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What is Right? What is Wrong?
Stacy Dean Crim
Introduction: There is a lot of confusion today as to what is right and what is wrong. Truly we appear to live in a period of time not unlike when Isaiah prophesied unto Israel. Isaiah 5:20 says "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
In the religious world confusion is very noticeable, with different doctrines and conflicting beliefs. What is right? What is truth?
With all of this confusion revolving around what is right and what is wrong, logic would have me to believe that there must be an accepted standard. All must agree to accept and follow the standard before any religious confusion and division would ever be dissolved. Imagine that, the same standard used by all to determine what is right and what is wrong.
One does not have to look far to find it. In fact the standard to accept and follow is God’s inspired word, the Bible. The book of books. This fact is overwhelmingly proven both internally and externally if one would only take a look inside. Inside the Bible Christ, God’s only Begotten Son reigns supreme today as High Priest, the Anointed, Man’s Mediator, and the Supreme Sacrifice for man’s sin. (Hebrews 3:1; Acts 4:27; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 10:10)
No man, prophet, king, president, reverend, father, pastor, or a government can have preeminence over Christ. Christ is Supreme and Reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelations 19:16)
Therefore, what He says is the Supreme authority. What He says is what is right, and what He says is what is wrong!, because “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” Hebrews 11:1-2 God speaks to us today through His Son Jesus, the Word.
CHRIST’S WORDS THE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY FOR THE CHURCH TODAY
#1 John 1:17 Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
#2 Matthew 11:27 God reveals Himself through Christ.
#3 John 5:26-27 God gave Christ authority to execute judgment.
#4 John 12:48-50 Christ’s words will judge us.
#5 John 17:6-15 Christ gave His words to His apostles.
#6 Matthew 28:18 Christ was given ALL AUTHORITY
WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE LAW OF MOSES, BUT UNDER THE LAW OF CHRIST
#1 Acts 3:19-23 (A powerful passage, that is a very matter of fact statement.)
#2 Mark 9:2-11 “. . . Hear Him.”
#3 The “But I say unto you”’s of Matthew 5:22, 28, 34, 37, 39, 44)
#4 Romans 7:1-4 dead to the law (Law of Moses)
#5 Colossians 2:8-15 “. . . nailing it to His cross;”
No Christ does not walk this earth anymore, but He yet reigns and rules by His Word.
CHRIST’S MESSAGE WAS TO BE DELIVERED BY HIS APOSTLES
#1 Matthew 28:18-20
#2 Mark 16:17-19
#3 II Corinthians 5:18-21 The apostles were Christ’s Ambassadors
#4 I John 4:6 The Apostle John
#5 John 20:21 The Father sent Jesus, Jesus sent the Apostles
The Apostles where Christ’s chosen spokespersons.
THESE CHOSEN MEN WERE GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
(They were not subject to error)
#1 John 14:16-17; 26 “. . . teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I (Christ) have said unto you:”
#2 John 16:7-15 “. . . guide you into all truth . . .”
#3 Luke 24:49 “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
These men received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4
The apostles teaching was, and for ever shall be, validated and confirmed by the miracles that followed them. Hebrews 2:1-4
THEIR MESSAGE WAS ONCE DELIVERED FOR ALL
Upon the completion of their carrying out the Lord’s command to “Go unto all the world”, Matthew 28:19-20, we have the complete law of Christ, “Once delivered” and preached unto all the world.
#1 Jude 3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
By the end of the first century, the faith had been shared with all.
#2 Colossians 1:23 “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
#3 II Peter 1:2-3 We have been given “all Things that pertain unto life and godliness.”
#4 II Timothy 3:14-17 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Conclusion: The New Testament Scriptures reveal the mind of God, as lived by Jesus. He delivered His words to His apostles by the Holy Spirit, just as He had promised them in the upper room. (John 14, 15, 16, 17) Their mission was a complete success with the recording of their teachings for all ages to come. This teaching constitutes a complete and perfect rule of faith for us today. It contains our daily practices as the disciples of Christ, and our actions to be carried out within the kingdom of God, Christ’s church.
The WRITTEN word of God is our only source for determining what is right and what is wrong today. Now let us use IT, and IT ALONE to determine what is right, and what is wrong!
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48)
&
GOD’S PLAN TO SAVE MAN THROUGH CHRIST JESUS
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8)
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16)
“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10
"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" (1 Peter 3:21)
See also: (Romans 6:1-7, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:26-28, II Corinthians 5:17)