How To Know You Are Saved Can one be positive, when he is a Christian, a member of the church of Christ? Can he proclaim with confidence this message to others for their salvation? Can a Christian tell when one is turning back into the world or wallowing in the mire? If one starts turning toward denominationalism, can that be recognized? If these questions have a positive answer, truth makes a distinction and we must recognize it. If, on the other hand, the response is negative, truth makes no difference, and we had just as well forget the whole matter, because no one can be positive what is right or what is wrong. If the word of God is not clearly understandable, man is left without clear knowledge and convictions. Is the Bible the inerrant word of God, complete, absolute, understandable, and the unique standard by which man is to be reconciled to God in Christ, directed and saved eternally? Is the Bible reliable, worthy of trust and confidence? Is it understandable, so one can be uniquely, intelligently, and Scripturally identified with its teaching? Can one say like Paul, “I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day”? (2 Tim. 1:12). To respond positively implies that he possesses a genuine, active, and confident faith in the word of God as trustworthy, authoritative, positive, and understandable. It is saying, “Speak, Lord, I will believe, Command, I will obey. Promise, I will trust.” Then, we must search the Scriptures to learn what the Lord says, commands, and promises, and accept His will by faith with complete confidence. Two Perceptions Toward The Bible Let us notice two views regarding the Inspiration of the Bible, though there be many. Firstly, The Bible is Inspired in Thought or Principle. God miraculously and directly revealed His will to certain chosen men but left them to express the message in their own words without Divine assistance. This view leaves too much to human judgment or wisdom. Subjectivism and relativism have a great and lasting influence upon the minds of those adhering to such a loose concept of inspiration. Skepticism which opens the door to denominationalism is also very common to such a view. But these delight in the “non-essentials” and the “non-essentials with liberty” rule their religion. Notwithstanding all the warnings contained in the Bible (Matt. 15:7-9 ff; 2 Cor. 10:5-6, 12-18; 2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4:1, 15; Heb. 2:1-2; 2 Tim. 4:1-5; Acts 20:28-32), continue to allow the doctrines and commandments of men to dominate their lives (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 10:23; Prov. 14:12). Secondly, Absolute Verbal Inspiration. God miraculously and directly revealed His will to certain chosen men and miraculously and directly superintended their choice of words. Thus, they could speak and write verbally and inerrantly, exactly what God wanted them to, exactly as He wanted it said or written, giving man an understandable and infallible guide. This is the claim the Bible makes for itself (Acts 2:1-5; 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), and I most sincerely believe it will stand against every evil wind of doctrine. Is It Understandable? Many accept the verbal inspiration of the Bible, but are skeptical about understanding the Bible itself. So, to them, one can not be positive enough to say, “This is absolute truth.” If the teaching of the Bible is unattainable to man, he is left without positive directions or law. Thus the old saying, “Where the law is uncertain, there is no law. Here the religious wanderers gather, separate, reform, tolerate, and split again. And here the word of God is thrown to the four winds of the earth. Emotionalism, confusions, divisions and every philosophy and doctrine imaginable to man finds tolerance. The sociological changes sway minds, evolutionary theories are planted, and spiritualism goes wild in this incomprehensible Bible whirlpool. Would God give man such a Book as that? God has not authored mass confusion and wild contradiction in religion (1 Cor. 14:33). The Bible is filled with things capable of being believed, doubted or denied. Scripture is to be accepted or rejected upon the credibility of its understandable truths. The Bible claims positive, even Divine truths. David declared, “For ever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in Heaven” (Psa. 119:89). Jesus said, “My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Peter states, “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). God’s truth stands regardless of one’s attitude toward it. It is absolute truth. God can declare the end of a thing at the beginning (Isa. 46:10). If a person contends that Bible knowledge is unattainable, or impractical, he cannot claim a firm guide into God’s provision for salvation. To whom shall he go? The gospel is God’s power unto salvation to every one who believes (Rom. 1:16) but “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Further, Paul told Timothy, “These things I write unto you . . . that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). It certainly seems from these expressions that God intended for man to understand His written word. Why else would He have written it and preserved to judge man by it come the day of judgment? (Jn 12:48 f; Rom 2:16) The Bible is what God teaches, no more and no less, neither can any man add to it nor take from it without repercussion (Gal. 1:6-9 ff; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:3; Titus 2:7-8, 10). Too many times, what is called “interpretation” is nothing more than what man thinks, feels, or assumes and has no place in the Divine Volume. If the Bible does not teach it, it is no part of God’s word, regardless of what or how anyone thinks or feels about it. Paul wrote the Ephesians to assure them of a definite and positive standard by which to be governed and sustained in Eph. 4:10-16. He assured them that miraculously inspired teachers would continue until the complete, perfect will of Christ was revealed and confirmed. Paul told the Corinthians that “when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Cor. 13:10). James shows that the “perfect law of liberty” is fully come (James 1:25; 2:12). The Bible is the positive, unalterable standard by which man is to be drawn to Christ, directed, and sustained. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). So Paul told Timothy to charge certain men “that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Tim. 1:3). Peter said, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (the very Words) of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). Paul warned the Ephesians about the “cunning craftiness” and deceptive doctrines and pleaded with them not to be “tossed to and fro” by such false teachers and doctrines. Then Paul added, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ.” He wrote the Colossians to be “grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). In Jude 3, the instruction is to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” This is God’s will for all men today. May God help us to study, believe, obey and teach it with full assurance that what God has promised He is able to fulfill. Let us be willing to accept God’s Word as absolute truth with no man made filters or interpretations. God’s Word doesn’t need nor does it accept man’s view on the bible. And yet, only God’s church and God’s chose can take this sermon and say, Amen! Only God’s people read God’s Word and say, “It is truth!” (Isa 43:9) Only God’s chosen hear God’s Word and understand it. (Mt 15:10 f; Jn 10:27) Only God’s chosen hear God’s Word and believes it. (Acts 4:4) Only God’s chosen believe God’s Word and confess Jesus is the Christ. Rom 10:9,10) Only God’s chosen confess Jesus is the Christ and repent of their sins. (Lk 13:3) Only God’s chosen repent of their sins and are baptized into the death of Christ, raised to walk in the newness of life. (Rom 6:3,4) Only God’s faithful continue in the apostolic doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. (Acts 2:42 f; 2 Jn 9) Only God’s faithful rely on God’s Word for absolute truth. (2 Tim 1:12) Only God’s faithful examine themselves by God’s Word lest they be judged worthless. (2 Cor 13:5) Only God’s faithful know the truth and continue in it, and the truth has set them FREE! (Jn 8:31,32)
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:31:39 +0000
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