The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
September 20, 2009
In
This Issue:
Is
Jesus Looking for You
by
Gary Patton
A
Threefold Salvation
by
Richard Thetford
Is Jesus Looking for You?
All of us have at least once lost something that was of value. Usually, this loss was followed with much time and effort spent in searching. If that which was lost was not found, there was a feeling of sadness. On the other hand, if it was found, there was a feeling of great joy. The Bible teaches us that God feels the same way about one who is lost in sin.
In chapter fifteen of Luke, Jesus gives us three parables showing God's concern for that which was lost being found or returned. The parables include the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son. With such emphasis being placed on the lost being found, a good thought for us to consider is whether or not we are lost.
The feeling of being lost is often felt when we lose our since of direction while traveling in strange surroundings. Usually, the reason we become lost is because either we failed to follow instructions, or heed warnings that we were given. The same is true in the spiritual realm. God has, through His written word, given us instructions that will lead us to eternal life in Heaven. These instructions will help bring happiness, peace and contentment in difficult times as we travel through life. He also gives us warnings about things that would cause us to be separated from Him and become lost. Thus, we can find ourselves in a lost condition when we fail to follow His instructions or keep His warnings.
The great need of one who is lost is to be found. Our text pictures a shepherd looking for a sheep that is lost. Jesus pictures Himself as the good shepherd (John 10:11). "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." He is called the chief shepherd in 1 Peter 5:4, "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" and in Hebrews 13:20, "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." His work as the great shepherd is "to seek and save that which is lost" (Luke 19:10). Since all sin (Rom. 3:23, 5:12) and are therefore lost, we must be found. To be found spiritually, one must be willing to follow God's instructions. In His Word, the lost are told that they must believe that God is and that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a blood sacrifice for our sins. He also commands that, to be rescued from being spiritually lost, one must be willing to repent, that is, change his direction from following the sinful world and follow the way of righteousness. Confession before others that we believe Jesus Christ is the son of God is also a condition of being saved from being lost. Baptism, a burial in water, is that which is included as a part of coming out of a lost state into that of being saved (Mark 16:16). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
The most important question is whether or not Jesus is looking for you! If you haven't followed His instructions, then you are like the lost sheep needing to be saved. The Lord is looking for you and wanting you to be found. Sometimes there are those who come to Him and then later wonder off, becoming separated from the flock and lost. If such is the case in your life, then He is looking for you!!
Jesus says in our text, Luke 15:7, there is great rejoicing in heaven when one who is lost is found. Maybe if we who claim to be faithful children of God were more concerned in searching for lost souls than lost dollar bills, we would find true joy in this life, the joy of leading one who is lost to the safety of God's fold.
Via The East Florence Contender, Vol. XL, No. 5, May 1996
-- Gary Patton
In 1 Timothy 4:10 we read, "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." We strive to do our best for the Lord because we know that we have been blessed with a threefold salvation. The three salvations are from the grave (John 5:28), past sins (Matthew 1:21), and eternal life (Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:5). But these salvations have terms.
The salvation from the grave is an unconditional salvation. Jesus said: "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29).
To gain salvation from past sins requires us to hear the gospel of our Lord and to persevere in these things (1 Timothy 4:16). We must also have faith (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31), and once we have faith in Jesus Christ, we must realize that salvation can only come to those who are truly sorrowful for their past sins and repent from them (2 Corinthians 7:10). We then confess Jesus as being the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10), and, as an act of our obedience to keep all the commandments of the Lord, we then are to be baptized INTO Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
The third term of salvation is a life long commit-ment of obedience to Christ. The Hebrew writer writes: "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9). We need to always hold fast to the Word of God as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2.
Salvation has terms that go with it. Are you keeping the terms of God's commandments?
-- Richard Thetford
Via Walking in the Light, Vol. 3, No. 33, August
16, 2009