If there is one thing we all associate with Jesus it is salvation. We hear about how Jesus died to save us quite regularly. We know we can’t save ourselves and no one else can save us. Salvation has to come from Jesus. He said that was his purpose on earth,“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”(Luke 19:10). 

So, there is certainly no issue with Jesus bringing us eternal salvation, but Hebrews 5:9 says, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”. What does it mean to be an author? We usually think of an author as one who writes a book or a story and Jesus never wrote anything as far as we know, so what does it mean?

The word translated ‘author’ here is only used this one time and it literally means the “causer”, the one who causes something to happen. Some translate it a ‘Source of eternal salvation”. Without a doubt Jesus caused eternal salvation by the action he took in coming and dying on our behalf. Certainly Jesus is the Source of our eternal salvation just as an author is the source of the book or story that he then writes. And Jesus has a book of life where he has written the rest of this story, the names of those who obey him and receive the eternal life that he authored.

If you have ever been in trouble of any kind you know that being saved from it is wonderful. Even a temporary salvation is a great thing. How much more then when we have an eternal salvation offered to us? Have you taken advantage of the eternal salvation Jesus authored for you? Will you let him write your name in his book with others who have obeyed him? Are you living each day like someone who has eternal salvation and eternal life? 1 John 5:13 tells we can know that we “have eternal life”, but are we living up to it? 

​jp

Another Year
Another year is dawning, Dear Father, let it be, 
In working or in waiting, Another year with thee. 
Another year of progress, Another year of praise, 
Another year of proving, Thy presence all the days, 
Another year of mercies, Of faithfulness and grace, 
Another year of gladness, The glory of thy face. 
Another year of leaning Upon thy loving breast, 
Another year of trusting, Of quiet, happy rest. 
Another year of service, Of witness for thy love, 
Another year of training, For holier work above. 
Another year is dawning, Dear Father, let it be, 
On earth, or else in heaven Another year for thee!
Frances Ridley Havergal


It is so easy some times to push the work of God aside for our own desires and pleasures. It’s not a deliberate thing, it just happens. 

We must honestly look at our lives and ask if we are guilty of doing this in our own lives. What are the things that keep me from doing those things which I know God wants? Are those things really what’s important in life? 

One good test is to ask yourself, “How is this going to sound on Judgment Day?” Will this be a good excuse for not doing what God said to do? We do have emergencies which keep us from doing God’s will. Our children get ill. Water pipes burst. Automobiles break down. Family problems happen. But in spite of these emergencies we should return to doing the will of God.

How important are these thing compared to eternity? 

Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. [25] For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. [26] For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 

As we begin this new year may we commit ourselves to serving God more than we did last year. Putting God first in our lives should always be the priority in our lives. - LP

FINANCIAL PLANNING
      Dan was a single man living at home with his widowed father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed to find a wife with whom to share his fortune. One evening, at an investment meeting, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. 
     "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, "but soon, my father will die and I will inherit $200 million." Impressed, the woman asked for his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother. 
Women are so much better at financial planning than men.
      We would say the woman above was very shrewd in the way she handled the situation. Jesus talks about another situation of shrewdness about financial planning in Luke 16:1-13.
       He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' 5 So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 
     Jesus makes a comparison of the unjust steward and Christians. He points out that worldly people are more shrewd in their dealing with earthly wealth than we as Christians are with the spiritual wealth that is available to us (eternal life).
     True riches are found in heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
    How are you at spiritual financial planning? Where is your heart? - LP

BASAL METABOLISM - THE ENERGY TURNOVER OF THE BODY IN A BASAL STATE (BASAL INDICATES THE STANDARD AT A LOW LEVEL OF ACTIVITY)
If you live anywhere that has been suffering this miserable heat this summer, you have probably been trying to experience basal metabolism as much as possible. When it is 105 degrees with a heat index close to 120 we try to avoid any activity that isn’t absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, this attitude is present in our spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of other Christians far too often. Many of the ‘saints’ would more accurately be termed ‘ain’ts’. They just ‘ain’t gonna do nothing I don’t have to’.

There is an old cartoon that I have seen in church bulletins that illustrates this attitude. In the cartoon, there is a long line of people standing at the gates to heaven and one fellow is running toward the end of the line shouting, “He isn’t counting Wednesday night attendance.” Everyone in line shouts, “hooray”. This describes perfectly the attitude many have. They are doing only what they think they ‘must’ to get into heaven. Let’s test ourselves. Would you come to Wed. Night Bible study if you knew that you didn’t have to in order to be saved? What if you found out that instrumental music wouldn’t necessarily send you to Hell? What if it was discovered that you really only needed to be assembled with the saints once on Sunday, would you come back Sunday Night? What about singing, or praying, or giving? Would you continue to be active in these things if you found out that God would let you slide into Heaven without them?

Children will often ask the question, “Do I have to?” whenever there is something unpleasant like eating broccoli. It is disheartening to realize that many of those for whom Christ gave his life feel the same way about pleasing him. We are asking the wrong questions. There is nothing in life that we ‘have to’ do. We have free will and if we don’t want to there may be certain consequences, but we don’t have to do it. In Christianity, the question we should be asking is “can I?” not “must I”. The basal metabolism attitude and resulting behavior is more likely to keep most out of heaven than any other sin. If we have the proper attitude, God will freely forgive us when we fall and then get up to try again. Sadly, many are still thinking like the Pharisees did about completing a checklist instead of thinking in terms of giving their life to Christ. The Pharisees were condemned not because they didn’t believe the right things or even because of horrible sins in their lives, but Jesus condemned them because they had the detailed minutia figured out and had forgotten about the matters of greatest importance. Like many today they would be asking exactly how many Wednesday nights they could miss and still be okay and then miss them. (Luke 11:42) ”But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

In college there were two kinds of classes that I took. The first was the one that I “had to have to graduate”. The other was one that I wanted to take. You may remember similar experiences in school. The Gotta Have It class was missed as much as possible without failure, the work was done adequately, tardiness or last minute arrival was the norm, and interest was minimal. The Chosen class, quite to the contrary, was never missed, always arrived at early, extremely interesting, and aced in the grades department. I couldn’t understand why some people would skip these incredible classes. Of course, the reason was that to them it wasn’t a chosen class it was a have to class. The point, however, is that in actuality there was no difference in the classes. They were both necessary for graduation. The only difference was in my attitude toward them. The same is true in religion, one command of God is just as necessary as another, but we have different attitudes about different aspects of Christianity. I may have never had a desire to kill anyone, so not killing is easy. On the other hand, I may like to sleep in on Sunday morning, thus making Sunday school attendance undesirable. When we correct our attitude our eagerness and energy output will be increased and we won’t be suffering along at a basal metabolism rate. (Rev 3:15-16) “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. {16} So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

ANIMISM - BELIEF THAT OBJECTS CONTAIN SOULS

At one time or another all of us have probably given inanimate objects  human characteristics. I know I have complained about how my computer  doesn’t like me, or how a chair moved into my way causing me to stub a toe.  Yes, we all do this, in literature it is referred to as personification and  even the greatest of writers use it. Hopefully we realize that those things  are not even alive, much less human and couldn’t possibly do the things of  which we are accusing them.

There are, however, people in the world, in this country, and probably even  some in the church who believe that objects or plants or animals have souls  and will be in heaven (though interestingly enough, never in hell). Many  people who believe in the doctrine of animism will often make statements  about how precious all life is, and we don’t argue that. They will go on to  equate the life of an animal or plant with that of a human, and there we  must draw the line. While it is true that we should never take any life;  plant, animal, or human needlessly as good stewards of God’s creation, we  must also realize that it was God himself who proclaimed man’s value to be  superior to that of any other of his earthly creations.

I heard a news report a few years ago about a boy who was lost in the woods  for quite some time. When the boy was finally located the rescue chopper  couldn’t land because he was in a part of the forest where some endangered  species lived and the landing could have harmed them. Fortunately, the boy  survived after rescuers hiked in to get him, but his life was needlessly  endangered to save an animal’s life. Only a few weeks ago people threw a  tantrum when police had to shoot and kill an elephant which had killed its  trainer and escaped from a circus. The animal was wreaking havoc around the  city and threatening other lives, and after failing to capture the animal  without harming it they had no choice but to protect innocent people.

Jesus compared a human with a soul to all of the material world and asked  the question, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world,  and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  (Mat 16:26). Objects living or otherwise that are not human do not have  souls, and are of less value than one human’s soul. Certainly we need to  respect life and all that God has created, but we have to remember the  eternal difference between humanity and the rest of creation.

As we start this new year this is a question that we need to answer. Where we will spend eternity is dependent upon the answer and the follow through of that very question. So, the question comes to you, “What will you do with Jesus?” Even if you don’t consciously answer this question you are answering it each and every day by the way you live your life. 

In Matthew chapter 27 Pilate is facing the most difficult and most significant decision of his career. He has Jesus, falsely accused of treason and other crimes, before him. Pilate can find no wrongdoing in Christ. Under those circumstances Jesus should have been cleared and freed. Pilate made a mistake that is almost unimaginable. Picture a courtroom with a judge and a defendant and a plaintiff, a common picture. Now, after the questioning is over and no evidence against the accused has been found, imagine if you can, the judge turning to the accusers and saying, “What should I do?” What do you think the accusers will say? As shocking as it seems that is what Pilate did. You see Pilate was asking the right question, he just went to the wrong source for the answer.

Pilate’s wife had sent a message to him to have nothing to do with Jesus. She warned him that Jesus was a just man. Of course, he is much more than that, and her advice to have nothing to do with him was not wise.  Pilate, regardless of her advice, could not avoid this decision. Even though he tried to pass it off to Herod (Luke 23), Herod sent Jesus back. We are in the same difficult position as Pilate. We can’t pass the decision off to someone else, we must each answer for himself.

There are several responses that can be made to this question: 


1) You may choose to ignore it and do nothing. This is the same as rejecting Jesus.


2) You may choose to wait until later and do nothing now. This is the same as rejecting Jesus.


3) You may choose to reject Jesus and his claim on you.


4) You may claim to serve him in word, but do your own will. This is also the same as rejecting Him.


5) You may pretend to serve him with your actions, but not with your heart. This is rejecting Him.


6) You may ask others, even Jesus’ enemies, what they think you should do? This can be dangerous.


7) You may try to serve Jesus and someone or something else. This rejects His absolute sovereignty.


8) You may choose to serve Him and worship Him according to his commands with your whole heart.

You may be able to think of other responses or scenarios, but the fact is that anything other than total submission to Jesus and his commandments is a rejection of Him as Lord and Christ. 

What are you going to do with Jesus? You had better make sure you choose wisely and follow through because one day all who have ever lived will stand before Him in judgment and wait to see what He will do with them. I will be there, and you will be there, too. It will be too late then. We must answer now. 

We have discussed the fact that nothing is as needed as time spent with Jesus listening to him and his teaching. So let’s listen, really listen to his teaching in Matthew chapter 19. In the first part of this chapter Jesus teaches on one of the greatest plagues in our society, that of divorce. Let’s leave that for next time. Beginning in verse 16 he has a conversation with a rich young man. The young man wants to know how to gain eternal life, but as we will see the price Jesus asks is too high. And unlike other things salvation never goes on sale. The price has been the same for 2000 years.

Their heart to heart begins with the man asking what he can do and Jesus responds that he should keep the commandments. Remember that until Jesus died the Law of Moses was the spiritual law that was in effect. The young man replied that he had done that and then asked the crucial question that each of us should ask each and every day of our lives. In verse 20 he says, “...what lack I yet?” You see, following God and Christ is not like many other things in life, which can be completed. Being a Christian is a life-long pursuit that is not finished until death. When we have learned our ABC’s, for example, we are done; we know them, and unless there is an accident or some severe illness that affects our mind and memory, we never have to learn them again. Many skills are that way and some of Christianity falls into that category as well, but unlike finishing school in the secular world we can’t graduate from Christianity.

The young man in our text probably thought things were going well when he asked this question. He was, apparently, a faithful Jew who thought he had kept the ten commandments and probably the whole law. Millions of people today think the same kind of way. We all want to believe that we have a good relationship with God whether we really do or not. Many have convinced themselves that because they joined one church or another, or their parents baptized them when they were little, or they live a good moral life, or any number of other similar reasonings there is nothing else necessary for them to please God and gain eternal life.

Christianity, however, is a race and not everyone who enters finishes. What’s more you can’t just go out and run down the street to be part of a race, you have to enter. Of course, races have rules and courses that must be followed without shortcuts. The Christian life is no different, and it is only concluded at death. We must always be working to correct sins, add virtues, increase knowledge and faith, and ask the tough questions. When we ask those tough questions we must be prepared for tough answers and have the courage and fortitude to respond. The young man in our story wasn’t prepared, and he lost the chance of heaven because of it.

 What lack I yet? Jesus answer to this young man was that he needed to go sell his goods and give the money to the poor. He couldn’t respond. He asked the tough question, but when he got the tough answer he wasn’t prepared to do it. When we ask the question ‘what lack I yet’ and listen to Jesus’ teaching, we must make the change. The answer to that question will be different for us at different times and under different circumstances, and our feelings will never be a sufficient guide. We must look to the teaching that Jesus left for us in the Bible. What are you lacking, that is keeping you from having the best relationship possible with God?

I hope that you are enjoying these articles, and learning from them. If you have a Bible question you would like answered with a Bible answer, or if there is a Bible topic you would like to see covered, please write me at the address below.

QITB - Questions in the Bible - is a series of articles based on questions that were actually asked in the Bible. They are on a variety of topics for that very reason, so they will be grouped in the category 'questions in the bible' on the right side.


In our world today many religions teach that salvation and eternal life are the free gifts of God and that noone has to ‘do’ anything to receive them. One belief statement I read recently said this: “When man... becomes blameworthy, his only hope is a work of grace by God alone.  ...The ground of our salvation is the shed blood of Jesus Christ; the occasion of our salvation is our believing God in this regard. Faith and faith alone being the requirement for the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, we believe that the believer is eternally saved in him.” That sounds great to most of us. It tells us that we can go to heaven without doing anything and that once we believe that God will save us he will and we can’t lose it. It sounds ‘too good to be true’. Well, when something sounds too good to be true it usually is.

In Matthew 19:16 a man comes to Jesus and asks the question, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”. This man must not have known the teaching above, so, Jesus is going to tell him about it, right? Wrong! Jesus, instead of telling the man that there was nothing he could do and that if he would just believe he would get eternal life, told him, “...but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” I guess Jesus did not know about the teaching quoted above either. Who do you suppose knows how to get to heaven better, Jesus, the Son of God? Or the man who thought up the teaching in the last paragraph?

In every area of life we see that in order to receive something we must do something. It is certainly true that we cannot get to heaven without the grace of God and it is equally true that we can’t make it without faith. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that salvation is the gift of God, but even a gift is of no use without action on the part of the recipient. Imagine if you will that I (or more likely someone rich) offered to anyone and everyone a Wal-mart gift card for $100. If that happened it would be a free gift, but it would do you absolutely no good until you made use of it. 

Let’s look at all the things you would have to ‘do’ in order to receive this ‘free’ gift. First, you would have to know about the offer, just as we must know about God’s offer of salvation. Second, you would have to believe it was true, just as we must believe God’s offer is valid. Third, you would have to get the gift card, just knowing and believing would not cause the gift card to magically appear in your hand. Whatever the method prescribed for receiving the gift would have to be followed whether it was: send your name and address, call this number, or come here to pick it up. The same holds true with salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Fourth, you would have to keep the card. If you lost it or it was stolen from you it would not be the giver’s fault. Salvation can be lost or given away, fortunately, it can’t be stolen, but someone who was once saved can be lost. If that were not the case why would there be so many warnings in the Bible telling us to be faithful, hold fast, be steadfast, etc.? Finally, you would have to go to Wal-mart and use the card. You couldn’t use it at Fred’s, Piggly Wiggly, or the local gas stations. So, you see that even a ‘free’ gift requires work or obedience on the part of the recipient.

Salvation is a wonderful gift, but in order to take advantage of it you must “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”(Philippians 2:12)