Truth Magazine

By Eric McKee

The faith that is able to save our souls is a living, active faith. It is a faith that takes God at his word and puts trust in him. It is a faith that will cause us to want to do whatever it takes to be found pleasing in the sight of the Lord. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen . . . By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible . . . Without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must be lieve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb. 11:1, 3, 6). 

Faith is the foundation of all true conversions to the Lord and is essential to the salvation of all mankind. Therefore, it is important for us to understand what it really means to have faith in God. From where does it come? What is it? Is it the only thing we need? These questions can be answered by taking a look at the tiny story (only three verses) of Lydia found in the sixteenth chapter of the book of Acts. She was a human being who was found faithful in the eyes of God and attained salvation. Now, if we know that God accepted her, we can have confidence that if we follow her example, we will be accepted by him also.

 

In verse 12, we find that Paul and his traveling companions are visiting the city of Philippi to preach the gospel. They end up preaching to some ladies on the bank of the river. “On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us” (Acts 16:13-14). Now, a few obvious conclusions can be drawn from this passage. The first is that Lydia seems to be a religious, devout woman. She worships God; she prays to him; she keeps the Sabbath; she has faith. However, apparently something is missing in her life. Otherwise, why would these men be preaching the gospel to her? The answer is Jesus Christ. During his ministry, Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). So, even though Lydia had “faith,” she did not have the faith that saves, because she was simply unaware of the truth — the truth that Jesus Christ had come to this earth to die on the cross for her sins — the truth that could set her free (John 8:32). No matter how religious she had been in the past, she can now no longer have a relationship with God without also having a knowledge of the truth and a true faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:17 tells us, “Faith comes by hearing the word of God.” Before Paul and his companions came to the bank of the river, we find Lydia praying and worshiping the Lord. When the men arrive, Paul begins telling these women about Jesus. The words which he speaks produce faith in the heart of Lydia. Keep in mind that these things which Paul preaches are not from his own mind, but from the mind of God (2 Pet. 1:20-21). 

Verse 14 declares that “the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” Notice that her faith was not produced by the praying and worshiping she had done previously. It was not produced by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit on her heart. Her faith was produced from hearing the simple teaching of the Word of God. That is where the power of the gospel lies — in its ability to “cut a person to the heart” (Acts 2:37) —to cause a person to realize his lost condition and want to make the necessary changes in his life in order to be pleasing to God.

Let’s take a look at how the story of Lydia ends. “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul, and when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying,

‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us” (vv. 1, 2). Had Lydia been faithful to the Lord? By the reaction of Paul and the others, we can definitely make that conclusion. What then had Lydia done that had caused them to be persuaded that she had faith? We know that she must have done something, because we recognize that the Lord had saved her at this point. We are taught through- out the New Testament that there is something that must be done in order for one to obtain salvation. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). That is the way in which faith works. We hear the Word of God proclaimed (or read it in our Bibles), and this produces faith in our hearts. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). 

Now, how is that faith made known? It is expressed through our actions. In James 2:14-26, James begins by asking, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” What good is it for a person to claim to have faith in God, yet neglect to do the things which he has commanded?

Now, go back to Lydia’s situation. In what way did she express the faith she had in Jesus Christ? We are told that she and her household were baptized. There is no way that she could have even known to be baptized unless she had been told to do so. Therefore, we know that Paul must have told her that baptism was necessary for salvation. Jesus had taught, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Peter, as he preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Now, let us suppose that Lydia had not been baptized. Would she have been found faithful to the Lord? Remember: “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:17). If she had neglected to follow the prescription set forth by Jesus Christ, could she have received salvation? Let’s put it this way: if she had not been baptized, what would have been her motive? If a person truly has faith in God and wants to do what is right, why wouldn’t he be baptized when he is told to do so by Jesus himself? It is not that a person is trying to earn or merit his salvation, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). The simple truth is that if a person truly has faith in God, he will be more than willing to obey him — being baptized for the remission of his sins, just as Lydia and her household did. 

The faith that is able to save our souls is a living, active faith. It is a faith that takes God at his word and puts trust in him. It is a faith that will cause us to want to do whatever it takes to be found pleasing in the sight of the Lord. This is what we must have, the same faith that this woman Lydia possessed, for “without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6).

By Neal Bahro

“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what is called the Italian Regiment.” In Acts chapter 10 we are introduced to a military officer of the Roman army named Cornelius. He was a Gentile who was a good example to his household and prayed to God regularly (Acts 10:2). We also read that Cornelius was a generous man who gave alms to the people. In Acts 10:22 it is revealed that Cornelius was a just man who had a good reputation among the Jews.

One day, at the ninth hour, Cornelius was instructed in a heavenly vision to send for Simon Peter who would tell him what he must do (Acts 10:6). Now we begin to see how the actions of Cornelius demonstrate the kind of faith that he possessed. When the angel departed he sent for Simon Peter without delay. There are many people today who will gladly hear what God has to say to them, but they refuse to act on what is heard. James, by inspiration, tells us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (Jas. 1:22). Cornelius heard and acted on God’s word.

Peter had a vision in which God told him not to call common what had been cleansed. Following this vision, he went to meet Cornelius when the servants came for him. We note that Cornelius wanted others to hear God’s word because he gathered his relatives and close friends together to await Peter’s arrival. Cornelius fell down at Peter’s feet showing that he did not have the proper concept of worship. Peter corrected him immediately, telling him to get up, that he was a man also. Sadly we see many people today who choose to worship a man or woman instead of God.

Cornelius was very eager to hear what Peter had to say. His desire to hear God’s will is a good lesson for all of us. Cornelius wanted to hear all things commanded Peter by God (Acts 10:33). Many people today will hear God’s word and treat it like a buffet, simply picking the things they like and leaving the rest.

When Peter began preaching, he taught that God does not show partiality but accepts those who fear God and work righteousness. Until this time the gospel had been taken to the Jews only. Gentiles were considered dogs (Matt. 15:26), but God had shown Peter in the vision that he should call no man common or unclean. The message Peter delivered to the Gentiles was similar to the one he spoke to the Jews on Pentecost, which was the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. As Peter was speaking the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles who were there. This is a very significant time in the spread of Christianity. Now God had extended salvation to not only his chosen people but also to the Gentiles. In Genesis 12:3 God told Abram “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” All people were now truly blessed, having access to salvation provided by the blood of Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Peter continued speaking and commanded his hearers to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Now God had truly “granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18). We see once again, as in the other accounts of conversion, that baptism was a necessary requirement in order to be saved (1 Pet. 3:21).

When someone asks me, “What must I do to be saved?” I direct them to the Bible and point out that they must hear God’s word (Rom. 10:17), believe God’s word (Mark 16:16), repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38) and live faithfully until death. If anyone does this he can obtain that crown of righteousness which is available to anyone who desires it.

Cornelius was a devout man, a generous man, and a praying man. These things are good, but it was only by listening to God’s will and submitting to it that brought salvation to Cornelius and his household.

By Olen Holderby 

If I was the devil, I would consider myself basically to have two problems: (1) How I could keep control of people in general, and (2) How I might ensnare the Christian.

1. If I was the devil, the very first thing I would do would be to discredit the inspiration, perfection, and authority of the Scriptures. I would do my best to find an argument that would keep people out in the world from accepting these as attributes of the Scriptures. Perhaps I could do so through your schooling, your friends, the music to which you lis- ten, or through the published materials which you read. However, I would not dare to show you 2 Timothy 3:16, James 1:25, or 1 Corinthians 4:6, and 2 John 9. For should you read these you could believe that all Scripture came by inspiration of God, that it is a perfect law, and that you were to be limited in teaching and practice by those Scriptures. Thus, I might fail here, but I would not give up.

Next, if I was the devil I would try to persuade you that you had plenty of time to obey the gospel, that you had some things that you could and should enjoy before you settle down to become a Christian. Of course, if you managed to read 2 Corinthians 6:2 or Hebrews 3:15, you could see things a little different. Then, should you happen to read the examples of conversion in Acts of Apostles you would immediately see the urgency in obeying the gospel. So, again I might fail, but I would not quit.

Should you really believe the Scriptures and knew that you should obey in haste, I would point out how difficult it would be for you to live the life of a Christian. You just couldn’t do it, I would point out. Look at all those who are trying and how far short they fall; you would not wish to be a hypocrite in such an effort. If some truly concerned Christian should have you read Galatians 6:2, you would know that you would have the help of others of God’s people. And, to make matters worse for me, that same Christian might have you read 1 Corinthians 10:13. I could see failure of my efforts here, because you would realize that you had the assistance of the Almighty.

Has the Devil Been Talking to You?

2. If I was the devil, I would wish to ensnare the weak Christian and destroy the influence of the church. I would advertize my products as belonging in the home, I would point to all the celebrities using them, and how that in moderation they were harmless. And, I would point to the popularity of those who use my products. For the places which I wished you to go, I would make such as clean and attractive to the eye as possible. For the young, I would have a “chaperon” for all these places and activities. Yes, sir, if I was the devil that is exactly what I would do. Live it up, when in Rome do as the Romans do, I would say. But, I would be very careful that you did not read 1 Thessalo- nians 5:22 or Romans 12:2, especially if you were really honest. For, then, you would see something wrong with my reasoning. Then, if you should read Ephesians 5:6 and you really wanted to reach heaven, you would want no part of my advice. This is all true because, you see, my success depends greatly upon your cooperating with me. Alas, I might fail in this if you did not wish to walk with me.

Has the devil been talking to you? 

By Philip W. Martin 

The conversion of the Apostle Paul is one of the most striking accounts in the book of Acts. The details of the account are not given in one place, so to fully understand it we must consider all of them (Acts 9:1-18; 22:1-16; 26; 1 Tim 1:12-17). To begin to understand the conversion of Saul, we must first examine what we know of his life prior to our knowledge of him. Paul (Saul) was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:26), a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), a student of Gamaliel, a Jew (Acts 22:3), someone who had attained a certain amount of respect in the Jewish community of that time. 

When Stephan was martyred, he was there to hold the cloaks of those involved for he was in agreement with what they were doing (Acts 7:58-8:1). He persecuted the church with zeal unmatched in the New Testament (Acts 8:3). So much so that he went to other cities to stop what he saw as the destruction of the nation of Israel by what he saw as heretics.

It is on this trip that we begin to see the conversion of Saul. “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:3-4). One of the first things that I notice when I look at this moment when the gospel was being introduced to Saul is who the speaker was; it was our Lord and Savior, the very one Saul was persecuting. Who else could have had such a chance? Anyone else who would have tried to talk to him surely would have been put to death and imprisoned. He had persecuted others many times before.

So Saul was lead by the hand to Damascus so that he might hear what he must do. For three days he neither ate nor drank and it would be safe to say that he had plenty of time to consider what past sins he had committed. While there, Ananias was sent to him and he was told what he should do: “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Is there any doubt as to what Saul should do so that he might be saved? So simple is the command and great the reward. Saul displays the nature of faith plainly; God said it and he believed it. Right away Saul begins to preach and teach about the Christ, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah saying, “He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). After growing in strength and confounding the Jews in Damascus for some time, they were seeking to kill him so he left for Jerusalem where he joined himself to the disciples there.

Saul’s life gives us a unique opportunity to look at a Christian and his behavior in close detail both before and after his conversion. Saul epitomizes the nature of true repentance. After he heard the words that would help lead him to salvation and obeyed those words, he from that point forward becomes one of the staunchest defenders of the faith. At the close of his days he had the moral fortitude to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Earlier it was said, “Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem” (Acts 9:13). Saul completely turns his actions around and protects this cause he once hunted.

In an old hymn we hear the words sung from time to time, “Did you repent, fully repent of your past sins, friend?” Of this Paul could have answered with a resounding yes!

We can look at Paul’s life and his work to see how he used this new found salvation. He goes from a time of being the persecutor to a life of persecution. In the book of 2 Corinthians he gives a small listing of some of the things he had endured: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false bretren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:24-27).

This messenger of God inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit even received abuse by his fellow Christians (2 Cor. 10:10). All the while he learned to be content in whatever situation he was in (Phil. 4:11).

We can learn many important things from the life and conversion of Paul. He was one who understood and lived the simple life of a Christian in a tough and trying time, obeying the simple commands given unto him and placing his ultimate trust in God. He was open and forthright with his faith never shirking or hiding from it. Paul would rather have let his own freedoms be curtailed than to even risk offending his brother in Christ. But he was not one to hide from controversy or let sin and worldly ways invade the church. We would do well to reconsider our own ideas and actions and see if we truly are the example Paul wanted Timothy to be. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim 4:12). Possibly one day we too can have the faith to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).