Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Mount
Baker
Beacon Volume 03, Number 11
03/17/2024 Published by
Mt. Baker
church of Christ Location:
1860 Mt. Baker HWY
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30821
Bellingham, WA 98228
(360) 752-2692 Sunday:
Bible Classes..........9:30 AM
Worship..10:30AM; 6:00PM
Wednesday:
Bible Classes.........7:00 PM
Web site: Mt. Baker church
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Editor......John Bass
| In this issue:
SANCTIFY US
Danny Linden In John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples to be faithful even though He was getting ready to leave them. In this prayer He shows deep concern for how they will conduct themselves in the future. There are so many opportunities for us to lose our faith. Let’s take some of what Jesus prayed for and echo it as a prayer for ourselves.
Unity. “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:9-11).
Jesus’ prayer was especially focused on those who followed Him. He certainly still cared about the world—He was getting ready to die for the sins of every person. But His disciples needed special intercession on their behalf.
When Jesus leaves, they will lose His immediate presence and leadership. Will they remain united in purpose and practice or will they crumble? The key to their unity is the same divine leadership. Jesus wants them to be kept in connection to the Father which will keep them connected to each other. There’s no possibility of unity without commitment to God in spirit and truth.
Protection. “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, just as I am not of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).
Jesus gave His disciples a transformative gift—the word of God. The whole time He was with them, He taught them how to live righteously. That will continue in a different way after He leaves. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit will guide them, and this is important. There are forces of evil that will try to tear them away from God. Jesus’ fervent wish is for His disciples to be protected from evil. They have to remain in the world, and Jesus isn’t asking for that to change. But while they live in the world, they must not fall under the sway of Satan. This will only be possible through God’s guidance and protection.
Holiness. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:17-19).
Divine protection will happen through sanctification, and this verse may serve as the best summary of Jesus’ prayer for His disciples. Sanctification is a type of separation, but not the removal from the world that Jesus already acknowledged wouldn’t happen. Instead, it is a separation of purpose and character. Much like the sanctification of the temple and the utensils and priests within under the law of Moses, Jesus’ disciples were set apart for a special purpose. They could not be like the rest of the world or they would fall victim to the devil like the rest of the world. If they will faithfully keep the word of God, they will join Jesus in His consecration for the Father’s purpose.
Our prayer. While Jesus prayed these words specifically for His disciples who were with Him then, He also extended the prayer to the disciples who would come after them (John 17:20). We are those disciples! If we want to fulfill our God-given purpose, we should echo Jesus’ prayer for ourselves:
Father God, we are Your disciples and we love You. We want to be united with You in purpose and character. Draw us closer to You and guide us in righteousness. We know we are not able to overcome Satan on our own, but with You our victory is assured. We don’t have to fall victim to evil because You protect us and separate us. Sanctify us! Make us what we must be to fulfill the purpose You made us for. Transform us by Your word and keep us in the faith. Top
THE SANCTITY OF THE GOSPEL
Danny Linden In his letter to the Galatian Christians, Paul addressed an urgent issue that had come up. Judaizing teachers had come to them and led them away from the truth. Paul’s opening statements in his letter reveal much about the sanctity of the gospel of Jesus.
A different gospel? “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-9).
The Galatians were losing their faith in the gospel. Paul could scarcely believe it—what could possibly be sufficient to pull them away from Jesus? He first calls it a “different gospel” but clearly there is no such thing. The people who brought them this other teaching were nothing but trouble. This false gospel was a distorted version of the truth, yet it held none of the original value of the gospel. There was no partial credit given!
The gospel of Christ supersedes the messenger who brings it. Paul didn’t want them to be loyal to him—if he taught them something contradictory to the gospel, then he is deserving of a curse. Even if an angel from heaven preached a contrary message, that angel would be deserving of a curse and should be rejected. This can only be true because the message is more important than the messenger. Hold to the truth of the word of God!
Seeking approval. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).
When Paul initially came and preached to them, he made zero effort to tell them what they wanted to hear. That wasn’t his job or his purpose. As a servant of God, his only duty is to please God. This is important to establish because it doesn’t really matter if the false teachers are more appealing to the Galatians. It also doesn’t matter what they have claimed about Paul, even though it appears the false teachers may have been challenging the legitimacy of Paul’s apostleship[1] (cf. 1:13-2:14).
Paul’s goal wasn’t to make friends, though the Christian bond that connected them certainly gave reason to care for them and love them. His singular goal was to give glory to God, and part of that was done by presenting the gospel to them. If they would obey the gospel and hold fast to it, they would be saved.
The revelation of Jesus Christ. “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11-12).
The Galatians were used to itinerant philosophers coming into town with some new way to understand life. If they would simply follow their teachings (and financially support them), their lives would be enriched. Paul didn’t give them life tips from his esteemed perspective. There was no desire to make Pauline disciples. The gospel he preached was not his own creation but came from God. It needed to be respected as such.
Conclusion. We must be aware of the danger of false gospels. Many people will teach a distorted version of the truth and will present it with the framing of liberty, knowledge, and righteousness. There is no value in a false gospel, no matter what similarities it may have to the truth. If it is not the whole truth of God’s word, it must be rejected as dangerous heresy.
Whether we are the teachers or the hearers, we must have enough respect for the gospel to avoid any selfish motives as we handle it. I don’t need anyone to join the church of Danny, nor do I need someone that always tells me what I want to hear. What we need is the gospel. The gospel has power to save like nothing else. There is power in these words that exceeds any messenger, so the gospel deserves our careful consideration and obedience. Top
Created by John Bass, last updated. 03/16/2024 The Mount Baker Beacon is a weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA.
Send all questions, comments to the editor, John Bass at (360) 325-5149 or johnbass2468@gmail.com |
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