GREENWOOD HILLS BIBLE
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CHRIST
PRE'EMINENT
WHAT SAITH THE
SCRIPTURES
(Some key verses to know and remember)
JOHN 3:16
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN
SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT
HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
JOHN 14.6
JESUS SAID UNTO HIM "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME."
MARK 16:15-16
AND HE SAID TO THEM, "GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE
GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. HE WHO BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED
WILL BE SAVED, BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE
CONDEMNED."
COLOSSIANS 1:14
IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE
FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
JOHN 3:36
"HE WHO BELIEVES IN THE SON HAS EVERLASTING LIFE AND HE WHO
DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE BUT THE WRATH
OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM."
MATTHEW 18: 2,3.4
THEN JESUS CALLED A LITTLE CHILD TO SET HIM IN THE MIDST OF
THEM, (3) AND SAID "ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU UNLESS YOU ARE
CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, YOU WILL BY NO
MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. (4) "THEREFORE WHOEVER
HUMBLES HIMSELF AS THIS LITTLE CHILD IS THE GREATEST IN THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."
Everything to Gain---
• It is the most important decision you will ever make.
• It is a matter of choosing between heaven and hell,
between eternal life and eternal doom.
• You have everything to gain and nothing to lose but your
sins.
• There is no risk in trusting Him.
• There is nothing to pay. Salvation is a gift.
Much to Lose---
• Delay could be fatal.
• Life is uncertain.
• Death is sure.
• The time is short.
• The coming of Christ draws near.
URGENT MESSAGE FOR THOSE
UNCOMMITTED:
The purpose of prophecy is not to tickle the imagination
but to stir the will. It is designed to forewarn people as
to what lies ahead so that they will take intelligent
action now. However, many have the idea that prophecy
is limited only to foretelling events of the future.
According to Paul, he who "prophecies speaks unto men to
edification, exhortation, and comfort." See 1 Corinthians
14.3.
If you are not saved, the message for you is clear. Trust
Christ as your Lord and Saviour right now. If you wait
until He comes or you die it will be too late. When He
comes your believing relatives, friends, and neighbors will
go, and you will be left behind to suffer the wrath of God.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by
receiving Christ as your only hope for heaven.
IT PAYS TO HAVE
CONNECTIONS:
In case you are not sure how to do this here's how.
First, acknowledge before God that you are a sinner, that
your sins deserve eternal death, and if you died now,it
would mean hell for you.
Second you must realize that you cannot save yourself.
Neither your character nor good works, baptism, church
membership, religious parents or grandparents, nor any
human attainments can purchase heaven for you.
Next, believe that Jesus Christ died as a Substitute for
you paying the price that your sins deserved, enduring the
wrath of God that you should have endured. It is true that
He died for the world. But make it personal. Believe that
He died for you.
Then by a definite act of faith, accept Him as Lord of your
life,and Saviour from sin. When you do that, God saves you,
and can know on the authority of His Word.
THE TRUTH
"God our Savior; Who will have all men be saved, and to
come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
The verses preceding our text encourage believers to be in
prayer "for all men" (v.1), including "all that are in
authority" (v.2), that our own lives might be "quiet and
peaceable", as well as for their salvation.
God who abhors and promises to judge sinful individuals,
does not desire to punish anyone. His desire is for "all
men to be saved," and He has done all that is necessary to
bring this about, by paying sin's awful penalty of death.
While not all will avail themselves of this opportunity,
choosing instead to continue in their sin, our prayers
somehow are used by God to bring some "to the knowledge of
the truth."
The truth necessary for salvation follows: "For there is
one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all" (vv.5-6)
In order to be saved, we must embrace the fact that there
is only "one God" who alone holds the key to eternity, and
there is only one way we can reach that God, "the man
Christ Jesus." We, in our natural state, are at war with
God, estranged from Him, and separated by the presence of
sin in our lives. Christ Jesus, acting as our mediator, our
peacemaker, our advocate, being fully God (i.e., "one God")
and fully man (i.e., "the man") bridges the gap between the
Father and all men. As Jesus said "I am the way, the truth
and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me"
(John 14:6)
How has He bridged the gap? He gave himself a ransom for
all" (v6) but that Christ died for our sins (2 Corinthians
15:3). Since He willingly "gave Himself" as a ;punishment
for our sins, we can stand before God the Father in
Christ's sinlessnes
SALVATION
Salvation possesses a very broad meaning covered by such
words as justification, redemption, reconciliation, etc.,
summarizing our mighty deliverance as "the gospel of our
salvation." Yet look at the word "salvation" in perhaps a
more primary application for our present study.
1. The Meaning of Salvation. In the Old Testament, in
anticipating the coming Messiah, God's people expected Him
to bring "Salvation from our enemies". This can be
carefully noted in Luke 1:70 and 71. Yet in the New
Testament the meaning of salvation is on a much higher
plane, as recorded in Matthew 1:21: "thou shall call His
name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins."
Both references suggest the existence of definite
danger or peril, reminding us of consequences of our sins;
that we will "perish" unless saved.
Therefore we must consider ourselves lost, threatened to
dangers, both present and future. The disciples in
Matthew:8:25 cried, "Lord save us: we perish:" Though it
was a matter of temporal danger and deliverance for them,
yet God's salvation through Christ, is a deliverance from
every peril, past, present or future.
2. Our Past Salvation. "According to His mercy He saved us"
is the language of Titus 3.5. This is an accomplished fact
for all who have trusted Christ. It can be known by all who
will confess their lost state before God and embrace the
finished work of the Cross to put away their sins. All who
do can say concerning their past sins and their
consequences: "He saved us!" What blessedness! and redeemed
hearts praise and honor the Son of God, saying with
exulting joy, "He saved us!"
3. Our Present Salvation. We are delivered from our past
evils, but still face the present evils of this world. Can
we be saved from our threefold enemies the world, the
flesh, and the devil? Yes we can! Christ has also provided
by His redemptive work salvation from past dangers and this
salvation we need every day! Three sources of power are
assured us to fulfill this:
A. We Have a Great High Priest. Read Hebrews 7:25; Romans
5:10 and other Scriptures telling of our Lord's priestly
intercession to keep His own, such as His High Priestly
prayer of John 17, especially noting v.15.
B. We Have the Word of God. Read 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2
Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:11, which give the knowledge that
here is a divine instrument to sustain and strengthen us to
meet the dangers of this present evil world.
C. We Have the Holy Spirit. Read the eighth chapter of
Romans through and realize that the divine Person of the
Holy Spirit indwells every believer, proving us with power
to live victorious over sin, for we possess the Victor
Himself.
4. Our Future Salvation. This will be our final deliverance
when we shall be saved from every danger forevermore. God's
wrath and judgment will yet fall upon this ungodly world:
His eternal punishment for sin will be one day visited upon
the lost. (See 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 and Revelation
20:11-15.) Yet what a portion is to be ours, we who are
saved, for we shall be delivered from the coming wrath, as
God tells in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and in the day of His
great judgment upon the lost we shall be forever with
Christ, possessing bodies of glory, for at the blessed
coming of our Lord, which may soon take place, our
salvation will be complete! See Philippians 3:20-21;
Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:3-5 etc. May the Lord richly
enable us to enjoy every phase of this great salvation!
WORSHIP
It is highly recommended that you get a copy of a paperback
book titled "WORSHIP: THE CHRISTIAN'S HIGHEST OCCUPATION"
by A.P.Gibbs with a foreward by Geo.M.Landis. We know of no
other source where Worship is more fully described.
The FOREWARD to this book is herewith presented:
It has been our privilege to read "WORSHIP: THE
CHRISTIAN'S HIGHEST OCCUPATION" in manuscript. We
acknowledge a great deal of gratitude to the author for
being the first to bring to our attention, over some years
ago, many of the precious truths contained in this
book; and the acceptance of which radically changed the
course and character of our ministry.
Here is a book which we thoroughly agree and which we can
heartily endorse without reservation.
The title is challenging and the treatment convincing. The
author's assertion that "worship is associated with
spiritual maturity," is equally true of this book. Even a
casual reader would soon detect that it is not the
vaporizings of a novice ambitious to become an author; but
rather the product of firm convictions based upon a
creful searching of the Scriptures, and matured by
meditation and by years of deep experience in the Christian
path and strengthened by keen observations. Alfred P.Gibbs
believes and therefore writes.
In his own inimitable way, the author proceeds in an
orderly and cumulative fashion. His homiletic gift is
evident and most helpful to the reader. The book is marked
by clarity of thought and expression, made more forceful by
vivid figures of speech and graphic illustrations.
The reader is soon aware of the fact that worship is not a
subject which can be developed and dismissed with a
paragraph, but, instead, is impressed with the vastness and
importance of the theme. Basic facts on the subject are
drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. Practical
applications and responsibilities are made clear and in
inescapable.
The truth concerning worship is faithfully presented and
false theories are mercilessly exposed, by the apt use of
sanctified irony. Clouds which confuse many on the subject
are dispelled by a number of distinctions of truth are
drawn. We cite several. The contrast between the
ritualistic worship of Judaism and the spiritual worship of
Christianity and the superiority of the latter, is worth
the reading of the book. The difference between worship and
ministry is clearly drawn and is most helpful in these days
when Christendom seems to know little about, and values
less, the privilege of worship and emphasizes service
almost to the exclusion of worship. The place of worship,
within the vail, is clearly distinguished from the place of
meeting; something which most religious systems utterly
fail to see.
The chapters which deal with the worshipper, his privileges
and perils, the things to be sought, and the things to
avoid. the preparation of heart and mind for true worship,
are most searching.
The description of the worship of the wise men is a
spiritual classic, and might well be printed in pamphlet
form for wider distribution.
Certain adult Bible classes would find this volume suitable
for a text book for a series of studies on worship. Elder
brethren would render a great service by circulating copies
among those young in the faith.
We hope and pray that the book may have the wide reading
which it merits, and that it may be used of God in leading
many into an appreciation and practice of "the highest
occupation of the Christian."
WEBSITE EDITOR NOTES: BOTH MR. GIBBS AND MR. LANDIS ARE NOW
DECEASED. THEIR TEACHINGS, WRITINGS, AND PREACHINGS STILL
FOLLOW THEM TO GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT TO CHRISTIANS
YOUNG AND OLD.
PLEASE ACCESS THE FOLLOWING
AUDIO MESSAGES AT www.greenwoodhillsaudioministry.org
"OUR HERITAGE - WHERE DID WE COME FROM?" BY GEORGE HALL OF
ENGLAND
"THREE WAYS OF SALVATION" BY ALFRED P. GIBBS
"UNSAVED WHEN JESUS COMES" BY GEORGE M. LANDIS
"THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT" BY T. ERNEST WILSON
"THE ANTI-CHRIST" BY DOUG KAZEN