Volume 51 Number 10 October 2009
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Jesus is God’s Son and He is the Savior of the Body (Church).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
(Ephesians 5: 23, 25).You enter the body of Christ by these five steps, leaving none out:
Hearing the Word
Believing the Word
Repenting of Sin
Confessing Your Faith
You must remain faithful to the church. Baptism isn’t the finish line, it is the start.
“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).“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
(Colossians 3:1-4).You must know what sin is- God hates sin, and we have to take it seriously.
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
(James 4:17).The Bible is God’s inspired word, not man-generated.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(2 Timothy 3:16,17).Not all churches are created equally. The Bible shows the structure of the church and how it ought to worship the Lord with the aid of three officers: Elders, Deacons, Evangelists. There is no hierarchy beyond the local church.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”
(Ephesians 4:11,12).Who you marry will go a long ways towards helping you with spiritual maturity.
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
(2 Corinthians 6:14,15).You are responsible for your actions, as well as the abilities and information you have learned.
“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
(Luke 12:48).Treat people as you would like to be treated (or, The Golden Rule).
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” (Luke 6: 31).