Choose Your Words Wisely

 

President Calvin Coolidge was known for being a man of few words. His preference for not speaking earned him the nickname “Silent Cal.” His wife Grace told a story about a White House dinner party in which a young lady was seated beside the President. She told Coolidge that she made a bet with her friend that she could get him to say at least three words during dinner. 

 

“You lose,” Coolidge said, without even looking up from his plate, and he didn’t speak another word during the course of the meal. Talk about choosing your words wisely! Coolidge didn’t say much, but when he did, he tried to make his words count. 

 

Some speak more than others, but on average people say about 7,000 words a day. Whether you are on the top end of that number, or whether you are closer to Silent Cal, you should still choose your words wisely. That is what David wanted to do. He once wrote, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14).” 

 

A great question to ask is, “Are my words acceptable in God’s sight?” Sometimes we deem things as unacceptable. A parent tells their child their behavior is unacceptable, or a teacher tells a student the assignment they turned in is unacceptable. I would hate to know that God found my words to be unacceptable. That assessment is probably true of all of us from time to time, but for some their overall speech patterns are unacceptable. 

 

Crude words are unacceptable, and Paul said, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification…(Ephesians 4:29).” Dishonest words are unacceptable, and Solomon said, “These six things the Lord hates…a proud look, a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:16-17).” Blasphemous words are unacceptable, and Moses wrote, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain (Exodus 20:7).” 

 

Some might wonder what the big deal is. How can words uttered into the air really be a problem? For starters, our words reveal a heart issue; if we are losing our temper and saying angry things, those words are just symptoms of a worse problem. But another reason to choose our words carefully is that they are a reflection of the God we serve. If we are liars, the world will not trust us when we tell them they need Jesus. When we are crude, they will not think they need Jesus if Jesus hasn’t cleaned us up. When we blaspheme, they won’t think Jesus is special to us. 

 

The words we say matter to God because they can turn people off to Him. You don’t have to be Silent Cal, but please choose your words wisely. 

 

Power Cycling

 

“Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?” 

 

That question is my contribution every time something doesn’t work. I’m terrible with electronics. I don’t know the difference between a router and a modem, but we have one of those things at the church and it powers our internet (I think). It seems that once a week no one can get online, but when I unplug the device, wait twenty to thirty seconds, and plug it back in, it usually works. Apparently that is called “power cycling.” If power cycling doesn’t work, I’m out of ideas. 

 

While I will never understand the ins and outs of electronic devices, I have come to learn that sometimes they just need to be unplugged. During that half minute or so it somehow regains it composure and is able to function again. It seemingly forgets how stubborn it was being just seconds ago, and it kicks right back into gear. I understand people a little bit better than I understand electronics, and I have also discovered that people need to unplug every now and then as well. 

 

Does the news ever get you frustrated? Turn it off. Does the violence on TV make you feel sick? Turn it off. Do the sexually explicit lyrics on the radio put bad thoughts into your head? Turn it off. Does the negativity on Facebook drag you down? Turn it off. Do the pictures of everyone else’s “perfect life” on Instagram make you feel inadequate? Turn it off. Does Twitter, well, just turn off Twitter. 

 

The Bible calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2),” and I believe he uses the airwaves to get inside our heads. There is so much negativity, so much intended to divide us or tempt us, and it is constantly pumped into our heads. But we do have an advantage in this fight; we can simply turn it off. This is the way of escape mentioned in I Corinthians 10:13. No one is prying our eyelids open, forcing us to absorb any of this content. We do it willingly, and I wonder why. If Facebook made me angry every time I got on it, I’d stop getting on. If instagram made me feel like I can never measure up to other people, I’d stop getting on. But people have become addicted to those outlets, not even realizing how little they get in return. 

 

If that describes you, let me ask you the only question I know in regards to electronics: Have you tried turning it off? Take a break. Let things cool back down. I’m not saying never turn it back on; that is up to you. But I imagine that just like our modem (or maybe our router?), you will feel better after you unplug everything. And whatever you do, make sure you are filling your mind with something positive. That is why Paul wrote “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).”

 

Ejection

 

Danny Cox, a former fighter pilot, wrote a book called Seize the Day, which details the history of fighter jets. One feature he highlights is the ejection system for the pilot. The early model was simple: all the pilot had to do was push the button, and as he rolled forward, his parachute would open. A hitch was discovered during testing, however. Because the jets were so much faster than their predecessors—the propeller planes—the pilots were terrified and held onto their seats for dear life. As long as they held onto their seats, their chutes could not open. 

 

Designers had to tinker with the system. They added a strap underneath the seat and behind the headrest. When the pilot pushed the ejection button, these straps gave the pilot a push, which not only ejected them, but allowed their parachutes to open and take them safely down to the ground. Those original jet fighter pilots knew what to do, but they just needed a good push. 

 

There are times in our lives when we could use a push ourselves. Maybe you know there is something you are supposed to be doing, but you are sitting in the cockpit clutching to your seat. I realize that what you have been called to do may be scary, but there is no point in going down with the ship. 

 

Had God laid in on your heart to serve the church in some capacity? Do you know deep down that you are supposed to be volunteering to teach, sing, or minister in some other way? Maybe you get stage fright. Maybe you have never done it before. I get it. But if God has called you, He will equip you to do it. You do not go alone when you are serving God. Paul said that the Spirit of God is the one who gives us the ability to serve, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).” 

 

Throughout the Bible God used ordinary people to do great things: Moses delivered Israel from Egypt, David was a shepherd turned king, Ezra rebuilt the temple, and Nehemiah rebuilt the city walls. Outside of the Bible God still works through people: George Whitfield, Johnathan Edwards, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham—maybe one day we can add your name to the list. 

 

It won’t happen if you keep holding onto your seat. Just push the ejection button and let go. God’s Holy Spirit will take over and guide you the rest of the way.  

 

 

The Fireplace

Does your house have a fireplace? Growing up a Floridian in the Sunshine State, we never had a need for a fireplace in our house. I always wanted to have one because there is something special about gathering around the fire. We have one now and I love it. During cold weather it serves as the focal point of our living room. We also have a fire pit outside that is fun to sit around, whether we are making s’mores or just enjoying the warmth. 

The fireplace is something people sit around. It brings not only warmth during cold, but a feeling of warmth as people sit around and talk. There is a sense of togetherness around the fireplace. The Latin word aedes is related to the idea of fireplace, and it is the word that is used to give us the English word edify.

Ephesians 4:29 instructs Christians, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” The manner in which Christians speak is pictured as the same feeling of a family sitting around the fireplace. The word is intended to portray peace and harmony between friends and family. Does that describe your communication? Some people seem to have a penchant for negativity and criticism. Instead of using their words to build up, they use them to tear down. Their pessimism is like throwing water into the fireplace. 

Maybe instead of negativity you tend towards anger. You lose your temper and lash out at people. Perhaps you are known for your crude language and innuendo; you turn everything into an off color joke. This is not fireplace talk. The worst part is when the unsaved world reads the pessimistic, angry, crude, complaining of church members, and they associate that type of speech with our God.

Part of the problem is that the television has replaced the fireplace as the focal point of the living room, and instead of people talking, they listen to other people talk. I am not anti-TV, but most of what people listen to on it is garbage. As we fill our minds with junk, we soon find it coming out of our mouth.  

Paul said to stay away from corrupt (literally “spoiled”) words, and should strive to use only edifying words. Before you speak, ask yourself, “Is this how I should talk? Is this how people talk around the fireplace?” Let your words be seasoned with salt, and speak only that which is edifying. 

That's too Easy

Do you use those store bought mixes to make your cakes or cookies? Sometimes I bake desserts from scratch, but the majority of the time, if I baked it, I used a mix. We use those because of the convenience factor; it is much easier to buy the box and add water or vegetable oil, eggs, or butter than to measure and mix all of the other ingredients. 

Several years ago one of cake mix companies developed a product they thought was going to be a big hit: a cake mix that said just add water. To the surprise of the company, their new product was a big flop. No one was buying it. It seemed like a good thing, but it wasn’t selling. After doing some internal polling they realized that the buying public was skeptical of a cake that only needed water. It seemed too easy. That company went back to the drawing board and tweaked their recipe; the new box said, “Just add water and one egg!” Sales immediately picked up, even though the new recipe required more work and more money for the costumer. 

Many people view salvation that way. We tell people it is a free gift, and all they have to do is trust in what Jesus has already done. That seems too easy. It seems too good to be true. We feel like we have to do more. I have to earn it. I have to work hard, or give more money, or get baptized, or say enough prayers, or read the Bible through in a year. But the Bible teaches salvation cannot be earned because it is a free gift, “not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9).” 

In Philippians 3 Paul gives many reasons he could have boasted if salvation were earned: he was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day in accordance with the law, a Pharisee who was zealous for the law, a persecutor of those deemed as heretics, and one who was blameless. In his younger days Paul was banking on those things getting him God’s favor and a spot in heaven. However, after he learned that Jesus is the only way, he came to look down on the very things he once gloried in. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (v.7-8).” He went on to say he viewed all his accomplishments as “rubbish,” which was a strong word for excrement. 

Paul hated the things which he once trusted in because they would deem the cross of Christ as worthless. If our accomplishments could save us, then Jesus died in vain. It really is that easy. Like Paul, we need to despise anything that we could trust in instead of Jesus because our righteous deeds are but filthy rags in the sight of a holy God. There is no need to add anything because Jesus Himself has done all the work. 

Living Skeletons

Q: Who is the most famous French skeleton?

A: Napoleon Bone-apart

Q: Why can’t skeletons be church musicians?

A: The don’t have any organs

Q: Why are skeletons so relaxed?

A: Nothing gets under their skin

Q: What do you call a skeleton who stays in the snow too long?

A: A numbskull

Q: Who is the most famous skeleton detective?

A: Sherlock Bones

This time of year we see skeletons used in decorating, advertising, or coming to our door looking for candy. Part of the appeal of skeletons is knowing they are not real in that they are not living things. Seeing a skeleton walking around is fantasy, not reality. However, in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, walking skeletons were a reality, not a fantasy.

To be fair, in Ezekiel 37:1 the prophet said the Spirit of the Lord brought him into the valley of dry bones, so this was most likely a vision he saw. The Lord told Ezekiel to look around and see the bones of a slain army, and notice that they were very dry. These brittle bones were not going to be making a comeback on their own, but God told His prophet to prophesy to the bones and the wind; once he did, the brittle bones were brought back together, connected by sinews, and covered with skin. Then they were filled with the breath of life and became a standing army ready for orders.

This vision was about ancient Israel, which had split during a civil war. God told the prophet to take two sticks to symbolize the two kingdoms, and like a magic trick, he joined them together. Taken together, the valley of dry bones and the two sticks showed that Israel, though divided and defeated, would be brought back to life, so to speak, and reunited into one kingdom again (this will be fully accomplished during the Millennial Kingdom).

We are like those skeletons in that we were dead in our sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1), but through the power of God are brought to life. Those skeletons were not alive until the wind blew the breath of life into them, and we are not alive spiritually until the Spirit of God enters us (breath, wind, and spirit are the same word in both Hebrew and Greek). Are you a walking skeleton with no life, or have you been given eternal life by the Spirit of God? 

Grieving the Spirit

I heard about a man who, while touring of a large manufacturing plant, noticed a man using a fiery torch of high intensity to work on huge slabs of steel. There were times, however, when the flame would not make any impression and the steel seemed completely resistant to the heat. When this happened, a worker applied a chemical substance to the stubborn area, and immediately the cutting could be resumed. The visitor inquired about what was happening, and his tour guide explained that although the torch was able to go through clean steel eight inches thick, if it encountered the slightest film of rust on the surface, the flame would not penetrate it. The visitor, who was a Christian, later remarked, “It struck me forcefully that this is a picture of the Christian. The Holy Spirit is seeking to produce in us God’s perfect design. If the life is unblemished, He is able to continue His efforts; but if we become carnal or backslidden, His work of shaping us is hindered until the area in question has been thoroughly cleansed.”

Part of the reason God has placed His Holy Spirit into the life of believers is to help mold them into the people He wants them to be. We are not spectators in this process; we can either work with the Spirit or against Him. God’s Spirit is a powerful force, but when He encounters the slightest resistance on our end, He cannot produce His fruit in our lives. When we tell him no or stubbornly refuse to repent of sin or follow His leading, we create an environment in which He cannot work. I believe this grieves the Holy Spirit. 

In Ephesians 4:30 Paul said, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In his book Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan wrote “The Spirit is grieved when there is a breach in relationship, whether it be relationship with God or relationship with other people. When we are disunified, unloving, hateful, jealous, gossipy, etc., that is when we grieve the Spirit of God. And since He is the creator of emotions, I believe that the Spirit grieves more deeply than we can even understand.” 

The choice is simple. If we want God to continue making us into the people He wants us to be, we need to live in unity with each other and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we want to stifle His sanctifying work, we can live at odds with others, grieve the Spirit, and fail to grow into maturity. Don’t grieve the Spirit. Let Him work in you and through you so that you may be conformed into the image of Jesus. 

One

God has an interesting thing He likes to do. From the beginning of time God has made a unity from a plurality. In the Garden of Eden He joined Adam and Eve together in holy matrimony, saying, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).” Through biblical marriage (“a man…his wife”) two individuals become. There was still Adam and there was still Eve, but they were one.

That isn’t possible. How can they be separate, yet still be one? This is something only God can do. In fact, He leads by example. Notice how the same word onecomes up as God describes Himself: “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4)!” The word one is the same Hebrew word in both passages. God or Elohim,is plural (literally “the Gods”). We know He is plural because He is Father, Son, and Spirit, and yet He is one God. This is another unity of plurality. He can be three distinct individuals, and yet be one God. It wasn’t the Holy Spirit who died on the cross, it was Jesus; it isn’t Jesus that seals the believer’s heart, it is the Holy Spirit—but both are a work of God. They are unique, and yet they are one. 

God leads by example in uniting that which is plural, and He does something similar when He unites us in marriage. There is still another way that He does this, and that is in bringing Christians all over the world into one body. In Ephesians 4 Paul uses that word one seven times in verses two through five, and he uses the word all three times in verse five. Speaking to “you all,” he says, “There is one body.” As part of the collective Bride of Christ, believers around the globe comprise one large body, and each local church is also composed of many members, and yet is one. This is what Paul is talking about when he said, “For as the [human] body is one and has many members…so also is Christ…For in fact the body (church) is not one member, but many (I Corinthians 12:12-14).”  

Part of the way we are created in the image of God is in the unity of plurality. If you are in a biblical marriage, God has turned two into one; and as part of the true church, God has made many into one. Your marriage can only work if you are willing to be part of something bigger than yourself, and the same is true of church. Your local church body is counting on you to be faithful and use your spiritual gifts, so don’t let them down. If you aren’t involved in a local body, you need to be. Until then, you are an individual, and God wants to unite you into His plural family. 

God's Masterpiece

Sir Edwin Landseer was one of the most famous artists of the Victorian Era. He was commissioned to do several official portraits of the royal family, and he even gave private painting lessons to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. One day he was visiting with a family at their mansion when someone spilled a pitcher of soda water, leaving a stain on the wall.

The family went out for the day, but Landseer stayed behind. He used charcoal and paint to incorporate the stain into a beautiful mural on the wall. What had once been an unsightly stain was turned into a waterfall surrounded by trees and animals. Landseer was able to turn a mess into a masterpiece. That is why Ephesians 2:10 is one of my favorite Bible verses. Paul said, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

The Greek word translated as workmanship is poima;it has been translated elsewhere as masterpiece, and it gives us the English word poem.In that same chapter Paul described what a mess life was before Christ—we were dead in our trespasses and sins, walking with the devil according to world’s schemes, and children of God’s wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, turned us from a mess to a masterpiece. We were made aware of Jesus in verse four, made alive through Jesus in verse five, and ascended with Jesus in verse six. We are now God’s masterpiece. Like a Nobel laureate crafting a perfect lyric, Jesus has made us into something noteworthy. 

That is how God thinks of His children. If you have been saved, you are now Shakespeare’s 23^rdSonnet. You are Beethoven’s 5^thSymphony. You are Michelangelo’s David. You are Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Don’t let the devil tell you that you are nothing. When God looks at you He sees His masterpiece. If you have not been saved, you are still dead in your trespasses and sins. Let the Master work His magic, and see what masterpiece He can make out of you.     

Our Weakness, God's Power

On Easter Sunday in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte’s army was camped on the hills above the border town of Feldkirch, Austria, poised to attack. The citizens knew they could not survive the attack, and could only hope that the Austrian army would come to their rescue in time. The town council held an emergency meeting to decide whether to try to defend themselves or surrender. Fighting looked like a suicide mission, but surrender is never a popular option.

The pastor of the town church stood up to address the frightened people. He is reported to have said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. Since this is the day of our Lord’s resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us." The people agreed with their pastor, and they began to ring the church bells in celebration of the resurrection, and to let people know the service was still on. 

When Napoleon’s army heard the sudden peal of the church bells, they assumed that the Austrian army had arrived and was ready to fight. Before the service ended, Napoleon was in full retreat, and there was not a Frenchman to be found.

I like the way that Feldkirch pastor thought. All we know naturally is our own weakness, not the power of God. As Christians we should learn to understand more of God’s power, especially the fact that He has given that power to us. In Acts 1:8 Jesus told the disciples they would receive power once the Holy Spirit came upon them (which we now have as soon as we are saved), and Paul alluded to that same Holy Ghost power in Ephesians 1:19-21. His prayer was that the church would come to know “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” 

That Greek word for power in both verses is dunamis, and it gives us our English word dynamite. No, Paul was not thinking of TNT when he wrote those words, because that did not exist. But when TNT was invented in 1867, the word dynamite was chosen because it accurately described the power that it held. That is the idea behind the power we have as believers. We have dynamite power to preach with boldness, pray, understand our Bibles, let our light so shine, and witness for Christ. We do not need to ask God for this power, because it is already within us as soon as we put our faith in Jesus. The question is not, “Do you have power,” but “Are you using your power?” 

The Silent Treatment

There was a couple that had a bitter argument that resulted in them both giving each other the silent treatment. After two full days of not talking to each other, the man knew he needed his wife’s help. He had a business meeting, and he needed to wake up early to catch a flight to Chicago. Not wanting to be the one to break the silence, he wrote his wife a note that said, “Please wake me up at 5 AM.” The next morning when he woke up it was 9 AM, and his wife was up and about. Furious, he was about to go demand to know why she did not wake him, when he noticed the note beside his pillow that said, “Its 5 AM. Wake up.”

No marriage is perfect; for that matter, no relationship is perfect. There will always be arguments, fights, and conflicts, but the story above is a good example of why we should never let the sun go down on our wrath (Ephesians 4:26). When we put our problems off until another day, those problems often times become worse. Sweeping problems under the rug does not make them go away, it only allows them to fester beneath the surface, making the eventual cleanup harder than if the mess had been dealt with right away.

If there is a person that you are currently at odds with, the best thing you can do is reach out to that person as soon as possible and try to mend the relationship. When people choose to live in conflict with others, they often times do not even remember what the original problem was; instead, they remember all the snide remarks and sideways looks that have come after the conflict began. If they had tried to repair the relationship sooner, there would not have been as much to deal with.

Fixing a relationship is important because we want to regain that brother or sister. It is wrong to think we can choose to not forgive, and then go about our business as if everything is ok. Jesus said it is a waste of time to offer a gift to the Lord if we have not tried to make restoration with that person. He said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:24).” In other words, God is not interested with our acts of worship if we are not willing to first do our part to repair a relationship. If you haven’t felt close to God lately, maybe there is another relationship you need to work on so that your walk with God will improve.

Decisions

A researcher from Columbia University put together a study on decision making, and concluded that the average person makes 70 decisions a day. That number turns into 25,500 a year, and a whopping 1,788, 500 decisions over 70 years. Most of these decisions are minor and insignificant. Choosing what to wear in the morning, what to eat for breakfast, or where to go for dinner certainly has some bearing, but those choices rarely lead to anything monumental. Other choices carry greater impact. Deciding whether or not to pop the question (or to say yes if he does), what to study in college (or whether to go at all), and whether to accept the job (or leave the current one) have long-term consequences. Some decisions seem unimportant at the time, but can have lasting results.

One decision stands out above all others because it has eternal ramifications. The choice to make Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of one’s life is the best decision that a person can make. This is a one-time decision as it relates to salvation, but a Christian must make a similar decision each day. Jesus said anyone desiring to follow Him must “deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow” Jesus (Luke 9:23). I only need to give my heart to the Lord once, but each day I have to choose whether or not I will live like it. Among the 70 decisions I will make each day, several of those involve choosing to willfully sin, or else choosing to deny the desire and make choices that are pleasing to God.

Other choices believers must make include putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), meditating on the Bible (Psalm 1:1-2), and keeping an open line of communication with the Father (I Thessalonians 5:17). Some daily choices are insignificant, and others are just the opposite; but if the spiritual decisions are right, everything else will fall into place. If you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life, the best choice you can make today is to call out to Him for salvation. If He is already your Lord, keep choosing to honor Him with each decision you make.

God Doesn't Change

If you see something, say something. That is a fairly common mantra of law enforcement in post-9/11 America, but it doesn’t always work out in practice. For example, a recent Ohio middle schooler was suspended for seeing something, but failing to say something; a fellow classmate pointed a toy gun at him at school, and the eleven year old was punished because he did not want to be a snitch. Conversely, a middle schooler in Alabama was punished for seeing and saying something; on the ride home from school he overheard students talking about bringing a gun to school, so he dialed 911 on his cell phone. The bus was soon surrounded by law enforcement, and when it was determined that the students in question were discussing Nerf guns, the would-be Good Samaritan was suspended for causing “needless panic and chaos.”

One of the great things about America is state and local governments are allowed to make most of their own laws, deciding what works best for their people. A downside to that is there is often no universal law, so situations like the one mentioned above can happen. One of the great things about God is that He does not change, and His laws do not vary from person to person or state to state. Hebrews 13:8 describes Jesus as “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Malachi quotes God as saying, “I am Yahweh, I do not change (3:6).” The things we read about God in His word are just as true today as they were to the original audience (understanding them in their natural context and literary genre, of course). We do not need to worry that tomorrow we will wake up to discover that God is no longer slow to anger or abounding in mercy; there is no danger that God will relinquish His title as Judge of all the Earth or Abba Father.

Not only is it good news that God will not change in His nature or character, it is also true that His plan of salvation is likewise fixed. God will not suddenly institute a works-based salvation or religious ritual system in order for us to earn eternal life. It has always been, and will always be by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). It matters not whether we live in Ohio or Alabama; we do not need to check with our local councils or churches to see what we must do to be saved. The answer to that question is as true for us 21^st Century Americans as it was for that 1^st Century Philippian who asked it: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:30-31).”