Knowing Christ. By Milburn R. Cockrell ( )

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1 All Men ave Not Fait By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma Most professing Cristians today assume tat man as te ability witin imself to savingly believe on Crist. Oters insist tat God as actually placed witin all men a grain of fait. To be saved, tey say, a person as only to put is natural inborn fait in Crist. One Scripture tat seems at first glance to prove tis is Romans 12:3 wic says: For I say, troug te grace given unto me, (Continued on page 2) Knowing Crist By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Jael - Te Crist-like Slayer of te Enemy of God s People By Timoty J. ille of Asland, Illinois Judges 4:1-24 text: vs Tere are many commentators wo tink tat te woman Jael, te wife of eber te Kenite, beaved wickedly in te slaying of Sisera, te captain of te army of te Canaanites, toug se For we are te circumcision, wic worsip God in te spirit, and rejoice in Crist Jesus, and ave no confidence in te fles. Toug I migt also ave confidence in te fles. If any oter man tinket tat e at wereof e migt trust in te fles, I more: Circumcised te eigt day, of te stock of Israel, of te tribe of Benjamin, an ebrew of te ebrews; as toucing te law, a Parisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting te curc: toucing te (Continued on page 5) was peraps motivated by patriotic passions. I disagree. I believe se acted as a person ougt to act wen confronted wit a dangerous, vile, (Continued on page 10) By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia Wen We Were Enemies By Lucien J. LeSage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana (Continued on page 8) Let Tese Sayings Sink Down Into Your Ears Let tese sayings sink down into your ears: for te Son of man sall be delivered into te ands of men (Luke 9:44). In our text verse, te Lord Jesus Crist exorts is disciples to pay attention to te words wic e as spoken, and to remember te For if, wen we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by te deat of is Son, muc more, being reconciled, we sall be saved by is life (Rom. 5:10). Tis is a great trut tat most religious people fail to consider. Tey usually tink tat tey were reconciled wen tey believed, or did enoug good works to cancel out teir sins, sayings of te Lord. I tink te Lord, in tis instance, as in special view te words wic e speaks in our text verse. Tese words and tese sayings, concern te (Continued on page 11) In a calm sea we are all good sailors. We suppose tat we can endure trouble wit great equanimity; but wen it really comes, we are as muc vexed by it as oters are. But te salvation of te rigteous is of te LORD: e is teir strengt in te time of trouble (Psalm 37:39).

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 June 5, 2016 Volume XXXVI, Number 6 Wole Number 443 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. COPYING PRIVILEGES: Unless oterwise stated any article publised in tis paper may be copied by oter publications, provided tey give proper credit line stating tat suc was copied from tis publication, and te date of publication; provided tat suc materials are not publised for profit. If we are not on an excange list wit te publication copying, it is requested tat a copy of te issue containing te article be sent to our address. All copyrigted materials may not be copied witout written consent. PUBLISED MONTLY wit paid circulation in most states in te U.S.A. and some foreign countries. SUBSCRIPTION RATES - U.S. One year...$6.00 Two years...$10.00 Five years...$24.00 SUBSCRIPTION RATES - FOREIGN One Year $45 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 WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM 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 $.59 for eac returned wrong address. PLANNING TO MOVE? Notify us tree weeks in advance. Te post office will only forward periodical mail for 90 days. Tey carge us $.70 for eac cange of address tey ave to send us. Please save us tis expense and te post office time. BUNDLES TO ONE ADDRESS: Tese are sent for $4 per paper for a year. An example: 10 papers for one year at $40 or 20 papers for one year at $ LOCATION OF PUBLISING CURC: Our curc is located on state igway 363 about one mile sout of Mantacie, Mississippi. Readers are always welcome to visit our services. CURC PONE: A PAPER WITOUT SUBSCRIPTION: Some times people write to us and say tat tey did not subscribe for te BBB. Tey are receiving our paper because someone else as paid for teir subscription. We trust te BBB will be received as an outstretced and to you. Take wat you find elpful and discard wat you cannot use.if you do not want to receive suc a gift subscription, please write to us. We are appy to cancel suc a subscription. We do not want to go were we are not wanted. 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. PAPER GONE OUT TO SEA WIT TE TIDE? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 6/2016 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t tink your paper as gone out wit te tide! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. All Men ave Not (Continued from page 1) to every man tat is among you, not to tink of imself more igly tan e ougt to tink; but to tink soberly, according as God at dealt to every man te measure of fait. Te last prase in tis verse, tey say, proves tat God as given a bit of fait to every uman being. And so sinners are assured tat all tey need do to make sure of eaven is put teir little speck of uman fait in Crist. Believing tat every Word of God is pure and true, tis preacer certainly believes te above quoted verse. But tis verse, like all te Bible, must be properly andled. Paul wrote of te possibility of...andling te word of God deceitfully... (II Cor. 4:2). Any andling of te Word of God tat corrupts its meaning is sinful and disonest. Te problem wit understanding te Bible is wit man: not wit te Bible. Instructions given by Paul ave to do wit...rigtly dividing te word of trut (II Tim. 2:15). It can be wrongly divided! In A.D. 1535, more tan 75 years before te King James Bible was translated, Miles Coverdale produced te first complete printed translation of te Bible into Englis. Coverdale gave te best succinct advice we ave ever eard for understanding te Bible. e said: It sall greatly elp ye to understand te Scriptures if tou mark not only wat is spoken or written, but of wom and to wom, wit wat words, at wat time, were, to wat intent, wit wat circumstances, considering wat goet before and wat followet after. Wat misunderstanding and error would be avoided if readers of te Bible followed te advice Coverdale gave. God s Word must be rigtly divided! If Paul s words in Romans 12:3 quoted above really do mean tat every cild of Adam as been given a measure of fait ten we do indeed ave a contradiction in te Bible as te following verses sow. For instance Paul s request for prayer in II Tessalonians 3:2 is contrary to te idea tat all men ave a grain of fait. e wrote: And tat we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men ave not fait. e did not say tat some men ave only a small grain of fait. e said tat all men ave not fait. Tere was a time in Paul s life wen e ad no fait. e may ave believed a lot of tings and most certainly did, but e did not ten ave...te fait of God s elect... (Titus 1:1). Lots of folk believe many tings but do not ave te fait tat God gives to is cosen ones. Paul admitted to is former unbelief wen e wrote concerning is early life saying, Wo was before a blaspemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (I Tim. 1:13). Paul did not say e only ad a grain of fait, but tat e acted in unbelief. In te Old Testament God spoke of sinners in te Nation of Israel saying,...for tey are a very froward [contrary or perverse] generation, cildren in wom is no fait (Deut. 32:20) [Brackets added trougout for clarity]. Moses wrote tat tere is no fait in suc people. e did not even int tat tey only ad a little grain of fait! Te Lord Jesus plainly said in Jon 6:64, But tere are some of you tat believe not... Merriam-Webster gives te primary definition of believe as to ave a firm religious fait. So ten wat te Lord was saying (Continued on page 3)

3 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 All Men ave Not (Continued from page 2) was tat tere were some Jews of is day wo did not ave fait. e made no mention of tem aving some small grain or measure of fait tat required tem to build it up, exercise it, put it in im or do anyting wit it in order to be saved. Te Lord Jesus explained wo as fait and wo does not wen e said, But ye believe not, because ye are not of my seep, as I said unto you (Jon 10:26). Tose wo do not belong to Crist believe not - tey ave no fait! Te Bible is true: all men ave not fait! Again Paul wrote: For wat if some did not believe? sall teir unbelief make te fait of God witout effect (Rom. 3:3)? e did not say tat some did not put teir inborn fait in Crist. e wrote tat some did not believe. Someone cries out tat God is unfair unless e as given to all men a little grain of fait or at least te ability to believe. Men wo object to plain Bible statements by saying tat tis or tat is not fair make temselves te judges of wat is rigt and wat is wrong. God and is works are subject to teir inspection. Tink of tat! Men so igly esteemed in teir own eyes as to presume to tell God wat is rigt and wrong. Do not judge God based upon your partial information and your own depraved eart! After all, Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it (Jer. 17:9)? No man is qualified to judge God or is actions! God does command bot repentance and fait twin gifts and twin requirements. Someone questions wy God would command men and women to repent and believe if tey are unable to do so if tey do not ave an inborn grain of fait? Would e require of lost men wat tey cannot do? Te answer is an empatic yes! God as repeatedly commanded people to do wat tey cannot do. e gave te Old Testament Law to Israel knowing full well tey could not keep it. Peter spoke of is generation of Jews and all teir forefaters lack of ability to keep te Old Testament Law. e said to tose wo wanted Cristians to be subject to te Old Testament Law, Now terefore wy tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon te neck of te disciples, wic neiter our faters nor we were able to bear (Acts 15:10)? Te Law is an unbearable yoke of bondage! God knew no man would ever be able to keep te Law, and no man ever did, but e not only commanded te keeping of te Law, e went furter tan tat. e said, Because it is written, Be ye oly; for I am oly (I Pet. 1:16). In fact te Lord imself said, Be ye terefore perfect, even as your Fater wic is in eaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48). Sometimes te word perfect means complete, but ere it speaks of te sinless perfection of God te Fater. Can umans attain to tese igest of standards? Of course tey cannot! Neiter can men and women repent and believe apart from te working of God in tem. Paul wrote of tis inner work of God saying: For it is God wic worket in you bot to will and to do of is good pleasure (Pil. 2:13). Wy would God need to work in sinners if tey ave some kind of inborn ability to repent and believe? God by is commandments not only reveals wat is rigt and wat e requires, but e by tose same commandments sows man is complete sinfulness and Little ills By Nataniel ille of Caldwell, Kansas... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Te New Birt #4 Marvel Not - Part 2 Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). Let us not be stupefied by te statement of te Lord. Te Scriptures declare tat man is TOTALLY DEPRAVED. One undred percent wicked in te eyes of God. Take note of wat God as said in various Scriptures concerning man: Man s eart: You ave eard people say of one: e as a good eart; yet te Lord declares, Te eart is deceitful above all tings, desperately wicked: wo can know it (Jer. 17:9)? Man s will: Man s will, too, as been defiled by sin: And ye will not come to me, tat ye migt ave life (Jon 5:40). Man s love:...men loved elplessness. By is Spirit e breaks te earts of elect sinners wit a sorrow tat is called godly sorrow. Paul wrote, For godly sorrow worket repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but te sorrow of te world worket deat (II Cor. 7:10). Te Lord Jesus referred to tat wen e said, And wosoever sall fall on tis stone [Crist] sall be broken: but on womsoever it sall fall, it will grind im to powder (Matt. 21:44). Te commands of God to wic men cannot attain are given to bring men up sort and sow tem teir inborn inability because of teir depraved earts. Apart from te gift of fait wic God gives, no man would ave fait: no man would be saved. Te inborn darkness rater tan ligt (Jon 3:19). Man s ability: No man can come to me, except te Fater wic at sent me draw im... (Jon 6:44). In every way, te eart, te will, te love, te ability of man is corrupt and filled wit sin. Truly did te oly Spirit state, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one (Rom. 3:10). Man s first birt is filled wit sin. In fact, te very best tat any man can do is filty rags, but we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags (Isa. 64:6). No wonder Crist told us not to be in amazement tat we must be born again to enter te kingdom of eaven. ave you been born again? grain-of-fait teory denies te total depravity / total inability of sinners. It deceives sinners into tinking tat teir eternal destiny is in teir own ands. In effect it says tat sinners can save temselves by doing someting. Te Bible clearly states tat fait is a gift. In Epesians 2:8-9 we are told, For by grace are ye saved troug fait; and tat [fait] not of yourselves: it is te gift of God: Not of works, lest any man sould boast. In God s plan of salvation e in is predetermined time gives fait to tose wom e as...cosen...in im [Crist] before te foundation of te world... for e as determined tat tey...sould be oly and witout blame before im... (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 All Men ave Not (Continued from page 3) (Ep. 1:4). Tis fait is bestowed along wit its precedent twin, repentance, at te moment of regeneration for God s elect sall all be... born, not of blood, nor of te will of te fles, nor of te will of man, but of God ( Jon 1:13). We know tis because te Lord Jesus said, 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). Tey sall come because in drawing tem to Crist, God breaks te elect sinner s eart and works repentance and fait in im in tose wo before ad neiter. Tis is all necessary because, as te Lord Jesus said, No man can come to me, except te Fater wic at sent me draw im: and I will raise im up at te last day (Jon 6:44). But of course tis last verse seems to be conveniently denied or ignored by te grain-offait folk. Tey say men can come: men ave te ability to come in fait to Crist. Jesus said men cannot. Wom will you believe? Our beginning text was For I say, troug te grace given unto me, to every man tat is among you, not to tink of imself more igly tan e ougt to tink; but to tink soberly, according as God at dealt to every man te measure of fait. Following sound reasoning and te advice of old Miles Coverdale we look at tese words in teir context. Te basic rule of understanding any document is tis: context, context, context! We must take te words of Scripture at face value and keep tem in teir proper context! First of all we note tat Paul s words in tis last quoted verse were addressed to Cristians to a particular congregation of tem located in Rome. Second, notice tat Paul addressed is words to every man tat is among you - i.e. among te curc to wom e wrote! e did not write to or about unbelievers! e is addressing te saints of God: members of one of Crist s true assemblies. It is to tem and about tem e wrote! It is to tese Cristians tat e wrote according as God at dealt to every man [eac man or individual men] te measure of fait. Te words every man do not always mean all men. Again it is te context tat determines te meaning of words. For example: if my family and I are going somewere and I ask, Is everybody ready? I do not mean is every person in te world ready. I mean every person to wom I am addressing te question. So it is in our text: every man means eac individual person addressed. Tat every man does not always mean every person is proven by te words of Jesus in Luke 16:16 were e said, Te law and te propets were until Jon: since tat time te kingdom of God is preaced, and every man presset into it. If every man in tis verse means all men ten te verse is a lie and Jesus is found to be a liar. All men do not press into te kingdom. In fact a very few men do! But individuals do press into Crist s kingdom and tat is te meaning of every man. Te same ting is evident in Jon 1:9 wic says of Crist: Tat was te true Ligt, wic ligtet every man tat comet into te world. If Crist enligtens all men ten all men are saved! e does not enligten all men and all men are not saved, but e does enligten individual men. One more instance of te prase every man surely sall suffice: I Corintians 12:7 says: But te manifestation of te Spirit is given to every man to profit wital. All men do not and did not ave te Spirit nor did tey ave te manifestation of te Spirit wen Paul wrote tose words. But certain individuals did and tat is te meaning of every man in tat verse: te manifestation of te Spirit is given to individuals. Neiter can te words every man be rigtly applied to all men everywere in te prase as God at dealt to every man te measure of fait. Tese words cannot be onestly applied to te unsaved for tey were not addressed to tem in any way watsoever. Paul is writing to and dealing wit saints: te members of one of te Lord s true curces; and is not speaking of all men everywere. To include all men everywere in te words as God at dealt to every man te measure of fait is unreasonable and disonest wit te Scriptures. And it produces a supposed Bible contradiction! But tere is no real contradiction. Only if Paul s words are taken out of context and twisted so as to mean tat all men ave a grain of fait as many of today s Arminians teorize is tere a contradiction. Surely to any onest and candid reader we ave supplied sufficient evidence to prove tat men do not ave some kind of inborn grain of fait. Sall te words of tis brief article cange te minds or clarify te understanding of tose wo are quite sure tat all men ave a tiny bit of fait? It is doubtful, for men do love teir traditions. Teir own doctrines are te dearest tings to tem. Men ave bot lived and died for false doctrine, as well as for true, and continue to do so. But if God be pleased to someow use tis poor effort, it sall be enoug. In conclusion we say again tat tere are no real contradictions in te Bible. Tere are only seeming ones: i.e. passages tat are not properly understood or are interpreted witout regard for teir context. Peter warned of men in is own time wo tortured te Scriptures, especially twisting te epistles of Paul. e wrote, As also in all is [Paul s] epistles, speaking in tem of tese tings; in wic are some tings ard to be understood, wic tey tat are unlearned and unstable wrest, as tey do also te oter scriptures, unto teir own destruction (II Pet. 3:16). We must all beware! Tere are also suc people in our day as were in is! According to te oly Gost suc people are unlearned and unstable as stated in tis last verse. Especially do suc people ate and distort te plain meaning of Paul in is various epistles! Tose wo wrest te Scriptures work toward teir own destruction! To tose wo tink all men ave an inborn grain of fait our reply is tis. ave you fait? Do not boast tat you ave eiter produced it or ave someow nurtured and grown it or are worty of it. God says, For wo maket tee to differ from anoter? and wat ast tou tat tou didst not receive? now if tou didst receive it, wy dost tou glory, as if tou adst not received it (I Cor. 4:7)? Are you different from te worldlings around you? Everyting you ave is a gift! ave you te fait of God s elect? If you ave tis kind of fait, you received it as you ave all tings. And if God gave fait to you, wy do you boast and glory in your tougts as if you ad anyting to do wit getting it or growing it? You are not worty of it and cannot ever be worty of it. It is a matter of grace. Give God te glory! Salvation is of te LORD (Jona 2:9).

5 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Watering te Tulips By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama Te Time Is ere For te time will come wen tey will not endure sound doctrine; but after teir own lusts sall tey eap to temselves teacers, aving itcing ears; And tey sall turn away teir ears from te trut, and sall be turned unto fables (II Tim. 4:3-4). We ave really come a long way. I mean, consider te advances we ave made in just te last few generations automobiles, airplanes, communication, Internet, medical advances, etc. Our generation is daily using a and eld device to run teir lives tat is far more advanced tan computers used by NASA on te rockets in te Apollo missions! Wit te touc of our finger to te face of our pones, we can call, text, private message or even post on social media to friends around te globe. Te communication tat used to take weeks or monts to complete now takes seconds literally! We ave certainly come a long way. But tings are not always as tey appear, are tey?...for te LORD seet not as man seet; for man looket on te outward appearance, but te LORD looket on te eart (I Sam. 16:7). To our society, tings look fine so we assume tey are. Even curces ave a tendency to become complacent in a society were tere are so many of te finer tings in life. As blessings take over te lives of Cristians in a prosperous society, te Word of God often takes a back seat. As if it is not enoug tat te Bible told us it would appen, we are now witnessing it wit our own eyes. Sound teacing seems to be a ting of te past in many instances. Today, te average curc attender nearly yawns if a sermon begins wit open up your Bibles to Yet, a man (or woman, for tat matter) can begin is sermon wit God spoke to me on te way to curc tis morning and said and ears perk up. Tus says te Lord doesn t seem to matter so muc any more. Many messages today are devoid of any real exposition of Scripture. And even wen Scripture is quoted, it is often used in suc a way tat negates te context in wic it is written and tis in a generation tat as more access to te Bible tan we ave ever ad. as our generation forgotten tat multitudes ave been martyred for merely attempting to own a copy of te Bible or even a portion of it? It appears we ave. It is saddening wit te access our generation as to te Word of God tat so few professing believers today see any benefit in daily Bible study not a devotional book were an autor quotes one verse and ten extrapolates truts from it, but actually studying te Word of God itself. Te Scripture sould be our starting place because only it can be said to be,...given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rigteousness: Tat te man of God may be perfect, trougly furnised unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16-17). Wat oter book can complete te cild of God like te Bible? Tere is not one. Does it really matter? Witout a doubt it does. Biblical illiteracy as spawned te generation spoken of in our text verse. Wen believers do not know wat te Bible says, tey turn to myts. Wen teacers replace te foundational truts of Cristianity, tese myts are no more factual tan ancient Roman and Greek polyteism. Illiterate men wo ave no regard for te trut are leading multitudes of Biblically illiterate Cristians into all kinds of tese myts. Cild of God, do not be surprised. God s Word said tis would occur. We are seeing our text verse fulfilled before our eyes. But te ligt at te end of te tunnel is tat Jesus coming is soon, and tese events give us ope tat we will soon ear te trumpet sound wen we will be called up in te air to see our Savior wit our own eyes. Knowing Crist (Continued from page 1) rigteousness wic is in te law, blameless. But wat tings were gain to me, tose I counted loss for Crist. Yea doubtless, and I count all tings but loss for te excellency of te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord: for wom I ave suffered te loss of all tings, and do count tem but dung, tat I may win Crist, And be found in im, not aving mine own rigteousness wic is of te law, but tat wic is troug te fait of Crist, te rigteousness wic is of God by fait: Tat I may know im, and te power of is resurrection, and te fellowsip of is sufferings, being made conformable unto is deat (Pil. 3:3-10). Many people know about Crist, but most of tem do not know Crist. A person can know a great deal istorically about Crist witout muc knowledge of im. A person may know a great deal about te Cristian life witout knowing im Wo is te Way, te Trut, and te Life (Jon 14:6). Te difference between knowing about Crist and knowing Crist is te difference between being lost or saved. TE MOST IMPORTANT TING In verses 5 and 6 te Apostle Paul lists some of te tings e refused compared wit te knowledge of Crist. e uses wat we call te power of contrast. First, e contrasted te knowledge of Crist wit religious rites and ceremonies: Circumcised te eigt day... (v. 5). Wen e was eigt-daysold e received te badge of a Jew, te seal of te covenant. e was not a proselyte or an Ismaelite. But wen compared to te knowledge of Crist e concluded tat circumcision availed im noting (Gal. 6:15). Second, e contrasted te knowledge of Crist wit te pride of ancestry:...of te stock of Israel, of te tribe of Benjamin, an ebrew of ebrews... (v. 5). Paul was by descent an Israelite. is family ad come from Jacob, te prince wit God. is family descended from te tribe of Benjamin wic gave Israel er first king and never swerved in its allegiance to te royal family of David. No Gentile blood flowed in is veins. is family ad retained te ebrew language and customs. But e counted tis dog s dung in comparison to (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Knowing Crist (Continued from page 5) knowing Crist and being a part of God s family. Tird, e contrasted te knowledge of Crist wit membersip in a religious order:...as toucing te law, a Parisee (v. 5). Paul eld membersip in te Parisees, te sect of Judaism wic took te strictest view of te law of Moses. e ad no connection wit te rationalistic Sadducees, or te political erodians, or te fanatical Zealots. But membersip in te order of te Parisees meant noting in comparison to knowing Crist. Paul traded is religion for Crist. Fourt, e contrasted te knowledge of Crist wit religious zeal: Concerning zeal, persecuting te curc... (v. 6). Paul took is religion seriously, and e measured is religion by is atred for Cristianity. e tougt e was doing God a service by uprooting eretics. But all suc labors were a lost cause. After coming to know Crist tis persecutor of te curc became a preacer in te curc. Fift, e contrasted a knowledge of Crist wit personal rigteousness:...toucing te rigteousness wic is in te law, blameless (v. 6). ere Paul is not claiming perfect moral fulfillment of te law, but te observance of its external requirements. As far as te rigteousness of te scribes and Parisees went, e was found blameless. But on te Damascus road e met Crist, and all of is self-rigteousness vanised. e realized tat is self-rigteousness ad been a loss, for it kept is soul from knowing Crist. From tat day on e desired not to be found in is rigteousness, but in te rigteousness wic was of te fait of Crist. Sixt, e contrasted te knowledge of Crist wit all tings: Yea doubtless, and I count all tings but loss for te excellency of te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord (v. 8). All tings include worldly substances, te comforts of life, and life itself. Paul would part wit a sky of stars for one Sun of Rigteousness. To im, te knowledge of Crist is a blessing so surpassing and transcendent tat noting is worty to be called good in comparison to tis igest good. e believed tat te knowledge of Crist was te one ting needful for a man. Let men learn a lesson from Paul. All confidence in te fles is to be renounced. Religious rituals suc as baptism and te Lord s Supper witout a knowledge of Crist are noting. Tey are but te empty grave from wic Crist as gone fort. A noble pedigree of royal blood witout te knowledge of Crist is noting. It is not te blood of our ancestors wic saves us; it is te blood of Crist. A good education witout a knowledge of Crist is noting but dog s dung. Knowing Crist is te beginning of all wisdom and all knowledge. Curc membersip witout a knowledge of Crist is dung. Many curc members are eaded to ell. Knowing Crist is more important tan being a Baptist, or a Metodist, or a Presbyterian, or a Pentecostal. WAT IT IS TO KNOW CRIST First, to know Crist is to know im personally. It is more tan to ave an intellectual knowledge of im. Many unconverted people ave tis. It means to know im in experience personally by eartknowledge. We must know im as one person knows anoter. Tis knowledge is common to all believers. Jesus Crist said: I know my own, and my own know me (Jon 10:14 ABUV). Te seep know te Seperd, and te Seperd knows te seep. Second, to know Crist is to know im as God. It is to see in im te glory of God (II Cor. 4:6). Te One Wo is te express image of te Fater s Person is imself a Divine Person (eb. 1:3). Crist Wo is te image of te invisible God (Col. 1:15) is God manifest in te fles (I Tim. 3:16). Te One Wo was in te beginning wit God was God (Jon 1:1-3) and equal wit God (Pil. 2:6). Crist is God, and to know im is to know God. Te denial of Crist as God is a soul-destroying sin (I Jon 2:23; II Jon 9). Tird, to know Crist is to know im in is office work. It is to know im as te Mediator of te covenant, te Bread of Life to ungry souls, te Redeemer of te lost, and te Savior of sinners. To know Crist is to know im as our great ig Priest Wo appears in te presence of God for us (eb. 9:24), and Wo makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:34). It is to know im as te King of kings (I Tim. 6:15) Wo is soon to return and be king over all te eart (Zec. 14:9). Fourt, to know Crist is to know im as Lord and Master. Paul said:...te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord (v. 8). Some tell us tat tere are Cristians wo know Crist as Savior, but not as Lord. Tis idea was invented by eretics in an attempt to justify te ungodly lives of teir unconverted curc members. Tere is no way to know Crist in all is person, attributes, and office work witout also knowing im as Lord. To know im is to love im and to render a ceerful obedience to im (Acts 9:6). A general knowledge of Crist is not sufficient. It misses te mark; it comes sort of te goal. A person must ave a special, spiritual, and saving knowledge of Crist. Tis knowledge is joined wit fait in Crist. It involves a distrust in all self-rigteousness and a trust only in Crist to be our rigteousness (Pil. 3:9; I Cor. 1:30). To know Crist is to trust im wit te salvation of your soul wic you commit to im in fait. Paul wrote: For I know wom I ave believed, and am persuaded tat e is able to keep tat wic I ave committed unto im against tat day (II Tim. 1:12). TE MEANS OF TIS A saving knowledge of Crist is not obtained in scools of uman learning, religious or oterwise. It is someting a man must ave by revelation from eaven. Tis work is so great as to be te concern of all tree Persons in te Godead. First, man knows Crist because God te Fater reveals im. Crist asked Simon Peter to tell im wat e tougt of im. Peter said: Tou art te Crist, te Son of te living God. And Jesus answered and said unto im, Blessed art tou, Simon Barjona: for fles and blood at not revealed it unto tee, but my Fater wic is in eaven (Matt. 16:16-17). ere te revealing of Crist is a distinguising token of God s good will. Te Fater is eminently qualified to reveal te Son as tey are of te same nature and attributes. Second, a man knows Crist because Crist reveals imself. Te Samaritan woman told Crist: I know tat Messias comet, wic is called Crist: (Continued on page 7)

7 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Knowing Crist (Continued from page 6) wen e is come, e will tell us all tings. Jesus sait unto er, I tat speak unto tee am e (Jon 4:25-26). Wat a clear revelation Crist made ere of imself. Suc a clear revelation never occurred unless it be on one oter occasion (Jon 9:37). Te Lord Jesus did not reveal imself to te scribes and Parisees (Jon 10:24). e did not even give Jon te Baptist suc a clear revelation (Matt. 11:4-5) as e did tis woman. Crist is sovereign in te revelation of imself. Tird, a man knows Crist because te oly Spirit reveals im. In Jon 16:13-14 te Spirit of trut is said to glorify Crist and to reveal im to men (See Ep. 1:17). Te Spirit does not reveal imself; e reveals Crist. Te oly Spirit gives te sinner a living knowledge of Jesus Crist as Lord (II Cor. 3:17-18) and makes im a partaker of Crist s life and benefits. A knowledge of Crist is spiritual and must come from te Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:9-10). TE EXCELLENCY OF TIS KNOWLEDGE First, Paul sows its great wort by contrasting it wit all tings e classed as a loss: I count all tings but loss for te excellency of te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord (Pil. 3:8). All tings conceivable and inconceivable are valueless under te sun wen weiged against te knowledge of Crist. All tings on eart are dog s dung wen compared to knowing Crist. All tings wic would inder us from obtaining tis knowledge must be given up tat we migt win Crist. Second, a knowledge of Crist is te means of our justification before God:...by is knowledge sall my rigteous servant justify many; for e sall bear teir iniquities (Isa. 53:11). By is knowledge means by te experimental knowledge of Crist a man sees imself justified because Crist bore away is sins. Tis knowledge of Crist is noting less tan fait in Crist as te source of our rigteousness. Crist justifies on te ground of is rigteousness (II Cor. 5:21; I Jon 2:1). Tis verse also proves tat all e bore te sins of will be brougt to a saving knowledge of Crist. Tird, te Bible proclaims te excellency of tis knowledge: Tus sait te LORD, Let not te wise man glory in is wisdom, neiter let te migty man glory in is migt, let not te ric man glory in is rices: But let im tat gloriet glory in tis, tat e understandet and knowet me, tat I am te LORD wic exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and rigteousness, in te eart: for in tese tings I deligt, sait te LORD (Jer. 9:23-24). All subjects of boasting are ere seen to be unworty of trust. Wisdom, rices, and valor are noting compared to knowing te Lord. ow excellent it is to ave a rigt appreension of God s nature and attributes! A converted man glories only in te Lord (I Cor. 1:31). Fourt, a knowledge of Crist is excellent because it is te spere of all spiritual blessing: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you troug te knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (II Pet. 1:2). Te Fater as put all spiritual blessings in te ands of Crist (Ep. 1:3). Tere are no spiritual blessings apart from knowing Crist. TE EVER-DEEPENING KNOWLEDGE Tere is a great need for tose wo know Crist to follow on to know te LORD (osea 6:3). Te Apostle Paul desired an everincreasing knowledge of Crist: Tat I may know im, and te power of is resurrection, and te fellowsip of is sufferings, being made conformable unto is deat (Pil. 3:10). e especially wanted more knowledge of Crist s sufferings and exaltation. e sougt tis knowledge, not by earing and reading, but by direct personal communion wit is Lord. Paul longed for more of te knowledge of te power of is resurrection. Tere is spiritual power in te resurrection of Crist from te dead. Its influence will lift us up into te new life id wit Crist in God. If ye ten be risen wit Crist, seek tose tings wic are above, were Crist sittet on te rigt and of God. Set your affection on tings above, not on tings on te eart. For ye are dead, and your life is id wit Crist in God (Col. 3:1-3). Te knowledge of Crist s resurrection raises our minds above te world and prompts us to subdue sin: Now if we be dead wit Crist, we believe tat we sall also live wit im: Knowing tat Crist being raised from te dead diet no more; deat at no more dominion over im. For in tat e died, e died unto sin once: but in tat e livet, e livet unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God troug Jesus Crist our Lord. Let not sin terefore reign in your mortal (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Knowing Crist (Continued from page 7) body, tat ye sould obey it in te lusts tereof. 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. 6:8-11). A knowledge of te resurrection of Crist is te pledge of our future resurrection. Jesus Crist said: Because I live, ye sall live also (Jon 14:19). Paul wrote: Knowing tat e wic raised up te Lord Jesus sall raise up us also by Jesus, and sall present us wit you (II Cor. 4:14). As sure as Crist is risen, so sure sall we rise from te dead. Our bodies will be raised up and fasioned like is glorious body. Tis knowledge inspires to service and gives comfort in persecution. To know te power of Crist s resurrection, we must know te fellowsip of is sufferings, being made conformable to is deat (Pil. 3:10). Te sufferings of Crist included te temptation of Satan, denial of is friends, poverty and omelessness, atred by te religious world of is day, and te agonies of a orrible deat on a Roman cross. To ave fellowsip wit is sufferings is to suffer as Crist did wen e was on eart. We can ave fellowsip wit is sufferings in a number of ways. First, we ave fellowsip wit Crist s sufferings wen we sympatize wit is agony on te cross. ow umiliating to realize tat our sins added to is burden of woes. Tose wo truly know tat Crist bore teir sins in is own body on te tree are constrained to live unto rigteousness (I Pet. 2:24). To te Corintians Paul said: For te love of Crist constrainet us; because we tus judge, tat if one died for all, ten were all dead: And tat e died for all, tat tey wic live sould not encefort live unto temselves, but unto im wic died for tem, and rose again (II Cor. 5:14-15). Second, we ave fellowsip wit Crist s sufferings wen we suffer persecution from te world as e did: But rejoice, inasmuc as ye are partakers of Crist s sufferings; tat, wen is glory sall be revealed, ye may be glad also wit exceeding joy (I Pet. 4:13). Paul told te Colossians tat e rejoiced in is sufferings in bealf of is bretren and desired to fill up tat wic is beind of te afflictions of Crist in is fles for Crist s body s sake, wic is te curc (Col. 1:24). Tird, we ave fellowsip wit Crist s sufferings as we become, little by little, conformed unto is deat. As we consider is sufferings tis gradually impresses a likeness of is deat upon us wic is deep and real. Tis as various degrees in different believers, but in all wo are truly Cristians it is real. Crist s deat upon te cross was slow and painful, and so is te crucifixion of te old man. Te new man struggles a lifetime to be free from te body of sin and deat tat te life of Crist may be manifested in is mortal body. CONCLUSION 1. It appears to me tat modernday professed Cristians want noting to do wit te fellowsip of te sufferings of Crist. Tey want only te fellowsip of is blessings. Many are willing to reign wit im, but tey are unwilling to suffer wit im. Many are willing to wear a crown of glory, but tey are unwilling to wear a crown of torns. Many are willing to put on te wite robe of eaven, but tey are unwilling to put on te purple robe of mockery on eart. Some would be willing to live for im, but tey would be unwilling to die for im. Tis must be so because tey do not really know te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. Te desire of Paul was to be found in Crist on te great day: And e found in im, not aving mine own rigteousness, wic is of te law, but tat wic is troug te fait of Crist, te rigteousness wic is of God by fait (Pil. 3:9). To be united to Crist by fait and depend solely on is merits for rigteousness before God sould be te great concern of all men. Tose wo trust in teir own rigteousness will be condemned. Tey will never win Crist. 3. Paul broke wit is unconverted life; so must we. e experienced a complete cange of tougt, aims, and motives; so must we. Like Paul, we sould desire to be like Crist in is sufferings and resurrection. We must live and die as e did in selfsacrifice. 4. Do you know Crist? Or, do you just know about Crist? To know Crist is to ave eternal life. 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). Tis knowledge of Crist is te one ting needful. To know Crist is to possess eternal life. To know only about Crist is eternal damnation. 5. Are you, like te Apostle Paul, ready to give up all tings tat you may win Crist? Will you surrender your pride of tradition, your pride of birt, your pride of caracter, your pride of religion and even all tings tat you migt win Crist? Will you give up your drinking? Your lying? Your stealing? Your promiscuous sex? Your drug abuse? God elp you to say wit te psalmist: Wom ave I in eaven but tee? and tere is none upon eart tat I desire beside tee (Ps. 73:25). Ten Acquaint now tyself wit im, and be at peace: tereby good sall come unto tee ( Job 22:21). Wen We Were (Continued from page 1) or did tis or did tat. Our verse plainly tells us tat te Cristians tat Paul was writing to at Rome, and e imself, were reconciled wile tey were yet te enemies of God. And may I ask, wat was te ground of tat reconciliation? Well it was te deat of God s Son and noting else. And certainly tis applies to all wo will ever be saved. Te word for in our text looks back to te fact tat God ad commended is love toward is people, and tat wile tey were yet sinners e sent is Son into te world to die for tem and tat tey would be justified by is blood. Let us now examine wat our Scripture text did not say. It did not say wen we believed we were reconciled to God by te deat of is son. Our fait ad noting to do wit te reconciliation tat was Godward, and besides we are told tat wen we were yet enemies of God tat we were reconciled to God by te deat of is Son. Dear reader, te Bible does say we are saved by fait, but nowere will you find tat we are reconciled to God by fait. Saved speaks of our deliverance from sin and takes in a lot under tat umbrella. We are saved in a practical sense as well. (Continued on page 9)

9 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 Wen We Were (Continued from page 8) Our lives are canged and we do tings differently after we are saved and all of tat troug fait. For example, te Bible says tat Noa prepared te ark by fait. Tat was a lot of work involved in tat, was it not? But wy did e do suc a ting wen it ad never rained before? Well, te Book of ebrews tells us plainly. By fait Noa, being warned of God of tings not seen as yet, moved wit fear, prepared an ark to te saving of is ouse; by te wic e condemned te world, and became eir of te rigteousness wic is by fait (eb. 11:7). Now, if you really believed wat God says, and e told you tat e was about to bring a flood on te world to destroy it and tat you were to build an ark to save yourself and your family, wat would you do if you really believed im? Sit tere? Wy you would move wit fear just as Noa did. So you see, dear reader, Noa built tat ark because of fait. e believed God. Now back to tat word reconciliation tat we read of in our opening verse. Te word reconciliation tere is from te Greek word katallasso wic as to do wit excanging coins or tings of equal value. Strong s says, to compound a difference. It means to excange one ting for anoter. One lexicon ad excange, as coins for oters of equivalent value. It also means to reconcile tose wo are at variance. ave you ever eard of reconciling your bank statement? Tat involves balancing it. So wen we were yet enemies of God te Lord balanced te difference totally. Tis as to do wit te legal aspect of our salvation. We ad ordinances of God tat were against us tat could not just be overlooked. We owed a debt to te law and it ad to be settled. And Jesus Crist settled it all; every last bit of it for is people. Listen to Paul s words concerning tis very ting. Blotting out te andwriting of ordinances tat was against us, wic was contrary to us, and took it out of te way, nailing it to is cross (Col. 2:14). Dear reader, Jesus blotted out te entire debt of all wo will ever be saved. And e nailed tat debt to is cross and took it ALL out of te way wile tey were yet in unbelief. And te sobering fact is tat e did tis before we ever knew anyting about it or ad any concern for it. Te writer of ebrews wen speaking of te Son declares, wen e ad by imself purged our sins, sat down on te rigt and of te Majesty on ig (eb. 1:3). Let me give you an eartly analogy. Let me say tat you owed a banker one million dollars and you ad no means to pay te debt. Unknown to you someone wo you did not even like went and paid te entire debt for you. Now, is te debt paid or is it not? Will te banker come to you and require anyting of you concerning tis debt? Not if e is a just man. Tat may not be te best analogy tat could be used but it illustrates te point. Isaia said, e sall see of te travail of is soul, and sall be satisfied: by is knowledge sall my rigteous servant justify many; for e sall bear teir iniquities (Isa. 53:11). Te Fater and te Son bot are completely satisfied wit wat Jesus did and all for wom e did tat will be justified in time, for e bore teir iniquities. Paul tells us tat Jesus at made peace troug te blood of is cross (Col. 1:20). Now wit reconciliation tere is tat part tat is God-ward but tere is a part tat is man-ward as well. Te American eritage Dictionary definition says to settle or resolve, as a dispute; to establis friendsip between. Jon Gill says, Reconciliation implies a former state of friendsip, a breac of te friendsip, and a making it up again. Of course tis former state of friendsip was in Adam before te fall because we were born spiritually dead in trespasses in sin. So, Jesus Crist as reconciled te elect of God wen tey were enemies by is sacrifice on te cross. God ad made im wo knew no sin to be sin for us tat we migt be made te rigteousness of God in im (see II Corintians 5:21). But e did not leave us in tat state of unbelief and being is enemies. As Paul said in our opening verse muc more. We are told tat since we were reconciled to God by te deat of is Son, wile we were yet enemies, we sall receive tat reconciliation and be saved by is life. It is a sure ting. Tose tat e reconciled will be saved and not one will be lost. Te Lord will find all of is lost seep and will not lose one of tem. Now because we were still at enmity wit God and tat because we were dead in our sins, God was pleased to quicken us to life from tat dead state, yea, and will quicken all is elect in time. You see, te carnal mind, wic we all ave being lost, is at enmity wit God. Tere is a need of reconciliation on our end. Paul said, Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). O saved Cristian, tis is te way we were But God, wo is ric in mercy, for is great love werewit e loved us, Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved) (Ep. 2:4-5). At te moment of fait we wo were at enmity wit God became friends wit God. Repentance and fait came by grace in regeneration and we were reconciled unto God in our minds and we are now is friend and now we ad and do ave te peace of God, wic passet all understanding (Pil. 4:7). And te scripture was fulfilled wic sait, Abraam believed God, and it was imputed unto im for rigteousness: and e was called te Friend of God (James 2:23). But, dear reader, all of tis as its foundation in te reconciliation tat took place at te cross. Back in Romans we are told by Paul in te next verse, And not only so, but we also joy in God troug our Lord Jesus Crist, by wom we ave now received te atonement (Rom. 5:11). Te word atonement is from te Greek word katallage wic comes from te same Greek word translated reconciled in te previous verse. So Crist reconciled is seep at te cross, and ten in time tey are quickened and receive te reconciling by wat e as done in teir stead, and tat new nature tat tey are given in regeneration joys in God. Let me ask a question at tis point. Can a dead tree produce fruit? You say of course not. So wat is fait? Well, Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22 tat fait is te fruit of te Spirit. Pilippians 1:29 tells us tat it is a gift of God. So ow can a sinner wo is spiritually dead according to Epesians 2:1, 5 ave fait if it is te fruit of te Spirit? Dear reader, all of tis (repentance and fait) is te result (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Wen We Were (Continued from page 9) of te reconciliation tat Crist would do for te Old Testament saints and as done for te New Testament saints. It is all because of im and not of us. All we can do is praise im for saving our old wretced souls. 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). Jesus said, Ye must BE born again (Jon 3:7) (emp. LL). And se sall bring fort a son, and tou salt call is name JESUS: for e sall save is people from teir sins (Matt. 1:21) (emp. LL). To te lost te question becomes tis. Are you in need of reconciliation? ave your sins separated you from a trice oly God? Do you know tat It is a fearful ting to fall into te ands of te living God (eb. 10:31)? Are your sins so eavy upon your soul tat you cannot bear te load any longer? Well, Jesus says tis, Come unto me, all ye tat labour and are eavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Paul said, Tis is a faitful saying, and worty of all acceptation, tat Crist Jesus came into te world to save sinners; of wom I am cief (I Tim. 1:15). Do you see yourself as te cief of sinners? If so, ten come to Crist. If you say, No, I am not suc a bad person, ten te invitation is not for you. As one preacer said, I am looking for sinners! May God ave mercy on lost sinners! Jael (Continued from page 1) untrustworty beast, as any poisonous serpent or snake. Se not only kept erself safe, but se also saved te people by way of slaying teir enemy; wo ad already oppressed tem grievously by way of is tyranny, murder, and plunder. ow would you treat a dangerous snake in te grass? Would you attempt to befriend it? ow would you treat a dangerous lion? Would you serve it supper and ope it would not turn again and rend you to pieces? ow would you treat a dragon? Would you ope tat it was an onorable dragon, and tat, contrary to its nature, it would not destroy you, but would be kind and gentle and only act in your best interests? You would be accounted a fool if you did so wit any dangerous beast, or dangerous enemy wo was bent on your destruction, ruin, and downfall. You would be a fool if you did so wit regards to te devil, wo is your sworn enemy, wo is bent on your destruction, ruin, and downfall, and wose only satisfaction is in te complete and utter deat and doom of every man, woman, boy, and girl. e is a prince, being...te prince of te power of te air... (Ep. 2:2); but e is witout onor. e is a ruler, but is rule ends in deat and destruction. e is as a god, being called...te god of tis world... (II Cor. 4:4); but e does not enligten souls, but rater blinds tem to te trut, to teir own eternal loss and doom. We find in our text tat God ad raised up a deliverer for is people Israel, to deliver tem from teir enemies. Debora and Barak were te judges, or deliverers, of Israel, wo ad been raised up at tis time to deliver Israel from te oppression of te Canaanites. Neverteless, te igest glory and onor of victory were going to belong to a woman wo was not a soldier, not a warrior, not a judge, and was not even accounted of Israel, for se was te wife of a Kenite, wo were te in-laws of Moses, and ad joined temselves in spiritual alliance to Israel (Num. 10:29, Judges 1:16). Te propecy ad gone on before tat...te Lord sall sell Sisera into te and of a woman... Te glory and onor of te slaying of te migty captain of Israel s enemy belonged to a woman, namely Jael (Judges 5:24-31). I believe in Jael, er bravery, er victory, and er onor, we may see a glimpse of our Deliverer, Wo defeated our great enemy, te devil, toug e did so by umbling imself in weakness, meekness, and umility, even enduring te deat of te cross, in order to save us from deat and endless loss. Jael Crist-like in er Bravery And Jael went out to meet Sisera... As a woman, Jael was unarmed. We do not read tat er usband was ome to defend er from enemies at tis time, toug a war was known to be raging. Se was naturally weaker tan any soldier or man of war. Neverteless, se bravely went out to meet te captain of te ost of te Canaanites, and to draw im to is deat. We read tat Sisera ad eaded in er direction in opes of safe aven. owbeit Sisera fled away on is feet te tent of Jael te wife of eber te Kenite... e tougt e would be safe in a woman s tent. ow sameful did e act! Not only did e flee away in cowardice from te battle e ad lost, toug e ad superior forces and armament; but e went to ide in te tent of a woman. e ad robbed, raped, and killed women, and taken women ostage as slaves as te spoils of war in times past; but now e goes to iding in a woman s tent. To all tose wo want to accuse Jael, I say tey ougt to accuse Sisera of is cowardice, is self-serving sameful cowardice; as well as is crimes of war and inumanity. Sad, is it not, tat people today want to accuse God wen tings are not as tey would ave tem; but tey will not accuse te devil of all is wicked deeds wic e at done, and of is disturbing te nations of te world (Isa. 14:12-17). Give same to wom same is due! Give infamy to wom infamy is due! Cast not reproac upon God, but upon te wicked, upon te wicked one and tose wo walk in wickedness wit im! Beloved, I tell you tat Crist was brave, for e took upon imself our weakness, our frail frame and nature, was made like us of fles and blood, even to te end tat e migt taste deat for every man; and in being Man, e went out to face te devil, te dragon, te serpent, te accuser of te bretren, te slayer of men and nations, and e in wose and was te power of deat and wo eld all men in bondage troug fear of deat. Crist did not come wit ten tousand angels and tus go to Calvary. Nay, e came lowly and meek and empty of is eternal glory. e came as One wo could be wearied, as One wo could unger, as One wo required sleep, as One wo could tirst, as One wo could bleed, and as One wo would die. e came fort te seed of te woman, made in te likeness (Continued on page 11)

11 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Jael Let Tese Sayings (Continued from page 10) (Continued from page 1) of sinful fles; and in constant and true bravery, fed by fait in God, e faced our adversary, te prince of tis dark world and of te legions fallen into darkness. e faced im in te wilderness, aving fasted for forty days, and being an ungered. e faced im in te resistance to God s will and preference for te ways of man present in te very apostles e ad cosen, as wen e said to Peter,...Get tee beind me, Satan: tou art an offence unto me: for tou savourest not te tings tat be of God, but tose tat be of men (Matt. 16:23). e faced our enemy at te cross, knowing full well tat it was te...our, and power of darkness (Luke 22:53), (Jon 12:23-33). Jael Crist-like in er Victory Not only did Jael face te enemy of God s people, but se obtained te victory over im. Se did not do so by weapons of man s migt. No warrior s sword or spear did se wield. er weapons were a cup and saucer of milk and cream, a warm wooly blanket, and a tent peg and mallet. Se used te tings of er ome to conquer te migty captain of te ost of te Canaanites. Some would say, Se beguiled im. All praise, ten, to te woman wise as a serpent, wo beguiled te beguiler, wo slew te slayer, and wo defeated te divider of te prey! Dead is Sisera, and tat by te ands of a woman! Crist was like tis in is victory. e triumped over te devil and is legions, over te powers of darkness, and over deat itself (Col. 2:13-15). It was in is cross tat Crist ad te victory. It was in laying down is life tat e died our sameful deat. It was in te agonies and sufferings of te cross tat e, as our substitute, faced and overcame all our foes. It was not an onorable figt. Was it onorable for Sisera to seek to save is own skin and ide in te tent of a woman wom e was sure would be too afraid of is warrior and princely personage to defy im? Was it onorable of te devil and te powers of darkness to range temselves against Crist te Son of man? Would tey so range temselves against im if e ad come fort as God Almigty, rater tan as te Word made fles dwelling among us? Did e resist tem? Did e summon twelve legions of angels? Did e cause Mount Calvary to quake and crumble in is victory? Nay rater, Mount Calvary and er surroundings quaked in response to te deat of er Creator, as e laid down is life as our Redeemer and te Savior of is bretren and all te cildren wic God ad given im! is victory was wen e tasted deat for every man; and because of tat victory, e is crowned wit glory and onor. Jael Crist-like in er onor Te onor of victory belonged to Jael, and er praise was sung in song. So, too, do we now give glory to God troug Jesus Crist and sing te name of te Lamb of God, because e as redeemed us to God by is blood; and so sall we do forever (Rev. 15:1-4; 5:8-13). Beloved, it is te purpose, privilege, and praise of every Cristian life to ave Crist-like victory over te devil and every enemy of te cross of our Lord Jesus Crist (I Cor. 15:57-58; Rom. 16:17-20). fact tat e must be given into te ands of wicked men. Also, tere is reference to te fact tat e must soon lay down is life. Of course, it would do us all muc good to pay eed to te words of Crist, and to pay special eed to te sacrifice and te deat of Jesus Crist, and te accomplisment of our salvation. Te disciples were afraid to consider suc tings. Te disciples were not yet spiritual enoug to properly contemplate suc tings. But tey understood not tis saying, and it was id from tem, tat tey perceived it not: and tey feared to ask im of tat saying (Luke 9:45) Today, I want to take our text verse, and apply it in a general way to te words and te sayings of God, and remind eac of us tat we ave a duty and a responsibility really, a blessed privilege to ear te Word of God, and to make it a part of our lives. Let tese sayings sink down into your ears sould be a prase tat bot motivates and inspires eac of us, as we seek to learn about Jesus Crist, and as we seek to serve im properly in tis world. EAR WIT SPIRITUAL EARS Te first ting tat I want you to consider today, is tis: In our natural condition, we cannot properly ear and understand te Word of God. Tere may be an outer effect. Tere may be a moral effect. But, we are not capable, nor able to let tese sayings sink down into your ears, in our natural condition. In order for te sayings and te words of God to penetrate into our beings, we must ave te spiritual ears given to us by God so tat we can properly ear te words and te sayings of God. We read in te book of Zecaria, But tey refused to earken, and pulled away te soulder, and stopped teir ears, tat tey sould not ear. Yea, tey made teir earts as an adamant stone, lest tey sould ear te law, and te words wic te LORD of osts at sent in is spirit by te former propets: terefore came a great wrat from te LORD of osts. Terefore it is come to pass, tat as e cried, and tey would not ear; so tey cried, and I would not ear, sait te LORD of osts: (Zec. 7:11-13). Tis is te response of natural man we refuse to ear te Word of God. We ave no desire to ear about im and is ways. Tere is not just an inability, tere is also a total lack of desire. In order for us to ear wit spiritual ears, it is certain tat regenerated ears are required. Our ears are originally deaf and closed to te truts of God s Word. But, by te grace of God, some are granted spiritual ears tat are capable and willing to ear spiritual tings. Te Lord Jesus Crist said, e tat at ears to ear, let im ear (Matt. 11:15). Most of te world is willfully ignorant of te sayings of God; but, te elect, te cosen, te called unto salvation, are granted a marvelous privilege to ear te sayings and te words of God. And te disciples came, and said unto im, Wy speakest tou unto tem in parables? e answered and said unto tem, Because it is given unto you to know te mysteries of te kingdom of eaven, but to tem it is not given. For wosoever at, to im sall be given, and e sall ave more abundance: but wosoever at not, from (Continued on page 15)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Wat can you tell me about te laugter of God, i.e. Psalms 37:13, 59:8, Proverbs 1:26? Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Before I answer te question allow me to make a very stern statement. I ate (and I use te word ate to te igest definition of te word) wen I ear anyone say (especially a Cristian) God must ave a sense of umor! And tat te Lord is up in eaven lauging wit joy. It makes me want to vomit. I assure you God is not lauging in te sense of finding someting funny, unless you believe sin is funny and tat sending is only begotten Son to die and sed is blood on te cross for sinners suc as we are is funny. It is absolutely disgusting tat anyone would believe anyting tat God laugs at is meant to be funny. I am tankful for te question and te one wo sent it; people need to understand te seriousness about tese verses ere concerning God s laugter. Te verb prases laug at and laug off mean to make fun of; deride, ridicule, to be scornful of; reject. Tat is wat God is doing. e is rejecting and ridiculing te wicked for teir plot against te just in Psalms 37:13. Te word deride means to laug at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock. Laug off means to dismiss as ridiculous, trivial, or ollow. As a noun laugter can be an expression of derision as expressed in Psalms 59:8. Derision means ridicule; mockery; an object of ridicule. God is mocking te wicked wen calamity and fear comes upon tem as in Proverbs 1:26. Tese tree verses do not give even a int tat te meaning of God s laugter is someting tat is funny to im and I would take issue wit anyone wo tinks differently, because tey would be 100% wrong. Wit tat said, I believe God as been very gracious to us in tat e as allowed us to find umor in tings and given us te ability to laug as a relief for stress. But again tere is noting funny about te sin in tis world and God sees noting funny about it. Years ago I was ed tis picture of te so called Crist lauging and aving a good time in eaven. I ask you, dear reader, wat is so funny tat Jesus would be lauging about? I find tis picture offensive and can only imagine wat God tinks. But yet tis is te tinking of te so called fundamental Cristian today. Te Bible says, Wo is e tat condemnet? It is Crist tat died, yea rater, tat is risen again, wo is even at te rigt and of God, wo also maket intercession for us (Rom. 8:34). Werefore e is able also to save tem to te uttermost tat come unto God by im, seeing e ever livet to make intercession for tem (eb. 7:25). Wy, dear reader, is e making intercession for us? Could it be, u, maybe e is making intercession for our sins wen we repent? If anyone finds tat funny and laugable ten I would ask tem to retink teir salvation. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O In eac of te passages cited above te context reveals tat God will render a just recompense of reward against te wicked wo rejected is warnings, lauged at te sincere outward manifestations of is goodness, mocked is trut, and derided te only way of salvation. Te ungodly wo ave mocked te Almigty must reap wat tey ave sown. God will laug wit deligt as te severity of is justice is carried out against tose wo ate im and is ways. Toug it is ard for an unglorified and finite mind to compreend tis aspect of God s oliness and justice, it is clearly revealed in oly Writ. I will not apologize for te unabated wrat of God against sin, nor will I condemn te Most ig wo knows and sees all as e satisfies te perfection of is justice. Wat a warning to all tose wo would dare to defy te Almigty, mock is treatenings, and reject te gracious proclamation of te Gospel! May God be pleased to open your blinded eyes and reveal te glory of te crucified, buried, and risen Crist as te Way, te Trut, and te Life! I agree woleeartedly wit te comment of Jon Gill on Proverbs 1:26: By way of retaliation, measuring measure for measure; even as tey scorned im, and deligted in teir scorning, now e in is turn will laug at tem and teir distress; wic act is ascribed to te Lord by an antropopaty (ascription of uman passions or feelings to a being not uman, especially to a deity TWR); see Psalm 2:4 and 37:13, signifying tat e sould not at all pity tem, sow no compassion to tem, and ave no mercy upon tem; but rater express a pleasure and deligt in displaying te glory of is justice in teir destruction; te plain sense is tat no favour would be sown tem, Isaia 27:11. TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Te wicked plottet against te just Te Lord sall laug at im: for e seet tat is day is coming e tat sittet in te eavens sall laug: te Lord sall ave tem in derision (Ps. 37:12-13, 2:4) But tou, O LORD, salt laug at tem; tou salt ave all te eaten in derision (Ps. 59:8). Wile tere are many references to laugter in te Englis Bible, te beloved reader may ave noticed from reading te texts, wenever it mentions God as lauging, it is a laugter of scorn and mocking. Certainly, tis is an important doctrine to be aware of. Te surety tat God scorns wicked sinners and teir wickedness. Sela! Tink about it! But ye ave set at nougt all my counsel, and would none of my (Continued on page 14)

13 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page In Mattew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 we read: And wen tey ad sung an ymn, tey went out into te mount of Olives. Did Jesus sing wit te apostles? Wy, or wy not? Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Yes, tere is no doubt in my mind tat Jesus sang wit te apostles. Wat is even of greater significance is tat e sang in te midst of is curc, te apostles being te first members of te curc tat Jesus started during is eartly ministry. Tis was a fulfillment of a Messianic propecy in Psalm 22:22 and quoted in ebrews 2:12: Saying, I will declare ty name unto my bretren, in te midst of te curc will I sing praise unto tee. Tis proves beyond a sadow of a doubt tat te Lord s New Testament curc was in existence before te Day of Pentecost, a eresy popularized by C. I. Scofield and oter misguided Protestants. Jesus, te founder and foundation of is curc, is found singing in te midst of tis local assembly of saved and baptized believers before e went to te cross! I ave no doubt in my mind tat te curc Jesus was singing in was wat we would today identify as a Baptist curc in fait, doctrine, and practice. Te curc tat Jesus started during is eartly ministry and promised perpetuity to preaced te Gospel, believed in sovereign grace, baptized only believers by immersion in water, and recognized te Lord as te only ead of teir congregation. It could not ave been a Catolic or Protestant curc because tey recognize dead eads as teir founders and representatives. Nor could it ave been wat many Protestants boast of, a mytical, universal, invisible, curc tat never really assembles, observes no ordinances, as no pastors or deacons, and sends no missionaries. Jesus, te literal Crist, sang in te midst of a real congregation of believers tat all ad Baptist baptism and assembled in a definite locality! Tank God for te blessed truts about te Lord s New Testament Baptist Curc! Epesians 3:21: Unto im be glory in te curc by Crist Jesus trougout all ages, world witout end, Amen. TOM ROSS Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Jesus is our example for everyting, and it is obvious by Mattew 26:17-20, being a Jew (wic for some reason, people forget tat) e followed te law. Remember Crist came to fulfil te law not to destroy or cange it. Tink not tat I am come to destroy te law, or te propets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (Matt. 5:17). e kept te wole letter of te law, for e was te only One wo could. Wit tat said it brings us to te answer to te question, Did Jesus sing wit te apostles? Te Bible does not say, but if we believe Jesus as gone tis far to keep te Passover ten I see no reason wy Jesus did not sing wit te rest of tose tat were tere. We could ask, wy would e not sing? To me, if Jesus is keeping wit te tings pertaining to te Passover, e would do te singing as well. Tis is a quote taken from te Ritcie New Testament Commentaries on Mattew and Mark: In singing an ymn, tey would ave used part of te Jewis allel consisting of Psalms , being appropriate Passover Psalms. Wen tey ad sung an ymn is one word in Greek (also in Mark 14:26), being te aorist participle of umneo. Psalms would be sung at te beginning of te Passover feast: Jeova was ig above all nations (113:4), enabling im to bring Israel out of Egypt (114:1). Psalms 115 demonstrates a passion for te glory of God: not unto us, but unto ty name give glory (v. l), wile Psalms 116:8, 9 reearses te deliverance from deat to walk in te land of te living. Psalms 117 is a brief expression of universal praise, wile Psalms 118 is a propetical conversation between te Lord and is people, is deat and resurrection being te subject (v. 22). As tey sung some of tese Psalms, only te Lord knew ow tey applied to imself - tat e was about to fulfil teir propetical forttellings. Gill s Commentary says close to te same. Even toug Jesus was walking to te betrayal of Judas Iscariot, I believe e sang wit te rest of tem as tey left for te mount of Olives. O wat a Saviour we ave, if only we would love im as e loves us! God Bless! ROGER REED Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Absolutely, te Teacer sang wit tem. And wen tey ad sung an ymn, tey went out into te mount of Olives (Matt. 26:30). Tey sung and tey went. Crist Jesus was leading tem out, and terefore e led tem in song, as well. Sela! Tink about it! Note a few verses wit me. And e said unto tem, Wit desire I ave desired to eat tis passover wit you before I suffer (Luke 22:15). After tis, Jesus knowing tat all tings were now accomplised, tat te scripture migt be fulfilled, sait, I tirst. Now Jacob s well was tere. Jesus terefore, being wearied wit is journey, sat tus on te well: and it was about te sixt our. Jesus wept (Jon 19:28, 4:6, 11:35). And e comet unto te disciples, and findet tem asleep, and sait unto Peter, Wat, could ye not watc wit me one our? Watc and pray (Matt. 26:40-41). In tat our Jesus rejoiced in spirit (Luke 10:21). Jesus ungered and ate wit te disciples; tirsted and drank wit tem; prayed wit tem; wept wit tem; and rejoiced wit tem. Yes, e most certainly sang wit tem, too. Te LORD ty God in te midst of tee is migty; e will save, e will rejoice over tee wit joy; e will rest in is love, e will joy over tee wit (Continued on page 14)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) reproof: I also will laug at your calamity; I will mock wen your fear comet (Prov. 1:25-26). But to take from tis brief study tat te only laugter tat God is capable of is tis derisive mocking of te perverse would be onesided. Te several ebrew words and teir variations are muc like te Englis equivalents, in tat tey can speak of merriment or derision, depending on te context. Using te same word in referring to God s affinity wit te traits of wisdom Proverbs 8:30-31 says, Ten I was by im, as one brougt up wit im: and I was daily is deligt, rejoicing (sacaq/lauging) always before im; Rejoicing (sacaq/ lauging) in te abitable part of is eart; and my deligts were wit te sons of men. Te same ebrew word is used ere to speak of God s deligt and rejoicing in wisdom, Strengt and onour are er cloting; and se sall rejoice (laug) in time to come (Prov. 31:25). To every ting tere is a season, and a time to every purpose under te eaven: A time to weep, and a time to laug; a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Eccl. 3:1, 4). God as made man in is own image, and terefore we cannot try to force umanistic traits upon te Sovereign One, but we do ave some of te genetic traits of our eavenly Fater. Sela! Tink about it! Surely e is te One tat taugt us to love truly and properly, and e is te One tat causes us to rejoice and laug. And Abraam was an undred years old, wen is son Isaac was born unto im. And Sara said, God at made me to laug, so tat all tat ear will laug wit me (Gen. 21:5-6). Tere is truly a joy about te people of God, tat as its root in God s own joy and pleasure. Te Bible is filled wit te deligt tat God takes in is people. te LORD was my stay. e brougt me fort also into a large place; e delivered me, because e deligted in me (Ps. 18:18-19). Te steps of a good man are ordered by te LORD: and e deligtet in is way (Ps. 37:23). Beold my servant, wom I upold; mine elect, in wom my soul deligtet; I ave put my spirit upon im: e sall bring fort judgment to te Gentiles (Isa. 42:1). Beold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neiter will e elp te evil doers: Till e fill ty mout wit lauging, and ty lips wit rejoicing ( Job 8:20-21). Te glory of te LORD sall endure for ever: te LORD sall rejoice in is works. e looket on te eart, and it tremblet: e toucet te ills, and tey smoke. I will sing unto te LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God wile I ave my being. My meditation of im sall be sweet: I will be glad in te LORD (Ps. 104:31-34). I ave a ard time separating te words rejoicing and deligt from te word laugter. I tink tat te appiest times of our life will be wen te sweet communion of our God and is cildren is restored to tat of te Edenic, pre-fall relationsip tat our Lord ad wit Adam and Eve. In all of te Eternal Ages to come, will we ear God laug any more wit derision? I tink not But weter is voice will rumble wit a troaty cuckle of pure joy or a laug of pure deligt as we rejoice togeter over te times of restoration, I do not really know. God is a Spirit, but Jesus Crist is te manifest body of te Godead tat will be a joyous Bridegroom of is adoring Baptist Bride and tere will be no trouble at all earing te joy and deligt tat will be a permanent fixture in tat eternal relationsip. Praise God! May our joyous laugter fill te alls of eaven, to is Glory and onor! Sela! Tink about it! Blessed are ye tat unger now: for ye sall be filled. Blessed are ye tat weep now: for ye sall laug. Rejoice ye in tat day, and leap for joy: for, beold, your reward is great in eaven (Luke 6:21-23). MATTEW STEPP Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) singing (Zep. 3:17). Even as our eavenly Fater will joy over us wit singing. Any attempt to remove emotions from God are ill-founded urges of Scriptural ignorance! Love, atred, joy, sorrow, grieving, lauging, groaning, etc, are all notated of our Sovereign God in oly Writ. e is zealous, diligent and longsuffering. As te Fater at loved me, so ave I loved you: continue ye in my love (Jon 15:9). And it repented te LORD tat e ad made man on te eart, and it grieved im at is eart (Gen. 6:6). For tou art not a God tat at pleasure in wickedness: neiter sall evil dwell wit tee. Te foolis sall not stand in ty sigt: tou atest all workers of iniquity. Tou salt destroy tem tat speak leasing: te LORD will abor te bloody and deceitful man (Ps. 5:4-6). For te LORD ty God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God (Deut. 4:24). For e put on rigteousness as a breastplate, and an elmet of salvation upon is ead; and e put on te garments of vengeance for cloting, and was clad wit zeal as a cloke (Isa. 59:17). Only te LORD ad a deligt in ty faters to love tem (Deut. 10:15). Singing is an integral part of te worsip tat te Lord instituted witin is people, and particularly is curc. And be not drunk wit wine, werein is excess; but be filled wit te Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and ymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your eart to te Lord (Ep. 5:18-19). Worsip to our almigty God sould commence wit singing tat is bubbling out of our very souls! We sould sing (wit God) because of our merry earts of joy. Tere will be times wen only te solemn dirges of sorrow will be appropriate. Tere will be times te talents of God s people will manufacture Majestic cords of praise to eco out of our curc buildings. Times wen we sing expectant refrains of rejoicing at is blessings and particularly, is Second Coming, tempered at times wit reciprocated melodies of love. Our cildren will learn more about God wit repetitive coruses of instruction in wisdom. Everyting about singing is tied to te ope of our Blessed Saviour. Te world knows noting of our singing. We will sing of our salvation. We will sing psalms in te lowest points of depression and in eigts of glorious victory. Even as tey take us to te stake or te copping block, we will sing of our blessed Saviour s atoning blood and is eternal intercession on our part. Yes, our Lord as taugt us to sing, and sing we must. Singing is a release of te emotions of God (Continued on page 15)

15 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #2 (Continued from page 14) tat e as imparted witin our souls. And David and all Israel played before God wit all teir migt, and wit singing, and wit arps, and wit psalteries, and wit timbrels, and wit cymbals, and wit trumpets (I Cron. 13:8). Sing, O ye eavens; for te LORD at done it: sout, ye lower parts of te eart: break fort into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree terein: for te LORD at redeemed Jacob, and glorified imself in Israel (Isa. 44:23). All of Creation is required to sing to God s glory. Even te inanimate plants, mountains and waters sall sing is praises and eco is glory. Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Let Tese Sayings (Continued from page 11) im sall be taken away even tat e at. Terefore speak I to tem in parables: because tey seeing see not; and earing tey ear not, neiter do tey understand. And in tem is fulfilled te propecy of Esaias, wic sait, By earing ye sall ear, and sall not understand; and seeing ye sall see, and sall not perceive: For tis people s eart is waxed gross, and teir ears are dull of earing, and teir eyes tey ave closed; lest at any time tey sould see wit teir eyes, and ear wit teir ears, and sould understand wit teir eart, and sould be converted, and I sould eal tem. But blessed are your eyes, for tey see: and your ears, for tey ear. For verily I say unto you, Tat many propets and rigteous men ave desired to see tose tings wic ye see, and ave not seen tem; and to ear tose tings wic ye ear, and ave not eard tem (Matt. 13:10-17). Te words spoken, and te miracles performed may not matter muc to tose wo are witout te grace of God. But, to tose upon wom te grace of God as been bestowed, tese same words, and tese same miracles, old great meaning, and are of tremendous importance and value. Te process of sinking down into our ears implies tat te Word of God te sayings of Jesus Crist will go furter tan just into our ears. Te trut is, tat te Word of God must sink down into our ears, and saturate our earts and minds. And yet, in our natural state, we do not possess a eart tat is soft enoug, or a eart tat is prepared to receive te sayings of Jesus Crist. A regenerated eart is required. Our earts are originally ard and stony and impossible to be penetrated wit te trut. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in eart and ears, ye do always resist te oly Gost: as your faters did, so do ye (Acts 7:51). Te only ope of men is tat te ears would be opened, te eart would be made tender, and te eyes would see te spiritual words and deeds of God. We read in te book of Ezekiel, Ten will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye sall be clean: from all your filtiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 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. And I will put my spirit witin you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye sall keep my judgments, and do tem (Ezek. 36:25-27). Troug te ears, and into te eart tis is te way tat understanding is granted by God, and found by men. But, we often are kept from tis wisdom because of te material world and because of our fallen and frail nature. Even after we are saved, just like te disciples of te Lord, we may allow some worldly reasoning, or some worldly distraction, to come between us and te purity of te understanding of God s Word. But tey understood not tis saying, and it was id from tem, tat tey perceived it not: and tey feared to ask im of tat saying (Luke 9:45). SOME SAYINGS ARE DIFFICULT So, we need spiritual ears in order tat te sayings and te words of God will sink down into our very beings. owever, as we ave just noticed wit te disciples in te time of Crist s eartly ministry, some sayings are very difficult to fatom, and, if our earts and minds are properly in tune wit God and is will, ten we may struggle to compreend, and we may struggle to grasp and believe te words and te teacings of God. In a sense, umanly speaking, every word and saying of God is difficult for men to ear and understand. Tere is no possibility, as we ave noticed, tat natural men and women can ave any true spiritual benefit from te Word of God unless God would intervene. owever, I want you to also know tat, even in te case of te saved, some sayings of Jesus Crist, and some portions of te Word of God, are more difficult tan oters. As we study te Scriptures we find tat te sayings of God, wic are necessary and good for every cild of God, are sometimes very difficult, and tey do not sink down into our ears and earts and minds as tey sould. As we examine te lives of te Apostles, and teir relationsip wit Jesus Crist, it is evident tat even tese disciples wo were intimately associated wit Jesus Crist sometimes struggled to understand te teacings of God. In some cases, we find tat tese sayings were difficult, because tey were a rebuke to te disciples. From tat time fort began Jesus to sew unto is disciples, ow tat e must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many tings of te elders and cief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again te tird day. Ten Peter took im, and began to rebuke im, saying, Be it far from tee, Lord: tis sall not be unto tee. But e turned, and said unto Peter, Get tee beind me, Satan: tou art an offence unto me: for tou savourest not te tings tat be of God, but tose tat be of men (Matt. 16:21-23). In tis case, Jesus Crist was saying someting tat Peter did not want to ear. Since e did not want to ear tese words of Crist, tey were difficult for im to believe and understand. In a sense, tese words of Crist contain a rebuke to Peter and te oter disciples because tey did not want to believe and trust in te purposes and te will of God. Sometimes, te same may be true for you and I. It could be tat te sayings, te words, and te teacings of God may be difficult for us to fatom because we simply do not want to ear. Our own unwillingness to set aside our own desires, and to submit our will and our purpose to te purposes of God, will make tese sayings very (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Let Tese Sayings (Continued from page 15) difficult indeed. Toug oters may readily believe, trust, and adere to a particular saying of God; we may struggle because of our own lack of desire to believe tis particular saying of God. Notice tat our text passage uses te word let. Tere is a participation on te part of te listener, wic is required. One speaks, but te words will do no good if anoter does not listen. You can ear, but not really listen. It is not tat we are responsible for te softened eart and te opened ears tat we receive at te time of regeneration. But, rater, tat we are eld responsible once saved to pay eed to te Word of God. To let te sayings of God sink down into our ears. Te reason for our lack of belief and trust migt seem acceptable, or even noble at times. Maybe we just want to fit in. Maybe we just want to temper our beliefs so tat we do not offend oters. But, in te end, our lack of understanding will, many times, boil down to te simple fact tat we do not want to listen to te Word of God, and we are purposely making te sayings of God difficult. Tese sayings of Crist, and te teacings of te Bible, may not sink down into our ears and into our earts and into our beings, because te sayings may reprove us and our actions; or, tere is someting taugt wic we simply do not want to believe. Te reasons for our lack of earing may be (umanly speaking) noble or selfis. But, te results are te same: we ave neglected te very Word of God, and put up a barrier to prevent tese blessed sayings from sinking down into our ears. Again, we may resist or reject some sayings, simply because tey are too difficult. We may not ave learned enoug. Or, maybe we do not want to learn anymore. Maybe we feel tat it is too difficult to apply ourselves and learn and grow in te Scriptures so tat we can understand, compreend, and rejoice in te meanings of certain sayings of te Lord. Te Apostle Peter said, And account tat te longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved broter Paul also according to te wisdom given unto im at written unto you; As also in all is epistles, speaking in tem of tese tings; in wic are some tings ard to be understood, wic tey tat are unlearned and unstable wrest, as tey do also te oter scriptures, unto teir own destruction. Ye terefore, beloved, seeing ye know tese tings before, beware lest ye also, being led away wit te error of te wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in te knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Crist. To im be glory bot now and for ever. Amen (II Pet. 3:15-18). Te Apostle Peter knew tat some would struggle to gain a proper understanding of te Word of God e implicitly includes te God-inspired epistles of Paul wit te oter scriptures but tis does not excuse us from putting fort te effort to compreend and apply te Word of God to our lives. I know tat te sayings of te Bible concerning salvation are not too difficult for men to understand; after all, te oly Spirit will take tis Gospel and use it in te salvation of every one of tose wo are ever saved by te grace of God. owever, as we grow spiritually, and as we study te furter extent of te Word God, we are exposed to some teacings wic are arder and deeper spiritually tan oters. It is true tat some sayings are ard to understand. Tese sayings may, in fact, be difficult for many of te saved to understand. It is not a sin to be young and inexperienced in te fait, at least not wen we are first saved! We grow and increase in fait and knowledge, and tese difficult passages and sayings may be revealed to us as we study and pray unto God. We are only mortals, after all, and our finite minds certainly limit our understanding and our compreension in spiritual matters. But, I want to remind you again tat tis is not an excuse for a total lack of desire, and a total lack of studying and praying, and a total lack of effort expended in te pursuit of te knowledge of God and is Word. We need to exercise and grow our spiritual man, by a diligent study and a daily application of te Word of God. We know in our own earts, as cildren of God, tat all sayings are good for us to ear profitable to us, if tey will Sink down into our ears. Study to sew tyself approved unto God, a workman tat needet not to be asamed, rigtly dividing te word of trut (II Tim. 2:15). TAKE TESE SAYINGS WIT YOU As I conclude tis sermon, I want to remind eac of you tat are under te sound of my voice to Take tese sayings wit you wen you leave tis place. I want you to be reminded of te importance of te Gospel of Jesus Crist te deat, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Crist wic is likely te saying tat te Lord Jesus Crist ad most in mind wen e addressed is disciples. I also want you to be encouraged to truly study te Word of God make is Word a part of your daily existence. Let te sayings of Jesus Crist, and te Word of God penetrate troug your ears, into your earts, and let im and is Word saturate your very being. All of te outward religious deeds in te world will not do you, personally, any spiritual good if you do not ave te Word of God in your eart. Ty words were found, and I did eat tem; and ty word was unto me te joy and rejoicing of mine eart: for I am called by ty name, O LORD God of osts (Jer. 15:16). You can ave all of te best intentions, but if you do not ave te wisdom and understanding tat comes from te Word of God, ow can you scripturally discern te rigt and te wrong? And, ow can you make te Biblically sound decisions tat you sould make if you do not ave te Word of God wit you? Wit my wole eart ave I sougt tee: O let me not wander from ty commandments. Ty word ave I id in mine eart, tat I migt not sin against tee. Blessed art tou, O LORD: teac me ty statutes (Ps. 119:10-12). Tis Word of God, and te sayings of God, must be arbored deep in our earts. Te Scriptures and te teacings and te doctrine of God sould be a part of our core and te center of our being. Te Word of God is a necessary and ever-present source of wisdom, trut, guidance, and strengt. Everywere we go. Anywere we are. Every time, and every place, let te sayings of God (te Word of God) be ever-present wit us. Tis is one reason tat memorization and a general familiarity wit God s Word is so necessary. (Continued on page 17)

17 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Let Tese Sayings (Continued from page 16) We can meditate, contemplate, and consider te Word of God wenever and werever we are. We sould take is Word wit us; wo knows wen or were we migt be confronted wit a situation tat will require te wisdom and te power of te Word of God? ear, O Israel: Te LORD our God is one LORD: And tou salt love te LORD ty God wit all tine eart, and wit all ty soul, and wit all ty migt. And tese words, wic I command tee tis day, sall be in tine eart: And tou salt teac tem diligently unto ty cildren, and salt talk of tem wen tou sittest in tine ouse, and wen tou walkest by te way, and wen tou liest down, and wen tou risest up. And tou salt bind tem for a sign upon tine and, and tey sall be as frontlets between tine eyes. And tou salt write tem upon te posts of ty ouse, and on ty gates (Deut. 6:4-9). Te Word of God, and a knowledge (in our earts) of is sayings, is a proof of our obedience, our devotion, and our love for God and is Son, Jesus Crist. Do you love im? Ten sow a love for is Word. Take te Word wit you. Let God s Word sink down into your ears, into your eart, and into te very essence of your being. Wen you wake up; wen you work or go to scool; wen you indulge in your past times; wen you eat; wen you rest; wen you lay down to go to sleep; may te Word of God ever be wit you, and may is Word ever be evident in your lives. 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 Is sex-cange treatment Planned Parentood s new moneymaker? (WNS)--Wile pro-life legislation cips away at its taxpayer-based revenue, te nation s leading abortion provider migt ave found a new cas cow. At 32 of its centers in 10 states, Planned Parentood now offers ormone replacement terapy (RT) for clients wanting to cange teir gender expression. Despite te long-term pysical and psycological risks associated wit gender reassignment treatments, te abortion giant s little-known but emerging enterprise as not incited te same public backlas as anoter of its formerly us-us business practices trafficking in aborted babies body parts. Capitalizing on an upswing in te growing acceptance of transgender rigts, Planned Parentood is expanding its brand into a potentially lucrative market. ****** Beliefs on omosexuality get Cristian student kicked out of college (WNS)--Former Missouri State University student Andrew Cas is suing te college for kicking im out based on is opposition to samesex relationsips. Cas, wo began is master s in counseling in 2007, was expelled from te program in 2014 for expressing is views on counseling omosexual couples on relationsip issues. e never said e would not counsel a gay person, Jason Craddock, a lawyer wit te Tomas More Society, wic filed te suit earlier tis week, told me. Cas told administrators e would counsel omosexuals suffering from depression and anxiety, but not couples and not regarding teir omosexual relationsips. Instead, e would refer tem to anoter counselor wo did not sare is views. Tat still was not good enoug for te university, Craddock said. ****** ACLU sues Mississippi over law protecting freedom of religion, conscience (WNS)--A Mississippi law set to take effect July 1 to protect business owners wo believe marriage sould be between one man and one woman is now under attack from te American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Te ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on bealf of gay couple Nykolas Alford and Stepen Tomas seeking to block ouse Bill Last mont, undreds of protesters stood outside te Governor s Mansion wit signs suc as No ate In My State wile Mississippi Gov. Pil Bryant signed te bill into law. e said at te time te new law would protect sincerely eld religious beliefs and moral convictions. Under te law, wedding-related business owners would be sielded from discriminatory action against tem for acting in accordance wit teir convictions tat marriage is between one man and one woman, tat sex is reserved for marriage, and tat gender is a biological, immutable pysical caracteristic. In a statement Monday, ACLU attorney Jos Block called te law anti-lgbt and unconstitutional. We will not rest until every last piece of tis law is struck down and all LGBT people in Mississippi ave equal justice under te law, e said. Standing outside te Jackson, Miss., courtouse, Alford and Tomas compared teir actions to te 1960s civil rigts movement. Wen a reporter asked Alford to expound on is earlier statement tat te law made im feel like a second-class citizen, e responded, Tat is also being black and gay. Our grandparents experienced discrimination for being black, and my parents probably did as well. My parents were born in te 60s and grew up in te 70s and 80s, and so it is always been a part of our lives. We tougt tis movement was over, you know? We tougt tat we would be fine. We tougt tat we would be equal, and ere we are today saying tat we are not, and we want equality. Te ACLU is suing Judy Moulder, Mississippi state registrar of vital records, and seeks a court injunction to bar er from enforcing te law. Governor Bryant responded by denouncing te lawsuit. Te ACLU continues its mission of trying to use te federal court system to pus its liberal agenda. Instead of cerry-picking causes popular wit te radical left, te ACLU sould allocate its resources defending all civil liberties. ****** Cristian baker loses appeal in same-sex wedding cake case (WNS)--Te Colorado Supreme Court will not ear te case of a Cristian baker wo declined to make a cake for a same-sex wedding celebration. Te decision, released April 25, upolds a prior ruling by te Colorado Court of Appeals (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 17) against te baker, Jack Pilips of Masterpiece Cakesop in Lakewood, Colo. Pilips ad appealed te Colorado Civil Rigts Commission s order to create cakes for samesex weddings, reeducate is staff on discrimination policy, and file quarterly compliance reports for two years after e declined to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple in Pilips attorneys said Monday tey are evaluating all legal options including an appeal to te U.S. Supreme Court. ****** Tennessee adopts protections for Cristian counselors (WNS)--Tennessee Gov. Bill aslam is facing backlas from LGBT activists after signing a bill tat protects Cristian counselors wo do not want to advise people in samesex relationsips. No counselor or terapist providing counseling terapy services sall be required to counsel or serve a client as to goals, outcomes, or beaviors tat conflict wit te sincerely eld principles of te counselor or terapist, Senate Bill 1556 states. Sara Kate Ellis, president of te LGBT activist organization GLAAD, claims te law will target LGBT people. Denying anyone vital mental ealt services simply because tey are LGBT is not just outrageous, it is outrigt dangerous, Ellis said. But aslam notes te law also protects clients by allowing professional counselors to send tem to someone better suited to meet teir needs. ****** Cristian colleges targeted for gender views (WNS)--Amid pressure from te nation s largest LGBT advocacy group, te U.S. Department of Education publicly released a list of Cristian scools seeking Title IX exemptions over teir views on transgenderism. In December, te uman Rigts Campaign (RC) issued a report calling for greater transparency for religious scools seeking exemptions under te guise of religious liberty. On April 29, te Obama administration publised te results of te request placing te spotligt on eac college and university seeking to old true to a Biblical worldview on gender and sexuality. ****** Families sue government for redefining Title IX (WNS)--Fifty-one families from te Cicago suburbs are saying enoug to te Obama administration forcing scools to let boys and girls wo identify as te opposite sex use te restrooms of teir coice. Te families, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and te Tomas More Society, filed a suit against te U.S. Department of Education in federal court May 4. Te lawsuit claims te department is continuing to trample students privacy and oter constitutional and statutory rigts in its enforcement of Title IX, a law tat proibits gender discrimination in federally funded scools. In April 2014, te Department of Education s Office of Civil Rigts (OCR) ruled Title IX protections cover discrimination on te basis of gender identity as well as biological sex. Since ten, scools around te country ave faced treats of aving teir federal funding revoked if tey do not meet te demands of transgender students. ****** INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Attacks in Nigeria igligt new jiadist treat (WNS)--Terrorists descended on four villages in nortern Nigeria on April 12, destroying omes and killing villagers. Early reports from eyewitnesses say Fulani tribal figters burned alive Cristian residents, torced animals and ouses, and destroyed farms. Tey estimate te attackers killed 44 villagers, but numbers are difficult to confirm because victims scattered to take refuge elsewere. Fulani terrorism is on te rise in nortern Nigeria but as generated less attention tan attacks by Boko aram, te militant group tat last year formally pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Boko aram gained international notice wen it bombed te UN eadquarters in Abuja, Nigeria s capital, in Since ten, it as been labeled te most deadly terrorist group in te world responsible for te deats of an estimated 11,000 Nigerians in From te Pen of a Country Preacer Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Te Requirements of Disciplesip Art not tou also one of is disciples? (Jon 18:25). Our Englis word disciple means a pupil, follower, or aderent of any teacer of religion. Disciple is a translation of te Greek word matetes from mantano wic means to learn. Te root word mat indicates tougt accompanied by endeavour (See W. E. Vine). Disciple denotes one wo follows one s teacing, as te disciples of Jon (Matt. 9:14), of te Parisees (Matt. 22:16), of Moses (Jon 9:28). It is generally used of te followers of Jesus Crist in our New Testament (Acts 9:1). My concern in tis message is te requirements of disciplesip. Wat are te tings necessary to being a disciple of Jesus Crist? Are all curc members real disciples of Crist? Wat about even preacers of te gospel? If you were arrested and arraigned on te carge of being a disciple of Jesus Crist, would tere be enoug evidence to convict you? According to our Lord, te requirements of disciplesip are stern and severe. SACRIFICE OF AFFECTIONS In Luke 14:26 our Lord declared: If any man come to me, and ate not is fater, and moter, and wife, and cildren, and bretren, and sisters, yea, and is own life also, e cannot be my disciple. Te Master Teacer was not in te number racket. e would not attempt to ensnare any of te multitude present by a smoot pat to eaven (Ezek. 2:6; Acts 9:16). e was more concerned wit quality tan quantity. is words were adapted to sift te crowd of alf-earted followers. Muc controversy as been made of te words about ating our relatives. Some give te word ate its bare, bold, and literal meaning and use it to justify all forms of ill treatment of teir relatives. Te word ate must ave some qualifications. It must not be explained so as to contradict oter Scriptures (Ep. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20). Evidently in tis (Continued on page 19)

19 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Te Requirements (Continued from page 18) verse to ate means to love less (Gen. 29:30-31). Jesus explained it tis way in Mattew 10:37: e tat lovet fater or moter more tan me is not worty of me: and e tat lovet son or daugter more tan me is not worty of me. Crist did not teac tat is disciples must ate teir family and friends. Rater, e taugt tose wo follow im must love im wit a deeper love even tan teir nearest and dearest relatives. To be a disciple of Jesus Crist, you must sacrifice love of relatives to te supreme love of Crist. e claims is rigt to te trone of our earts. Wen tere is competition between te claims of Crist and our relatives, Crist sould be everyting and our relatives noting. We must ate all tings---our relatives and friends---if tey draw us away from Crist and is service. Tose wo fail to do tis cannot be a disciple of our Lord. We are to ate our relatives in te same sense we ate our own lives as seen in te last part of te verse. It is impossible to ate your own life in te absolute sense (Ep. 5:29; Job 2:4). A man can ate is own selfis life. e can ate imself wen te self in im rises in rebellion against Crist and duty. e may ate tat in is relatives wic would seek to draw im away from Crist (Matt. 10:36). e must ate te selfisness in is own love for tem wic tempts im to disobey God and please tem in order to retain teir friendsip. As one ates is own life in tis world, e keeps it unto eternal life (Matt. 16:25; Jon 12:25). Even so, atred of relatives is really love for tem in a deeper and a more unselfis affection. SELF-SACRIFICE In Luke 14:27 Jesus continues to set fort te demands for disciplesip: And wosoever dot not bear is cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Prior to is deat Crist foresaw tat e must bear is cross (Matt. 16:21-23). Likewise e foresaw tat every disciple of is must take up is cross. e saw no exceptions. Eac disciple must take up is own cross. Not Crist s cross, for e only could bear tat, but te cross Crist as appointed for im to bear as a disciple. We are not at liberty to step over it, or go around it, or to avoid it. We are not to murmur at te cross appointed us, nor to despise it, nor faint under it. Picture, if you can, a procession led by a crossbearing Crist, and made up of is cross-bearing disciples, reacing troug all te ages of Cristendom! Some speak of te burdens of life as te crosses tat tey must bear. Tey tink tat giving up pleasures and enduring reproaces is all tat te cross means for a Cristian. In a very limited sense tis may be true, but tis is ardly all tat Crist meant by cross bearing. Crist s cross was an instrument of deat. e carried is cross to die upon. We must take our lives in our ands and be ready at any moment to sacrifice it for Crist and is cause. Crist was crucified for us; we must be willing to die in any way e wises. It is te martyr s spirit ere tat Crist insists upon. Unless we love not our life unto deat (Rev. 12:11), we cannot be is disciple. Crucifixion as no meaning for a corpse. Te victim must be a living man. Paul said: I am crucified wit Crist: neverteless I live (Gal. 2:20). To a disciple crucifixion is as real a ting for im as it was for Crist. e must crucify te fles wit te affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24) and te world (Gal. 6:14). As a living man on a cross, te nails go troug is likings, is desires, is opes, is fles, and is will. Nailed to te cross e suffers because e is alive. At times e exclaims: I die daily (I Cor. 15:31). Cross bearing is a living deat, designed to crucify te wole body of sin. MUST GIVE UP ALL Crist illustrates te stern demands of disciplesip in Luke 14:28-32 by two tings. First, tere is te ras builder: For wic of you, intending to build a tower, sittet not down first, and countet te cost, weter e ave sufficient to finis it? Lest aply, after e at laid te foundation, and is not able to finis it, all tat beold it begin to mock im, Saying, Tis man began to build, and was not able to finis (Luke 14:28-30). Te ras builder illustrates tat disciplesip involves building a Cristlike caracter. Tat it is a life-long work of a true disciple. Life on eart is not for enjoyment or worldly gain, but for te building up of oly caracter. All worldly tings are but scaffolding to furter building of a Cristlike caracter. Te building of suc a caracter takes a lifetime. Tis life-long task must be considered at te beginning, if tere is not to be failure long before te end. A person must count te cost of real disciplesip before e professes to be one. Anoter illustration is seen in te ras soldier: Or wat king, going to make war against anoter king, sittet not down first, and consultet weter e be able wit ten tousand to meet im tat comet against im wit twenty tousand? Or else, wile te oter is yet a great way off, e sendet an ambassage, and desiret conditions of peace (Luke 14:31-32). ere we see te Cristian life is a warfare. We are in enemy territory, and tere is a continual struggle wit an enemy stronger tan ourselves. No one sould begin te conflict unless e is prepared to figt to te deat. If a person is not willing to face pain and deat, witout turning back, e cannot be a disciple of Jesus Crist. Entire self-surrender is necessary to disciplesip: So likewise, wosoever e be of you tat forsaket not all tat e at, e cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33). You will note tat eac time in Luke 14 te conditions of disciplesip are arder and sterner tan before: ating your relatives and life, carrying a cross, and finally forsaking all we ave. Did Crist want to discourage people from becoming is disciples? It would seem e did not care to swell te number of disciples wo would follow out of temporary excitement and fail in te our of trouble. e urged all to count te cost before tey started. Feeling is not fait, and flesly excitement is not te workings of te Spirit of grace. Very few people are willing to give up all. But if we prize possessions and property more tan Crist, ten Crist is noting to us. We must put Crist before everyting on eart. We may ave to sacrifice everyting wen e claims it from us. Paul said: Yea doubtless, and I count all tings but loss for te excellency of te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord: for wom (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2016 Te Requirements (Continued from page 19) I ave suffered te loss of all tings, and do count tem but dung, tat I may win Crist (Pil. 3:8). SELF-DENIAL By nature men are lovers of teir own selves (II Tim. 3:2). According to Jesus Crist, self-denial is te badge of true disciplesip: Ten said Jesus unto is disciples, If any man will come after me, let im deny imself, and take up is cross, and follow me (Matt. 16:24). Tis is te fundamental law of admission into Crist s scool, and te first and greatest lesson to be learned. If a man would follow Crist, e must voluntarily renounce everyting tat migt inder is disciplesip. e must surrender is will to Crist and ave no will but Crist s (I Sam. 3:18; Acts 21:14; Luke 22:42). Self-denial is not to deny wat a man really is (II Tim. 2:13), or te blessings of grace (I Cor. 15:10). It is to deny te understanding and depend upon God (Prov. 3:5-6). It is to deny te affections (I Jon 2:15) and set tem on eavenly tings (Col. 3:1-2). It is to deny te body and its members and yield tem to Crist (Rom. 6:12-13; 13:14). It is to deny worldly profit for te cause of Crist (Matt. 9:9; 6:20,22; 19:27). It is to deny our ealt and to azard our life for Crist (Acts 15:26). It is to deny our life and to lay it down for Crist (Mark 8:34-37; Acts 21:13; Rev. 12:11) and te bretren (I Jon 3:16). Crist not only demanded selfdenial, but e set an example of it imself (Pil. 2:5-8; Rom. 15:3). Tere can be no salvation were tere is self-satisfaction, selfrigteousness, and self-pleasing (II Cor. 5:14-15). It is our sinful self we must be saved from, for self is an anticrist and glories in self-exaltation. Till a man denies imself, e denies Crist. Deny self or you will deny Crist, for self is an ateist and an idolater. Te initial act of self-denial leads to our salvation, and it becomes te abit and practice of our lives. And e said to tem all, If any man will come after me, let im deny imself, and take up is cross DAILY, and follow me (Luke 9:23) (emp. MRC). PERSEVERANCE Crist taugt tat only steady continuance is te real and safe proof of disciplesip: If ye continue in my word, ten are ye my disciples indeed ( Jon 8:31). Sort of making te Word of Crist te restplace for eart and mind, disciplesip would be impossible. A true disciple receives and continues in te doctrines of is Master (Rev. 3:8). It is not enoug to believe in im (Jas. 2:17-26); we must also continue in te Word of im Wo is te incarnate Word, yielding to it as te trut about God and man. Te perseverance of te saints is seen ere. If tere is no continuance in te teacing of Jesus Crist, ten tere is no real grace and fait in te eart. Tose wo fall away never knew te grace of God in trut, and tey must not flatter temselves by claiming to be disciples of Crist. God s elect continue believing and practicing te teacings of Crist, and teir lives sow it. Perseverance follows from our election:...and tey tat are wit im are called, and cosen, and faitful (Rev. 17:14). Tose wo ave te fait of God s elect trust in Crist and stay in is service (Isa. 54:10; Matt. 10:22). Only ypocrites fail to endure to te end (I Jon 2:19). FRUITFULNESS Anoter requirement for disciplesip is seen in Jon 15:8: erein is my Fater glorified, tat ye bear muc fruit; so sall ye be my disciples. Just as good grapes on a vine prove te vine is a good one, so we prove ourselves disciples of Crist by fruitbearing. Te construction in te Greek text is durative: keep on bearing fruit. God te Fater is glorified not by our will to bear fruit, but by te fact we actually bear fruit, and not simply some fruit, but muc fruit ( Jon 15:5). Wenever we go on bearing muc fruit te Fater is glorified. Our continued fruitfulness demonstrates conclusively tat we are disciples of Crist. Te brances of a grape vine are united to te vine for te purpose of bearing fruit. Te same sap circulates troug te wole plant. Even so, Cristians evidence te presence of te spiritual life of Crist in tem by bearing fruit. We are in union wit Crist, and we are terefore able to draw from is Divine fullness all we need to bring fort muc fruit. We bear fruit troug Crist, and Crist bears fruit troug us; our fruit is really is. Separated from im we can do noting (Jon 15:5); in Crist all tings are possible (Pil. 4:13). Te idea of disciplesip is perfected in tose believers wo bear muc fruit to te glory of te eavenly usbandman. Te fruit wic Crist requires of is disciples is faitfulness in doing good and bearing te fruit of te Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Only tose disciples wo bear te fruit of rigteousness prove tey are disciples indeed. Jesus said: Werefore by teir fruits ye sall know tem (Matt. 7:20). Jon declared: If ye know tat e is rigteous, ye know tat every one tat doet rigteousness is born of im (I Jon 2:29). LOVE FOR TE BRETREN Anoter requirement for disciplesip is love of te bretren: A new commandment I give unto you, Tat ye love one anoter; as I ave loved you, tat ye also love one anoter. By tis sall all men know tat ye are my disciples, if ye ave love one to anoter (Jon 13:34-35). Love of te bretren is te distinguising mark of Crist s disciples. By tis tey may know tey are disciples: We know tat we ave passed from deat unto life, because we love te bretren. e tat lovet not is broter abidet in deat (I Jon 3:14). By tis feature all oters may know tem. Tertullian wrote tat te glory of te primitive curc was seen in ow tey loved one anoter. Even teir adversaries saw it and said, See ow tese Cristians love one anoter. Alas! ow canged is te spirit of te Cristian world since primitive times! Look at te malice, envy, quarreling, bickering, and backbiting among modern-day Cristians! Noting inders te advance of Crist s kingdom more tan te absence of broterly love among professed Cristians! Would all te debates and divisions wic exist among our curces be present if love for te bretren were as it sould be? I fear many curc members, weter tey know it or not, daily proclaim tey are not Crist s disciples! It is stupid to talk about election and regeneration, unless people can see in us practical Cristian love. Te test of real disciplesip is not knowledge, or ortodoxy, or flesly activities. Rater, it is (Continued on page 21)

21 June 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 te fruit of te Spirit? Only wen Te Requirements Te (Continued from page 20) unselfisly seeking te good of te saints. Te disciples of Crist are to be marked by tat in wic te cildren of te world are sadly lacking. A Cristian must love all oter Cristians, weter tey are in a mansion or a grass ut. We must overlook te distinction of denominations, of te color of skin, and of national boundaries. Werever we find a man or a woman wo bears te Cristian name and manifests te Cristian spirit, we must love tem. If we ave no love for our bretren in Crist, we ave no salvation, no true Cristianity! DISCIPLESIP AND BAPTISM Tere is a close connection between disciplesip and baptism: Wen terefore te Lord knew ow te Parisees ad eard tat Jesus made and baptized more disciples tan Jon... (Jon 4:1). Baptism does not make one a disciple of Crist. A person must be a disciple prior to is baptism because Crist commanded is curc to baptize no one but disciples: Go ye terefore, and teac (or, make disciples of) all nations, baptizing tem in te name of te Fater, and of te Son, and of te oly Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Curces in tis age are very quick to baptize new members, even wen tey ave not made a good confession of fait in Crist. Before we baptize a person into te body of Crist (I Cor. 12:13), we must discover if e is a follower of Crist. as e learned te way of salvation by Crist? as e denied imself? as e forsaken all for Crist? Can e bear persecutions for Crist? Is e daily increasing in te knowledge of Crist s Word? Does e bear tese questions are answered in te affirmative is it proper for us to baptize a person. I fear many curces today are guilty of goat baptism (Jon 12:4). CONCLUSION Do not expect to fare better in tis world tan your Lord and Master did. Our great Teacer was called Beelzebub, te god of flies, te name of a cief demon (Matt. 10:25). e was persecuted and ated by te world (Matt. 10:22-23). If we are going to be disciples of Crist, we ad better get prepared for te same. Te disciple is not above is master, nor te servant above is lord. It is enoug for te disciple tat e be as is master, and te servant as is lord (Matt. 10:24-25). If te world ate you, ye know tat it ated me before it ated you. If ye were of te world, te world would love is own: but because ye are not of te world, but I ave cosen you out of te world, terefore te world atet you ( Jon 15:18-19). Tere is great cost to being a disciple of Jesus Crist. It may cost you life-long separation from your relatives. You may suffer unger and cold and nakedness. Being a disciple makes demands upon your time, treasures, and talents. It will require tat you give yourself up entirely to Crist and is service. You will ave to figt against te world, te fles, and te Devil. You migt ave to appear before cruel magistrates and wicked rulers. It is possible tat you migt ave to die on a wooden cross as did your Lord and Master. If you are not willing to pay te price, ten you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Crist (Luke 14:26-27,33). Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug A BEAUTIFUL STORY TWISTED OUT OF SAPE Te Lord Jesus illustrated te salvation of individual sinners saying, Wat man of you, aving an undred seep, if e lose one of tem, dot not leave te ninety and nine in te wilderness, and go after tat wic is lost, until e find it? And wen e at found it, e layet it on is soulders, rejoicing. And wen e comet ome, e callet togeter is friends and neigbours, saying unto tem, Rejoice wit me; for I ave found my seep wic was lost (Luke 15:4-6). Te two main caracters in tis illustration are te lost seep and te seperd. Te ninety-nine seep are incidental. Notice wo does te action in tis parable. It is te owner of te lost seep tat does all in rescuing is property. Remember te Lord imself told us te two-fold purpose of parables. In Luke 8:10 e said, Unto you it is given to know te mysteries of te kingdom of God: but to oters in parables; tat seeing tey migt not see, and earing tey migt not understand. Parables are teacing aids to disciples, but intentionally ide te trut to spiritually dead sinners. Tose people ave not received a love of te trut and only twist te Scriptures unto teir own destruction (II Peter 3:16). It is to be expected, ten, tat te vast majority of men, being lost in sin, miss te point of tis parable. Or, tey deliberately ignore it and twist it because it does not fit in wit teir ideas and pet teacings. Te lost seep is not said to be looking for is owner. It is totally passive. Te lost seep does not seek its master and rigtful owner. It is like a baby in te birt experience: te baby is a participant in its own birt, but it is not te cause of its birt. It is te moter wo goes into labor and it is te owner of te lost seep wo does all necessary to find is lost seep and carry it safely ome. No effort, strengt, or activity is mentioned on te part of te seep. And so it is wit te new birt. Men and women are spiritually dead in teir sins (see Epesians 2:1, 5), and being dead do not even know tey are in tat awful condition. O, tey may give mental assent to te trut about temselves, but tey do not know it in a spiritually profitable way. But Crist is te Good Seperd. e seeks eac lost seep knowing exactly were eac one is. e finds is lost seep and raises it to is soulders, as it were, and safely carries it to is ome. Could anyting be clearer and more Crist-onoring tan to recognize tat Salvation is of te LORD (Jona 2:9). ave you seen tat salvation is wolly of grace? Or do you twist Crist s parable by saying tat sinners must do tis or tat in order to be found? NOBODY BELIEVES IN PREDESTINATION ANYMORE A relative once asked tis preacer about te differences between two Presbyterian groups. is answer mentioned tat te two Presbyterian groups (Continued on page 22)

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