chapter OUTLINES.
1) SALUTATION / SALVATION of believers / SECURITY of believers / SUFFERING of Christ / SANCTIFICATION of believer / SINCERITY to the word
2) SINCERITY to the Word 1-2 / SPIRITUAL House 3-8 / SPECIAL, STRANGERS, SOJOURNERS 8-12 / SUBMIT to Authority 13-17 / SUFFERING Savior Our Example 18-25
3) DWELLING together / DAYS that are good /
DEFENSE for our hope / DIVINE longsuffering
4) Time has PAST to Sin / Time for the END / Time to SUFFER / Time for JUDGMENT
A nephew came to see his kindly old uncle from the country and brought a duck. The kindly old uncle was grateful, had the bird cooked, and shared it with his nephew.
A few days later another visitor arrived.
“I am a friend,” he said, “of the man who gave you the duck.”
The kindly old uncle invited him in to some steaming hot duck soup.
Another man came the next day who was a friend of the friend of the nephew. The kind old man sat him down to a bowl of Duck Broth Soup & Rice.
One day there was a knock at the door and a stranger appeared. “I am the friend of the friend of the friend of the man who brought you the duck from the country,” he said.
“Come in,” said the kindly old uncle.
They seated themselves at the table and the kindly old uncle asked his wife to bring the soup.
When the guest tasted it, it seemed to be nothing more than warm water.
“What sort of soup is this?” he asked the Old Man.
“That,” said the kindly old uncle, “is the soup of the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck.”
This is the difference in watering the gospel and watering it down.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1Cor 3:7).
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal 1:6-10).
Here’s a question almost nobody asks; Is the Lord pleased with so many varied churches teaching contradicting and erroneous doctrines? The answer is self evident.
We ought to seek to RESTORE the New Testament church that Christ built in the first century.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16:18
How to continually RESTORE the New Testament church.
Levels of progress as we READ
Level One is RESEARCHING the unknown. Our first time Reading to discover what’s there. Pausing to look up word definitions. Reading through the books and letters in a short amount of time, but not hurriedly, to gain familiarity with the contents. This may last through two or three readings.
Level Two is continuing to read & taking a closer EXAMINATION of what we read. Taking note of context, audience, & speaker. This begins to happen after multiple readings after the text becomes familiar.
Level Three is continuing to read and making ASSOCIATIONS between passages you’ve previously read. Looking up cross references of key verses, especially quotations of other scriptures.
Level Four reading is DIGGING DEEPER to DISCOVER buried treasure. ie. Searching Topical associations, People, Places, & Terms.
Reading is the foundation for Study. Reaching the next level only happens with continual reading. Study is just reading at higher and higher levels.
READ
1) Research.
2) Examination.
3) Associations.
4) Digging Deeper.
Here is a link to a printable bible reading bookmark that lists the books of the bible.
If you live in the Borger area and would like to learn how to read your bible more effectively, please contact us.
A WICKED man, Proverbs 6:12-19
Walks w/ a perverse mouth. 12
“A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.”
Innocent people get hurt. 17
“A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Conceited, arrogant, proud. 17
“A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Knowingly tells falsely. 13,17,18
“He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;”
“A false witness that speaketh lies”
Evil imaginations, perversity in the heart. 14,18.
“An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,”
Devises mischief, sows Discord, 14,19
“A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
TRUE son. 1Tim 1:2; 1Cor 4:17
IMPRISONED. Heb 13:23; w/ Paul Phil 2:19-23
MODEL / EXAMPLE. 1Tim 4:12
OBEDIENT. 1Tim 4:6-16;
TRUSTWORTHY. Phil 2:20 “likeminded, Sincerity”
HOLY SPIRIT gifts. 2Tim 1:6
YOUNG. Not to be despised. 1Tim 4:11; 2Tim 1:5; 3:15
1Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
A reminder to those that face suffering in this life, that Christ reigns and is on HIS THRONE now.
THE THRONE of CHRIST.
Taken from Earth. Ho 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
Heavenly. 1Peter 1:22; Eph 1:20
Right Hand of God: Ps 110:1;
Over all, in heaven & earth: Mat 28:18; 1Cor 15:24
Now reigns: Zech 6:13; Heb 4:14; 8:1-4; 10:12: 12:2;
Eternal: Dan 2:44 and it shall stand for ever.
Da 2:7:14,27; Mic 4:7; Lu 1:32-33; 1Co 15:24
Nobody wants to doubt their salvation, but before you can be assured, one must know where they are.
Once you know where you are, then you can learn how to be assured.
5 Reasons to DOUBT your salvation.
You DO NOT KNOW:
If you DO NOT KNOW how to be saved, or DO NOT KNOW what the bible says about salvation, then you need to be in DOUBT. There are many examples of people who DO NOT KNOW they are lost.
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17).
OPPOSES Scripture:
If you’re practice is in direct OPPOSITION to clear biblical teaching. It should be self evident, but many are in OPPOSITION to the word of God. Often it’s related to the first one.
“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7).
UNDERSTANDING:
If you don’t UNDERSTAND why you’re doing something. To be pleasing to God, we must know what He wants and UNDERSTAND why. This doesn’t mean you need to become a biblical scholar, but our hearts have to be involved in obedience to God. Balaam was compliant with God’s command in Number 22-25, but he certainly wasn’t obedient (Jude 11).
“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:30-31).
BIBLICAL Evidence:
Probably the most important reason, and the reason every other one is based, is BIBLICAL evidence. Unless we have BOOK, CHAPTER, & VERSE for what we practice, then we ought to be in doubt. We need to have a firm understanding of how to study, how to know what God wants, and how to rightly divide the word of God.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Tim 2:15).
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2Tim 3:15-17).
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col 3:17).
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46)?
TOLD something from silence:
If what we’re doing is solely based on what someone TOLD us to do without a biblical basis, then run away from that person. Many believe that we can do whatever we want as long as God has never said we can’t. This is operating from silence. Silence prohibits. Consider what happened to David when he argued from Silence.
“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar” (2Samuel 7:1-7)?
Nowhere in our lives do we find it acceptable for a defiant person to claim, “nobody said I couldn’t.” Without the prohibition of silence the direct statements and commands of God are rendered useless. When we order a pizza, our direct statements about what we want eliminates all other unspoken possibilities. If you doubt me on this, try ordering any food for a child and see if even their silence matters.
These are 5 reasons to DOUBT. However, we need not remain in DOUBT. We can KNOW the will of the Lord. That will be in a future article.
spencer
Borger church of Christ @ Franklin & Juniper 