Gospel News — Sep-Dec 2013

22

The Need For A Redeemer

Bro. Henderson M. Sosola,
(Mtenthela Ecclesia, Malawi.)

Men and women who try to follow the voice of their own conscience to seek to do better, also find a force in themselves that brings defeat. They need a Redeemer.

God provided our Redeemer by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. God foresaw the need for a Redeemer even before He created the cosmos and all its biological diversity and placed man in it. Jesus was slain (in the plan of God) from the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:18- 20). Jesus came in the fullness of time and was `born of a woman': Gal.4:4.

Until that time in the midst of history, an approach for man to God was found in the Old Testament through his obedience to ordinances and sacrificial work. A Hymn- writer wrote: `Not all the blood of beasts, on Jewish altars slain, could give the guilty conscience peace, or take away the stain.' But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes away our sin by opening up a way of salvation.

It is up to you and me to choose to think, live and work in harmony with God's purpose for our lives, that we should be to the praise of His glory. Eph.1:11-12: `In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.'

Can We Love Anyone Else?

Bro. Henderson M. Sosola, (Lilongwe, Malawi.)

If all our love goes to God, then it cannot be divided. Does this mean that we should not love anyone else? What about loving one's own husband or wife, or children?

What about loving other people? Jesus reminded his listeners - and us - of the second most important commandment, which is: `Love your neighbour as yourself.' (Mark 12:31, quoting Leviticus 19:18.)

The Christian husband should love his wife (Eph. 5:25). Neither Moses nor Jesus thought that this kind of love took love away from God: why? - because it is God's will that we so love others. The true way to show love for God is to obey Him. `This is love for God: to obey His commandments' (1 John 5:3).

If God is truly "Lord" He deserves our full obedience. We cannot claim to love Him while forgetting who He is and what He deserves. Real love treats Him as the real God He is. So when we love others, as He commanded, that fits perfectly into true love and devotion to Him.

FAITH

Bro. Tom Mulunda (Bungoma, Kenya.)

We read in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11:1-6, that faith is to have a confidence in the things which cannot be seen, and are invisible. You and I know with certainty that Jesus was born, died, rose to heaven and soon will come back, according to the Scripture. Really we didn't see Jesus; even those who led us to the Truth, have faith and baptised us, didn't see Jesus. But we have a great hope in Jesus, that he is going to come back and establish God's Kingdom on this earth – as the angel of God told Mary in Luke 1:30-33.

Why do we have this confidence in the person we haven't seen? It is through faith, because `without faith it is impossible to please God,' Heb.11:6. Reading the Word of God gives us faith, and hope in ourselves that God is the author of our faith through knowledge of His word: Romans 10:17 – a) `Faith comes by hearing.' Hearing what? b) `the word of God.' So we build our faith.