|
Have You Heard?
Fritz
Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with
his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So,
when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t
able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking
price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful
instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector.
Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the
violin.
The collector said it had become his prized possession and he
would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when
he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is
consigned to silence?” he asked. Permission was granted, and the great
virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the
collector’s emotions were deeply stirred.
“I have no right to
keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler.
Take it into the world, and let people hear it.” *
The
Gospel is “GOOD NEWS.” It
is news too good to keep to ourselves!
The
message..."Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel [lit. "GOOD
NEWS"] 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" (1 Corinthians
15:1-4).
WHY
is that such GOOD NEWS? Because YOU and I are sinners (Romans 3:23),
and the wages of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23). But Christ died for our sins
(1 Corinthians 15:3) so that we could be forgiven of our sins (Ephesians
1:7) and receive the GIFT
of ETERNAL LIFE (Romans 6:23) with Him in heaven.
To
receive the benefits of Christ’s death on the cross, we must: believe
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), repent
of our sins (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10),
and be baptized
(immersed) for the forgiveness
of
our sins (Acts 2:38). Then we must:
CONTINUE to “hold fast” to the Word of God
(1 Corinthians 15:2), living in obedience to it, so that the blood of
Jesus can CONTINUE to cleanse us from our sin (1 John 1:7).
Having
heard the GOOD
NEWS,
have YOU obeyed it?
Now,
will you share it?
The Gospel is “GOOD
NEWS.”
We have NO right to keep it to ourselves.
Let’s take it into ALL the world, and let people hear it, so that
they can OBEY it, and be SAVED from their sins.
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* Our
Daily Bread, February 4, 1994
To
Subscribe to "Living Water"
send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net
TEXT version: subscribe-livingwater-text@lyris.dundee.net
Follow
this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com
Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website
at: www.creekwoodcc.org
|
