What The Bible Says
“What The Bible Says - Vol. 4 / No. 23”
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What The Bible Says
Vol. IV - No. 23 / April 10, 2022
ARE YOU A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST?
To be a true follower of Christ means He must be our everything. The Old Testament that was written for our learning describes a people whose lives revolved around their service to God. Raising animals for sacrifices, preparing for the commanded feast days, keeping the Sabbath all took time. While today we do not have those same responsibilities, we do have the same general command in following Christ. Passages like Matthew 7:13-14 speaks about the" ... broad gate that leads to destruction and many that go in... " while the narrow gate leads "unto life" and the few that find it. We must spend time looking for that narrow path, just like the people in the Old Testament our lives must revolve around Christ and this narrow path. In Matthew 24:14 it mentions that " ... many are called but few are chosen ... ". Today many people claim to be Christians while attending these large "come as you are" congregations that teach the blessing of Christ but never mention the narrow path.
In Luke 9:23 it talks about denying self and taking up the cross daily, not only on Sunday but daily. Many religious people are mentioned in the New Testament that resisted denying self. Mark 10:17-21 describes a man who had kept all the commandments from his youth, but when Christ told him the one thing he lacked, was unwilling to deny himself of his riches therefore he went away sad and lost. Following Christ means striving to be more like Him, John 8:29 mentions doing things that "please Him". 1 Cor 10:31 says "... whatever you do, do all to the glory of God… ". Today we need to ask ourselves are we really following Christ? Are we putting our family or our jobs before Him? Is the path leading to destruction or is it narrow leading unto life? —Dee Ledbetter
"THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE"
"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)
Concerning this statement Jesus made in John 8:31 and 32, lets consider some important questions.
WHAT IS TRUTH? Pilate asked this question in John 18:38 but did not wait for Jesus to answer. However, Jesus says being free depends on the proper answer to this question. If we were to ask a dozen people, ”What is truth?”, we would probably get a dozen answers in return. The Bible gives the ONLY correct answer: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” (John 17:17). God’s word, the inspired Bible , is truth!
FROM WHAT WILL THE TRUTH MAKES US FREE? In a conversation Jesus had in John 8, it is obvious the Jews did not know the answer to this question (verses 33 and 34). Yet, they, like us, need to be free from SIN. We are all guilty of sin (Romans 3:23) and sin is serious because it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). Not only are we all guilty of sin, we can all be made free from sin. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” When someone insists they are waiting on the Lord to operate on their heart and do the moving, they deny they can do the coming. They are saying, “No, Lord, you come” while the Lord is saying “Come unto Me”. Jesus never promised to made men free from sins in any other way but His way. He did promised all who come to Him will be made free from the bondage of sin.
HOW DOES THE TRUTH MAKES US FREE? Again, only the Bible can give us the correct answer. Truth must first be known. Jesus said, “You shall KNOW the truth…”. Ignorance of truth cannot make one free. “So then faith cometh by. Hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). The we must BELIEVE the truth. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith in Christ, we will die in our sins (John 8:23-24). Finally, one must OBEY the truth. “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). Romans 6:17-18 teaches we are free from sin when we obey “that form of doctrine”. From verses 1-5 we see the “FORM” was that of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Since we are dead in sins, we must be buried with Him in baptism in order to raise (resurrect) to walk in “newness of life”. —E.R. Hall, Jr.
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELF
Are you ever late? Late completing assignments at school or work? Late getting to work, appointments, school or church? Are you ever too late? I've known people who got the time for church services wrong and drove up in the parking lot just as church members were coming out the door. I've also known people to show up for a dinner appointment just as everyone else was finishing dessert! Now that is too late!One of the greatest misconceptions about the Bible is that it is a locked book. The average person is believed to be shut out from comprehending its message. It is thought to be too mysterious, too difficult for the common man or woman to understand.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle Paul was one of the individuals who was chosen to write down the message of Christ for the New Testament. The word of Christ was revealed to Paul by the Holy Spirit. The gospel had been hidden for years like a mystery, but it was now being unveiled for all to see and know. Speaking of the gospel, Paul wrote, "how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in a few words, by which when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)," (Ephesians 3:3-4).
The Bible was not written to stump man or frustrate him in any way. Certainly there are sections of it that are challenging and even parts that leave most of us at a loss as to what it is about. Yet, the vast majority of what is found in the Bible is understandable for anyone.
God's supreme intelligence makes the Bible understandable. He knows how we reason and communicate and He has constructed it in such a way that we can comprehend it. It is filled with narrative, illustrations, and colorful language that makes it easier for us to relate to what is being said. Though He is so far above us, God has always been able to connect with man if man was willing to listen.
You don't have to have some special teacher to unlock the secrets of the Bible for you. You may benefit from another's assistance, but you can read the Bible for yourself. You do, however, have to make an effort and invest some time into studying the Bible in order to understand it. Like learning anything new, you will struggle at first. Yet, if you are committed and stick to it, you will soon begin to see it come together. You will discover that the Bible is fascinating and enlightening. You will find that it is understandable and that it is the word of eternal life (John 6:63). —Phillip Mullins
SENTENCE SERMONS
Zeal without knowledge is like driving full speed at night with your lights off.
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If you don't know where you stand, you might as well sit down.
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If you don't love the truth, you are likely to believe a lie.
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Our goal is not to be 'politically correct' in what we say, but to be truthfully correct.
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Look around at what you have before you complain about what you don't have.
"What The Bible Says” is e-mailed twice a month. If you know of others who might benefit from the articles contained in this bulletin, we would be glad to have you submit their e-mail addresses and we will include them in the next mailing. If you are receiving this bulletin and do not wish to continue to do so, please e-mail us with your desire to be removed from the mailing list and you will be removed promptly. Continue to the bottom of this page for further instructions as to how you may contact us.
--- E.R. Hall, Jr.
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
For The East Albertville Church Of Christ
meeting at
4777 U.S. Highway 431
Albertville, AL 35950
Sunday
Bible Classes …………..….…………… 9:30 AM
Morning Worship ……..…….….……… 10:30 AM
Evening Worship …………………........ 5:00 PM
Wednesday
Bible Classes …………..………........... 7:00 PM
Radio Program
Sunday
WBSA 93.5 FM/1300 AM ………………………….. 8:30 AM
Monday - Saturday
WBSA 93.5 FM/1300 AM ………………………….. 11:15 AM
Website: www. EastAlbertville.org
