Security and Securities in our Lives
(Note: This lesson was the Wednesday night invitation on May 26 at Duluth. Now we invite you to read and consider it.)
Webster defines security as "The quality or state of being secure, freedom from danger or freedom from fear or anxiety." He defines securities as "Stocks, bonds, and those things that pertain to investing in the future."
I can safely say that compared to other parts of the metro area we find some type of security in living on the northeast side of town. Yet, the home security and car alarm business is booming in this area with so many companies to choose from. All of them claim to be able to protect you, your family, and your property from harm and thieves. We also have more people taking up arms to protect themselves, their families, and their property. This year, I have heard more people talking about investing for the future than ever before.
All these things provide security for the outer man.
The real question is, "What about the inner man? What about the soul?" The Bible tells us that security for the soul is found in Christ Jesus. Jesus said: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
Jesus also said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19,20). In Christ we have all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ we have the hope of a home in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-9).In order to receive security in Jesus you must—
1. Hear the gospel (Romans 10:17).
2. Believe the gospel (Mark 16:16).
3. Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).
4. Confess faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32).
5. Be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
6. Start laying up treasures in heaven by living godly all the days of your life (Revelation 2:10).
If you have lost the security of Christ because of sin, we serve a merciful God who will forgive if you will repent and ask for forgiveness. We are ready to take your name to God in prayer if you let it be known (James 5:19,20; 1 John 1:8-10).
The bottom line here is
- Don’t let the car you are riding in or the traffic laws of this state be what secures your soul on the road tonight.
- Don’t let the deadbolt locks, the security system, or the smoke alarm at your house be what secures your soul while you sleep tonight.
- Don’t let the response time of the police, EMT, or the fire department be what secures your soul tonight.
If we can help you to become secure in Christ—please contact us!
—Clarence Donley
Psalm 15: Unchanging Answers for an Unchanging Need
"He who does these things shall never be moved."
This psalm has five verses, two questions, eleven answers, and one conclusion. The author, David, serves as the one who has the questions. The two questions have always been in the hearts of those who long for fellowship with God. They know that they need to abide within His will now so that they can abide within His dwelling place eternally. The eleven answers include positive and negative principles that have always been true. The conclusion is a promise from God that deserves far more attention from us than it usually receives.
Now let us read and meditate on this ever-useful statement from the sweet singer of Israel.
"LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?" (v. 1).
What person may live in the tent of God—in His holy hill? What person may be in fellowship with God so that God honors him now and welcomes him eternally? To whom will Jehovah be host?
Surely David is implying that he would like to be in that number! And surely he is trying to stir up his readers so that they would like to be welcomed by Jehovah, too!
Are you interested in the two questions of verse 1? Are you interested in dwelling with God? Are you interested in the ANSWERS to the questions—the "Qualifications" for entrance?
"He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent"
(vv. 2-5a).
Here are the eleven answers to the two questions:
- Walk uprightly: Live standing straight up for all truth. Be sober, righteous, and godly (Titus 2:11,12). Realize that only the Bible has the accurate requirements for uprightness (Proverbs 28:18; Isaiah 33:15).
- Work righteousness: Obey all of the commandments of God, for this is righteousness (Psalm 119:172; Matthew 7:21; 1 John 3:4; Revelation 22:14). No one else is assured the reward of dwelling with Him, so live in harmony with His precepts.
- Speak the truth in your heart: Beginning with truth in your heart is the key to speaking truth with your mouth. Be truthful when you speak about people, to people, about God, and to God. Put away lying and be a person whose word is always reliable and respected (Ephesians 4:25-32).
- Do not backbite with your tongue: This specific sin of the tongue is an example of how easy it is to be evil in speech. Do not be tricky, deceitful, cowardly, or brutal with the tongue in your treatment of people. Read such scriptures as James 3 in order to learn how to control your tongue by training your heart with the Bible. In one unguarded moment, Moses’ tongue cost him his inheritance.
- Do no evil to your neighbor: This includes all the evils that people do to others. And remember this—the answer to the question "Who is my neighbor?" includes six billion living people (Luke 10:30-37).
- Do not take up a reproach against a friend: This means "to strip, make bare, deprive one of his garments." We must absolutely refuse to do this! When we hear of people who physically abuse others by removing their garments, etc., we are disgusted. We ought to feel the same way about any emotional or spiritual "stripping."
- Despise the vile person: There are some people who deserve our contempt for their vile evilness. We ought to despise their ways, oppose their ways, stop their ways, and do all we can to lead them to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
- Honor those who fear the Lord: When there are so few who truly honor the Lord, the last thing we should do is to dishonor them and God through strife, envy, vainglory, or dissension. My brethren, we need one another! Let us build up and support that which is good!
- Do not change your vows: This does not mean that we must honor vows that we had no right to make! But sometimes the keeping of a commitment involves great sacrifice and pain. We must make honorable commitments—after counting the cost—and then, at all costs, we must honor them.
- Do not lend money with usury: Under certain circumstances, such lending was (and is) permissible (Deuteronomy 23:20). But since the use of money is so often wrong and abusive toward others, it is constantly regulated in the Bible. Great care should always be taken in light of the fact that we are stewards of our money and that its sinful use is so frequent that it is called "filthy lucre."
- Do not take a bribe against the innocent: We might think that this would be easy to avoid, but corruption reaches from sins against the lowliest person to the betrayal price accepted by Judas against the innocent Jesus. Let us beware!
"He who does these things shall never be moved" (v. 5b).
What we want is stability and security (see the article by Clarence Donley on page one). The way of the Bible provides those things for us now and promises us an indescribable future in the heavenly tabernacle of God.
Next Week: Psalm 16
Jesus Speaks Through David
Important Stuff I Learned From Kids
- It’s more fun to color outside the lines.
- If you’re gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.
- Ask why until you understand.
- Hang on tight.
- Even if you’ve been fishing for 3 hours and haven’t gotten anything except poison ivy and a sunburn, you’re still better off than the worm.
- Make up the rules as you go along.
- It doesn’t matter who started it.
- Ask for sprinkles.
- If the horse you’re drawing looks more like a dog, make it a dog.
- Save a place in line for your friends.
- Sometimes you have to take the test before you’ve finished studying.
- If you want a kitten, start out asking for a horse.
- Just keep banging until someone opens the door.
- Making your bed is a waste of time.
- There is no good reason why clothes have to match.
- Even Popeye didn’t eat his spinach until he absolutely had to.
- You work so hard pedaling up the hill that you hate to brake on the way down.
- You can’t ask to start over just because you’re losing the game.
It’s an interesting collection of advice. Some of it translates into good spiritual advice (#4, #13), some of it doesn’t (#2, #6). That’s to be expected because there are some aspects of childhood that we should imitate (purity, humility, trust) and other aspects that we should not (self-centeredness, ignorance, stubbornness).
In the scriptures, sometimes children are held up as examples to us ("...Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"; Matthew 18:3,4) and sometimes those who are like children are rebuked ("For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14). And sometimes both occur in the same verse: "Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature" (1 Corinthians 14:20). May we seek to add those beautiful "childlike" qualities while seeking to mature and outgrow those "childish" traits.
Author Unknown
