Tag Archives: God

God’s Path to Salvation – Step Five – Be Baptized

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baptism     After hearing and believing the Word, if we are willing to submit to God by confessing our allegiance to Christ and repent of the things we are doing that are wrong, we can become a child of God by being baptized for the remission of our sins.  This step in God’s path to salvation seems to be the most misunderstood and most debated of all of what God requires of us.  Yet, it is a simple step, which the pages of scripture call us to do.  Jesus commands baptism.  The apostles commanded baptism.  Paul was instructed to be baptized.  All of those who converted to Christianity that we can read about in the book of Acts were baptized as part of their conversion.  If you do not believe me, see what God’s Word says about the subject!

     As Jesus was bidding His disciples farewell just before ascending into heaven, He gave them His final instructions.  “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16NKJV).  Notice here that Jesus states that the one who is a believer and has been baptized will be saved.  It is the same as saying, he who has a ticket and gets into line will be admitted to the game.  We have to have the ticket first in order to get into the game.  If we do not have a ticket, there is no sense in getting into line.  Thus, we have to believe before we are baptized.  If we do not believe, then baptism alone will not affect us.  Additionally, it does us absolutely no good to have a ticket for the game, but to never get into line to enter the building.  Just buying our ticket does not grant us admittance.  Likewise, in order to be saved one must believe and be baptized.

     In Matthew’s recording of the great commission, he writes that Jesus told them to make disciples from all of the nations (Matthew 28:19).  How is it that they were to make disciples?  Jesus tells them how.  He said that they were to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all of Christ’s commandments (Matthew 28:19-20).  That is how disciples are made.  If you have not been baptized, you are not a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ.

     It is the act of baptism that washes away our sins.  God did His part in sending His one and only unique Son to die on our behalf, so that our sins might be covered.  Jesus died so that we could be cleansed, sanctified, made holy, and set apart (Romans 5:6-11).  But we also have to do our part in accepting that grace of God.  It is not enough for us to receive a great prize notification, and say that we are rich.  We must claim that prize in order for it to have the intended effect.  It is the act of baptism that puts us in contact with the blood of Christ.  The water has no magical properties, but the act of obedience to what the Lord commanded means that His blood cleanses us from sin.  Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “. . . do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).  Being buried with Him in the likeness of His death signifies how we come in contact with the blood He shed, so that our sins can be covered.  Being compared to a burial also tells us of the method of baptism.  It is an immersion, a complete covering.  Otherwise, it is not a burial.

     Peter said that baptism was the act that removes our sins when he preached to the crowd on the day of Pentecost.  On that day the doors of the church were opened for the first time.  Peter explained that those Jews in Jerusalem had been responsible for rejecting Christ and having Him crucified.  They were responsible for His death.  Imagine how they must have felt when Peter showed them that they had put the one and only Son of God to death!  This news pricked them in their hearts.  They were convicted by the word.  They were convinced that they had done wrong.  They wanted to know what they could do to get out of such a terrible predicament (Acts 2:22-37).  “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).  Notice what Peter did not tell them to do.  He did not say to just accept Jesus in your heart and all would be well.  He did not say to repeat a “sinners prayer,” which is not found in Scripture, in order to be saved.  He told them to repent and be baptized.  One is no good without the other.  They were to be baptized for the remission of sins.  Since baptism is the way to remit our sins, if we are not baptized our sins are not remitted.  Later Peter would write that baptism now saves us (1 Peter 3:21).

     One last example to consider is the conversion of Paul.  Paul was a persecutor of the church.  He did not believe in Jesus.  As he was on the way to Damascus to round up more Christians for trial and execution, he saw a bright light and heard the voice of Christ.  Surely that would be enough to save Paul, right?  Notice what Paul was told to do by Jesus.  “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6b).  So Paul went into Damascus.  There he was told what he must do in order to be saved.  When Ananias came to him, Paul had been praying and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9).  Ananias said to Paul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

     Notice that Paul was not saved by seeing Jesus.  He was not saved by speaking to Jesus.  He was not saved by praying and fasting for three days.  If he had been, then why would Ananias have to tell him to be baptized to wash away his sins?  If he had already been saved prior to baptism, there would be no sins that still needed to be washed away.  Notice also that Ananias tells Paul how to call upon the name of the Lord.  You may recall from step one of God’s path to salvation that in Paul’s writing to the Romans in chapter 10 of that letter, Paul told them that those who are saved are those who call upon the name of the Lord.  How do we call upon the name of the Lord?  We do so by obeying Him.  Ananias told Paul that baptism is how we wash away our sins, and how we call upon the name of the Lord.

     The Bible tells us that all of our spiritual blessings are to be found in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).  Those who are in Christ are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1).  Those who are in Christ are new creatures, having been born again (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Salvation is only to be found in Christ (2 Timothy 2:10).  In Christ, we can have eternal life (1 John 5:11).  So how do we get in Christ in order to receive all of these blessings?  We get in Christ by being baptized into Christ.  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27, emphasis added).  We must be in Christ to receive the blessings.  We get in Christ by obeying what He has told us to do.  For that, He commanded us to be baptized.

God’s Path to Salvation – Step Two – Believe

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IMG_20140614_134903975_HDR     Once we have heard the word of God, the next step on God’s path to salvation is to believe the word of God and have faith.  Going back to Paul’s statement to the Romans, faith is to come by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).  So we do not hear the word of God just to be hearers of it, but the word of God is to build up our faith in God.  James says that we are to be doers of the word, and not just hearers only (James 1:22).  Therefore, we need to do something about what we hear.  Part of that is having an active faith.

     Notice also that our faith is to be based upon what we hear in God’s word.  It is not a blind faith, which is based upon nothing more than our feelings and emotions.  Faith or belief which is based upon nothing (no evidence) is not really faith, but is irrational.  God has given us a very good definition of faith within His Holy Word.  Consider that, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  Faith has substance.  There is evidence for faith.  John wrote in his gospel that there were many things that Jesus did which he did not record, but what was recorded was done in order that we might read, hear, and believe (John 20:30-31).  In the Roman letter Paul reminds us that there is evidence for God, even His eternal power and Godhead, which has been manifested to all through His creation, so that man is without excuse if he chooses to not believe in God (Romans 1:18-23).

     Additionally, God’s word is clear that we must believe in God in order to come to Him and be saved.  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).  So we must have faith in order to please Him.  We must believe that God is in order to come to Him, or else why would we?  Who would strive to approach a god that they did not believe in?  We must understand that in order to be rewarded by God with salvation, we must diligently seek Him.  Jesus said that the one who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).

     We must have faith in Him.  Faith in Him is much more than believing that He exists.  It requires that we do not just “believe that” He is, but that we “believe in” His promises.  He has promised eternal life to those who will do His will and keep His commandments (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15, 21; 15:10).  John, the apostle whom Jesus loved, wrote the following by inspiration:

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  (1 John 5:1-5).

In order to overcome the world and be a child of God and have that salvation that He freely offers to mankind, we must believe in God (have faith in Him and His promises), and love Him by keeping His commandments.

God’s Path to Salvation – Step One — HEAR

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John 1717 [widescreen]It is important for us to realize that God has a path to salvation for mankind.  It is not my path to salvation.  It is not some board or council’s path to salvation.  It is not the path to salvation of some college of titled officials.  It is not the entrance requirements for some church or religious institution.  It is God’s path, and as such He calls all men to come out of the world and be a part of His ekklesia, His church, those who have been ‘called out’ of the world, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).

For the first step in God’s Path, Hearing God’s Word, click here to go to the lesson.

Love Without Labels

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Couple_01     This week we are being told through a public service announcement that love has no labels.  That sounds pleasant, does it not?  Who could disagree that love has no labels?  However, just what is meant by this announcement?  What is being cast upon us is yet another attempt to show that homosexuality is normal and okay.

In an unrelated story, Dr. Ben Carson stated his belief that people choose to be homosexuals.  They are not born that way.  Very shortly after answering a question that exposed his belief, Carson took it back.  He back peddled and tried to explain his answer in a way that would be more acceptable to those of a gay persuasion.  The real question is, are these events really unrelated?

There is and has been a tremendous push in our country to justify, normalize, and force everyone to accept homosexuality as a viable, wholesome, alternative lifestyle.  Anyone who disagrees is instantly labeled as homophobic, hateful, or a bigot.  Let us just take a moment to think about the tactics from a logical standpoint for a moment.

Those of us who disagree with said lifestyle, are no longer allowed to express our opinion without fear of retribution, harassment, loss of employment (if employed within the media), and other labeling by the crowd that is telling us that love has no labels.  It cannot be about tolerance, for tolerance would demand that I can express my opinion as equally as they can theirs.  It is all about acceptance.  We are being forced to accept their opinion and say nothing about it.

I do not say this to be mean spirited, unloving, or otherwise prejudiced against a segment of society.  I merely mean to express another viewpoint with regards to this issue, and that is the viewpoint that God has written for our learning in the Bible.  By expressing what the Bible has to say about the issue, it is not my intention to “force my religion” down anyone’s throat.  God does not operate that way.  He merely tells us what is right, what is righteous, what is wholesome, and what is not.  Then it is up to us to decide if we will follow Him, or go our own way.  It is our choice, Dr. Carson.

Nowhere does God explain this better than in Paul’s letter to the Romans.  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18-19 NKJV).  When mankind suppresses the truth, because they do not like it, that is called unrighteous and ungodly.  The creation of man itself is proof that there is a God.  There is no way that the complicated systems that exist within human life could have come about by chance.  Thus the evidence is within man, such that we are without excuse if we fail to believe that there is a God (Romans 1:20).

However, there are those who have not retained God in their knowledge.  They have made a conscious choice to walk away from God.  They do not glorify Him, nor are they thankful.  Instead, they profess to be wise when really they are being foolish for ignoring God (Romans 1:21-22).  Because they have given up on God and walked away from Him, He will also give them up.  They will not be considered to be His children anymore, while they are acting disobedient.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. . . For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (Romans 1:24, 26-7).

Notice what God calls it when women exchange the natural use of their body to be with other women.  Notice what God says about men who burn in their lust for other men.  He says that they dishonor their bodies.  He calls their passions vile.  He says that their actions are shameful and deserving the penalty of their error.  It sounds like God has put “labels” on their “love.”

The real issue is a misunderstanding of love.  Men are to have brotherly love for one another.  This is the Greek word philos.  It is not the same as the love between a man and his wife that includes the sexual relationship.  This kind of love is eros (where we get the word erotic from).  Mankind has blurred the lines between the kind of love that we are to show toward one another, and the kind of love that is reserved for a married man and his wife.  So when people say, “well what is wrong with loving one another,” they are misunderstanding the difference between brotherly love and lust.

So why make such a big deal about this issue?  What harm is there in accepting what God says is vile, ungodly, unrighteous, and against nature?  Well, just notice what Paul goes on to write at the end of Romans 1:

(They) being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:29-32).

Not only does God disapprove of the homosexual lifestyle, His judgment is also going to be against those who approve of their behavior.  God says if you are okay with things that He calls evil, then you are deserving of spiritual death just the same as those who are practicing such.  That looks like God is placing many labels on their “love,” and none of those labels are good.

One last point with regards to this issue needs to be made.  The argument that homosexuals are that way because that is how God made them cannot be true if the Bible is to be believed.  Notice that God states the penalty for those who practice such behavior quite clearly in Romans 1.  If God were to make people that way, with that persuasion, then He would be making people to sin and be lost.  That is not God’s nature.  God does not tempt us to do evil.  We are tempted when we are led away by our own desires.  That desire then leads us to sin.  It is our own doing (James 1:13-15).  Indeed, God does not desire that anyone be lost.  He wants for all men to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), and then to repent and follow Him (2 Peter 3:9).  People choose to practice what they practice.  They are not made to sin by God without a choice.

Furthermore, notice what Paul writes to the church in Corinth:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 emphasis added).

There were some who were in the church in Corinth who had formerly been homosexuals.  Paul says that they were washed, they were changed, they made a conscious decision to follow God rather than their own lusts.

There is no need to be lost in sin when we can repent, change our sinful lifestyle, and become a child of God again.  This not only applies to the sin of homosexuality, but with any and all sin.  God does not state that one sin is any worse than any other, and neither should we.  Let us only apply the labels that God applies, and strive to walk in His ways each day.

Shoot the Messenger

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Lewis_Hine,_A_typical_bike_messenger,_Birmingham,_Alabama,_1914     How do we react when we are given bad news?  Do we want to take it out on the one who is bringing us the report?  Many times, those who bring bad news are ostracized because of the message they carry.  We see that this was the case with Israel and the prophets.

     One such case occurs in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah comes looking for Ahab, the king of Israel, after hiding from him at God’s direction.  Ahab had been looking high and low for Elijah because of the drought in the land (Elijah had told Ahab that it would not rain again for several years 1 Kings 17:1).  When Ahab’s servant Obadiah comes into contact with Elijah, he is afraid to go back and tell Ahab that Elijah is here, for fear that Elijah will be called away and Ahab will kill him (1 Kings 18:9, 12, 14).  Obadiah fears that Ahab will shoot the messenger.

     Once Ahab finally sees Elijah, he greets him by saying “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17 NKJV).  Ahab is not happy to see Elijah.  Later Ahab will complain to Jehoshaphat with regards to Macaiah saying, “I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil” (2 Chron. 18:7).  Ahab was not thrilled with any of the prophets, because they did not hesitate to tell him that what he was doing was wrong.  Ahab had a tendency to shoot the messenger when it came to these men of God bringing him the word of the Lord.

     How is it today?  Are people willing to hear the word of God with an open heart, or are they only concerned with shooting the messenger because they don’t like the message?  We as Christians have a duty to spread the Good News about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the hope of eternal life that comes from that blessed event (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).  There is a need for us to tell the truth of God’s word just as there was in the time of Ahab.  We should be like Elijah and Macaiah and speak for God, even if others wish to shoot the messenger.

The Choice is Ours

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Fork-in-The-Road     Every day we get to make choices.  We make choices about what we eat, where we go, what we see, and what we do.  Many of the choices we make seem to only be for that moment, and then they are gone.  Others affect us for the rest of our lives.

     Consider the choice that was put before the Israelites just before they were to go into the Promised Land.  God through Moses told the people that they had a choice before them.  They could choose life and good, or they could choose death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15).  God was not going to force them to be good or to choose the right path.  The choice was theirs.

     If they chose to do what was right, “. . . to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments . . .” (Deuteronomy 30:16 NKJV), then they could stay in the land that was promised to their fathers forever.  However, if they chose to do that which was against God’s commands, and decided to worship other gods, then they would not be allowed to remain in that land (Deuteronomy 30:17-18).  Ultimately we know what choice they made.  They constantly went after other gods, and their idolatry led to them being taken away in the Babylonian captivity.  Thus, although a remnant returned to that land, they broke their part of the covenant relationship with God and lost the Promised Land.

     We equally have a choice before us.  Will we choose to follow God and make it to the Promised Land of heaven, or will we go our own way and lose out?  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  In order to go to God, we must go through Jesus.  The choice is ours.  Our choices have consequences.  Let us therefore choose wisely!

Nebuchadnezzar’s Wise Men

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CrystalBall_thumb      Perhaps you have heard of or seen a magician, who as part of their act reads the mind of a member of the audience.  If so, you know how impressive this seems on the surface.  Just how is it that a man can read the thoughts of another human being?  Later, when you find that there is some sort of trick or gimmick to explain the ‘magic,’ you realize that man just does not have the ability to read minds.  This, however, is not a new discovery.

     In the second chapter of the book of Daniel, we have recorded for us that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a most troubling dream.  He called for all of his wise men to come to him and tell him what the dream was and what it meant.  The wise men of Babylon were perplexed.  Without any sort of clues, or without Nebuchadnezzar telling them about the dream, there was no way for them to determine what the dream even was, not to mention what it might have meant.  They correctly stated that, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.  It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Daniel 2:10b-11 NKJV).  They understood that the power to know what was in the mind of a man was not something that another man had the ability to discern.

     This same truth holds today as well.  We are told in the New Testament, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).  Man cannot read the thoughts of another man.  That is what makes Daniel’s description and interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that much more impressive.  Daniel was only able to tell the king of his dream and what it meant, because God made that information known to Daniel in the first place (Daniel 2:19-23).

     This event should prove to us that there is a God who knows all things.  Only such a God could be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar through His servant Daniel the details of his dream.  Likewise, there are things about God Himself that man can only know because God has revealed those things to us.  It is in God’s word, the Holy Bible that we can find out about who God is and what He is like.  Let us not neglect the great volume of information that we have at our fingertips about our God and about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Is Doomsday Approaching?

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The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists reported this week that we are now two minutes closer to midnight on their Doomsday Clock, having moved us from five minutes to midnight to just three.  Citing the amount of nuclear weapons in the world and human climate change, they feel that we are close to extinguishing the human race through some sort of doomsday catastrophe.

Kennette BenedictKennette Benedict, the director of the group, says, “The probability of global catastrophe is very high. This is about the end of civilization as we know it” (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/22/doomsday-clock-three-minutes-to-midnight/22158457/).  Interestingly, the clock was once just two minutes to midnight in 1953 following the testing of a new nuclear bomb.  Even though there were no fears of “global warming” and there were not as many nuclear weapons in 1953, we were closer to extinction then than we are now according to this scientific group.

So is this the case?  Are we closing in on Doomsday?  Let us put aside the dubious nature of the “scientific” proof of climate change for the moment.  Instead let us address the question as to whether man is able to bring life on this planet to an end.  Is man able to destroy the planet?  These scientists would answer that question in the affirmative, but is that really the case?

Scripture tells us who is really in control of the planet and all that goes on in it, and it is not man.  In Daniel 2, the prophet tells us that it is God who “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.  He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:21-22 NKJV).  Man may desire to know what is going to happen in the future, but to us that is darkness.  It cannot be seen by man.  God, however, is the one who knows what is in the darkness.  Thus we might say that we do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.

Additionally, God made a promise to mankind through Noah that nothing was going to stop the changing of the seasons while the earth remains (Genesis 8:22).  So while we are running around on this planet, to and fro, worrying about when the end will come, we must realize that we are not the ones who are in control of the planet.  It is God, the One who created it all (Psalm 19:1).  God will bring all things to an end when He sees fit to do so.  Jesus reported that of that day and time, no one knows.  Even He did not know when that would be.  Only the Heavenly Father has that answer (Matthew 24:36).

Instead of worrying about Doomsday, what every person on this planet should concern themselves with is whether they are ready to pass from this life into eternity.  What does grow closer everyday is the appointment that we have with eternity.  One day we will all pass from this life to the next, and we need to be ready for that day.  Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).  No one knows when they will die, but we all know that we will someday, unless the Lord returns first.  The question is, are you ready for that day to come?

A Religion of Peace?

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niger-church-protest-hebdo     This week in the West African country of Niger, there has been an uprising of Muslims against churches of other faiths.  In the uprising, it has been reported that 45 church buildings have been set afire and many people have been injured or killed as a result of the activity.  All of this was brought on by a French cartoon published by Charlie Hebdo.  It is amazing that all of this violence could be brought about by a cartoon in another country.

     Just what is to be accomplished in attacking those who have no connection to Charlie Hebdo and burning their buildings?  How could anyone call this a normal reaction to a cartoon depicting Mohammed?  Some of those who are calling for calmer heads to prevail are saying that this response does not fit with Islam, since it is a religion of peace.  Is that so?

      According to the beliefs of Islam, the world is divided into two camps.  Those who are in submission to Islam are Dar-al-Salaam (the House of Peace).  Those who are not in submission are Dar-al-Harb (the House of War).  Those who will not submit to Islam are subject to jihad, or holy war, to either convert them at the point of a sword, or to kill them (Sura 2:191; 8:39; 9:123; 47:4).  This hardly sounds like a religion of peace.

     By contrast, the God of the Bible calls on His followers to live at peace with all of mankind.  “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NKJV, emphasis added).  Over and over again we are reminded that God is a God of peace (Romans 14:17; 15:33; 16:20; 1 Cor. 14:33).  Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “God has called us to peace” (1 Cor. 7:15b) and that they should, “Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).  In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that the peacemakers were blessed, because they shall be called the sons of God.

     We should strive to call things as they truly are, and not as we would wish them to be.  We may want for Islam to be a religion of peace.  We may wish for the fundamentalist adherents to the writings of Muhammed to want to live at peace with the rest of mankind and to show tolerance to others.  However, that is not the reality of the situation.  It is our wish that all men would come to God, recognize their sinful nature, realize their lost condition, see the need for Christ, and obey the Gospel and live at peace with all of mankind.  Then, and only then, will we have a peace that transcends all human creeds.  Then, and only then, can we have peace with God.

Don’t I Know You?

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who-am-iMaybe this has never happened to you, or maybe it has.  You walk into a store and you see someone who looks familiar to you.  You know that you know them from somewhere, but you cannot recall their name or where you know them from.  Perhaps you walk up to them and say, “Don’t I know you?”

While it is often easy for us to remember faces, remembering names or where we may have seen someone before can sometimes be difficult.  Many times it does not matter that we cannot remember every passing acquaintance in our lives, because most likely they do not remember us either.

 However, if this is a person that we have an intimate relationship with, we had better remember their name and where we know them from!  This leads to the question of whether or not we know God, and if He knows us.  The importance of knowing God, really knowing Him, is seen in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.  Paul writes, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes. 1:7-8).  Since Jesus will take vengeance on those who do not know God, it is imperative that we know Him.

 It is also important that God knows who we are.  Towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declares that those who call Him Lord, but fail to do the will of the Father will be like those He does not know.  They will be told to depart from Him for eternity (Matthew 7:21-23).  We need to know God.  We need for God to know us.  Do you know Him today?