[Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for January 2007

[GLClair at aol.com]

HILLIARD BULLETIN
Published by the church of Christ
4840 Cemetery Road – Hilliard, Ohio 43026
Phone: (614) 876-4089
http//:hometown.aol.com/glclair/myhomepage/index.html
 
Preacher: Garreth L. Clair
Phone: 9614) 850-7252
Email: glclair at aol.com
Web-Magazine: Considermagazine.com
 
 
 
Volume 9                                      Number 1                        
               January 2007
 
 
EDITORIALS - Three Articles about Choices in Life
 
WE ALL BEGIN AT THE SAME PLACE #1
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
            Everyone understands that there is something for the individual 
to do to acquire forgiveness for sin.  It is a fact; everyone who becomes a 
Christian must comply with the instructions of Christ (HEBREWS 5:8, 9).  The 
instructions of Christ are clearly revealed within the pages of the New Testament 
that leads the sinner to salvation. Please note the following:
 
1.                  Hearing the gospel, ROMANS 10:17 - "So then faith cometh 
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
 
2.                  Believing the gospel, MARK 16:16 - "He that believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned."
 
3.         Repent of sins (i.e., sins), ACTS 2:38 "Then Peter said unto them, 
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
 
3.                  Confess Christ with the mouth, ROMANS 10:10 - "For with 
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is 
made unto salvation."
 
4.                  Baptism for the remission of sins (i.e., a burial in 
water), ROMANS 6:1-7 - Please read this text and comment in detail.
 
CONSIDER THIS:
 
            Whenever a sinner follows these Divine instructions his/her old 
sins are all forgiven by God and the person becomes a new Christian,  
. . . 1ST Issue for 2007 . . .
then he/she is added to the CHURCH OF CHRIST by the Lord cf. ACTS 2:47
 
LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, #2
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
            In 1st lesson of this study we examined the procedure defined in 
the New Testament that leads to salvation from sin for the sinner.  In this 
2nd lesson of "LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE" let us begin by stating a general 
fact, after one becomes a Christian he/she must live the life prescribed in the 
Bible for the growing Christian ACTS 2:40 - "And with many other words did he 
testify and exhort, saying, Save yourself from this untoward generation."
 
THE GROWING CHRISTIAN WILL
 
I.          KEEP HIS BODY CLEAN OF DRUGS:
 
1.         That which harms the physical body;
 
                        A.        Alcoholic beverages,
 
                        B.         Tobacco products,
 
C.        Illegal drugs (i.e., Crack, Marijuana, Cocaine,        
 
E.         The abuse of prescription drugs.
 
2.         Are these things harmless to the body or are they destructive to 
it?
 
A.        God instructs the growing Christian to keep the body pure and 
undefiled, 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 - "What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of 
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your 
own."
 
B.         Therefore, if we harm the body through the use of drug of any 
kind, we are disobeying God - Disobedience is sin, 1 JOHN 3:4 - "Whosoever 
committeth sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
 
II.        THE GROWING CHRISTIAN WILL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY:
 
1.         Adultery is the only grounds for a Christian to divorce their 
mate, and remarry, MATTHEW 19:9 - "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away 
his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth 
adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
 
III.       THE GROWING CHRISTIAN WILL NOT COMMIT FORNICATION:
 
            CONSIDER THIS:
 
            The broad term, "fornication" applies to all sexual immorality, 
which would include;
 
1.         Sexual relations between young people of the opposite sex.
 
            2.         Sexual relations between married and unmarried people.
 
3.         Sexual relations between humans (i.e., male or female) and animals.
 
            4.         All sexual relations between men and men.
 
            5.         All sexual relations between women and women.
 
OBSERVE:
 
1 CORINTHIANS 6:18, 19,
 
            "Flee fornication.  Every sin that a man doeth is without the 
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. -- What?  
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, 
which ye have not of God, and ye are not your own."
 
PUTTING OUR PRIORITIES IN ORDER #3
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
            Perhaps the greatest failing of most professed Christians is 
their failure to understand that their life is to be structured according to God's 
directions.  In the first lesson in our study we showed how one may become a 
Christian and escape the pollution of this world, that man must follow the 
teachings of God or be lost, and that there is gross wickedness in following the 
rudiments of this world, cf. ROM 1 - 2:5
 
            Although man can become a Christian and through the process 
become free from sin he must continue to live his life according to Divine 
instruction (i.e., he must follow the instructions of God found in the Bible - cf. Rev 
2:10).  
 
            While living the Christian life each Christian must prioritize 
his life -- simply stated, he must place first things first in his life from the 
time of his conversion.  He must therefore:
 
1.         KNOW THAT THE TRUTH IS CAPABLE OF MAKING HIM FREE FROM SIN, JOHN 
8:32.
 
2.         KNOW THAT THE TRUTH IS THE WORD (i.e., the written word today),  
            JOHN 17:17.
 
3.         SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD FIRST, MATTHEW 6:33.
 
4.         CONTINUE TO KNOW that the "TRUTH" will make him "free indeed." 
JOHN 8:36.
 
5.                  KNOW THAT THE "TRUTH" will ultimately be the "standard of 
judgment" in the last day, JOHN 12:48.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
            As we understand these facts about our relationship to God it is 
apparent, or should be, that those of us who are Christians are to live 
changed lives.  Christians are truly, “not of this world." the Christian's hope is 
the hope of all the saved of past ages, “We seek a city whose builder and maker 
is God" - (HEBREWS 11:8-16).
 
A NEW YEAR BEGINS
 
While we all recognize that every New Year brings each of us to a number of 
circumstances, not the least of which is nearer to the coming of Jesus Christ. 
There are many things that we would like to see and do in the coming year and 
perhaps we will all be able to accomplish most of those things that are dear 
to our hearts. Yet, there is one matter that is paramount in our life choices, 
we must always patiently and faithfully serve God – cf. 1 Cor 10:12-13,
“12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 
There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful 
, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with 
the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.”
 ASV
2 Tim 2:2, “2 and the things which thou hast heard from me among many 
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others 
also.” ASV
1 John 1:9, “9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to 
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ASV
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