Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Daniel Part 9

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - FAITH AND SALVATION

 

FAITH AND SALVATION

The author of the book of Jude in the Bible was believed to be the half-brother of Christ. It is said that, before the resurrection, even the family of Jesus did not believe in Him.

For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

(John 7:5)

But after His resurrection, this belief changed and His siblings became strong believers and stalwarts in the church. As such, it is believed to be His half-brother who is the author of the second last book in the Bible. And thus it was Jude who wrote:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerting our common salvation, 

I [also] found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend 

earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 

(Jude 1:3)

When Jude talked about the common salvation, he was not considering salvation as being ordinary or being of little value but of it being the same for everyone regardless of the mode or method of worship or service. Provided the faith in Christ is there, then salvation is the same or common for everyone, for after all it is:

…by grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God… 

(Ephesians 2:8)

If salvation is common (or available) to everyone through faith, then that faith is valuable and worth contending for, or agonizing over; it certainly is worth protecting. This is why we are warned to ever keep diligent and watch over that faith which was once delivered to the saints because:

…certain men have crept in unnoticed…ungodly men, 

who turn the grace of our God into lewdness 

and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(Jude 1:4)

and 

…that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, 

afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

(Jude 1:5)

The tendency of the world is to compromise almost all belief in order to accommodate as many as possible, and while that accommodation is to a degree important, it should not result in a compromise of the basic tenants of the belief on which our salvation rests. But over the years “certain men have crept in.” As a result, many of the basic beliefs and tenants of our faith have been changed so that it can be difficult at times to even see those tenants exercised in many places. We have not, to a large extent, contended earnestly enough for the faith that leads to salvation and as a result may suffer the same as did those Hebrews who left Egypt so long ago.

Maintaining the true faith without compromise is important and needs to be earnestly contended for, more so than we appear to be doing at present and it is something we should all be thinking about.

Meal at Swiss chalet

 

Master's Hand Ministry has Swiss Chalet booked for Tuesday December 5 at 6 pm.

Please call Peter ( 902-485-6384) or message him to confirm your attendance.

Rev. Roxann Spicer November 26, 2023

November 26th Service

 

Please join us in worship this evening at 6 PM at the Hillside Community Hall 27 Chance Harbour Rd.

Rev. Roxann Spicer is speaker, with Amy Rafuse and friends leading worship.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Daniel Part 8

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - MOSES-MICHAEL

 MOSES-MICHAEL

There are a number of instances in the Bible where information seems lacking or incomplete for what is really needed to get a full understanding of what Scripture is trying to convey to us. One example of this is in the Book of Jude where it is states that:

…Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, 

when he disputed about the body of Moses, 

dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, 

but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 

(1:9)

There are two interesting points to consider here. First, why was there a dispute over the body of Moses? Moses has been one of the most important and prominent figures in Jewish history. At about the age of 80, he was sent, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to enact God’s freeing of the Hebrew people from Egypt. He led them through the desert and was entrusted with the Law. He also, on many occasions, interceded with God on behalf of the people. He apparently made one simple but grievous error in that he was commanded to:

…Speak to the rock before their eves, and it will yield its water… 

(Numbers 20:8)

Instead, Moses…

…struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly…

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Arron, 

“Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, 

therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

(Numbers:11-12)

Thus,

Moses…died there in the land of Moab…and He buried him in a valley…

opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

(Deu 34:5-6) 

Apparently custom has it that it was Michael who buried Moses in the valley, but was it because of this one digression that the devil contended over his body? Or was it because Moses, in his earlier life, had killed an Egyptian official? When God states:

Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.

(Hebrews 10:17)

perhaps Satan is not so generous and remains prepared to bring up any past offences against us. And could this be one of the reasons some people have such a struggle in their last days or hours? Is Satan still contending for bodies today as he did for the body of Moses?

Secondly, Michael did not rebuke Satan directly even though he would be considered a brother. He left the rebuke to the Lord. It makes one wonder how people in our time tend to rebuke or rail against the devil. If the chief angel of the Lord refuses to confront Satan directly, perhaps we should always be sure that the Lord is in front of us.

Just one verse from one of the shortest books in the Bible.

And two points to really think about.