2/26/20

Belief in God is Not Enough by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2318

Belief in God is Not Enough

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

It is impossible to go to heaven without believing that there is a God (Hebrews 11:6). But a mere mental assent to the fact that God exists is not enough to save a person’s soul. In fact, the book of James says: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (2:19).
Once a person accepts the vast amount of evidence available to prove that God exists, that person must follow up belief with a desire and resolve to obey the Creator. An E-mail that came into our office illustrates this point well. After reading on our site an article that defends the existence of God, one gentleman wrote: “For many, many years I began to write off all religions as ‘fake.’ I’m not completely convinced still. However, after reading this article, I was faced with the absolute fact that not only does God exist, but that He is surely angry with me for disbelieving in Him.” Acknowledging the existence of the Creator is the first step toward assuaging His anger, but it cannot be the last. In fact, the term “practical atheist” is applied to a person who technically acknowledges that there is a God, but does nothing about that belief.
What, then, must follow a person’s belief in the Creator? That individual must find God’s message to His creation. An honest search for such communication will bring that person to the realization that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s inspired Word to man (see Butt, 2007). Upon discovering that the Bible is God’s message to humanity, a diligent study of the Scriptures reveals that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah and the Son of God (see Butt and Lyons, 2006). By following the teachings of Jesus, the honest investigator realizes that Jesus has opened the door of salvation to all who will receive it as He has commanded (see Lyons and Butt, n.d.).
At Apologetics Press, it thrills us to hear that a person has left false atheistic views and embraced the idea of a divine Creator. Yet we know that such a mental shift is simply the first crucial step to eternal life. A penitent heart and faithful life of obedience to God’s commands must accompany that belief in order for it to be of any real, eternal value (James 1:22-25).

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), Behold! The Word of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/ Behold%20the%20Word%20of%20God.pdf.
Butt, Kyle and Eric Lyons (2006), Behold! The Lamb of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/ Behold%20the%20Lamb%20of%20God.pdf.
Lyons, Eric and Kyle Butt (no date), Receiving the Gift of Salvation, [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/ Taking%20Possesion%20of%20God%20Gifts.pdf.

OBEYING THE GOSPEL? by steve finnell

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/04/obeying-gospel-steve-finnell-is-obeying.html

OBEYING THE GOSPEL?  by steve finnell

Is obeying the gospel essential to salvation? Yes, it is essential.

What obeying the gospel is not.
1. Obeying the gospel is not keeping the Law of Moses.
2. Obeying the gospel is not doing good works.
3. Obeying the gospel is not being individually selected for salvation.
4. Obeying the gospel is not being saved by grace alone.
5. Obeying the gospel is not being baptized as an infant.
6. Obeying the gospel is not being saved by faith alone.
Is obeying the gospel essential for salvation? Yes.

1. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 ......the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.(NKJV)

Those who believed and were baptized into Christ were set free from sin. Romans 6:3-7. Note: They were set free from sin after being immersed in water, not the minute they believed.

Jesus gave the gospel to obey. Mark 16:15-16...preach the gospel.....16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved....(NKJV)

2. 1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end who do not obey the gospel of God?(NKJV)

Sounds like a question that answers itself.

3. Romans 6:17-18 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.(NKJV)

They obeyed the doctrine of the gospel. Yes, obedience is required to be set free from sin. The apostle Peter gave the gospel requirements on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:22-41.
 He preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He preached Jesus as Lord and Christ. He preached repentance and water baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION: 1.FAITH John 3:16. 2. CONFESSION Romans 10:9. 3. REPENTANCE Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38. 4. IMMERSION IN WATER Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21.

YES, YOU MUST OBEY THE GOSPEL TO BE SAVED.

Living Like Pharisees And Hypocrites by B. Johnson

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Johnson/Edna/Elizabeth/1939/hypocrites.html

Living Like Pharisees And Hypocrites
A dangerous temptation for a preacher and his family is to live like the Pharisees and hypocrites described in Matthew, chapter 23. Hypocrites, in their false pride, feel they must sing better and louder than anyone in the congregation. They want to know more and be better than anyone. Their kids have to be the smartest or the prettiest. Their cars have to be bigger and go faster and their good deeds must be seen of men to be a ‘showcase’ for all. What a pity, “For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?” (Job 27:8).
The book of Matthew has much to say about this type of person. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward” (Mat 6:2). “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Mat 6: 5). “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Mat 6:16).
A very real temptation is for preachers and their wives to tell others how to live and what is wrong in their lives, while they themselves have many ‘unresolved issues’ in their own family relationships. “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Mat 7:5). They seem to be pillars of the church, yet they may only make a mockery of religion in their private lives. “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Mat 15:7-8).
Not all people are blind to this inconsistency. Some are soured on the church because they see insincerity in the leadership. “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in” (Mat 23:13).
They may harp on the subject of giving and expect (or demand) that they be given high salaries unequal to the people who are supporting them. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (Mat 23:14-15).
Preachers and their wives often demand that the congregation live by the ‘letter of the law,’ but they themselves will not do as much in their private lives. They may bind heavy burdens on the members and ultimately cause them to lose their souls because they cannot meet expectations and thereby become discouraged.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess” (Mat 23:23-25).
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Mat 23:27-28).
Consider seriously, wives of preachers! Are you really what you appear to be? Are you for real? “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Not the path up - The GOAL ! by Gary Rose



When you look at this picture, what do you see?
1. An oddly shaped picture?
2. The color Grey?
3. A rock wall?
4. Slippery snow?
5. Clouds that obscure your vision?
6. Steep elevations?
7. The summit?
8. The heavens above everything?
9. The future?

This unusual picture is indeed thought provoking. Its unusual shape and color makes me wonder why someone would even take it. Could its shape emphasize its height? Could its drabness emphasize its strength or the coldness of its environment? Or, could there be another message within the picture by its very design? Yes, that last thought, may be it. Think for a moment of this picture as a path upward, and in spite of all the obvious obstacles that lay before you- the prize of reaching the summit and beyond lies before you. If THIS is correct, then the following passage of Scripture would apply…



Philippians 3 ( World English Bible )
 [1] Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.  [2] Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.  [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; [4] though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:  [5] circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;  [6] concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 

  [7]  However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.  [8] Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ  [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  [10] that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;  [11] if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. [12] Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
 [13]  Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,  [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.



The prize is everything. No hardship of any kind will stop a person who realizes this life is temporary, but heaven is FOREVER. Nothing, and no person should ever keep you from Jesus. Frankly, he is our ONLY HOPE. I have never met a person equal to the apostle Paul and probably never will, but I have know many, many people who have done whatever they could to please God. They are called simply “Christians”; look them up – you will find them in the yellow pages under the church of Christ! By the way, if you are ever in Zephyrhills, Florida, I would love to meet you at the Southside church of Christ- just ask for Gary…

ps. No need to dress like a mountain climber, after all – this is Florida!

2/24/20

"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Hosea - God's Redeeming Love (1:1-3:5) by Mark Copeland 

                    "STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

                 Hosea - God's Redeeming Love (1:1-3:5)

INTRODUCTION

1. About the time that Amos (the "country prophet") was prophesying to
   the northern kingdom of Israel, another prophet came on to the scene
   a. His name was Hosea
   b. Whose name means "salvation" (Joshua and Jesus are derived from
      the same word)

2. While the audience was the same, there were some differences...
   a. Amos was from Judah (Tekoa); Hosea appears to have been from Israel
   b. While Amos showed little patience with his northern relatives,
      Hosea displayed a large degree of sympathetic understanding
      toward his own people
   c. Just as Amos is reminiscent of John the Baptist in his approach,
      so Hosea is reminiscent of how Jesus approached people

[In this lesson, the first of several on Hosea, we will see why Hosea
was so sympathetic, even as he condemned his own people for their sins.
Let's start with some...]

I. BACKGROUND MATERIAL

   A. THE MAN...
      1. His father was named Beeri (Hos 1:1), but nothing more is 
         known of his ancestors
      2. Some think he may have been a priest, in view of his high 
         regard for the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood
      3. We read of his wife (Gomer, Hos 1:3) and his children...
         a. Jezreel, a son - Hos 1:4
         b. Lo-Ruhamah, a daughter - Hos 1:6
         c. Lo-Ammi, another son - Hos 1:8-9
         -- Through his family, the basic message of Hosea will be 
            illustrated (see below)

   B. THE DATE...
      1. Hosea prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, 
         and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; Jeroboam II also reigned during
         this time in Israel - Hos 1:1
      2. Most place the time of his work at 750-725 B.C.
      3. Hosea was possibly a young man when Amos was almost through
         with his ministry
      4. His work in relation to other prophets during this period of time:
         a. Amos and Hosea prophesied to Israel
         b. Isaiah and Micah were prophesying in Judah

   C. BACKGROUND OF THE TIMES...
      1. For a good background of this period of Bible history, cf. 
         2Ki 14-17; 2Ch 26-29
      2. The northern kingdom of Israel was on its last legs...
         a. Sin was even more rampant than seen in the book of Amos
         b. Religious, moral, and political corruption was rampant
      3. One word sums the condition of the nation of Israel:  harlotry
         (whoredom, KJV), used thirteen times throughout the book

   D. KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK...
      1. An analogy is made between Hosea's experience with Gomer, and
         the Lord's experience with Israel
      2. This analogy is described in chs. 1-3, and serves as the backdrop to chs. 4-14

[With this brief introduction to the book of Hosea, let's now survey
the first three chapters...]

II. HOSEA'S FAMILY, AND THE ANALOGY WITH ISRAEL (1:1-3:5)

   A. ISRAEL'S REJECTION SYMBOLIZED... (1:2-9)
      1. Hosea commanded to marry "a wife of harlotry" - Hos 1:2-3
         a. Her name was Gomer
         b. If the parallel between Gomer and Israel is exact, then she
            was not a harlot at the time of the marriage; but her 
            background would prompt her to become one
         c. She certainly would come to symbolize what Israel had become
      2. Gomer bears three children - Hos 1:4-9
         a. The first son is named "Jezreel"
            1) Which means "God scatters", or "God sows"
            2) His name prefigured God's judgment on the ruling house of Israel - Hos 1:4-5
         b. The daughter is named "Lo-Ruhamah"
            1) Which means "no mercy"
            2) Her name describes God's attitude toward Israel, though
               Judah still found grace in God's sight - Hos 1:6-7
            3) Some suggest that the daughter (and the son to follow) were not Hosea's
               a) Note it does not say she bore "him" (Hosea) a daughter, as before
               b) I.e., Gomer had become a harlot - cf. Hos 2:4
         c. The second son is named "Lo-Ammi"
            1) His name means "not my people"
            2) Thus God declares his rejection of Israel - Hos 1:8-9

   B. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION FORETOLD... (1:10-2:1)
      1. Though cast off, God promises a restoration
      2. There might be a reference to the restoration from Assyrian 
         and Babylonian captivity
      3. However, both Paul and Peter apply this promise to believing
         Jews and Gentile in the church - Ro 9:25-26; 1Pe 2:10

   C. ISRAEL'S UNFAITHFULNESS... (2:2-13)
      1. Condemnation for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:2-5
         a. Charges of harlotry and adultery
         b. No mercy on her children, as the children of harlotry
         -- God's rage for Israel's unfaithfulness described in terms
            of an enraged husband who learns not only of his wife's 
            adultery, but that the children are not his
      2. Punishment for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:6-13
         a. God will prevent Israel from finding her lovers
         b. God will take away the blessings and the feasts that Israel enjoyed
         c. God will destroy what Israel has used to commit spiritual harlotry
         -- Israel's sin was foremost her idolatry (cf. references to
            "Baal"); God viewed such idolatry as a form of "harlotry"!

   D. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION DESCRIBED... (2:14-23)
      1. Using a "wilderness", God will win her back, just as He did in
         the days of Moses and Joshua - Hos 2:14-15
      2. God will cure her of using the language of Baal worship- Hos 2:16-17
      3. God will establish a covenant of peace and safety, and betroth
         Israel to Him once again - Hos 2:18-20
      4. God will once again bless them, and be merciful to them as His people - Hos 2:21-23
      -- While there may be references to the restoration from 
         captivity, it also foreshadows the age of the Messiah and His
         spiritual blessings - cf. Ro 9:25-26; 1Pe 2:10

   E. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION SYMBOLIZED... (3:1-5)
      1. Hosea is charged to love an adulterous woman - Hos 3:1-3
         a. Most take this to be Gomer, who had gone into harlotry
         b. Hosea takes her back, though with a period of probation
      2. Symbolizing God's willingness to take Israel back - Hos 3:4-5
         a. Also with a probationary period, in which there be no king, sacrifices, etc.
         b. But Israel would return, and seek the Lord and David their king (the Messiah?)

CONCLUSION

1. In these first three chapters, it appears God used Hosea to teach Israel an object lesson...
   a. Through Hosea's experience with Gomer, God provided Israel a 
      concrete illustration of what His relationship with Israel had been like
   b. Israel had played the harlot; but God would take her back, 
      following a period of punishment and probation
   -- Keeping this analogy in mind will assist our understanding of the remaining chapters

2. A lesson to be learned from this analogy is how God views apostasy:spiritual harlotry!
   a. Christians, we are "betrothed to Christ - cf. 2Co 11:2
   b. But we too can become spiritual harlots" if we are not careful! - 2Co 11:3

Are we being true to our betrothal?  May the words of the Lord in Hosea
encourage us to remain ever faithful:

   "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me
   in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will
   betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD."
                                         
                                             (Hosea 2:19-20)
 
 

Be Fair When Interpreting the Bible by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2123

Be Fair When Interpreting the Bible

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Twenty-first-century Americans think very little about how contradictory our communication sounds to those unfamiliar with modern American English. Driving on parkways and parking on driveways seems very illogical given the definitions of parking and driving. Receiving shipment from trucks and cargo from ships sounds equally bizarre, though not to Americans. We have feet that smell and noses that run. We eat hamburgers made of beef and hotdogs made of pigs. What’s more, we drive on interstate highways that never cross into other states (e.g., Hawaii’s interstate H1), and we are programmed to read speed “limit” signs as speed “minimum” signs.
One of the most awkward questions Americans ask is, “You didn’t do that, did you?” How are we supposed to answer such a question? We generally say “No,” but mean “Yes,” and if we mean “No,” we say “Yes.” Recently I asked my two young sons a similar question. One said “No” and the other said “Yes,” but they meant the same thing. They simply were confused as to how to answer such a question. When one pauses to consider the many figures of speech Americans use in communication, he is overwhelmed with the number of paradoxes we regularly invoke.
It is essential for students of the Bible to recognize that the inspired writers also used many figures of speech. If we fail to identify these idioms, we may ignorantly draw the same conclusion that so many Bible critics have drawn—that the Bible writers made mistakes. In actuality, the “mistakes” are on the interpreter’s part, not God’s or His penmen’s. When skeptics allege that Jesus lied when He stated He would rise from the grave “after three days” (Mark 8:31), because on other occasions He indicated that He would rise “the third day” (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; cf. Acts 10:40), they fail to recognize a common figure of speech in ancient times. “After three days” and “on the third day” frequently meant the same thing (cf. 2 Chronicles 10:5,12; Genesis 42:17-18; Esther 4:16-5:1). Even Jesus’ first-century enemies used these expressions synonymously (Matthew 27:63-64). [NOTE: For a full explanation, see http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/570).]
Some critics of Christ condemn Jesus for calling His mother “woman” in John 2:4. Allegedly, the Son of God would not use such an impersonal noun in such a disrespectful way. In truth, however, though this expression may sound rude in the 21st century, 2,000 years ago it was used in a most respectful manner (cf. Matthew 15:28; John 19:26; 20:15).
If Bible critics would pause to think of the plethora of figures of speech we use everyday (which to some sound perplexing at best, and contradictory at worst), likely far fewer alleged discrepancies would be leveled against the Bible. A fair approach to Scripture is one that takes into account its many figures of speech, rather than simply assuming the worst of its writers.

Baptism for the Dead? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=439

Baptism for the Dead?

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

“Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?”
The most notorious interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:29 is the one advocated by Mormonism—that people who are alive on the Earth can be baptized, and the efficacy of that baptism then is offered to those who already have died and are in the spirit realm. But this verse cannot be teaching proxy baptism as practiced by the Mormons. Many other passages eliminate that possibility by stressing the singular necessity of responding obediently to God in this life (e.g., Proverbs 11:7; John 8:24; Luke 16:26; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27). The Mormon view is in direct contradiction to what the Bible teaches from beginning to end. We have only this life in which to make our decisions, and when we leave this life, we have no further opportunities to repent (Luke 16:25-31; Hebrews 9:27).
At least four adequate explanations exist that avoid contradicting the rest of the Bible. First, “dead” refers to the “old man of sin” (Romans 6:6). We are baptized for the dead in the sense that we are baptized in water to eliminate the dead man of sin. Hence Paul was asking why one would be baptized to eliminate the old man of sin in anticipation of eternal acceptance if the resurrection will not be forthcoming.
Second, “dead” refers to the world of lost souls—those who are spiritually dead. “They” refers to the apostles and “baptism” refers to the baptism of suffering that the apostles endured in order to make known the Gospel to the world (alluded to in passages like Mark 10:38-39, Luke 12:50, Acts 9:16, and 1 Corinthians 4:9). Thus Paul was asking why the apostles would subject themselves to the baptism of suffering, in behalf of the spiritually dead people of the world if, in fact, no one has hope of the resurrection.
Third, “they” refers to those who are baptized in water on the basis of the preaching and teaching done by those who had since died. In other words, why would a person obey the command to be baptized, and thereby have hope of life beyond the grave, if the one who taught the person to be baptized has since died and will not be raised from the dead?
Fourth, Paul was using the logical argument form known as argumentum ad hominem—an argument based upon what men were doing at that time and with which the readers would be familiar. The Corinthians were familiar with people who practiced an immersion for the benefit of the dead. He used the third person pronoun “they” as opposed to “you” or “we.” New Testament baptism would have been referred to in the first or second person. This tactic of referring to what outsiders were doing (without implying endorsement) to make a valid spiritual point was used by Paul on other occasions (e.g., Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12).
These four possible interpretations each have contextual evidence to support them. None of the four contradicts any other Bible doctrine. What is critically important is that we not miss Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 15. He brought up the subject of baptism for the dead for one reason: to reaffirm the reality of the resurrection. Christians were being drawn into the destructive heresy that the general resurrection is fictitious. In a setting where he ardently defended the actuality and centricity of the resurrection, he advanced two questions. If the resurrection and end-time events are not to occur, then “why are they baptized for the dead?” and “why do the apostles stand in jeopardy every hour?” (vss. 29-30). He wanted the Corinthians to face the fact that many things Christians do have meaning only if resurrection is an anticipated and ultimate objective. If when we die, that’s it—no future conscious existence—why take risks living the Christian life as the apostles frequently did? If this life is all there is, forget Christianity and live it up (vs. 32)! But resurrection is coming! So do not live this life indulging the flesh and mingling with those who will influence you to do so (vs. 33). Live righteously, and get your mind straight in view of your knowledge of the coming resurrection (vs. 34).
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