Yearly Archives: 2013

Ashamed

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Some time ago, we noticed in the fly-leaf of a young man’s Bible, a list of autographs of “great” preachers.  At the top of the page, one had been scratched out with a penknife.  Our curiosity aroused, we asked him what had happened.

“That was Pastor J. C. O’Hair’s signature,” he answered.

“And you scratched it out!”

“Yes,” he replied, “these other men would never sign with his name there!”

This young man’s heart had once been thrilled with the gospel of the grace of God and the truth of the mystery, but before a few “great” preachers, he had become ashamed of the one whom God had used to open these truths to him.

Popular opinion!  What a powerful enemy to the truth!

Little wonder that some faint-hearted Christians should be ashamed of those who boldly proclaim the mystery when we realize there was danger that even godly young Timothy might be ashamed of Paul!  Let us who mean to be faithful, however, remember that the words of Paul to Timothy are also the Word of God to us:

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (II Tim. 1:8).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Even If…

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

When the Babylonian multitudes prostrated themselves in worship before the golden god which Nebuchadnezzar had erected, three young Hebrews refused to bow and remained standing, erect and alone.

When called before Nebuchadnezzar to answer for their impudence and threatened with death in a fiery furnace, they answered:

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Dan. 3:17,18).

This is the stand every believer should take for God and His truth.  He is able to deliver us from persecution if we stand true, but even if He doesn’t see fit to do this, we should still stand alone if necessary, for the light He has given us on His Word.

Many have suffered temporary loss of standing for their convictions.  Hebrews 11 lists among the heroes of faith some who were “tortured, not accepting deliverance,” and others who suffered “trial of cruel mockings and scourgings…bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented” (Heb. 11:35-37).

But we read that these all “obtained a good report” before God and looked forward to “a better resurrection” (vv. 35,39).

As the apostasy rises all about us and those who stand for God’s truth are often ridiculed and despised, may God give us the grace to stand true regardless of the cost, remembering that any sufferings for Christ are only temporal while the rewards will be eternal.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Why the Hush?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

“And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known” (Mark 3:11,12).

Have you ever wondered why the Lord did not want these “unclean spirits” to make Him known?  We believe it was because He didn’t want the likes of them telling others about Him.  That is, He knew that the testimony of such sinful, unclean creatures would hurt Him, not help Him.  He already had enough people thinking He was “in cahoots” with devils (Matt. 12:22-24).  If people heard devils testify of Him, well, that wasn’t exactly the kind of testimony He needed!

We often wonder if the Lord feels the same way today when instead of unclean spirits, unclean believers testify to others about Him.  We’re not suggesting that only saints who get straight “A”s in conduct should be allowed to witness, for none of us is perfect.  Nor are we saying that God can’t use the testimony of sinful men, for if He can use Balaam’s donkey to speak His words, He can certainly use carnal believers.  But we can’t help but think that if God “had His druthers,” He’d much rather use a saint who has purged himself of uncleanness and is “meet for the Master’s use” (II Tim. 2:21).

We believe the same principle applies when it comes to pointing people to Paul as our apostle.  In Acts 16:16, “a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination” followed Paul, saying:

“These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

“And this did she many days.  But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (v. 17,18).

 

What the devil was saying was true, of course, but that didn’t stop Paul from hushing the testimony being offered by such a questionable source.  And so when we as grace believers try to convince our brethren that Paul alone is the servant of God that shows unto us the way of salvation in this dispensation, our testimony will be received much more readily if our lives “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus 2:10).  Anything less would cause Paul, if he were here to see it, to be as grieved with us as he was with the damsel possessed with the spirit of divination.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Be Strong in the Lord

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).

As Paul begins to close the letter to the Ephesians, he addresses the spiritual warfare of the Body of Christ.  Paul’s instruction is for us to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”  In this spiritual battle, we need spiritual strength.  As we are on the Lord’s side, Paul points us to the Lord Almighty, from Whom we are to get our strength.  In this epistle, Paul has been showing believers that we are “in Christ,” in perfect, eternal union with Him.  Being in Christ, we find that His life is our life and His power is our power.  We, the Body, draw the strength and power for living the Christian life from our living Head.

“What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead…” (Eph. 1:19,20).

Being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might has to do with living by faith in the resurrection life and power which resides in every believer through Christ.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power we’re to use to stand in this spiritual battle.  The strength of the Christian life is dependence on God.  So Paul points the Church to be “strong in the Lord,” to depend upon Him.

Before salvation, Paul says we are “without strength” (Rom. 5:6).  We are weak and absolutely unable to please God or save ourselves.  Salvation is only through trusting Christ, and by Him alone we have victory over sin’s penalty and punishment.  After trusting Christ as our Savior, we are still weak in ourselves, and in the Christian life our sufficiency must be of God (II Cor. 3:5).  Victory over sin’s power in our lives occurs the same way we are saved from sin’s penalty, by wholly trusting Christ and Him alone.  His strength is more than sufficient for the battle, and we are guaranteed victory over anything Satan throws at us when we turn to our Lord (Phil. 4:13).

The question was asked in a Sunday School class: “How can we defeat Satan?”  One little girl answered, “Let Jesus answer the door when Satan starts knocking.”  To be instructed to be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” tells us that our might is not strong enough for us to be able to stand in this spiritual battle, and it tells us that we face an enemy much stronger than we are apart from Christ.  Therefore we need the infinite power of our Lord in this spiritual battle, and we appropriate that strength by yielding to the indwelling Spirit, through prayer and dependence on God, and by knowledge of, faith in, and obedience to His Word, rightly divided (cf. Eph. 6:17,18).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Capitalizing on Confusion

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

Depending on when your monthly Searchlight arrives, the Mayan calendar deadline for the end of the world has either come and gone, or else it is looming in the imminent future.  All the hoopla that surrounded this gloomy prediction got me to wondering if there might not be some way that Christians could capitalize on yet another failed non-Biblical prophetic expectation.  After all, last year when the Rapture failed to take place on the date designated by a popular radio Bible teacher, God’s people were able to take advantage of this by pointing out that, when it comes to the Second Coming of Christ, the Bible says that “of that day and hour knoweth no man” (Matt. 24:36).  Those that knew the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming were also able to point out that the date of the former is just as unsearchable in Scripture as that of the latter.  Surely there has to be a way to similarly benefit from the failure of the Mayan calendar disaster as well.

I wonder if what we are looking for might be found in Isaiah 41:21-24.  There, God Almighty thunders forth a challenge to all the false gods of the nations, daring them to “produce your cause,” that is, to produce “strong reasons” why anyone should believe they are God.  If you are wondering what kind of reasons He had in mind, the Lord went on to say, “let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen…

“Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods….”

This challenge went unanswered in Isaiah’s day, of course, for only the God of the Bible knows the future, something He has proved over and over again in Scripture, and something that the failed predictions of others serve to magnify.

With all this in mind, why not put together a short mental list of fulfilled Bible prophecies, and mark Isaiah 41 in your Bible?  That way when the subject of the Mayan calendar comes up the day after the December 21st deadline (as you know it will!), you can capitalize on the biggest non-story of the year by reminding people that the challenge of Isaiah 41 has still gone unanswered, and that the God of the Bible is still the only God worthy of worship.  Let’s determine to be ready to offer “a word in season” (Isa. 50:4) to all who are disillusioned by the gods of the nations, and are in desperate need of the God who sent His Son to die for their sins.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Catch the Wave

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

As I write these words, the cause of Christ has suffered yet another embarrassing setback, as yet another prediction for the Rapture has come and gone without fulfillment.  The damage that has been done is far too extensive to fully document in this brief space, but you’ve all heard the stories.  The faith of sincere believers has been shaken.  Some who spent their life savings to warn the world of the end are now left to pick up the pieces of their shattered financial lives.  And since the media referred to the man who made this prediction as a “Bible scholar,” unbelievers now have yet another reason to scoff at Christianity, laugh at the Bible and Bible teachers, and dismiss anyone who tries to share anything from the Bible with them.

In the past, those who have tried and failed to date the Lord’s coming have sought to account for their failure in two ways.  Some have explained that the date they set was accurate, but that the Lord’s coming was a “spiritual” coming.  Others have scrambled to cover themselves by admitting to a miscalculation, and setting yet another date.  The Bible teacher behind this latest debacle has resorted to both excuses, and now warns that the end will come in October.

Thankfully, we serve a God who proved He can bring good out of bad when He took the worst thing that ever happened, the crucifixion of Christ, and turned it into the best thing that ever happened, the salvation of our souls.  And so we trust that you will join us in prayer that the disillusioned followers of this discredited ministry will now begin to question its leader, and that grace believers everywhere will be able to use this sad event to lead these brethren to an understanding of the truth.

There is something we can learn from all this.  Christians who believed that the Lord was coming on May 21st were spurred to live for Him as never before, enthusiastically telling their friends and loved ones to be ready.  While this failed prediction has no doubt left some questioning if the Rapture will come at all, we who “love His appearing” still believe that we should be “looking for that blessed hope” (II Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:13).  With that in mind, may each of us catch the wave of this misguided enthusiasm, and may His coming find us all busily redeeming whatever time we have left in the service of the Christ that loved us, and gave Himself for us.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

The Body’s Bodily Resurrection

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (I Cor. 15:20).

To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, a ship signaled to a man on shore, who relayed the word to another on a hill, and so on across Britain.  The first word, “Wellington,” was signaled.  The next word was “defeated.”  Then a fog closed in, and the message was interrupted.  Across England, people wept over the message: “Wellington defeated.”  Then the fog lifted.  The communication continued with two additional words: “the enemy.”  And Englishmen celebrated the victory.

There was great sorrow when the body of Jesus was carried from the cross to the tomb.  The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.”  But three days later the fog lifted and it was announced, “Jesus Christ defeated the enemy!”  Through Christ we have complete victory over our enemies of sin, death, and Satan, and we have new life, a glorious hope, and the certainty of our own resurrection one day.  But the subject of resurrection in God’s Word is one that needs to be rightly divided.

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:23).

In the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul speaks of the resurrections, both prophetic and according to the revelation of the mystery.  In verses 23-28, Paul outlines the prophetic “order” of resurrections, and he begins with Christ’s.  As Paul spoke of the gospel of salvation in verses 1-4, he made it clear that Christ’s resurrection was prophesied: “He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:4 cf. Psa. 16:10).  In verses 20 and 23, Paul refers to Christ’s resurrection as being the “firstfruits,” meaning that His resurrection is a foretaste of what is to come.  Christ’s bodily resurrection guarantees the great harvest of bodily resurrections yet to come for both the kingdom saints and the Body of Christ.

Notice though how Paul says “they [not “we”] that are Christ’s at His Coming” (I Cor. 15:23), speaking of the resurrection of the prophetic saints after Christ’s second coming.  These saints will be raised and ushered into the earthly, millennial reign of Christ.  This is the “first resurrection,” and it includes all the saved from the prophetic program, or in other words, all the saved from the past, prior to this dispensation of grace, and all the future martyred Tribulation saints.  As Revelation 20:6 states,

“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Following the thousand-year Kingdom, when Christ “must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet” (I Cor. 15:25), comes the time when “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:26).  After the Great White Throne, “death and hell” will be “cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “there shall be no more death” (Rev. 21:4).  The second resurrection, or “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29), of all the unsaved of all ages will take place at this time, when they will be fitted with bodies to endure everlasting punishment.

After Paul gives this prophetic sequence of events regarding resurrection, in verse 51 he brings up a secret coming and a secret resurrection that wasn’t ever before revealed.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (I Cor. 15:51,52).

The “first resurrection” and this secret resurrection are two different resurrections.  The prophesied “first resurrection” will take place after Christ’s prophesied second coming.  The secret resurrection will take place at Christ’s secret coming, the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18).  This coming of Christ and its resurrection is part of the “revelation of the mystery” (Rom. 16:25), the message which had been hid in the mind of God and revealed first to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:1-9).  All the previous resurrections, such as Christ’s resurrection, the first resurrection, and the resurrection of damnation were all revealed in the Old Testament (Isa. 53:10; Dan. 12:2), but not the resurrection of the Body of Christ.

Notice how the personal pronouns change from “they” to “we” here as Paul applies this coming of Christ and resurrection to the Church, the Body of Christ: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (I Cor. 15:51).  The Rapture is the bodily resurrection day for the Body of Christ only, which is not referred to or revealed outside of Paul’s letters.  The Rapture and its secret resurrection is part of the mystery program while the second coming and its first resurrection belong to the prophetic program.

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20,21).

You can receive More Minutes With the Bible every week in your email inbox. This list features longer articles, including both original content and articles that have appeared in the Berean Searchlight.

How Do You Wrestle a Spirit?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

Wrestling is a sport that is usually associated with boys and men, only a few of whom engaged in organized wrestling in high school or college.  But whether you are a man or a woman, the Apostle Paul says that you are engaged in a life-long wrestling match against the members of Satan’s host.

But did you ever wonder how you are supposed to wrestle a spirit?  And what is this wrestling match all about, anyway?  Paul doesn’t say, but we believe he was thinking of Daniel 10.  Here an angel was sent to Daniel to deliver a message from God, but a fallen angel “withstood” him for 21 days (vv. 11-14).  Since Paul says of our wrestling match that we must “withstand” (Eph. 6:13), we feel he had this passage in mind, especially when we consider what was happening in Daniel 10.  The Prince of Persia, one of “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” was fighting to keep a message from God from getting through to a man of God.  It is our firm conviction that “the rulers of the darkness of this world” are still fighting to keep a message from God from getting through to men and women of God—the grace message.  Today, however, God is not using angels to deliver His message to His people, He is using grace believers.  Because of this, the members of Satan’s host are no longer withstanding angels, they are withstanding us.

And so if you’ve been wondering how you are supposed to wrestle against the devil’s principalities and powers, wonder no more.  Every time you share the grace message with someone, you walk out onto the wrestling mat.  Every time you try to “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery” (Eph. 3:9), you engage your wicked opponent.  And every dollar you invest in grace ministries helps defeat the adversary’s attempts to keep men and women of God from obtaining the message that unlocks the Scriptures, the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.  Why not reach someone with the message today, and know the thrill of pinning a Satanic combatant to the mat, and liberating a bewildered believer from the dark shackles of religious tradition that envelope every saint who has not yet learned to rightly divide the Word of truth.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

A Spiritual Workout

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12,13).

Perhaps you have seen the Christian slogan, “Exercise Daily.  Walk with the Lord!”  Essentially, that is what the Apostle Paul is calling for when he requests for the Philippians to “work out your own salvation.”  When Paul makes this statement, he has already acknowledged that he is writing to “saints” (Phil. 1:1), to believers who were positionally in Christ, set apart from sin and set apart to God.  Paul does not say to “work for your own salvation,” but to work “out” the salvation God had already given them.  Scripture is clear that salvation today is all of grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:8,9).  Salvation must first be worked in before it can be worked out.

The Philippians are instructed here by Paul to “work out,” to put into practice in their daily experience what God had wrought in them by His Spirit.  When we trust the all-sufficient provision made for us by Christ’s death and resurrection, salvation is worked in by the Spirit (Titus 3:5).  And salvation is worked out by the Spirit through our faith and obedience to God’s Word (Rom. 8:11).

Working out your salvation is about living the way you were saved: by grace through faith in Christ (Col. 2:6).  Salvation is found in a Person.  Christ is our salvation.  At the moment of trusting Him alone for our salvation, Christ’s life is in-worked in us.  Paul says in Colossians 1:27 that all who have trusted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior have “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  After salvation from sin’s penalty, God desires Christ’s life to be outworked practically in our lives, so others see His life in our life.  As we do so through the Spirit’s power, by the Word, in faith, we work out our own salvation and our lives will exhibit Christ-like attributes (cf. Gal. 5:22,23).  To work out our salvation is also to live in victory over sin in our daily lives, experiencing salvation over sin’s power by God’s resurrection power within, living righteously in the life and freedom we have in Christ (Rom. 6:1-13).

Verse 12 shows us there is human responsibility to our Christian lives as we are told to “work.”  Effort must be put into the Christian life, effort to grow, effort to know the Word, effort to pray, effort to serve, and effort to be in fellowship with others.  And Paul says that we are to work out our own salvation “with fear and trembling.”  These terms show us that the outworking of our salvation must be done realizing the seriousness of the Christian life in living before a lost and dying world.  We live “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation [generation]” and God would have us shine brightly and boldly for Him “as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).  Working out our own salvation with fear and trembling also reminds us of our own weakness and inability to live the Christian life in our own strength.  We should rightly fear and distrust our own ability to meet God’s will and instruction.  We need to humbly trust in Him and not in ourselves to live godly lives.  By His power we work out our own salvation and can show Christ’s life in us.

Paul is talking about the believer’s practical, daily sanctification here and he shows both the believer’s responsibility and God’s role in it.  Verse 12 could not be carried out without the reality of verse 13.  We could never work out our own salvation and grow and mature to be more like Christ without God working in us.  God does not ask of us what we can’t do, and He Himself is our provision.  The Christian life is a process of “ins” and “outs.”  God works in and we work out.  As God works in us and we grow spiritually in Him and His Word and prayer, we then work out His life and light, serving Him and others.

I Thessalonians 2:13 says, “the Word of God…effectually worketh…in you that believe.”  God works in us by His Word, and changes our will and desires as we grow and apply it.  Our minds, attitude, priorities, worldview, and understanding of life are transformed by the Word of God.  Through it we learn to see the world through His eyes and feel with His heart.  As God works in us by the Word, His “will” becomes ours, and we will seek to “do” things of “His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).  And to will and do of God’s good pleasure is about “Look[ing] not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:4).  God’s will and desire is for us to put the needs of others first, in love, like Christ did for us at the Cross (Phil. 2:5-8).

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul writes, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  Paul says the unlimited power by which Almighty God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask in prayer is the same power that works in us.  So there is no limit to what God can do in and through you and me.  As God works in us, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, or could ever conceive, or possibly imagine through you and me!

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Small Talk

Posted on by Pastor John Fredericksen

“This is some weather we’ve been having.”  While there is nothing wrong with the “small talk” about trivial things that occupies much of our interaction, based on the Book of Titus, the Apostle Paul would almost certainly encourage us to cultivate conversations about bigger and more important things.

Paul told Titus to “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (2:1).  In other words, Paul wanted this co-worker to consciously talk about meaningful things that would ground the saints in truths for today and encourage them to live for the Lord.  Paul instructed the “aged men” to act like men of real spiritual maturity (2:2).  That meant to purposely serve as examples to follow in godliness.  Paul specifies areas of conduct such as being serious-minded, sound in doctrine, loving, and patient; but the context seems to imply he also wanted their discussions to be weighted with spiritual content.

Paul likewise urges the “aged women” to pay careful attention to sound, godly behaviour that “becometh holiness” (2:3).  But he also tells them to be teachers, or to talk to young women about proper, godly living within their home and marriage.  Paul instructs Titus to speak to the “young men” about the importance of being consistently serious-minded about living for the Lord, so that they serve as an example or “a pattern of good works: [and] in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, and sincerity” (2:6-7).

Paul continues by telling Titus to constantly remind all saints to be very careful to be “ready to every good work” and to “be careful to maintain good works” (3:1; 3:8).  It is noteworthy that Paul also tells Titus, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.  Let no man despise thee” (2:15).  Here we see an anticipation that some would prefer “small talk” and not appreciate serious discussions about spiritual matters, but as a servant of Christ, Titus was encouraged to keep on talking about important things, no matter how others responded.

As we think about these instructions to Titus, we should remember to apply them to our own daily walk.  We too need to move beyond just “small talk” with other saints and cultivate discussions that will encourage true, godly living and doctrine.  When we do, our own walk can become a walk with more purpose and meaning, and we can have a positive spiritual impact on others that will be a cause of rejoicing in eternity.

 

To the Reader:

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