What The Bible Says
“What The Bible Says - Vol. 6 / No. 7”
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What The Bible Says
Vol. VI - No. 7 / August 13, 2023
ARE YOU LIBERAL IN YOUR LOVE FOR OTHERS?
We are to be liberal in our love towards all men, which includes those of the world and our brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
Our love is to be an abounding love for one another. To abound in love means that we are overloaded with love. Hebrews 13:1-3 “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” James 2:8 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
Matthew 22:34-40 “But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Our love towards others is a love that is unselfish. If we love only ourselves, then we are selfish with our love. We are to share that love both physically and spiritually. John 15:12-14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Romans 12:9-10 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
In the KJV, the word used is dissimulation instead of genuine. The idea is that our love should be without hypocrisy, it is an unfeigned love, love that is sincere. 1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart”. Fervently is used as an adverb here and means very enthusiastically or passionately. So we are to fervently love one another enthusiastically and passionately and let that love be genuine.
1 John 4:7-21 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” —Stephen Holsonback
DON'T BE A MEMBER OF A DENOMINATION!
If you are not a member of a denominational church, don't become one. If you are a member, there is no need to continue in a religious institution made by man. Despite popular thinking, it is possible to be a member of a church and it not be a denomination. Yet, this is possible only if it's the Lord's church. The church established by Christ is not a denomination and possesses no denominational characteristics. The difference between the Lord's church and denominationalism is:
IT WAS BUILT BY CHRIST. All denominations can trace their origin to man because they're all built by man. Not so with the Lord's church. It is the result of God's wisdom and fulfills His "eternal purpose" (Ephesians 3:10,11). It was built by the Lord himself (Matthew 16:18) and man cannot lay claim to building the Lord's church.
JESUS IS IT'S ONLY HEAD. Denominations have a man or a group of men as their head. These conferences or conventions make the laws by which denominations are governed. By popular vote these laws can be changed or annulled. Christ is the ONLY head of His church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). His word will judge us (John 12:48) and it cannot be changed or be annulled (Revelation 22:18-19).
IT HAS NO MAN-MADE CREED. Every denomination has theirs either written or unwritten. These creeds set forth that denomination's articles of faith and rules of practice. The creed of one denomination is rejected by other denominations. These creeds are subject to the governing bodies and memberships of the denominations. Thus they can and are revised and amended to suit the commonly accepted beliefs and practices of the membership. The church of Christ has no creed but Christ and no rule of faith and practice but the Scriptures. God's word completely and thoroughly furnishes us to every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Nothing more nor less than the Scriptures are to be used as the basis for faith and practice.
Why not be just a member of the Lord’s church? —E.R. Hall, Jr.
"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
