Preach, Preacher! Part 2

Back to the question that was asked at the end of Part 1, "Am I in that audience?"


Now that doesn't seem like such a bombshell like question, does it? Well, not from the onset...


How much weight does that question actually carry in light of studying the Bible? Glad you asked, because it actually carries the weight of the WHOLE bible. Why? Allow me to give you a quick illustration.


Imagine yourself standing out by your mailbox, either on your street or at the post office, and you reach in to retrieve the mail that has been placed there that afternoon... You may find a couple of envelopes, maybe, and a couple of advertisement postcards from the local businesses in town. As you are walking to your car from the inside of the post office or as you are making your way back to the house from your street side mail box, the idea pops into your head, I am not really content with what I got in the mail today, surely there are some other boxes around here with better contents, besides, we all have mailboxes and receive mail... It's all the same.... right? If you are in the market for attempting to break a federal law by stealing the mail of your neighbors, then sure! It's more than fine.


Now that may seem like a more than exaggerated point. Surely, no one, that is sane that is, really thinks that it would be ok to just walk up to someone else's mailbox and take their monthly magazine subscription as if it were their own... Right?


Would you believe it happens every single day. Not the actual mail, although I am more than sure that people really do that kind of thing, but I am talking about people when reading the Bible.

HOW?!


Simple. All over the world and in many "Christian" circles, people start in Genesis and work their way through the whole content of the bible(Not giving that much credit as though most individuals read their bible) and select verse that seem to be suitable for his or her present desire. As a matter of fact, I heard one this morning on the radio. It was taken from Genesis and applied by the man reading it to every Christian that exists in 2014.

Genesis 28:15-
And, behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of.

The heading the DJ gave this verse was, "The Good News Bible Verse of the week." Let me say, this verse is good, actually great news for the receiver of this promise. But unless your name is Jacob (Israel) and you are to be the father of the 12 tribes of Israel waiting to inherit an actual perimeter of land, without doing a bunch of twisting and Spiritualizing,  this verse just simply does not and cannot apply to you.  Well, you may think I'm being not only picky, but pesky. To which I say, I'd rather be a picky pest than a man who proclaims stolen promises.

Literally,  taking verses that do not belong to you and personalizing it is the exact same as stealing mail, except you won't receive a federal fine or imprisonment,  but something far worse... Possibly eternal damnation; not for being a theif, but because you are trusting promises not made to you as your eternal destination ticket. Many people today are still attempting to follow the Mosaic Law as a means of justification before God, but the problem is, God is not making covenants or requiring the following of the Law as means of Righteousness,  but we know that God will judge man's soul of this dispensation by the Gospel given to the Apostle Paul to proclaim,

Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Which is what? The Gospel I mean...

Is it "Repent and be Baptized?"

No.

Is it "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand?"

No.

Is it ask Jesus into your heart???

No, sir. No, ma'am.

Paul tells what "his" gospel is in his first epistle to Corinth.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

He elaborate in Romans even more...

Romans 4:24-25
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Christ died for our sins and resurrected for our justification. That's it. This the Gospel Paul says you will be judged by. So, the next logical question must be, "What do I do with this information? "

Glad you asked.

He tells us in Ephesians.

Ephesians 1:11-14
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

You hear the Gospel... you believe it... you trust it and you are saved. In the next chapter of Ephesians,  Paul writes how we are saved by grace, through faith. What wonderful news.

But how do we know to go with this information over other scriptures that contain different instructions for salvation?

We conclude this as our answered due to "Rightly Dividing. " (see 2 Timothy 2:15)

Much more to cover in the future... but this gives us a GREAT  starting place in what the "Preacher should preach..."

Please Share with your Friends

Alan