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The Psalmist recorded Israel's prayer to God from long ago. "Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low" (Ps. 79:8). In this prayer the people are asking God to forget their former sins. The text of the Psalm would seem to fit the period of Israel's captivity in Babylon. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the temple therein and take the people into Babylon as captives. In time, the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon, but it was seventy years before the first of the people of Judah were allowed to return to their homeland.
In the Romans letter the apostle Paul demonstrated the terribleness of sin both in the consequence of it and in the magnitude of God's grace bestowed in dealing with it. The sin of one man, Adam, brought sinfulness and death to all mankind (Rom 5:12,14). The consequence of sin is not only physical death (Gen 2:17; 3:22-24) but also spiritual death, separation form God (Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:21,23). To die physically while already dead spiritually is to face the reality of "the second death," eternal separation from God (2 Thess 1:9).
The apostle Paul asked the rhetorical question "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1). Later in that same chapter he asked essentially the same question: "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?" (Rom. 6:15). In both cases he gave an emphatic answer to his own question: "Certainly not!" We would do well to learn the lessons from this text on both sin and grace.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and the He is arewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). When considering doctrines ("teachings") that are absolutely fundamental to Christianity, faith in God would have to head the list. Either God is the creator and designer of the universe, or He is not. Either He is the author of all life in this world, or He is not. Either He is the source for eternal life for mankind, or He is not. There is no middle ground on these matters. Faith in God, as God, is basic to our spiritual identity. Without faith in God, all other teachings pertaining to Christianity are meaningless.
In a previous article we asked the question, "What Is The Church?" We established that a church building is not the church. The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). The church is that body of believers who have become true Christians, having been baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27) for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). As they receive forgiveness, at baptism through the blood shed by Christ on the cross, they also come into a state of salvation (Mk. 16:15-16), and the Lord Himself adds them to His body, the church (Acts 2:47).
The lives of many people demonstrate little respect or appreciation for "the church". Most of those who fall into this group are not atheists. Some claim affiliation with a church, but in reality it's only token affiliation. For many, though they believe in God, seldom do they even think about the church. It's not that they feel any hostility toward the church; the church simply holds no place in their mind. A prime reason for a lack of respect and appreciation for the church is a lack of understanding of what is the church.
Four years ago I began a series of sermons that I entitled "Basic Bible Teachings." My intention was, when I began writing the lessons, to cover topics that I considered to be basic, fundamental points of doctrine pertaining to faith, salvation, the church and Christianity. These are teachings that everybody claiming to be a Christian ought to know. As I began, I had no idea, as my methodical mind began developing the series, how extensive it would ultimately end up being, By the time I finished, I had preached forty sermons, and I quickly followed that up with five more on grace that served to complement the initial series.
Are you happy with your spiritual life? Is your faith as strong and deep and sustaining as you'd like it to be? How are you doing as a Christian? Do you believe that your life is pleasing to God? These are probing questions that can be painful to answer. Yet, they're questions that all of us need to address on a regular basis, for we're instructed to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." (2 Cor. 13:5).
What do you expect from the church? Most people have some image in their minds as to what they want the church to be and do. But everyone needs to understand that their personal actions and inaction have a great deal of impact upon the strength, vitality, effectiveness and growth of the church. With that in mind, what are some things that can cripple a church?
We've crossed over the threshold of time, moving from one year into another. This article is number thirty three in a line of bulletin articles I've been privileged to write at the beginning of a new year. Three such articles have come at the beginning of a new decade, and one served to usher in a new century and millennium. I suppose it's common for a preacher to mull over, to a somewhat greater degree, just what he should write at the beginning of anew year. He wants to say something profound, something that will motivate thoughtfulness and action in a positive direction on both an individual and a congregational basis.
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