Saved by the Gospel

Can you remember, as a small child, being in a large crowd with one of your parents? Maybe it was while walking across a parking lot after watching a ball game, looking for your car among hundreds of other cars. You did your best to keep up with the crowd. Being much shorter than others around you, all you could see was legs! You may have been unsure as to where you were and certainly did not understand how to get home. You felt safe as long as you were holding your father’s (or mother’s) hand.

In life, we are so often unable to see past the immediate events in our lives. We may not fully comprehend why things are happening the way they are. But, in spite of our insecurities, as we travel through our lives, we have someone who will help us; someone who will hold our hand as we journey toward home. We can know we will be safe as long as we don’t let go.

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13).

Have you ever wondered how many grains of sand are in one cup of sand? (Yeah, I know, you’re probably thinking, “Are you nuts? I’ve got a lot more important things to think about!”) Jochem Hendricks, along with twelve assistants, spent one thousand hours counting 3,281,579 grains in one cup of sand! The object of his efforts are now on display in Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts.

Imagine man trying to count the number of grains of sand on a mile long stretch of beach. Impossible! Of course! But not any more so than trying to count the blessings we have received from God.

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee” ~ Psalms 139:17-18.

Today, I am thankful for God’s innumerable blessings!

On August 5th, 2010, 700,000 tons of rock collapsed at a copper-gold mine in Chile. Workers labored around the clock to save the thirty-three men trapped far below the surface of the earth. The faces of those rescued were full of joy as they were brought up from the dark, humid mine; their lungs filled with fresh air for the first time in 69 days. Once inside the rescue capsule, the 2,000 foot ascent to the surface of the earth took approximately 20 minutes. Mario Sepulveda, one of the rescued miners, said, “I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out to God.”

Mr. Sepulveda’s words are a clear reminder of Psalm 95:4, “In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also” (King James Version). Whether at a depth far below the earth’s surface or traveling at a height far above the surface of the earth, we are always within reach of God.

Though not trapped within the confines of a mine, each of us has the opportunity to reach out to the devil or reach out to God. Today, who is your hand reaching toward?

If your house were on fire, would you call 911? Of course, you would! If someone in your family were seriously hurt and needed help, would you call for an ambulance? Definitely! We would all call for help if we needed it.

When the multitude came to the Garden of Gethsemane to take Jesus to be crucified, one of those who were with Jesus took out his sword and struck one of the high priest’s servants, cutting off his ear. Jesus then told him, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:52-53)?

Jesus could have, figuratively speaking, called 911. My savior had the opportunity to call for help but chose not to. Instead, he chose to give his life for me. Rather than save his own life, he chose to lay down his life to save me, to give me eternal life!

Finally! I finally figured it out! At last I’ve been able to measure the distance between God and the world. God and the world are six feet and one inch apart. You’re probably wondering how I was able to measure that distance accurately. Easy! When I extend both of my arms out as far as possible, the distance from one fingertip to the other is six feet. The obvious conclusion is that God and the earth are six feet and one inch apart; just far enough that I can’t hold onto one without letting go of the other.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Why is it that so many foolishly try to hold on to God without ever letting go of the world?

In Acts chapter two, we read that 3,000 souls were added to the Lord’s church when they heard and believed the gospel, repented of their sin, confessed their faith and were baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of their sin.   To what church were they added?  Certainly, they were not added to any of the denominations that exist today, for none of these denominations existed at the time the events of Acts two took place.  Can you imagine Paul being a Baptist, Peter a Methodist and Luke a Presbyterian?  Such confusion would not be acceptable to God then; and it is not acceptable to God today.

The phrase “church of Christ” isn’t so much a name for the Lord’s church as it is a description of His church.  The words “of Christ” indicate ownership – it belongs to Christ.  He built it.  He purchased it with His blood.  

The church of Christ today is not a denomination – remember, these were started by men.  The church of Christ today is simply a continuation of the New Testament church that had its beginning in Acts chapter two – the only place where salvation can be found.

I invite you to break loose from the shackles of denominationalism and become a part of Christ’s church today.  Romans 16:16 – “The churches of Christ salute you!”

What is your perception of God? Do you see Him as someone who passively watches this world? Someone who is disinterested in the events of your life? If so, you need to change your idea of God?

God is very much interested in you! He knows when you are at the top of the mountains of life and when you are in the bottom of life’s valleys. More importantly, He doesn’t just know, He cares. He cares enough to rejoice with you in times of smooth sailing, and to strengthen you in times of stormy seas. In Psalms 34:18 we read “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

I have a maple tree in my front yard. The leaves at the top of the tree are beginning to change color, just as they do every year. Soon, the bright colors, yellow, orange and red, will start to work their way down until the entire tree is engulfed in God’s beautiful artwork, artwork that only God can create. It’s that time of year when we will soon be experiencing the change of season. Leaves will fall and temperatures will be cooler.

What makes this so special? After all, it happens every year. It’s very special to me, because it is a reminder that God exists. It is a reminder of His infinite power. Notice from Genesis 8:22 – “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

In Acts chapter two, when the people were gathered together to hear the apostles preach, Peter quoted from Joel chapter two, saying, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

Evidently, Peter’s listeners failed to understand what it meant to call on the name of the Lord, for in Acts 2:37, after already being told to call on the name of the Lord, they asked “What shall we do?” Peter told them “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

They were told to call on the name of the Lord and they would be saved. They were told to repent and be baptized and they would be saved.

Calling on the name of the Lord and being baptized are parallel to one another. They mean the same thing. Being saved and having their sins forgiven are parallel to one another. They mean the same thing.

When a person calls on the name of the Lord by being baptized, his sins are washed away. He is saved when he is baptized, and not before

In Exodus 14, we read about the Israelites and their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. As they come to the Red Sea, they saw the Egyptians marching after them. They felt trapped. They blamed Moses, even going so far as to say. “Didn’t we tell you this would happen? Why did you take us all the way out here to die? Were there no graves back in Egypt?”

Moses replied, “Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

You may be facing a Red Sea in your life right now. If not, it’s likely you will at some point in the future. When you do, I hope you will remembers Moses’ words to the Israelites, as they certainly apply to us today – Fear not, stand still, the Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”