May 31, 2006

The Church and its Spiritual Function and Form

[Article written by Matt Nevins. Originally published in his email newsletter “The Lamp.”]

Form follows function. Well designed structures that follow this rule have harmony, efficiency, and sufficiency. God, the Master Architect, has constructed and maintains an everlasting kingdom that will never be shaken. The spiritual function and form allows for the perpetual existence of the Church (1 Pet. 2:5). Contrary to the belief of some, the Church was not a mistake and is the product of an eternal purpose under subjection to the Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, 3:10-11). Changing the function of the Church circumvents the mighty wisdom of God and creates an unwholesome form.
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May 1, 2006

The Tempting of Christ

Matthew 4:1-11 contains the account of Satan tempting Christ. When we talk about “tempting” or “temptation,” we need to realize that there are two different uses for these words in the Bible. The first refers to a testing – that which comes from without. An example of this is when the Israelites tested God in the wilderness: “Where your fathers tried Me [tempted me, KJV] by testing Me, and saw My works for forty years” (Hebrews 3:9; cf. Psalm 95:9). The second use denotes a desire for sin – that which comes from within. James talked about this type of temptation: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust” (James 1:14). So not everything you are tempted with is a temptation to you. That is, not everything you are tested with produces or reflects a desire to sin on your part. The action of the one acting as the tempter is the same, but the difference is our desire or lack thereof. Failure to make a distinction between the two can lead to confusion.
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May 1, 2006

Personal Evangelism

Personal Evangelism

Sometimes we speak of the “works of the church.” We use this type of language to refer to the works of evangelism, edification, and benevolence. It may be more accurate to describe these as works God has given His people to do. These works do not exclusively belong to the church because individuals can and should do them as well. We do these works collectively (through the organization of the local church) and individually. With regard to evangelism, sometimes we may spend so much time talking about evangelism being a work of the church that we forget to remind ourselves that it is also the work of individual Christians. Let us notice some ways in which we, as individuals, can help reach the lost and bring them to Christ.
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May 1, 2006

Being of Christ

Unity

When Paul wrote his first letter to Corinth, he wrote to address and correct various problems and misunderstandings the brethren had. He talked about such topics as the acceptance of a fornicator (1 Corinthians 5), corruption of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11), abuse of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), and misconceptions about the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). The list could continue. But the first problem Paul addressed, which was also in some way tied to the other problems, was that of division. Some were claiming to be “of Paul,” some “of Apollos,” some “of Cephas,” and others “of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:12). In reality, they all should have been “of Christ.” They probably understood that to a certain degree, but still wanted to claim allegiance to these other men. This demonstrates that they did not really understand what it meant to be “of Christ” since Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13). Let us see what we can learn from Paul’s correction of them here as we strive today to be “of Christ.”

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

For this study, we will see what points we can draw from this passage as it relates to our being of Christ.
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May 1, 2006

Was Jesus a Liberal? (Part 2)

[Last month we began this study to examine the claim that Jesus was a Liberal. We identified what “liberal” means and examined how Jesus approached Scripture to see if He had a liberal mindset in doing so. This month, we will consider certain events in Jesus’ life and how the teachings of the gospel compared with the precepts of the Law of Moses.]

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April 30, 2006

The Need for Salvation

[Article written by Matt Nevins. Originally published in his email newsletter “The Lamp.”]

The topic of salvation is one of the greatest lessons one can learn and teach. We need to learn concerning the status of our souls, what might be done to change that status, and the destination of our souls for eternity. This is a serious subject and not to be taken lightly. Surveying what the Scriptures teach on the subject of sin and salvation will be a good start to understand where we stand and where we ought to be standing.
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April 30, 2006

What’s the Point?

[Article written by Matt Nevins. Originally published in his email newsletter “The Lamp.”]

Each day millions of people wake up in the morning, go through various activities through the day, and fall asleep that night. Some have developed a daily schedule or routine. Life becomes repetitive, monotonous, and dull which some tend to get stuck in the rut of everyday life. The monotony that may occur will cause individuals to raise the question, “What is the point to life?” Mankind has a fundamental need of purpose and a sense of value in order to have a satisfying or meaningful life. Answering the question, “What is the point?” will provide the drive needed to establish a meaningful life.
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