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TGOC ANNOUNCES
THE
FIRST TWO LESSONS IN ITS
NEW EVANGELISM SERIES
In our previous e-newsletter, we announced the availability of the last two lessons ("The Joy of Salvation" and "What Is Your Life?") in the second "Soul-Saving Series" of videos. In this edition of our newsletter, we are pleased to announce the first two lessons in our new evangelism series:
"The Authority and Application of the Bible"
"The Destructive Nature of Sin"
In his lesson on "The Authority and Application of the Bible," Ben Bailey opens the discussion by calling attention to the two questions that the chief priests and elders asked Jesus in Matthew 21:23: "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?" Ben uses those questions as a springboard to launch into his presentation on the authority of God's Word in matters of religion as he asks, "Where do we get Bible authority today?" The remainder of the lesson examines this fundamental question.
Ben correctly points out that we all recognize the importance of having a single, recognizable standard of authority in our everyday lives—whether it has to do with traffic lights that we all can understand, or civil laws that we all must obey. Ben notes that a standard of authority is essential to preventing utter chaos on a day-to-day basis. He then turns his attention for the first half of the presentation to those things that do
not qualify as a standard of authority in religion. He mentions such things as individual religious leaders, groups of religious leaders, books that uninspired men have authored, people's personal feelings, "the majority," and our past ancestors or current families.
In the second half of his lesson, Ben asks, "Where do Christians get their authority today?" He then proceeds to examine what he calls "the biblical chain of authority"—which moves from God [our Creator (Gen. 1:27) and our Father (Heb. 12:9)] to Christ (Mt. 28:18) to the Bible (Jn. 12:48). Ben then points out Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 14:37, "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord," and how, according to 1 Corinthians 4:6, we as Christians are "not to go beyond the things that are written."
Using those precepts as a starting point, Ben then moves along in the lesson by presenting specific Old Testament examples (like Nadab and Abihu and King Saul) of those who did not acknowledge and obey God's authority, and the fate that befell them because of their error. Ben then turns his attention to the application of the authority that is found within the Bible. He mentions specific examples of various modern-day religious practices (such as the use of plays and drama to present the Gospel message, the use of instrumental music in worship, the use of women in roles of leadership, "faith-only" salvation, etc.), and asks, "Where is the authority for such things within God's Word?"
In his conclusion, Ben stresses the point that Paul made in Colossians 3:17 when he wrote, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." In matters of religion, the ultimate chain of authority is: God, Christ, and the Bible.
In his lesson on "The Destructive Nature of Sin," Ben opens by asking five important questions: (1) How does the Bible define sin?; (2) What is the nature of sin?; (3) How does God describe sin?; (4) To what does He compare sin?; and (5) Why is sin so deadly to humans? The remainder of the lesson is an investigation into the biblical answers to these questions.
Sin, as Ben notes, is defined by 1 John 3:4 as a transgression of God's law. Christians today live under a law—"the perfect law of liberty" (Jas. 1:25). When we violate that law, we sin against God. From Psalm 45:6 we learn that God "hates lawlessness." The Bible also defines sin as "unrighteousness" (1 John 5:16-17). And, according to James 4:17, we also can sin by not doing something that we know we ought to do (something that frequently is referred to as a "sin of omission").
To God, sin is a spot or stain that represents a defilement of the body and the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1). James 1:27 teaches us that we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world. In other words, God wants us to be pure, not defiled. Sin also is depicted within God's Word as a heavy burden that we as humans simply cannot bear by ourselves. The psalmist wrote, "My iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me" (38:4).
How does God feel about sin? In Psalm 5:4 we find an apt description of how He feels about sin. The psalmist wrote, "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You." Nahum 1:3 says that God will not acquit the wicked. Ben continues his discussion by saying:
- "Here is the problem with sin. We all have to face it. Sin is a universal problem. Sin is not something that just a few people have to confront. Rather, sin is a universal problem that all men everywhere must confront. All people commit sin and unrighteousness. This is what the Scriptures clearly teach us. Sin is something that has afflicted every person who has ever lived. Think back to the wise words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:20 when he said, 'There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.' All people sin. Solomon indicated in Ecclesiastes 7:20-29 that even the most righteous people sin and fall short of God's will. I am reminded of the words of Paul in Romans 3:10. Paul said, 'There is none righteous, no not one.' "
This, then, leads Ben to comment on the penalty of sin. As Paul put it in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." Sin, as Isaiah 59:1-2 explains, separates us from God. If we do not find a solution to the sin problem, then we will inhabit eternity with the devil and his angels. Fortunately, as Ben is quick to point out, God has provided a solution to the sin problem: Jesus Christ! As Peter put it, Christ, "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus, as the old Gospel song suggests, truly "paid a debt that He did not owe, and a debt that we could not pay." As a result of His sacrifice, no one has to bear the guilt or the penalty of sin. Anyone who will come to Christ in humble obedience to His will, as expressed within the pages of the New Testament, can be saved. As Isaiah 53:5 says, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." What a glorious thought!
We invite you to preview each of these new lessons in our new evangelism series." You will find them available on our Website in video, audio, and written transcript formats.
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