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The Bible is the very Word of God, given to man by divine inspiration. Its purpose is to not only reveal God to man but also His plan and purpose for the human race. In the Bible we can learn that which cannot be known by any other means. What we believe about what the Bible says has eternal consequences.The Bible reveals God as the Supreme Being over all that exists. Indeed He is the Creator of all things. He is perfect in His holiness, righteousness, justice, love, mercy, and grace.
Mankind is revealed as a race of lost sinners that are separated from God and worthy only of eternal condemnation. Man can in no way save himself or make himself presentable to God. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23; also see Rom. 3:9-20).
Because fallen man in his natural state is unable to meet God’s standard of perfection, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to do for us what we could never do. The virgin born Lord Jesus Christ lived a life of sinlessness in perfect accord with the Law of God as both the Son of Man and the Son of God. Jesus Christ was God come in the likeness of human flesh, yet without sin. Not only did He live a life of sinless perfection, but He willingly died on the cross for our sins. The work of salvation has been completed by Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection (I Cor. 15:3-4). The Bible clearly states that man is saved, (declared righteous in God’s sight), by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. The word gospel literally means good news. Grace comes from the Greek word charis, which means a gift freely given without merit of any sort.
In the letters of the Apostle Paul, to whom God revealed fully the “Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Eph. 3:1-4), there are several clear and plain passages of Scripture that state that salvation is a gift that man cannot earn. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23); “That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9); “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9); “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior: that having been justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 3:4-6; also see Rom. 3:21-26; I Cor. 1:18-21; 15:1-4; II Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 1:7, 13-14; Col. 2:8-10; I Tim. 2:3-6; II Tim. 1:8-12).
Serious problems come about when we ignore context when we read the Bible. We must pay attention to who is being addressed, who is speaking, what the subject is, why it is being said, and where did it take place. The Bible is not merely a smorgasbord for us to pick and choose from in order to make it say what we think it should. We must read it in context to see what it does say. Would you take your car to a mechanic who randomly went through a service manual while working on your car, trying to apply instructions concerning the differential or transmission to the engine? While that may sound far-fetched, it is how some people approach the Bible. While all the Bible is for us, it is not all addressed specifically to us. If you don’t believe that, let me ask you, do you offer burnt sacrifices? Why not? That’s a command of the Bible. Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, without qualification, directed His disciples to obey the Scribes and Pharisees as they spoke with the authority of Moses. This meant that they were to keep all of the Law of Moses, which includes some 614 ordinances of both the civil and religious law of Israel which were all related to the Ten Commandments. Are you obeying this command? Of course not. Christ has fulfilled the Law. It is Him we are to look to.
With the rejection of Jesus Christ as the long awaited Messiah, God set Israel and His prophetic program temporarily aside and ushered in the Dispensation of Grace. The good news (gospel) is that both Jew and Gentile can be saved today by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. God in His foreknowledge has warned us against those who would corrupt this simple but powerful message of hope by insisting on a works salvation (I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 11:1-4; Gal. 1:6-9). These are Satan’s emissaries, who cloak themselves in a veil of self-righteous pride, supposing that they can add to the already finished work of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 11:13-15). He has done all that can be done for man’s redemption. All we can do is to simply receive His free gift by faith.
True Biblical Christianity is not religion but a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. According to God’s Word, in Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone is forgiveness of sins and peace with God found. Only those who have trusted in Jesus Christ can say that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). All others are lost in spiritual darkness.
BEREAN BIBLE INSTITUTE
P. O. Box 587 • Slinger, WI 53086
Phone: 262-644-5504
www.bereanbibleinstitute.org
E-mail:bbi@bereanbibleinstitute.org
