That Sacred Name

By Dan C. Bailey A Christian is not ashamed of Christ His Word, His blood, nor His sacrifice. He gladly wears that sacred name. He seeks no honor and seeks no fame. Let each a Christian only be, For Christ our Lord has set us free. We gladly wear that sacred name, For Christ we honor and Christ proclaim.

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

The Law of Salvation of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

By Dan C. Bailey     There are many both inside and outside the church who teach that Christians are not under any law today. In essence, this is just the doctrine that man is justified by grace alone. It is always sad when people fail to study, believe, and obey the word of God. We read the following in Romans 8:1-2: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."     This is a comforting and beautiful passage of scripture. There are those who have obeyed the gospel.     Romans 10:16 -- "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"     2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 -- "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."     1 Peter 4:17 -- "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"     Therefore, they are cleansed by the blood and have no condemnation.     Revelation 1:5 -- "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."    That is, any child of God who is walking in the light is in a saved condition. 1 John 1:7 -- "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."     In Acts 2:38, we read, "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." When people obey the gospel, they are baptized into Christ and they are added to the Lord's church (~Acts 2:47~; ~Matthew 16:18-19~).     After becoming Christians, they are exhorted to "walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit" (~Romans 8:4~). To walk after the Spirit is to walk after the teachings of the Spirit. If a Christian refuses to be led by the Spirit of God, then that Christian has departed from the living God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14). A Christian must walk in "the way of the righteousness " (~2 Peter 2:21~). A Christian must walk in the "right way" (~2 Peter 2:15~). The only "right way" or "righteous way" is to walk in the truth (2 John 4; 2 John 6; 3 John 3).  The truth of God's word has been, and always will be, God's law for mankind. "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth (Psalm 119:142).     To walk after the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is to be walking on the way that leads to heaven. The word of the Spirit, the truth, sets us free from sin. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).     Let us follow this law of the Spirit. Let us heed the "law of Christ" (~Galatians 6:2~). And let us never decline from the law of faith (~Romans 3:27~). Surely, James has told us so clearly, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:25).

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

Once Saved Always Saved

By Dan Bailey
    Recently, one of the members of our local congregation was discussing the Bible with another individual. The person maintained that once you were saved that you could not then be lost or fall away from the grace of God. The doctrine is usually expressed as, "once saved, always saved." It seems rather amazing that anyone claiming to be a Christian, could take such a position. It seems obvious that many simply do not study the Bible carefully. Consider what the scripture says about this very important subject.1) It is possible to "fail of the grace of God." Hebrews 12:15 -- "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."
2) It is possible to harden one's heart in sin. Hebrews 3:8 -- "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness." Hebrews 3:13 -- "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:15 -- "While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
3) It is possible to depart from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 -- "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."
4) It is possible to let the things that we have heard "slip." Hebrews 2:1 -- "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
5) It is possible to neglect our salvation. Hebrews 2:3 -- "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him."
6) It is possible to come short of God's promise. Hebrews 4:1 -- "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
7) It is possible to fall because of unbelief. Hebrews 4:11 -- "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." 1 Corinthians 10:12 - "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
8) It is possible to fall away and not be able to be renewed again unto repentance. Hebrews 6:4-6 -- "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
9) It is possible to be sanctified and then despise the blood of the covenant. Hebrews 10:28-29 -- "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
10) It is possible to sin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, and to find oneself without a sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 10:26 -- "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."
11) It is possible to cast away one's confidence in Christ and in His word. Hebrews 10:35 -- "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."
12) It is possible to be made free from sin, and then go back to the law of Moses and fall from grace. Galatians 5:1-4 -- "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."    My dear friend if you can read these scriptures and still maintain that "once saved, always saved" is a true doctrine, there must be a problem with either not knowing the scriptures or with denying the scriptures, because the Bible is very clear on this subject!

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

Doing as You Please

By Dan Bailey     Brother G. K. Wallace asked the following question in his autobiography:  How could a man accept one part of God's revelation and reject the other unless he is determined to do as he pleases?"     Some argue that there are parts of the Bible that are not inspired. Of course, these disputers are the "all wise ones" who can tell you which part is from God, and which part is not from God! This is the mentality that brother Wallace was commenting on.     When it comes to the Word of God, we must be willing to accept it all! I have met many who claim to be religious, and who seem to be religious, but they reject the simple, clear Word of God. Simon Peter declared on the day of Pentecost, "... 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" (~Acts 2:38~). Why would anyone reject the teaching of an inspired apostle? Jesus, the Son of God, and Captain of our salvation said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (~Mark 16:15-16~).     Let us never be guilty of picking and choosing what we want to believe in the Word of God; for in doing this, you are clearly "doing what you please".  "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (~Hebrews 11:5~). Just as Enoch pleased God, so we need to please God by believing His Word and by obeying His commands.     Let us love the Lord God with all our heart, mind, and soul. "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (~Mark 12:28-30~). And let us never forget that Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (~John 14:15~). Let us always strive to please God. This is the only choice that leads to heaven.

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home **

Just a Christian

By Dan C. Bailey      If we receive the Bible as the Word of God, then we should recognize its authority. Paul wrote unto the brethren in Thessalonica, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (I Thess. 2:13).     We read in the New Testament in Acts 11:25-26, "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The disciples of Christ were called Christians because they were followers of Christ. Why shouldn't His disciples be "just Christians" today? Why should any Christian wear a denominational name to divide and set himself apart from other Christians?     So much of the religious world admires Martin Luther, but they fail to listen to what he taught on the subject. Martin Luther said, "What is Luther? After all, the teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone. St. Paul would not permit Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I -- poor, stinking sack of maggots that I am -- be entitled to have people call the children of Christ by my wretched name?" It is evident from this quote that Luther was against anyone calling himself a "Lutheran." I have no doubt but that John the Baptist would feel the same way had he lived to enter into the Lord's church or the kingdom of Christ.     When Paul reasoned with King Agrippa he said, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:27-28). Even King Agrippa realized that the disciples were called Christians. There is no way he could have said in the first century, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Lutheran!" If Martin Luther could understand the subject so clearly, why can't so many understand the subject today? Could it be because tradition has taken the place of the authority of the Word of God?     Peter also used the name "Christian" to refer to the disciples of Christ. We read, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (I Peter 4:15-16). It is obvious that the name "Christian" glorifies the Savior. If that is the case, who does the name of Luther or John the Baptist glorify? God foretold prophetically that He would give a new name to His children. "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name" (Isaiah 62:2). This prophecy was fulfilled when "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).     My friend, if you love God, love the Bible, and love Christ, why not be just a Christian?

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

How to Get Rid of Fear

By Edd Sterchi
    We just concluded a very wonderful and successful Vacation Bible School. In it we had lessons from some great examples in the book of Acts about being fearless.    We live in a world of uncertainty, and because of that we too often fear when we shouldn’t. We fear what others may think or say if we defend the truth of God’s word. We think about trying something new, but don’t because we fear failure. We fear the unknown future. Fear cripples us.    Fortunately, God gives us some marvelous advice in the Bible on how to overcome fear. One such tidbit is 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” If we truly possess love, then fear will not even be a consideration.    If we love God – truly and totally love Him – then we know that He loves us, He wants what’s best for us, and He is always in control (even concerning the future). That should cause us to not only fear less, but be fearless!

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

By Edd Sterchi
    Many people believe that all one has to do is claim Jesus as Lord and they will automatically be placed in His kingdom. On the other end of the spectrum are the folks who think they can earn salvation through good works in His name. The debates and arguments concerning this are endless.    Why not get the answer from the Savior Himself? He settles the issue in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not...done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Let’s note a few important matters from this.* Just recognizing Jesus as Lord is not enough. Did you notice that there were some who called Jesus “Lord”, but they were not saved? God demands more than just mental acknowledgment. The head is not enough.* Just doing something in Jesus’ name is not enough. Did you also notice that there were some who were doing wonderful things to honor Jesus, but they too were not saved? Works alone fall short of God’s formula for justification. The hands are not enough.* We become a part of the kingdom of heaven through obedience to God. If one has such a respect for God and His wishes, there will be no problem believing Him and doing His will exactly as stated in His word. Obviously this involves the heart. The heart that is right and set on God’s ways will involve the head and the hands in obedience, as well.    Have you obeyed God’s plan of salvation? Are you truly doing the will of the Father in heaven? Are you intent on living the way He has prescribed in the New Testament? Remember, start with the heart, believe His word, and perform the will of the Father.“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25)

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Ready for Worship

By Edd Sterchi 
    At worship, I am given the opportunity to...
...revere my Maker. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of thesaints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” (Psalm 89:7)
...rejoice in my salvation. “And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; Itshall rejoice in His salvation.” (Psalm 35:9)
...refresh my spirit. “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, sothat I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” (Psalm 119:88)
   I can't wait to come and worship, praise and pay homage to the One who created me, delivered me, and awakens me. How about you?
“Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100)

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All

By Edd Sterchi
    Forty years or so ago, on a Sunday morning, I was in a 15 passenger van with a deacon of the local congregation picking up kids to bring them to Bible study. I remember it as if it were yesterday. The van was packed to the gills with children, and my job was crowd control. It must have been a full moon the night before and the kids must have had extra sugar in their cereal that morning, for they were rowdy and getting out of hand. As a fairly young and somewhat inexperienced Christian, I was doing the best I could, but was losing the battle. Luther, who was driving the van and was a songleader as well as a deacon, turned to his vast repertoire of songs and said to me with a big smile on his face, “Remember Edd, heaven will surely be worth it all.”    I have taken the lesson learned that day with me all of my Christian life. There have been many times when things weren’t going my way and I would harken back to that day and those words: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”    When you have to deal with that difficult person again, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When you have that task to do that brings dread, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When that temptation comes that is difficult to deal with, you can resist it if you remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When hard times hit and relief seems far away, remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.” When you want to give up, give in, or give out – don’t! Just remember: “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”    Read 1 Pet. 1:3-9 very carefully. Soak it in. Let it give you the strength to keep you going no matter what happens. Trials? Tribulations? Turmoil? Hang in there, Christian – and even smile! You can make it through, and: Heaven will surely be worth it all!    “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Pet. 2:13-14)

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

The Three Bears

By Edd Sterchi     Once upon a time, there were three bears... No, no, no – that’s the wrong three bears. Far from a fairy tale, the three “bears” listed in Galatians 6 are vital to living a fulfilling Christian life. Of course, you may have already figured out that these are not the furry animals, but the concept of carrying a responsibility. Now, let’s look at the three “bears”.     Bear One Another’s Burdens (v.1-2). This means that we are supposed to help others, especially those in the church (v.10). Life is especially burdensome for some and, as we are able, we should help them carry their load. For ease of remembering, let’s call this first bear “Share Bear”.     Bear Your Own Burdens (v.3-5). This passage teaches the need for personal responsibility that another cannot carry for us: our personal decisions, the consequences of our actions, our own individual responsibilities, etc. We should not let others bear these for us. The words that follow in v.6-9 are a great admonition to just how individual this concept is. We will name this bear “Aware Bear”.     Bear the Marks of Christ in Your Body (v.11-17). Paul bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ (likely physically from beatings, mistreatment, etc.). But there is another indication in the word “marks” in the Greek text. It is the Greek word “stigma” and literally means “a mark pricked or branded upon the body”. Paul may very well be saying, I am branded with the mark of Christ – not that he had a tattoo, but that he was totally dedicated to Christ – he was Christ’s slave. This is why I believe Paul used the phrase “the Lord Jesus” – Jesus was Paul’s Lord and Master (v.14). Thus we need to be willing to bear the marks (or stigma) that come from faithfully following Christ and telling others about Him. Thus, let’s identify this bear as “Declare Bear”.     My hope for all of us is what Paul’s was for the Galatian Christians: “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (v.18). And let us be reminded that it will be so if we bear in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus (be a Declare Bear), be responsible with ourselves and our lives (be an Aware Bear), and help others (be a Share Bear).

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

The Contrast of Light and Darkness

By Dale J. Babinsky      In many biblical passages, the contrast between light and darkness is a powerful metaphor for the struggle of good vs evil. Light often symbolizes knowledge, goodness, and righteousness, while darkness represents ignorance, evil, and the unknown. This spiritual struggle is best seen in the writings of the Apostle John.     Light is often associated with positive qualities such as wisdom, truth, and purity. In Christianity, Jesus is referred to as the "Light of the World," showing us the path to salvation and righteousness (John 1:9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 11:9; 12:46). John often contrasts the concept of light, which is beneficial, with darkness. Darkness is frequently linked to negative attributes such as fear, ignorance, and evil. In the Bible, darkness is often associated with sin and the absence of God's presence.     The journey from darkness to light is what we should all be working towards in our own spiritual growth. We should want to move from ignorance and sin to knowledge and spiritual maturity. This journey is often depicted as a struggle, requiring courage, faith, and perseverance. Our goal should always be to continue our spiritual growth and to become closer to Christ.

- Dale J. Babinsky preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://gsmchurchofchrist.com/

The End

By Clifton Angel
    Sometimes when we think about the end of the year, our minds our led to thoughts about the end of our lives or the end of time. Forty verses in the New Testament contain the phrase "the end.” We will not consider all of them, but without much commentary, let us consider a few passages of exhortation concerning "the end.”
    “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).    “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:20–23).    “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Hebrews 6:10–11).    “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13–16).    We do not know when the end of our lives, nor the end of time will be, but both are coming. Let us be exhorted to endure in the midst of persecution (cf. Matthew 10:22). Let us be exhorted to bear fruit unto holiness, as servants of God (cf. Romans 6:20–23). Let us be exhorted to labor in love in full assurance of hope (cf. Hebrews 6:10–11). Let us be exhorted to strengthen our minds, be sober, have hope, be obedient, and conduct ourselves in a holy manner (cf. 1 Peter 1:13–16).

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

Marks of the New Man

By Brian Mitchell     Have you ever heard someone say after some particularly refreshing experience in their life, like a vacation, that they “feel like a new man.” I am sure that all of us have, but what I want us all to understand is the fact that through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we all ought to feel like a new man or woman. I want to begin today by examining some Scriptures which are very much relevant to the theme of our lesson tonight entitled “Marks of the New Man.” The following are some Scriptural references to the new man.     “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:23). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Through our obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ we have been born again to new lives—we are new people in Christ.     What is the significance of being a new man (generic use of the word for the remainder of the article)? It means that we are to live a new life--Rom.6:3-4. If we have been buried with Christ in baptism, into His death, then we must rise to walk in newness of life. As we shall see in this lesson, we are to bury the old man of sin and put on the new man renewed in the image of our Lord and Savior Christ.     How is this possible? How is it possible to live one day for self and next day and rest of our lives for the Lord? That is the power of the gospel and the Bible is full of examples of how the gospel has changed lives—1 Cor.6:9-11. Those whom Paul wrote to in Corinth had been fornicators, thieves, and drunkards among other things. Now they were living new lives in Christ because of the fact that they had been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ.     How do I know if I am a new man? It is clear from the NT that Christians have been born again to new lives in Christ. How do I know if I am living the life I am supposed to be living? It is to this that we will direct our attention as we consider what Paul teaches on the subject in Col.3:1-11. Here Paul describes some of the marks of the new man. What are they? Do you possess them?     Important Note!!! If you have been following along you know that I have thus far preached through Paul’s epistles as they appear in order. That is until today—in this lesson I have purposefully swapped the order of Philippians and Colossians. That is because tonight I want to consider the marks of the new man and next week from Philippians, I want to discuss how we can maintain this new life through our relationship with the Lord.     Renewed according to the image of Christ. This is the goal of the Christian life and the end of the new man. Is there anything different about your life? It is important to notice that everything we have discussed in this lesson assumes that one has been raised with Christ. Notice again Paul’s words in v.1 “if then you were raised with Christ.” In order to walk in newness of life one must first put on Christ in baptism. Have you put on Christ?

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

What will I Look Like

By Bill Brandstatter

    Over the years, one of the questions many people have is “What will I look like in eternity?” That question is an interesting one and one that the apostle Paul dealt with extensively in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

    We will be identifiable. Paul spends a great deal of 14 verses detailing the difference between the spiritual and physical existence of man. He talks about the different heavenly bodies such as the sun, the moon, and the stars. (1 Cor. 15:41) Each one of these is identifiable in its own way. Likewise, our bodies have their own identity. We have a natural body. It differs from the spiritual (1 Cor. 15:44). Each is identifiable as a body. Each body differs from the other.

    We will be individuals. He mentions that God gives “to each seed its own body” (1 Cor. 15:38). Paul is of course talking about the physical; but it also is the case with the spiritual bodies. We will not be just gasses or unidentifiable beings. We will be individuals in a different body than the current one. As such, I believe we will know one another in heaven.

    We will be images of Christ. Paul uses the thought of the image of the physical man and the image of the heavenly man. (1 Cor. 15:49) We are made in the image of God and one day we shall bear the image of God. No doubt, this is referring to a totally spiritual and heavenly existence.

    The key to heaven is with us now. If we obey Christ, we will one day be with Him. Death will be swallowed up in victory. (1 Cor. 15:54)

- Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/

The Seasons of Life

By Andrew Beasley     As we have moved beyond Thanksgiving and into the Christmas season I think about a story I once heard. It went something like this. There was a man who had four sons and he wanted to teach them not to judge to quickly. So he sent them on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer and the last in the fall. When they had all come back from their respective journey he called them together to recount to him what they had seen.     The first said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted. A moment later the second son spoke up and disagreed, saying that the tree was green and full of promise. The third son then chimed in, likewise disagreeing and describing the tree as one that was full of sweet smelling blossoms and said it was the most beautiful tree he had ever seen. The last, unsurprisingly, also disagreed saying that the tree was ripe and drooping with fruit. When they quieted from their arguing the old man smiled and told them that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season of the trees life.     He then reminded them that they cannot judge a tree, or a person, only by one season. It is an application that we can make to our own lives. Don’t judge it by one difficult season. Don’t allow the pain of one season destroy the joy of the rest as there is a time and place for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

- Andrew Beasley serves as a minister with the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: https://nwchurchofchrist.com/about/