust in te Lord Jesus Crist as teir only means of acceptance in God s everlasting presence need to be obedient unto im and serve im as e as commanded tem to do. Te Lord s blood bougt people need to be fervent in spirit; serving te Lord. Service unto te Lord Jesus Crist is not a discretionary matter wit is people. We do not ave te option of doing wat (Continued on page 66)

22 Page 66 Te Berea Baptist Banner Marc 5, 2014 Certainty of (Continued from page 65) we care to do and ignoring wat we do not care to do. We are to be totally consumed wit a desire to be doing wat e would ave us to do. As te Apostle Paul asked on te road to Damascus so we sould daily ask, Lord, wat wilt tou ave me to do? Wen we ave done all tat we are commanded to do, we need to umbly bow and acknowledge tat we are yet unprofitable servants wo ave only done teir duty. So likewise ye, wen ye sall ave done all tose tings wic are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we ave done tat wic was our duty to do (Luke 17:10). We all need to pray tat te blessed oly Spirit will lead us in performing all tat we are commanded and are graciously permitted to do in is service, so tat we may one day ear tat blessed summation of our eartly sojourn by our dear Redeemer and Lord, Well done, tou good and faitful servant. As we go troug tis life, we are continually receiving instructions from oters on a multitude of subjects. Muc of tose instructions are flawed, and of little or no value, or tey pertain to tings tat will one day peris away. We are under no obligation to ear falseood. We do not need to know falseood, we need to know te trut. Sometimes we may receive instructions on everlasting matters from someone wo is in error. We need to turn from suc instructions and refuse to ear tem anymore. Cease, my son, to ear te instruction tat causet to err from te words of knowledge (Pro. 19:27). Not only are we not obligated to ear falseood we are commanded to avoid tose wo disseminate error. Now I beseec you, bretren, mark tem wic cause divisions and offences contrary to te doctrine wic ye ave learned; and avoid tem (Rom. 16:17). Tanks be unto God because e as given us is oly Word wic is te only source of absolute certain instructions, tat is absolutely safe instructions, in tings pertaining to God s oliness and is atred for sin, mankind s total depravity and teir need for a redeemer, and teir inability to provide tat redeemer for temselves. It declares to us tat only te Lord Jesus Crist provides te substitutionary sacrifice for te redemption of is people and tat e provides it for teir everlasting redemption. God s inspired Word declares te necessity of God s people to serve im and it instructs tem in te manner in wic tey sould serve im. Tanks be unto our trice oly God for inspiring and preserving is Word and for te blessed oly Spirit to guide us into all trut tat we migt know te certainty of tose tings, werein we ave been instructed. Born of te Fles (Continued from page 45) into tis world as a uman being. Te natural birt is just tat, to be born of te fles. It sould be pointed out tat wen men are born of te fles tey are not born of te Spirit at te same time. Of men born by natural conception, only Jon te Baptist was filled wit te oly Spirit from is moter s womb (Luke 1:15). So men born of a woman are born of te fles and tat wic is born of te fles is fles. So, all men and women tat ave ever lived on tis eart ave been born of te fles. Men are born of te fles not by teir coice. Te usual metod is for a man and woman to come togeter and conceive a cild. Te cild did not make a decision nine monts before is birt to be born. e did not go to is moter and fater and ask to be born. Anyone can see te folly of suc a tougt. Man tat is born of te fles may ave a spirit but tat spirit is separated from God from is moter s womb. David said, Beold, I was sapen in iniquity; and in sin did my moter conceive me (Ps. 51:5). Paul declared tat men are dead in trespasses and sins (Ep. 2:1, 5). Paul is speaking of a spiritual deat. Tis is te condition in wic men come into te world. Tis is te condition of men born of te fles. As te book of Job declares Wo can bring a clean ting out of an unclean? not one (Job 14:4), and again Wat is man, tat e sould be clean? and e wic is born of a woman, tat e sould be rigteous (Job 15:14)? David said in anoter place, Te wicked are estranged from te womb: tey go astray as soon as tey be born, speaking lies (Ps. 58:3). Te Bible is very clear tat all men are sinners and tat tere is none tat doet good, no, not one (Ps. 14:1; 14:3; 53:1; Rom. 3:12). No wonder Jesus said, te fles profitet noting (Jon 6:63). Paul verifies te same for e said tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). Now if tat wic is born of te fles is fles and men are born lost in teir sins and dead spiritually, wat can tey do? Well Paul said tat tey CANNOT please God. Paul said in anoter place tat tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:11). Do you tink godly sorrow would be pleasing to God? After all, it is godly sorrow tat worket repentance to salvation and tat repentance will never be repented of or turned away from (See II Cor. 7:10). Te obvious answer is yes, godly sorrow and repentance are pleasing to God, but if tey tat are in te fles cannot please God, as Paul tells us, ten wo can be saved? Well, tat reminds me of wat Jesus said concerning tis very ting, Wit men tis is impossible; but wit God all tings are possible (Matt. 19:26). Wat does it mean to be born of te Spirit? If you will notice, te word Spirit is capitalized in Jon 3:6. Te translators knew tat te oly Spirit is te Spirit involved in tis birt. No wonder Jon in is first epistle called it born of God (I Jon 3:9; 4:7 5:1; 5:4; 5:18). Jesus said, It is te spirit tat quickenet; te fles profitet noting: te words tat I speak unto you, tey are spirit, and tey are life (Jon 6:63). Just as you were quickened in your moter s womb and born naturally into tis world, so to in a like manner te cild of God as been quickened by te oly Spirit. So ow does tis appen? It did not appen by any decision you made, as muc as men would like to tink tat. It is no more by your decision tan you were born of te fles by your decision. To trust in a decision is not to trust in te finised work of Jesus Crist, but more on tat in a bit. Men may write books on ow to get born again as toug tere is someting you can do to get born again as tey like to say, but let God be true but every man a (Continued on page 67)

23 Marc 5, 2014 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 67 Born of te Fles (Continued from page 66) liar (Rom. 3:4). Well, wy do we not just let Jesus answer us on ow a man is born of te Spirit? Jesus never said you must GET born again but you must BE born again. ere are te words of our dear Lord and Savior on ow a person is born of te Spirit. Te wind blowet were it listet, and tou earest te sound tereof, but canst not tell wence it comet, and witer it goet: so is every one tat is born of te Spirit (Jon 3:8). Jesus compared te oly Spirit to te wind. You can not see te wind. You can not tell were it came from or were is going. It blowet were it listet. So too, wit men born of te Spirit of God. Te Spirit goes were e wants, and quickens wom e wants, and wen e wants. e is sovereign in tis matter! Tat sould remove all boasting, you would tink, but it seems to raise more anger in religious people tan anyting. Anger in people wo are really trusting in someting tey ave done. Someone will argue, yes, but we ave to receive Jesus, do we not? Well, wo receives im, I would ask? Te Bible tells us. But as many as received im, to tem gave e power to become te sons of God, even to tem tat believe on is name: Wic were born, not of blood, nor of te will of te fles, nor of te will of man, but of God (Jon 1:12-13). Did you get tat? Te ones tat received Jesus as teir savior were te ones already born of God ( were born ). Tey were not born again troug te blood of teir parents or ancestors, nor of te will of teir fles, nor te will of any man, but of te sovereign pleasure of God wo is all migty to save. So wo are te ones tat are born of te Spirit? It is te ones tat believe to te saving of te soul (eb. 10:39) as evidence of tat new birt. Paul said, So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. But ye are not in te fles, but in te Spirit, if so be tat te Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man ave not te Spirit of Crist, e is none of is (Rom. 8:8-9). Tey are te ones wo bring fort fruit, some an undredfold, some sixtyfold, some tirtyfold (Matt. 13:8, 23). Te Fruit of Regeneration Wy did Jesus use te term fruit for good works so many times? May I use te analogy of a fruit tree? Let us say an apple tree. Does an apple tree obtain life because someone ung apples on it? Does it become a different tree, now an apple tree, because someone ung apples on it? Do apples produce life in an apple tree? Or is it tat te tree first as life and is an apple tree and terefore produces apples? Tese are retorical questions as te answers are obvious. Only God can give life. So in te spiritual realm it is te same. Men are dead in sins and God quickens to life and tat new man tat is created in te new birt produces te fruit of godly sorrow, repentance and fait in Jesus Crist as is Lord. Listen to Jesus words in Matew s gospel capter seven: Beware of false propets, wic come to you in seep s cloting, but inwardly tey are ravening wolves. Ye sall know tem by teir fruits. Do men gater grapes of torns, or figs of tistles? Even so every good tree bringet fort good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringet fort evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring fort evil fruit, neiter can a corrupt tree bring fort good fruit. Every tree tat bringet not fort good fruit is ewn down, and cast into te fire. Werefore by teir fruits ye sall know tem (Matt. 7:15-20). Notice Jesus said tat a corrupt tree cannot bring fort good fruit and a good tree cannot bring fort evil fruit. It is te old man tat was born of te fles tat cannot bring fort good fruit. But te new man tat God as created cannot bring fort evil fruit. Now we still live in tis body of fles and we must crucify te old man daily or tat old man will rob us of our joy in te Lord. You see we are not a reformed people. It is not tat te old man as been reformed at all, but a new man as been created. Terefore if any man be in Crist, e is a new creature: old tings are passed away; beold, all tings are become new (II Cor. 5:17). So, my friend, godly sorrow, and repentance, and true fait in Jesus Crist are but te fruit of te quickening of te oly Spirit. We ave noting to boast of. Our salvation is, as Jona said, of te LORD (Jona 2:9). We are saved by fait, but fait is wat brings us fort, and te cause of it is te quickening of te oly Spirit. Babies in te fles breate, cry, and grow, and do all sorts of tings tat pertain to te life in te fles, but tese are te results of being quickened in your moter s womb. Te Doom of Decisional Regeneration Let us go back to te words of Jesus again and quote a lengty passage and look at it in te ligt of wat as been pointed out so far. Enter ye in at te strait (Continued on page 68) BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $7, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Calvary I. B. 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