Join us on a thought-provoking journey through the challenges and triumphs of godly change. We delve into the biblical teachings imparted to the Corinthians by Paul, focusing on why such change is essential for spiritual growth and the role scripture plays in guiding us toward a life aligned with God’s will. This episode highlights the need to adhere to the gospel and its transformative offerings.
Friends, the saying, change is good, well, it’s not always true. But I believe we can talk about godly change today, and that is always good. That’s our study from the International Gospel Hour. Stay right here.
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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour. Let’s begin.
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Well, thank you to our J-Web and greetings to all of you. So good to have you with us once again for our studies from the International Gospel Hour. As we begin today, I love to share from time to time other tools, other websites that you might find of interest. I want to mention our friends at AddedToTheChurch.com That’s AddedToTheChurch.com This is an earnest effort by DJ and Sarah Curry of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Dear friends and brethren, they pin exceptional articles, not only by them, but others. And get this, friends, you can subscribe free to their two digital publications, The Mountain Messenger and The New Testament Expositor. So please check them out at addedtothechurch.com. Once again, that’s addedtothechurch.com. You know, the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians, well, of course, they were letters written to the church in the city of Corinth. Now, when you read secular history about Corinth, one will see it similar to any other industrious city. And one can also read of its various cults and religions like you would pretty much find anywhere. The conclusion is, if there was a city that surely needed the gospel, it was the city of Corinth. For example, listen to Paul’s words written to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 6, 9-11. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Now, friends, grasp this, verse 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. You know, friends, godly change is good change. When an individual reads the Bible and sees the blessings therein and responds to God in obedience to His word, godly change is good change. So today, let’s see what God provides for us to change, for it’s the same then as it is now. Before we begin, we want to share with you a very special podcast option, and here is our J-Web with those details.
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International Gospel Hour, in collaboration with SpanishBibleSchool.org, presents a biblical podcast for our Spanish-speaking friends. Please join Marlon Rotana for Christianos Fieles, also known as Faithful Christians, at your favorite podcast platform. That’s Christianos Fieles with Marlon Rotana. You can also hear the broadcast at our website, internationalgospelhour.com.
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Friends, godly change is available through the word of God. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16 says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete or perfect, mature, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. So, friends, from this text we understand that the Scripture, from the end of the Genesis to the Amen of the Revelation, that God provides for us Scripture that will teach, that will correct, and will instruct us. Tragically, when man changes God’s Word, man will therefore change God’s way. And, friends, that just simply cannot be done. And when it is done, one creates a lie. How about Genesis 3 and verse 4? Did not Satan add one word, the word not, and look at the impact that it made on mankind? In Romans 1.25, Paul acknowledged how man changed the truth of God into a lie. Later in the book of Revelation, chapter 22, verses 18 and 19, how man is instructed not to add to or even take away from those things written within that book. And that would even apply to all other books, that we are not to add to nor take away, that we are not to entertain another gospel which is not another, Galatians 1, 6-9. So, friends, godly change is through the Word of God, and we must make certain that the change in our lives is according to the Scripture. Second, godly change is obedience to the gospel and its plan of salvation therein. God has instructed us how to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1-4, “…Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. My, how Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel. He declared it, preached it, they received it, they stand in it, they’re saved by it, they believed in the gospel. And you know, when we go back to Acts 18 and verse 8, it’s of interest because that they heard the gospel and believed the gospel. Again, in Acts 18 and verse 8, when we’re introduced to those in Corinth who are obedient to the church. Now, the scripture there in Acts 18 does not say they repented, but we understand that repentance was to be preached in the name of Christ, Luke 24, 44 and following, as well as Acts 2 and verse 38, at the command of Jesus in Luke 13, 3. Would they have confessed their faith in Christ? Well, the eunuch did in Acts 8 and verse 37. And Jesus taught the importance of confession in Matthew 10, 32. And yes, Acts 18 and verse 8 said they heard, believed, and they were baptized. Acts 18 and verse 8. As a matter of fact, as we noted earlier in 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 11, we see that. How they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. And so now they were to be individuals to stand and hold fast to the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 and 2. Friend, I submit to you that no other message nor plan of salvation can get the job done than the gospel of Christ. And when we hear and believe that gospel, we repent of our sins, confess Christ, and we’re baptized into Christ for those sins to be washed away. Friends, let’s think on these things. No other gospel can get the job done. Paul gave us that warning as we noted moments ago in Galatians 1, 6-9. And how important it is that we change in accordance to the will of God. Now, friends, I want to pause here because maybe we’ve got you to thinking about some things or you’re thinking, you know, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it that way. I want to look at this more. I want to search the Scriptures a little more diligently as they did in Acts 17, 10, and 11. Friends, please do so. And might we be of help with the free Bible course we offer by mail? That’s right, friends. You don’t have to go online to get it. We will mail it directly to your house. We’d like for you to try it, and here is our J-Web with the details of how you can receive your free Bible course by mail.
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Our long-time free Bible study course by mail is always available. Have you tried it yet? Just call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. Study the Bible at your own pace. Again, it’s free from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
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Friends, godly change will also keep one separate from the world. Remaining in the book of, or moving from 1 Corinthians rather to 2 Corinthians, listen to what Paul said, a vital passage if one expects to remain in the family of God. For he tells these Christians in 2 Corinthians 6, 17 and 18, Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Oh friends, how we need to constantly be aware of the world and how Satan will deceive us. In 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4, he’s called the God of this world. And oh, how he wants to bring people away from God whom he once had. But we’re taught in 1 John 2, 15 through 17, to love not the world, nor the things in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away in the lust thereof, but he that does the will of God abides forever. One simply cannot have both. One cannot live as the world and walk as God. One cannot dress as the world and be dedicated to God. One cannot act like the world and in turn act God or act like God. Godly change will not only, through the word of God, instruct us to obey the gospel, but to keep us also separate from the world. We even noted that moments ago from 1 Corinthians 15, by which also you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preach to you. So friends, godly change is good. And so when we think of changing things in our lives, Let’s make certain we change according to God and His word. That there is salvation in Christ through obedience to Him through our faith, a repentant heart, a mouth that confesses faith and baptism that adds us to the church and forgives us of our sins. And then let us begin a faithful walk in Him and continue that walk always. Yes, friends, change is good always. If it’s godly change. And may that always be the pursuit. And we will share that with you here from International Gospel Hour. We’ll continue these studies together at another time. And thank you for joining me today here on our broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie and friends. Keep listening.
