JURONG OUTREACH - November 10

God’s Two Laws of Pardon
7th Novemeber 2010

By definition, sin is the "transgression of God’s law" (1 John 3:4). All accountable human beings are guilty of sin. The Apostle Paul wrote: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Even those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ and have been forgiven of their past sins are capable of sinning again. The Apostle John warned: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1, 2). 

While forgiveness of sin is freely bestowed by our gracious heavenly Father, it is conditional, both for the alien sinner and for the erring child of God. The conditions are not the same for both, but must be complied with in both cases if pardon is to take place. 

When our Lord gave the Great Commission to His disciples, He taught them to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15,16). In Luke’s account of the Commission, the Saviour stated that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:27). 

In the book of Acts, we read of the gospel being preached, the terms of pardon plainly given, and several cases of conversion are recorded. In the eighth chapter of Acts, there is an account of conversion which illustrates well God’s two laws of pardon, one for the alien sinner and the other for the erring child of God. Philip the evangelist had gone to Samaria to preach the gospel. God confirmed his preaching by the miracles which Philip did (Hebrews 2:3,4). The Samaritans who had formerly followed Simon, a sorcerer, now recognized true miracles and gave heed to Philip’s preaching. The result was ". . .when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done" (Acts 8:5-12). 

The apostles in Jerusalem heard of the conversion of the Samaritans and sent Peter and John to Samaria to confer the miraculous gifts of the Spirit upon the believers. "When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given,he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:14-19). Simon, along with the other Samaritans, had been pardoned of his past sins when he heard the gospel, believed, and was baptized (Acts 8:12, 13). But now this once pardoned man had sinned again. What must he do to be pardoned? Peter told him to "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" (Acts 8:22). 

Simon still believed in Jesus Christ and had already been baptized into Him (Galatians 3:26, 27). He did not need to be baptized again. He did, however, need to repent of his sin and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. Asking the Lord for forgiveness involved the confession of his sin to God: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). 

Thus, we see in the case of Simon the sorcerer God’s two laws of pardon in effect. When Simon was an alien sinner, he needed to believe and be baptized in order to be pardoned. But when Simon, the child of God sinned, he was told to "Repent and pray." 

All accountable people outside of Christ have sinned. They must comply with the conditions of God’s pattern to be saved. This requires faith in Jesus Christ and baptism for the remission for sins. Once this has been done, one is a child of God. If he then sins, he can be pardoned for his sin if he will repent of it and confess it seeking God’s forgiveness.

God's Plan for Marriage
14th November 2010

Marriage is nearly as old as the human race. It was ordained by the Creator Himself. It was God’s will that a man and a woman become one in marriage. No provision was made for either polygamy or divorce. Marriage was intended by God to be for life (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39). 

It was not long, however, until men departed from God’s original plan. Polygamy began to be practiced (Genesis 4:19). When the Law of Moses was given to Israel, the people had become so hard-hearted that God permitted divorce, but only under certain conditions (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Even then, God was not pleased with divorce. He said: "I hate putting away" (Malachi 2:14-16). 

When Jesus came into the world and gave His law for all mankind, He did not give a new and different law of marriage. Instead He called mankind back to God’s original plan (Matthew 19:3-12). His commandment, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" is still God’s will for us today! The Lord allowed only one cause for divorce. This cause is sexual unfaithfulness on the part of one’s marriage partner. Fornication on the part of a marriage partner gives the innocent partner the right to divorce and remarry. But no such privilege is given to the guilty partner. To divorce and remarry for other than the one Scriptural cause is to commit adultery. To marry one who has been divorced who was not the innocent party is to commit adultery (Matthew 19:9; 5:31,32). Adulterers will not go to Heaven. They will spend eternity in Hell (1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8). Those who are living in adultery must repent, stop committing adultery and seek the Lord’s forgiveness if they want to be saved. 

The home is the basic unit of society. It is the function of the home to provide companionship, the satisfaction of basic human needs and the rearing and training of children. The community, the church, and the nation can only be strong when the home is strong. Many evil forces seek to destroy the home today. Among these evil forces are easy divorce laws, sexual immorality, false views of woman’s role in society, but most of all, ignorance of, and a failure to obey God’s law of marriage which is given in the Bible.  

God’s people must never compromise God’s will on marriage! We have no right to change God’s requirements! In a day when the world increasingly accepts divorce and remarriage for almost any cause, God’s people must stand out as lights shining in darkness (Philippians 2:13,14). It is not our duty to be changed by the world’s standards, but to seek to bring the world to God’s standards (Romans 12:1,2). To this end, we should strive diligently to make our homes conform to God’s righteous ways recorded in His Word. It is very important that we teach our children that marriage is for life and divorce is sinful except for the one reason that Jesus gave. 

Let us never forget or forsake the divine admonition: "Let marriage be had in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4, American Standard Version, 1901 edition). God’s plan for marriage is still "one man, one wife, for life!" “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” — Matthew 19:6  What happens that changes those moments of starry-eyed splendor into unconcern and apathetic feelings?

Consider:

He married her because, among other things, her hair looked so beautiful. He divorced her because she spent too much time fixing her hair. He married her because she was such an adept conversationalist. He divorced her because she talked all the time.She married him because he enjoyed her home cooking. She divorced him because he never took her out to eat.She married him because he was a “real sport.” She divorced him because he refused to give up his “sport.”He married her because their families shared a common background. He divorced her because her family interfered in their affairs.She married him because he was so attentive to little things. She divorced him because he was oblivious to important things.

An ideal marriage is not one in which people marry to be happy, but to make the other one happy.  This means to give as well as take, to forget as well as to remember, and to love as well as to be loved.  —The Beacon, Pensacola, FL 

How The Holy Spirit Bears Fruit
21st November 2010

The Bible clearly teaches that Christians are to bear fruit.  Jesus said, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;  and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:2). Jesus expects His followers to bear much fruit: "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8).

In Galatians 5:22,23, Paul said, "But the fruit of the  Spirit is love, joy,  peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." The fruit of the Spirit must be produced by all Christians. In fact, if one is a Christian, he will bear this fruit. This fruit-bearing is not always easy. Sometimes we find it hard to do. What makes this fruit so important is that it makes us different from other people. Customs and culture sometimes make it hard for us to do things differently.  We are laughed at if we do things differently. Sometimes we may break a "taboo" that affects others. But, when we bear the "fruit of the Spirit," we are following God's instructions. God gave us these instructions to make us happier and more fruitful for Him. When we bear the "fruit of the Spirit," we make the world a better place in which to live. When we bear the "fruit of the Spirit," we become like Christ.

How do we bear the "fruit of the Spirit?" Paul says that “the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.” "...And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). The Word of God is the Bible.  The Bible is the means by which the Spirit causes Christians to bear the "fruit of the Spirit." The Spirit revealed the Word of God to us through the apostles and prophets. We bear the "fruit of the Spirit" when we "live in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). When we "live in the Spirit," we are then “walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Spirit does NOT ”live in us" by some miraculous means.   Just because some jump up and down, shout at the top of their voices, or roll on the ground, that does NOT mean they have the Holy Spirit. They might have a spirit, but it is not the Holy Spirit!!

For us to bear the "fruit of the Spirit," we must "live in the Spirit" and "walk by the Spirit." For the Spirit to "live in us" is the same as for Him to "dwell in us." The Spirit lives (or dwells) in us through the Word of God, the Bible. Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. . . .” (Colossians 3:16). Jesus said, "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63). How do the words of the Christ dwell in us? It is through the Word of God, the Bible. Where do we learn about the words of Christ? In the Bible. Who revealed the words of Christ to us? The Spirit through the apostles and prophets. From this we can clearly see that when we obey the Bible, we are (1) walking by the Spirit, (2) that the Spirit lives in us and (3) that Christ's words dwell in us.

May we all work hard to learn the Word of God better. May we then put into practice the things that it says, such as bearing the "fruit of the Spirit." Remember, there is no law against bearing the "fruit of the Spirit." God has laws against the "works of the flesh," but not against the "fruit of the Spirit." When we bear the "fruit of the Spirit," we are walking and living in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit teaches us how to become a Christian in the New Testament which He revealed to inspired men in the first century. The New Testament is “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The New Testament contains ALL that is necessary for us to know and do in order to be saved (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). It tells us that we must hear the Gospel, believe Jesus Christ is God’s Son, repent of all our sins, confess that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and be immersed (baptized) in water for the forgiveness of sins (Romans 10:17; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:37; Romans 6:4).   

Are you a Christian? Obey the Gospel today!

How To Study The Bible
28th Nov 2010

The Bible is a very big book.  Actually, it is a library of 66 different books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. These books are all joined together because they have one common theme. This theme is God's plan to save man from his sins through Jesus Christ. The first 39 books, the Old Testament, tell us that "Christ is coming." The first four books of the New Testament tell us that "Christ has come." The last 23 books of the New Testament tell us that "Christ is coming again."

In order to understand the Bible properly, one needs to ask five questions as he reads: (1) who is speaking? (2) Who is spoken to? (3) When is he speaking? (4) What type of language is the speaker using? (5) What are the circumstances or conditions under which he is speaking? If one can answer these five questions correctly, it will help him to understand the Word of God clearly. 

Who is speaking?

Everything in the Bible was written by men who were inspired by God. However, these inspired writers sometimes recorded by inspiration the words of evil men. Even the words of Satan are found in the Bible (See Job 1:9-11; 2:4, 5; Matthew 4:3, 6, 9). These words are accurately recorded, but they are not recommended for us to follow today. If one asks, "Who is speaking?" it will help him to know whether the words he is reading are words he should obey. 

Who is spoken to?

In Genesis 6:14, we have the following commandment of God: “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.” Is it necessary for us today to build a ship out of gopher wood in order to please God? No, God does not want us to do this. This command was given to Noah. It was necessary for him to obey it in order to be saved from the great flood which God was going to send on the entire world.  But this command does not apply to us today. If we answer correctly, “Who is spoken to?” we will see this command was meant only for Noah. 

When is the Bible writer speaking?

Is the writer speaking to people such as Abraham and Isaac who lived in the Patriarchal Age when God revealed His will directly to the fathers? Or, is he speaking to the people of Israel who lived under the Law God gave to Moses at Mt. Sinai? Or, is he speaking to people today who live under the Law of Christ, which is the New Testament? 

In the days of the Law of Moses under which Israel lived, animal sacrifices, Sabbath keeping, special feast days,  and a special priesthood were all a part of required worship (Exo 20:8-11; Lev 23; 1 Chro 25; 2 Chro 29:25; Ps 150). But Jesus fulfilled the Law, Psalms, and Prophets [the Old Testament] (Luke 24:44).  He has taken it away (Col 2:14). Today, all men live under the Law of Christ, which is the New Testament (Hebrews 8:6-13). If we ask, “When is he speaking?” it will let us see that these Old Testament laws of worship are not for us. We must go to the New Testament to find how God wants us to worship Him today.

What type of language is the inspired writer using?

All human languages have two types of speech:  literal and figurative. Literal language is the type which is found in the historical books of the Bible such as Genesis and Exodus, the book of Acts, etc. It is fact. Literal words must be understood to have their actual meaning. In literal language, if a sheep is mentioned, it means a four legged animal which has wool on its back. 

Figurative language is different. Words are used to represent ideas or thoughts which are different from the actual meaning of the word. For example: a sheep or lamb may be spoken of, but an animal is not meant. It is being used to represent something else which has some of the qualities of a sheep or lamb. Jesus was a man. He is the Son of God.  But in figurative language in the Bible, He is sometimes spoken of as a lamb. John the Baptist said of Jesus: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)! Lambs were used for sin offerings under the Law of Moses. John did not mean that Jesus was an actual lamb. But he meant that Jesus would be the offering for our sins. 

What are the conditions or circumstances in which this writing is given?

If we know the circumstances surrounding the writer at the time he writes, it will help us to understand what he is saying. For example: many people have great difficulty understanding the book of Revelation. But if we know the circumstances under which the book was given, it will help us to understand its message. The writer of Revelation was John, the apostle. He had been imprisoned by the Roman government on a rocky island called Patmos. This was done because he was a Christian. The heathen Roman government was persecuting the church of Christ near the end of the first century (about A.D. 95 to 100). The things which were revealed to John were "things which must shortly take place" (Rev 1:1). The book of Revelation was intended to encourage those Christians who were being persecuted in the first century (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Any time that Christians are persecuted, they can gain great encouragement from studying the book of Revelation.
The Bible is God's inspired Book. It is His revelation to mankind. But in order for us to understand the Bible, we must learn how to study it properly. We must “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). If we will ask these five simple questions as we study, we will find that we can indeed understand God’s Book!