Newsletter: November 16, 2003 GODISFORUS.COM NEWSLETTER November 16, 2003 Volume I, Issue 6 Greetings to all! I hope this newsletter finds everyone standing firm in the grace of God! This is the sixth issue of our bi-weekly newsletter designed to bring encouragement for the Christian walk and witness and to help others better understand the website and how and it be used to evangelize the lost. Please feel free to forward any questions or comments you may have regarding the topics being discussed. You can view previous issues of the newsletter at this URL: http://www.godisforus.com/Archives.htm. OUR WALK AND WITNESS: In our last Newsletter we learned of the two vital means by which Sanctification takes place: the Holy Spirit and the written word of God. In this newsletter we will look a bit more closely at the washing process already mentioned in brief. In our next newsletter we will spend some time focusing on the renewing process of the heart and mind. I sense that the lord will be speaking to our hearts in a special way in this Newsletter and pray His blessing on it. A good place to begin is in the book of James where we see the written word of God is to be an integral part of our sanctification. James writes: (James 1:21-25 NASB) Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. {22} But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. {23} For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; {24} for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. {25} But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. Notice we are called to put aside all filthiness (washing) by becoming a doer of the word. The one who is not a DOER but is only a HEARER of the word is compared to a man who looks at his face in the mirror, sees that he is dirty, but ignoring the dirt walks away not taking any action to wash! The scriptures then are a mirror by which we can see not only our outward appearance (our present conduct in life) but also our inner selves (our thoughts and attitudes of heart). When we learn from God's word where our lives have become "unclean", whether outwardly or inwardly, we are called to action by cleansing ourselves from these things. Take note of the responsibility that we as believers have to CLEANSE OURSELVES from sin: (2 Cor 7:1 NASB) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Tim 2:21 NASB) Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (Isa 1:16-17 NASB) "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, {17} Learn to do good; Let's look again at the book of James where we are taught to draw near to God by cleansing and purifying our lives from sin: (James 4:8-10 NASB) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. {9} Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. {10} Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Notice the dual emphasis on both the outward and the inward man when James calls us to cleanse our hands (speaking of overt acts of sin) and purify our hearts (speaking of the sin which is in the inner man). Perhaps we would be miserable and mourn and weep a bit more if would were to be brutally honest with ourselves and admit that we at times are thieves and adulterers and murderers at heart when we covet, lust or harbor anger and resentment inside ourselves! Was this what Jesus spoke of when He said to the Pharisees: (Mat 23:27-28 NASB) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. {28} "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. So then the work of sanctification is the washing and cleansing of our lives from sin as it is revealed to us by the Spirit of God through the written Word of God. First we must cease from the outward practice of sin -the overt acts of lying, stealing, immorality etc. Then we must move on to the battlefield of our hearts where we can purify ourselves of pride, selfish ambition, anger, lust, immorality and the like, and begin to take every thought and attitude of heart captive to the obedience of Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ let me remind us all that this matter of Sanctification - the washing and cleansing of the outward and inward man - is central to the purpose for which Jesus Christ the Son of God went to the cross of Calvary. He endured the agony and shame of crucifixion with the expectation that He would obtain something as the result of this great sacrifice. That something of course is for Him to be able to present to Himself the Church as a spotless bride redeemed AND purified from sin and ready to be joined to Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb for all eternity. We must ask ourselves today if this is the first priority of our lives and if it is not then we need to repent. In closing please consider once again the following scripture: (Eph 5:25-27 NASB) ....Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; {26} that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, {27} that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. (Mat 6:33 NASB) "... seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; " THE WEBSITE: In our previous newsletter the first topic in the library "God's Word the Bible" was highlighted. The importance of demonstrating that the Scriptures are God's revelation to this world was noted. Having established this fact we then go to the next topic: "A Biblical World View" where an effort is made to explain the truth about this life as it is presented in the Bible. There are three sub-topics found under the topic a "Biblical Worldview": 1. GOD; 2. THE WORLD; 3. SIN. In the first sub-topic we look at the existence, preeminence and perfection of God where His sovereignty as creator, lawgiver and judge are explained. In the second we see the world created by God, subject to God and rebelling against God. Thirdly, the existence and nature of sin is explored in detail. All three sub-topics are presented as found in the Bible with lots of scripture given for consideration. This important topic paves the way for the presentation of the gospel in the person of Jesus Christ as presented in the next two topics. However, until people understand the true nature of God, this world and sin as revealed in scripture their need for salvation might not be realized. Let me encourage you to visit this portion of the site and consider how you might use some or all of the contents as you try to evangelize those around you. http://godisforus.com/information/worldview/intro/intro.htm Because God is For Us! Kevin McGill