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We
Are Not Free By
Bob Myhan That
is, we are not free to do whatever we might want in worship to God. Everything
we do, in teaching and in practice, must be authorized in the Scriptures. And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through Him. (Col.
3:17) This
does not mean everything must be specifically
authorized. It may be authorized specifically or generically. For example, when
God commanded Noah to build an ark, He specified the type of wood Noah was to
use, the dimensions of the ark and the means by which the ark was to be made
water-tight. Noah was not free to deviate from these specifics. But God did not
specify what tools Noah was to use. Hence, he was generically authorized to
choose his own tools for felling trees, splitting the wood, forming planks,
joining the planks together, etc. Similarly,
we are not free to worship God however we might want. It is imperative that we
worship God “in spirit and truth.” “God
is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John
4:24) Thus,
we are not free to worship in spirit only or in truth only. Our worship must be
both “in spirit and truth.” This
is equivalent to what Joshua told the Israelites while they were settling in the
land of promise. "Now
therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the
gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in To
worship “in spirit” is to worship in sincerity, that is, with a sincere
heart. To worship Him in truth is to worship in accordance with truth. Thus,
sincerity alone is not sufficient. If
one wishes to know how to “worship in spirit and truth,” he needs to look no
further than the New Testament. The apostles were guided into “all truth,”
which includes the truth about acceptable worship (John 14:26; 16:12-15). After
the first gospel sermon of the New Testament era, we see the apostles directing
the worship of the first Christians. Then
those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts
2:41-42) Later,
Christians were urged, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). And
“on the first day of the week.” they were to “lay something aside” (1
Cor. 16:2). The
Lord’s Supper was also restricted to “the first day of the week” (Acts
20:7). Thus,
five acts of worship are specifically authorized. No man is free to add to them
or take from them, with impunity. And those who are “teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men” are worshiping God “in vain” or to no avail (Matt.
15:9).
&
We
Are Free By
Bob Myhan That
is, we are free from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:18-22), the condemnation of sin
(Rom. 7:24-25; 8:1), the curse of law (Gal. 5:1; 3:1-14, 19-29), fear (Rom.
8:12-15; 1 John 2:1-2), religious division (John 17:20-21) and religious error
(2 Tim. 3:16-17). But we are not free from restraint. Freedom from restraint
results in anarchy. The
apostle to the Gentiles wrote, encouraging the Galatians to “Stand
fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be
entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal.
5:1). But
the yoke of bondage was not law; it was sin. Then
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you
are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free." (John
8:31-32). The
Jews did not like the sound of that. They
answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage
to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a
slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore
if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John
8:33-36). The
Gentiles were also in bondage to sin, for they had failed to live up to God’s
moral expectations (Rom. 1:18-32). The Galatians, having been made free from
sin, were in bondage to it again by their unsuccessful attempt to be justified
by keeping the Law of Moses (Gal.
5:1-4). & Getting
More Out of Bible
Class By
Jeremy Sprouse It
is a sad fact that many Christians do not take
advantage of Bible classes. These are great opportunities
to become students of the Word. These are less formal settings that enable us to
dive
deeper into God's Word, ask questions, discuss
ways we can follow the Bible closer, and encourage
each other to do so. Let's take time to reflect
on how we can get more out of this valuable
time. First,
you need to come. No matter how great a
class is, you get nothing if you are not there. In addition,
others will get less out of class if you are
not present. Hebrews 10:25 is a well-known Scripture
used to emphasize church attendance. The point of this verse, however, is to
teach forsaking times of assembly is the opposite of our goal
"to stimulate one another and good deeds"
(Heb.
10:24). Second,
you need to prepare. What we get out of
Bible study is often dependent on what we put into
it. If you have read and studied the topic/Bible
passage you will be able to follow the teacher's
thoughts better, you will be able to prepare
questions to ask, and think of comments to make.
Most importantly, you will know if the teacher
has strayed from the Bible's teachings. The
Bereans were called "noble-minded'
because
they searched the Scriptures daily - they were
checking to make sure Paul's teachings were
accurate. Too often we rely on what others say
rather than studying God's Word for ourselves.
The Bible is to be our guide, not preachers
and commentaries! Third,
you need to contribute. No matter how much
the teacher knows about a passage or topic, he
does not know it all. Each of us has had different
experiences in life that gives us different insight
into the Scriptures. If you share these insights
you add depth and interest to the Bible class.
You may have questions that the teacher did
not fully cover or did not explain clearly. Often
these questions will be shared by others, but a question cannot be answered
unless someone asks
it. Following
these principles helps Bible class to
be more engaging. They help you to learn more
and contribute to the health of the body of Christ.
Bible class will greatly improve relationships
with God if we will but take the time to come,
prepare and participate. & BULLETIN
DIGEST Jeremy
Sprouse |