Joe R. Price
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this
grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5:1-2)
Unquestionably, we are saved by faith. Faith involves
one’s trust and dependency upon God. Faith is produced by and rests upon
God-given evidences (Heb. 11:1; Jno. 20:30-31; Rom. 10:17). Faith is
expressed through man’s obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ (Matt.
7:21; Lk. 6:46). Faith that is not joined with works (of obedience) is dead,
because it is alone (Jas. 2:17). It is neither trite nor simplistic to say
that “the faith that saves is the faith that obeys.” Simply stated, saving
faith is obedient faith.
Yet, there are those – including some in churches of
Christ – who would convince us to give up “the idea that we must DO
SOMETHING to effect our justification” (“Dead Men Don’t Climb Ladders!”,
Roy Osborne, Wineskins). Did this author fail to think through his
statement? If his assertion is true, the faith described in Romans 5:1-2 has
to be inactive in order to produce justification. If man cannot “DO
SOMETHING” (his emphasis), then man’s faith cannot DO ANYTHING that effects
his justification. However, in James 2 we are taught that an inactive
faith is of no profit (2:14), is dead (2:17, 26), is of the demons (2:19),
is barren (2:20) and will not justify (2:24). Roy Osborne has taught false
doctrine on the nature of faith and justification, and unsuspecting souls
have been deceived by the error. In an apparent zeal for the grace of God,
the role of faith in one’s salvation is minimized. In truth, sinners must
“DO SOMETHING” to be saved by God’s grace (Matt. 7:21; Titus 2:11-14).
Hebrews 11 emphatically teaches that faith saves when
faith obeys. From Abel to Abraham, from Jacob to Jericho, the lesson is
clear: God blesses those who trust His word and obey Him. Hebrews 11 teaches
us what kind of faith saves the soul (Heb. 10:39). God rewarded their
obedient faith, and He will reward ours, too (Heb. 11:6).
Will you put your faith to work by obeying God’s word?
Or, through disobedience will you resist and reject God’s definition of
saving faith?
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The Nation of Israel
Joe R. Price
The recent military
conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has caused renewed interest in whether
there are Biblical ramifications to the event. Is modern-day Israel the
people of God? Is the nation of Israel God’s chosen people? What does the
Bible say?
One of the promises God made to Abram was to make a great
nation of his descendants (Gen. 12:2). God fulfilled this promise when He
brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery: “Your fathers went down to Egypt
with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of
heaven in multitude” (Deut. 10:22). At that time God told Israel,
“If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a
special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you
shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo. 19:5-6).
Israel forsook the commands of God and was punished by
God, who eventually cast her off the land He had given her (Lev. 18:26-28).
Assyria and Babylon executed God’s judgment upon the sinful nation (Lev.
26:27-39; Deut. 28:45-68; Isa. 10:5-12; 2 Chrn. 36:15-21). A remnant of the
people returned to their land after the Babylonian captivity (Isa. 10:21;
Ezra 1-2). But, Israel would no longer have a king reigning in Jerusalem
(Jer. 22:24-30). Although never completely consumed, God’s judgment was that
Israel would never be a nation again (Jer. 4:27; 5:18; 30:11; 46:28;
19:10-11).
Through the nation of Israel, God provided a Savior
for the whole world who saves all who fear God and work righteousness -
regardless of race and nationality (Gen. 12:3; 22:18; Acts 10:34-35; Rom.
1:16). Today it is not physical Israel that is God’s chosen nation; it is
the spiritual kingdom of Christ, his church, that constitutes the “Israel
of God” (Jno. 1:12; 1 Pet. 2:4-10; Acts 2:47; Gal. 6:16). Under the
gospel of Christ, the “Israel of God” is identified by faith, not
flesh: “those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children
of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed” (Rom. 9:8;
cf. Phil. 3:3). “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is
circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is
one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in
the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:28-29).
Since Israel is not the chosen people of God today, what
about current events and Israel’s salvation? Israel will be saved just like
Gentiles are saved, through faith in Christ (Rom. 11:25-32; Acts 15:11).
Salvation will not come to Israel as a nation, but one soul at a time,
through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Wars will rage, not because God
is preparing to restore Israel to its former glory, but because faithless
men still reject the Savior and His gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15-17).
Modern-day Israel is not favored by God above any other nation. All men must
come to Christ through His gospel to be saved from their sins (Acts 13:26-40; Gal. 3:26-29).
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You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
Be Doers and not Hearers Only
Scripture Reading:
James 1:21-27
1. Jesus put a premium on action, Lk. 6:46; Jno. 4:34; 9:4;
Matt. 7:21, 24.
2. James 1:21-27: Contrasts hearers (only) & doers (also) of God’s word.
I. THE DOER LAYS ASIDE ALL SIN,
1:21.
A. The World’s Attitudes about Sin Include:
B. Brethren’s Attitudes about Sin Include:
C. The Doer of God’s Word Puts Away All Sin (Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22, 25;
Col. 3:8; 1 Pet. 2:1).
II. THE DOER MEEKLY ACCEPTS THE WORD OF GOD,
1:21.
A. Attitude toward Truth is Crucial, Jno. 7:17; Lk.
8:8, 15 (Col. 3:16); 1 Pet. 1:22-23 (Rom. 1:16).
III. THE DOER
LOOKS AT HIMSELF IN GOD’S MIRROR OF TRUTH & CHANGES
, 1:23-25.
A. The Hearer Sees Himself but does not Improve Himself,
Matt. 7:26-27.
B. The Doer Examines Himself & Continues in the Perfect Law of Liberty,
1:25; 2 Cor. 13:5.
IV. THE DOER REFUSES TO DECEIVE HIMSELF,
1:26.
A. Hearer is Self-Deceived (Heb. 3:13); Matt. 7:22-23;
Acts 17:22-23.
B. Hearer is Not Submitting to the Perfect Law of Liberty (God’s will),
Psa. 34:11-14.
V. THE DOER PRACTICES PURE & UNDEFILED RELIGION,
1:27.
A. Pure & Undefiled (genuine & untainted).
B. Attends to Others: Visits the Needy in their Trouble (Matt. 25:36);
Lk. 10:33; 1 Jno. 3:16-18.
C. Attends to Himself: Keeps Himself Unspotted from the World, Deut. 4:9;
Prov. 4:23; 1 Tim. 5:22.
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
"So Where is Their God?"
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 115:1-8
1. Man has corrupted himself with the sin of idolatry, Rom.
1:18-25.
2. Men do not know God & serve things that are not divine, Gal. 4:8.
3. Isa. 45:15-23: Creation, Revelation, Salvation – no other gods.
I. TO WHOM WILL YOU LIKEN GOD?
Isa. 40:18
A. God is not the Things in this World, Isa. 40:25-26
(Gen. 1:1).
B. God is not an Image Made by Man, Isa. 40:18-20; Deut. 4:15-18; 5:8
(Acts 17:28-29).
C. God is not Man, Num. 23:19 (Psa. 50:21); Isa. 31:3; Jno. 4:24 (Jesus:
God in flesh, Jno. 1:1-3, 14; Col. 2:9).
D. God Has no Equal, Isa. 40:25 (46:5); 46:5-7; 45:20-21; 44:6; 45:5,
21-22; 1 Cor. 8:4-6.
II. GOD IS…
A. Eternal, Psa. 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17.
-Idols are made by men! Exo. 20:23; 32:1 (Isa. 44:15)
B. Unchangeable in His Nature, Mal. 3:6.
-Idols change at the will of man!
C. All Powerful, Job 42:2; Matt. 19:26; Rev. 4:8.
-Idols are powerless! Isa. 44:9
D. All Knowing, 1 Sam. 2:3; Psa. 139:1-4."
-Idols know nothing! Isa. 44:9, 18-20
E. Ever-Present, 1 Kgs. 8:27; Jer. 23:23-24.
-Idols are never present! 1 Kgs. 18:24-29
III. THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD,
Isa. 40.
A. God Forgives Sin, 40:1-9 (Jno. 1:29).
B. God Rewards the Faithful, 40:10-11 (62:11-12); Rev. 22:12; Rom.
2:4-11.
C. God is the Wise One, 40:12-14 (42:8-9).
D. God Rules Nations, 40:15-24 (44:28-45:1, 13).
E. God is the Creator & Sustainer of Mankind, Isa. 40:25-31; Acts
14:13-17.
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Bible Notes
(For Further Study)
