In
Isaiah 1:18
God states, “Come now, and let us reason together.”
Here is an invitation to
come and gain knowledge, resulting in salvation. Surely, such an
invitation is
open to all today.
Come, let us reason together about Christ. We will
learn that He is Prophet, Priest and King. He is the builder and
purchaser of
the church.
Come, let us reason together about the church. It is
the “called out,” and that by the Gospel. It is the
house of God into which all
nations can come. It is the kingdom into which those who have been
forgiven of
sin are translated.
Come, let us reason together about Calvary.
It was here the blood of the Lamb was offered. It is here that we see
the
awfulness of sin. It is here that we see the dying of the just for the
unjust.
Come,
let us reason together about conversion. The
world offers many plans, but God offers only one. The New Testament
commands:
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Jesus as Christ and be Baptized. Have
you done
more? Have you done less?
Come, let us reason together about heaven. It is the
wonderful city of God
to which all who have obeyed the Gospel and have lived faithfully will
go.
Don’t you want to go there? Then, obey that you may.
Either
For or Against
By
Ernest S. Underwood
There is in the study of logic something known as “the
law of the excluded middle.” It describes an either/or
situation. For instance,
everything in your house is either human or nonhuman. Now, wives,
although he
may not act like it at times, your husband is human. However, your dog,
your
kitchen table and your couch are all nonhuman. The law of the excluded
middle
does not tell you what the “non” may be, but it
does give you the either/or
position. The point is that something is either/or, with no middle or
neutral
ground.
Jesus made use of this vehicle of logic on many
occasions. For instance, in Matthew
12:30
He said, “He who is not with Me
is
against Me,
and he who does not
gather with Me
scatters abroad.”
Notice, one is either for Him, or against Him. There is no room here
for “Well,
he is not a Christian, but I believe the Lord will save him
anyway” type of
thinking. There is no middle ground, no neutrality allowed. It becomes
our own
individual responsibility to determine by a proper use of the
Scriptures where
we stand. Taking the totality of Jesus’ teaching on our
relationship to Him,
are you for Him, or are you against Him. Remember, the Bible is the
only
standard by which this can be determined.
