FROM ATHEIST TO CREATIONIST

If you don’t believe that all of creation had a creator, then the only alternative is to believe in evolution.  Rejecting the idea of “Intelligent Design,” one, of necessity, must believe that all things came into being by unimaginable numbers of happy accidents.  To do so, however, requires that one conveniently ignore facts of science.  Those who advocate the religion of evolution maintain their hold of the public’s minds by declaring evolutionary theories as facts.  Scientists who question these “facts” are ridiculed and often denied positions of influence, such as in schools where evolution is taught as reality, while evidence of creation is never to be voiced.

However, occasionally there are those who value truth above assumptions.  Such is the case with Dr. Jerry Bergman, Adjunct Ph.D, Associate Professor of Toledo Medical College in Ohio, who described his transfer from being an atheist to being a creationist in Acts & Facts Magazine (Feb., 2016).  After graduation from Wayne State University he relates that he was “involved in the atheist movement” for a time.  Along with evolution, he had accepted atheistic philosophy which came with it.  He told of the many lectures given in college supporting not only evolution but also speeches negative to Christianity.  He referred to one speaker who said “we have given Christianity 2,000 years to fix up the world, and it is high time to try atheism.”  Christianity was portrayed as the primary source for all the evils of the world.  He said, “What especially bothered me was that my atheist peers were determined to suppress Christianity by any means, legal or illegal—first by running it from the public square, then in the private domain.  Atheists seemed to feel that the ends justified the means, so they ruthlessly thought to crush Christianity.  I soon realized this goal was evil because in the end it always did more harm than good—and yet it has been tried in many places.”

He relates that he began to see many major problems with evolution and atheism.  Among these is the scientific fact that mutations, which are essential for the evolutionary hypothesis, are 99.9% “neutral, harmful, or lethal,” not beneficial.  He writes, “Consequently there is no way that life could have first evolved 3.5 billion years ago and still be around today because life would have become extinct long ago from genetic meltdown and cell catastrophe.”  He also referred to “the discovery of soft tissue in dinosaur bones that were claimed to be over 65 million years old.  This is a problem because destructive forces such as cosmic rays would have destroyed soft tissue long ago.”  He concluded by saying, “Like many scientists who came before me, I discovered that the evidence supports the truth of the Bible.”  It pains me to think that children in our tax-supported schools and universities are daily shielded from the evidence for creation, and their minds are being warped to accept atheistic philosophy which would darken their minds against God and His word.  Parents who speak out against such are branded as ignorant and even abusive to their children.      

Ron Bartanen                                              

By the Grace of God

By Glen Elliott     Some reject the grace of God in preference to earning salvation. In the April 2026 issue of the Spiritual Sword, Steve Higginbotham cites a New York Times interview with the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, who said, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed, I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.” No doubt there are many who feel the same in regard to procuring their own salvation. But, if such were the case, grace would be unnecessary and the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross was a serious blunder in the redemptive plan of God.     We must not overlook the underlying belief expressed by the phrase, “if there is a God….” But, if there is a God, He surely would have revealed the nature of our salvation; whether is it something we earn or something given to us on the condition of biblical faith. The matter is settled in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Of one thing, we can be certain: we will not walk into heaven because we have earned it. All have sinned and stand in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23). Denying our need for a Savior suggests sinless perfection -- something that flies in the face of both Scripture and practical experience (1 John 1:10). Ultimately, those who enter into heaven will be those who have been saved by grace through faith.     Grace is a strong motivation to demonstrate our faith through active obedience to God’s will. After acknowledging the fact that we are saved by grace through faith, Paul goes on to say, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). We cannot be saved by works of merit nor can we be saved without an active, working faith (James 2:14-26). Just as faith has a role in grace, so also grace has a role in faith. Paul speaks of the empowering nature of God’s grace when he says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). God’s grace, then, is our motivation and strength to produce good works to the glory of God.

- Glen Elliott preaches for the Greenbrier church of Christ in Greenbrier, AR. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://www.gbcofc.com/

Noah: Finding Favor in the Eyes of God

By Brian Mitchell       “5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” - (Genesis 6:5-8). Sounds pretty familiar doesn’t it, at least the first part?     It is pretty difficult to read these words and not see that the societal circumstances described in the days of Noah bear a striking similarity to the times in which we find ourselves living. In fact, Paul writes thousands of years later about a time when circumstances would be similar to those described in the days of Noah—2 Tim.3:1-5. The point is simple and that is that there have always been evil and wicked men among us, and it has always displeased God. In fact, it was those circumstances described in Genesis that led God to destroy the world which He had created with the Great Flood.     Can a man live right in times such as these? Given the times we live in, it would be understandable to ask whether or not one could really live a life that is pleasing to God, in the midst of such sin and perversion. We know that we are supposed to—Tit.2:11-12. But can it really be done and if so how? The answer of course is yes. Even in Gen.6, when God was pronouncing judgment upon the world He had made and preparing to destroy it with the flood, there are some encouraging words to be found about one man.     A man, that in spite of his circumstances, managed to live righteously in the eyes of God; a man named Noah—Gen.6:8. Thus, Noah serves as an example of the fact that men can still be pleasing to God, even if they live in a world where “every intent of the thoughts of men’s heart are continually evil.” Why Noah? Why did Noah find favor in the eyes of God? What did he do and how did he live? What lessons can we take from this story that will be helpful for us in attempting to do the same? These are the questions we will be seeking to answer in our lesson today.     God does not desire that any man be lost. But he does requires that to avoid it we come to repentance and seek after His will. When we do, we will find exactly what Noah and his family found—Favor in the eyes of the Lord. Have you found favor in the eyes of God yet? If you have then remember these words, “Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

- Brian Mitchell served as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. Please visit the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

Grace, Obedience and Christian Living

By Jeff Arnette     Recently, we’ve been looking at what the Bible says about God’s grace and salvation. We’ve considered how grace gives us assurance of our salvation. In today’s lesson, we’re going to consider receiving God’s grace in vain. In essence, we will deal with what the Bible says about giving up our salvation. This is not a comprehensive list of every passage that deals with this topic, but these will give you a great starting place. As you study and reflect on this topic add your own verses to the list. Matt 5:13; 13:20-21; 18:32-35; 24:9-13, 42, 48-51; 25:11-12; 18, 24-30. Luke 9:61-62; 22:31-32. Jn. 6:66-69; 15:1-6. Acts 8:22-24. Rom. 8:13; 11:21-24. 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 9:27; 10:12; 15:2. 2 Cor. 5:20; 6:1. Gal. 5:4. Col. 1:21-23. 1 Tim. 1:18-20; 4:1-3; 5:8, 12; 6:10, 11-13, 20-21. 2 Tim. 2:18. Heb. 2:3; 3:12-14; 6:4-6; 10:29; 12:15. James 5:19-20. 2 Peter, 1:10-11; 2:1, 4, 20-22; 3:17. Jude 5-6 Rev. 2:5, 10, 16, 20-23; 3:1-3, 15-16.

- Jeff Arnette preaches for the Central Haywood church of Christ, Clyde, NC.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: https://centralhaywoodcoc.com/

Grace Has Appeared

By Ronald Bartanen
“The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).    To a world enveloped in spiritual darkness grace appeared for all to see two thousand years ago.  That grace was embodied in Christ, the prophesied “Sun of righteousness” that would “arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2).  Malachi’s promise for His appearing was “to them that look for Him.”  There were those in Judea, at the coming of Christ, who “looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 3:8).  They were those who were spiritually awake, even in the world of darkness, knowledgeable of the messianic prophecies of His coming, awaiting the rising “Sun of righteousness.”  The world had the natural law, with some inherent knowledge of right and wrong, and the Jews were further blessed with God’s Law through Moses, but law only exposed the fact that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  What was needed was grace—the unmerited favor of God, secured for man by Christ, As Malachi said, He would arise “with healing in His wings.”  His righteousness would be imputed to the unrighteous through His sacrifice at Calvary.  The apostle Paul spoke of his grace: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:24-25).  The full realization of this righteousness came as penitent believers were “buried with him by baptism into death: that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).     The word grace speaks of the unmerited favor of God, as bestowed through Christ alone.  The most unworthy among us, has access to the worthiness of Christ, the sinless Son of God.  There is no quality even in the best of men and women that would lay claim to heaven.  In Rom. 3:19 Paul declared “all the world” to be “guilty before God”.  Before the bar of justice, all stand condemned if it were not for the grace of God through Christ. This grace “appeared.”  It was not man’s doing, but God’s.  The grace appeared in God sending Christ His Son to be man’s redeemer.  “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).     Paul, in writing to Titus, reminded him that not only did grace appear in the coming of Christ, but also that the redeemed can look again with expectation for “the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”  He who came once will come again.  That is the believer’s “blessed hope.”  As iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold (Matt. 24:12),,Christ’s true followers shall, by His grace, “endure unto the end (v. 13),” looking for His glorious appearing.”  The fruit of this faith is the denial in our lives of “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” as the passage in Titus indicates.  The appearing of the grace of God establishes not only a new relationship with God, but also a new life, characterized by the words “soberly, righteously and godly.”  In this spiritually darkened world of ungodliness, are you looking for and preparing for His appearing—the second arising of “the Sun of righteousness”? 

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. After the passing of his beloved wife, Doris, Ron has relocated from Illinois to Florida where he is near family. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

God’s Grace

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By Ron Thomas     It has been said that God's riches were given to man at Christ's expense. While this acrostic idea may easily preach (and it is true), it is more accurate to say that God's riches were given to man as the Lord willingly gave up the glories of heaven for the benefit of those He loves (all of us).     God's grace, it is our message to a world lost in sin but refuses to think they are guilty of anything as seriously consequential as eternal death. Some will speak as if they “okay” with the idea of going to Hell, but they have no idea about what that means, except to say it can’t be as bad as some harsh Christians say it is. “Anyway, my friends will be there!” They judge their actions as not being worthy of the Lord’s favor, but neither do they care.     We are very much aware of how the worldly mind thinks on this or that topic, and we also know the mind of the Lord and His view toward those who reject Him. With this knowledge, what do we do in a sinfully vile world around us?     Let us begin by understanding that we must live the life of Christ (Gal. 2:20). Difficult as it may be to do this, even more s- Ron Thomas preaches for the Church of Christ at Rio Grande in Bidwell, OH. He may be contacted at etsop95@gmail.como, consistently, we must begin here. Next, be sure we speak the words of Christ. When we speak of His saving grace, how He has given to each of us a hope that none in the world can take away (Rom. 8:24), repeat this message; in time, it will be heard. Third, support those who are serving in capacities that we are not, whether it be as elders, preachers, missionaries, schools of preaching, websites that promote the Lord’s way, etc. Fourth, do you enjoy being with your brethren? If so, then make association with them your priority and not those outside the Lord. Those things / events you value you will pursue, attain, and promote.     These are some things we can do, and if we do them with commitment, enthusiasm, and loyalty to the Lord, a difference we will make.

- Ron Thomas preaches for the Church of Christ at Rio Grande in Bidwell, OH. He may be contacted at etsop95@gmail.com

A Study of Polar Opposites from Romans 3:23

By Edd Sterchi

 

For the …                              But ...

     the wages (earned)           gift (not earned)

     of sin (unholiness)            of God (holiness)

     is death (separation)         is eternal life (everlasting fellowship)

 

That’s quite a stark contrast, isn’t it? You just can’t get more diametric than those two statements. What makes the difference between them? What is it that divides them into polar opposites? The rest of the verse reveals what puts one on one side or the other: “in Christ Jesus the Lord.” You see, if we are “in” Jesus Christ, then we are given the gift of eternal life from a holy God.

    Galatians 3:27 clearly reveals that we “put on Jesus” (i.e. become “in” Him) being baptized into Him. It is then that we reach His soul-cleansing, sin-washing sacrifice (Romans 6:3-5).

    Are you “in” Jesus?

- 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/

$1,000!

By David A. Sargent

 

    Imagine the following scenario offered by Keith Wishum…

    Suppose you heard me say, “I feel like giving away $1000 today.”  Then, I walked up to you and handed you an envelope containing NINE crisp, new hundred-dollar bills.

    What would you say? Something like this?  “Hey, you said $1000! This is only $900!”  Or, “Where's my other $100?”  Would you feel cheated? Would you complain that you had been shorted? Or would you be glad for what you were given?

    There is an interesting quirk of human nature at work here which keeps many of us from being as happy as we could be. Notice what was actually said. There was nothing about giving all $1000 to one person.  And certainly nothing about who would get it.  Couldn't I have meant all along to give $900 to one person and $100 to another?

    Maybe I actually intended to give $100 to 10 different people.  In that case, how would you feel about getting $900?  Like you'd gotten extra - more than your fair share?  Same amount of money, but a very different perspective.

    That quirk of human nature is that we often tend to focus on what we don't have rather than on what we do have.  We long for what could be, instead of enjoying what already is.

Truth is, everything good that we have is an undeserved gift from God. 

ALL of it is extra!  We can focus on what he has given us and be happy with the unexpected bonus.  Or, we can focus on what we didn't get and be miserable complainers.*

    “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

    The GREATEST GIFT that God has ever given to us is the gift of His Son Jesus.

    It’s the Greatest Gift because of our great need.  We are sinners (Romans 3:23), separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), doomed to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14; Romans 6:23).

    But God loves us so much that He gave the Greatest Gift, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins so that we might have forgiveness of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

    Salvation and eternal life are GIFTS that come through Jesus.  Therefore, we cannot earn them.  However, we must accept them on God’s terms.

    God will give salvation and eternal life to those who accept Christ’s offer by placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  The blood of Jesus shed in His atoning death will continue to cleanse those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

    Everything good that we have is an undeserved gift from God.  Everything!

    But the Greatest Gift of all is the gift of Jesus Christ and the salvation and life that are found in and through Him.  “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” – 2 Cor 9:15

    Won’t YOU accept God’s greatest Gift on His terms?

God bless you!

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

* Keith Wishum, “It’s All a Gift,” in A Word from Williams Road, a publication of the Williams Road Church of Christ , Americus, GA.  www.williamsroadcoc.org

Grace and Truth

By Joe Chesser

 

    Grace and Truth. Like the old song said, “You can’t have one without the other!” More importantly, it’s what the Apostle John said about Jesus: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1.14 ESV – emphasis mine).

    For some reason, Christianity seems to be divided over the combination of these two terms. On the one side are those who are all in when it comes to grace. They love to quote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2.8 ESV). And that’s certainly what grace is, the extension of God’s love to a totally undeserving world. Without grace none of us have a hope of being saved. According to John 1.14, because Jesus was born into this world we all can have hope; we are given in him a vision of the fullness of God’s grace. Praise God for His gift of grace!!

    But on the other side are those who are all in when it comes to truth. They love to quote “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” and “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 8.32; 17.17 ESV). The emphasis on this side is for all of us to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2.15 ESV). Praise God for his word of truth!!

    What did people see in Jesus when he lived among them? What did he reveal about God the Father? John 1.14 says he revealed both the fullness of grace and truth! Not one or the other. Grace and truth are compatible in Jesus. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1.17). He didn’t come to polarize his followers like what we see so much of today. Instead, he prayed for unity among his followers, and through this unity to proclaim the balance of grace (God’s gift) and truth (God’s word) to the world, so they could also see and experience the love of Jesus and the Father (John 17.20-23). What we see in Jesus is that both grace and truth are necessary to draw us into the heart and presence of God.  We are instructed by God through the writings of Paul to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all ...” (Ephesians 4.3-6 ESV).

    Grace and truth are not enemies unless we take our eyes off of Jesus. Jesus became flesh so that we would see in him the fullness of grace and truth!

- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO.  He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com

AMAZING!

By David Sargent

     “The GREYHOUND had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they manually worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.
     With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.” – The Reformed Reader
     John Newton survived that day at the helm.  That day, March 21, 1748, was a turning point in his life.  It was a day that he would never forget, for he believed that “On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters.”  On that day he began to turn to the Christ that he had ignored since childhood when his mother had tried to teach him the Scriptures.
     Newton went on to preach about the GRACE  that had lifted him out of despair, and he wrote the words of the beloved hymn:

“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”

     Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach until his health would no longer allow it.  Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, “My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”
     “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” – the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 1:15
     That’s WONDERFUL NEWS, for we are ALL sinners, doomed to destruction (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  But God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our redemption from sin (Ephesians 1:7).
     We receive God’s amazing grace when we... place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  We continue to be cleansed from our sins as we continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
     Stan Mitchell has written: “Dying for the sins of the world is not an every day event. … It was stunning, unexpected and offered to those who were unworthy.  In a word, it was nothing less than AMAZING.”
     Won’t YOU receive the Amazing Grace of God through your trusting obedience?

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org

 
* Information gleaned from The Reformed Reader and “Why should I gain from his reward?” by Stan Mitchell in Forthright Magazine.

Grace – All-Sufficient or Insufficient? (Ephesians 2:1-10)

By Gerald Cowan

    I am not among those who think we in the church of Christ have not understood correctly the great doctrines of the New Testament. Some are saying that we have only recently come to understand – or are just now coming to understand – the grace of God. The trouble may be that many of our preachers and teachers have been educated in denominational schools and have imbibed denominational errors. They are often not discerning enough to see the errors, and so they pass them along to others who are as dull of hearing as they themselves. Paul said that those who have learned the truth should teach it to others who shall then be able to teach others, and so to keep the flow of truth alive in education (2 Tim. 2:2). That principle is very effective. Unfortunately the principle works just as well in the flow of error. People are not always or often as bold and noble as the Bereans, searching the scripture itself to ascertain that their teachers are giving the truth of God (Acts 17:11) and not the dogmas, doctrines, and traditions of men (read Mark 7:7-9).
    One of the “trouble spots” in Christian doctrine is the matter of grace. I believe much of trouble in understanding grace properly is the current penchant for more freedom and less responsibility on the part of those who would be “Christian.” People want an easy path to heaven and a God who makes no demands – they want a SAVIOR but they do not want a LORD. They want God to do everything for them, with no commands or requirements to be met by them – human works having no bearing at all upon one’s relationship to God. Because it sounds plausible and because it is what so many want to hear, it is easy to persuade people that salvation is now100% by God’s grace and 0% by human works. It was not always so.
    It is sometimes said, by people who do not know and understand the scripture, that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath, vengeance, and punishment – a bloody God, a God of JUSTICE. However, the God of the New Testament is not like that at all. The God of the New Testament, they like to say, is a kind and merciful and benevolent God who delights in human salvation – a God of GRACE. Neither part of that description is valid. It is a distortion of the truth of God.
    In any discussion of the character or nature of God there are several qualities that must be balanced, even though some of them may seem to be logical contradictions. There are of course several absolute attributes of God: eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, immutable, uncreated, self-existent, and self-sustaining. It is not our purpose to discuss those matters in the present lesson.  There are also many things that could be called relative attributes of God. They pertain to His relationships with and attitudes toward His creation – with mankind in particular. The list of relative attributes can be reduced to about seven major headings: love, grace, holiness, righteousness, justice, benevolence, and revealed truth. All other qualities or characteristics of God will fit into one or more of these seven categories. The task set for us in the present lesson is to examine the grace of God, especially as it concerns the salvation of mankind. As already noted, this is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in modern Bible study. It is also one of the most controversial factors in current religious discussions.
    Let us dispense with the erroneous and invalid definition that makes the God of the Old Testament a God of JUSTICE and WRATH and the God of the New Testament a God of GRACE and BENEVOLENCE. Here are some representative passages indicating that people in OT times understood something of the love and loving-kindness of God. Deut. 7:7-8, 13, and 23:5; 1 Kings  10:9; 2 Chron. 2:11 and 9:8; Isaiah 63:7-9; Jer. 31:3 and 8; Psalm 36:7 and 119:59; (John 3:16 was spoken to people under the old covenant, not yet under the new). Here are a few representative passages showing the grace and graciousness of God (usually accompanied by mercy and kindness) in the Old Testament.  Gen. 6:8; Ex. 22:27 and 34:6; 2 Kings 13:23; Neh. 9:17 and 31; Joel 2:13; Psalm 84:11; Zech. 4:7  and 12:10.
Finally, here are a few of the many passages in the New Testament showing the justice, wrath, and severity of God under the new covenant of Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 10:27-31 and 12:29; James 2:13; John 3:36; Eph. 5:6; Rom. 2:6-11 and 11:22. You will notice from all of this that love, mercy, grace, kindness, judgment, wrath, and punishment, etc. are part and parcel of God’s relationship with man at all times and under all covenants in human history.

- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary, is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. Gerald publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled GERALD COWAN’S PERSONAL PERIODICAL WRITINGS. He is available for Gospel Meetings and he may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

Our Need for Grace

By David Bragg

    On Father’s Day in 2003 Brian (10) was innocently playing with a pair of old handcuffs that his father, a former security guard, had laying around. Brian decided to “attach” himself to his father, who was glad to play along until he realized that the key was missing. After an exhaustive search the police were contacted to help remove the cuffs, which they did, and replaced them with new ones. As a result of routine background checks they discovered two outstanding warrants on Brian’s dad (Des Moines Register, June 17, 2003). He thought he had escaped his past. Justice is not very forgiving!
    The sad reality of life is that we all struggle with sin. Not only do we struggle, we consistently lose that battle. Two familiar verses burn this reality into our minds: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23) and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we need God's grace.
    Grace has been described in various ways. It is “God’s unmerited favor,” or "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." But no matter how you define it, grace is essential. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

- David Bragg serves as one of the ministers at the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC and is co-editor of BulletinGold. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.nwchurchofchrist.com/ or his blog: http://davidbragg.blogspot.com/

Grace At Work

     “For through the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think: but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
     Grace can do a wonderful work in our lives.  It will save us from sin; it will keep us from the power of sin; it will equip us for every good work as a Christian.  It also should humble us under the mighty hand of God.  Here’s where we need to be careful.  When His grace is working in us we won’t be exalting ourselves; we will give Him the glory.  We will allow God to equip us and lead us into our working place.  This is the pattern Jesus left for us.  When we boast and “blow smoke”, it hides our gifts.  Let’s empty ourselves as Jesus did.  Let’s keep ourselves as meek, and God will supply our power.

- Grace for Your Spirit, via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com