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March, 2008 Lessons to Convert Know “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 The“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 Truth “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4
This Month's Theme: “To Open Their Eyes!” The “Great Commission” was given by the Savior to His Apostles as a master plan for the establishment and spread of His kingdom ( Matthew 28:18-20 ; Mark 16:15 -16 ; Luke 24:46-49 ; John 20:21 ). Later in the history of the church, the Apostle Paul was chosen by the Savior to be sent to the Gentiles (as one chosen out of due time – I Corinthians 15:8 ; Acts 9:15 ; 22:14 -16 ). The Apostle to the Gentiles was also commissioned and it is in his own words that we learn a very valuable lesson, note: Acts 26:17-18 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 t o open their eyes , in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' The Apostle Paul has been in the custody of the Roman law in Judea since coming to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey as the emissary of the Lord. Upon arriving at Jerusalem , he was implored to show longsuffering on behalf of the Jewish converts who had heard he taught contrary to Moses, the Law, and the temple. Although Paul taught, as all the Apostles did, that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the one of which Moses himself spoke ( Deuteronomy 18:18-19 ), Paul was willing to show them that he too had respect for the law as a school master to bring the Jews to Christ ( Galatians 3:24 ). So he sponsored men who had taken a vow and went with them as they purified themselves at the temple complex. Jews from Asia witnessed him there and knowing that he traveled with Gentiles, they assumed that he had brought them into the temple. They instigated the people to riot and laid hands on him with the intention to kill him; which would have succeeded had the garrison of Rome within the city not responded to the riot. This lead Paul from one presentation to another in defense of his innocence (first before the people, then the high court, then two different Roman governors, and finally king Herod of the Jews). Within this defense before Herod, Paul would recount his conversion and the subsequent commission he was given. Even though Paul was commissioned after the establishment of the church, we learn that that his charge was not any different than that of the other Apostles. However, Paul describes an event in his commissioned work that every man and women on the planet should take an interest in, note:
Men >>> + >>>> Denominator >>>>> + >>>> Denominator >>>> +
In this little chart we see ‘what' Paul was to open the eyes of men towards. Paul tells us in this passage that all men have the same condition without the power of this message. He would describe that condition as “darkness” and “the power of Satan”. These are universal terms that describe the condition of SIN! Sin is simply that which is contrary to the desires of God. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Since in this description to the Christians of Rome, Paul reveals that all men are guilty of this disease of separation; we learn why the commission is for everyone! “Make disciples of every nation” , “Go into the world and preach the Gospel” , etc… This was the work that Paul was given, to open the eyes of men to their need to be delivered from the separating power of darkness and to deliver them into a new and better state of harmony with God. As we now look into the instructions of the great commission, we will see the denominator that brings men into this state of harmony, note:
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mark 16:15-16 “And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved ; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Luke 24:47 “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem .” Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, " Repent , and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (good news of Jesus Christ, that which calls men out of darkness), repentance from the contrary behavior to the will of God (the turning that starts the journey away from darkness), baptism for the remission of sins (that which actually takes you out of darkness and gives you the forgiveness necessary for an inheritance), and finally living the teaching that Jesus gave His chosen Apostles to teach to all those who are His (that which maintains our special calling as saints). These things become the common denominator that brings us out of the power of darkness and into light and harmony with God. Note how Paul would describe to Christians having had taken this journey based on the Gospel of Christ; their transition from darkness to light:
Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,” Ephesians 2:1 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:17-18 “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Without the denominator the formula is incomplete and cannot, regardless of who hears the message, unite men with God. Only when we partake of His divine nature can we then be heirs to salvation. Paul himself had to follow the same process and denominators that he was called to proclaim, note: Acts 22:14 -16 “Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized , and wash away your sins , calling on the name of the Lord.”
Have Your Eyes Been Opened? We invite you to worship with us: Sunday Morning Bible Study – 10 A.M. (Classes for all ages) Sunday Morning Worship – 10:50 A.M. (Communion, Prayer, Singing, and a Sermon) Sunday Evening Worship – 5 P.M. (Singing, Prayer, and another practical lesson) Wednesday Evening Service – 7 P.M. (Singing, Prayer, and Bible Classes) Visit our web site at: plvcc.org
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