Devoted Service

By Bob Myhan

If Jesus, in Mark 12:30-31, is speaking of the entire inner man, the word “soul” would refer to the conscience since it is in contrast to heart, mind and strength (of will). The conscience is “The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action” (Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language). It is one's conscience that either approves or disapproves of his actions depending on whether they are believed by him to be morally and ethically right or morally and ethically wrong. As such, it is the seat of devotion.

Loving the Lord with all the soul, then, is devoted service. Harold Fowler has rightly stated, "Soul, then, emphasizes our readiness to surrender our life to Him, living it out in devoted service and being ready to die for Him, if faithfulness to Him requires it" (Bible Study Textbook Series: Matthew, Vol. IV, p. 253). This surrender is called conversion and is brought about by obedience to the Law of the Lord.

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; (Psalm 19:7)

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. (1 Pet. 1:22-25)

What Fowler said is certainly in line with that which John wrote to the congregation at Smyrna.

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2:10, ESV)

Even Jesus had previously said,

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:25-26)

Of course, one’s conscience must be correctly educated in order for it to make proper judgments regarding one’s conduct and motives. Remember, Saul persecuted saints out of misguided devotion to God. &

The Fourfold Will of God #5

By Bob Myhan

In order to be able to choose to remain holy, man also had to be able to choose to sin. Thus, we have the ideal will of God - God's desire for man to remain holy, and the incidental will of God - God's willingness for man to sin.

Knowing man would sin, God provided a means whereby man could regain the holiness he lost through sin. This He did in giving His only begotten Son. It is the circumstantial will of God that man avail himself of the means which He revealed in the Bible.

Those who do not choose fellowship with God in this life will forfeit fellowship with Him eternally because it is the ultimate will of God to reward with eternal life those who choose to receive it and to deny it to those who choose it not. He who desires to be left alone will be. He who truly desires fellowship with God will never be left alone but will be with God and the righteous forever.

According to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, all men have defeated the ideal will of God by sinning and, as a result, have denied themselves the right to eternal life. But His circumstantial will is to give them eternal life in spite of their having sinned.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23).

“God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34) but desires the salvation of all (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32).

The truth one must know, in order to be made free thereby, is the gospel.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel 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, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. (1 Cor. 15:1-5)

These are the primary facts of the gospel. But the gospel also contains commands that must be obeyed by those who desire to be saved.

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. (2 Thess. 1:8)

Again, stated positively, God’s ideal will is that all men believe in, love and obey Him always. Stated negatively, it is that no man ever sin, even one time. But He gave man a free will—the ability to act contrary to His ideal will. It must, therefore, be the case that He was willing for man to sin, though He did not desire him to do so. After Adam and Eve sinned God drove them out of the garden making it possible for them to suffer and die. Therefore, man’s sin and suffering must have been in accord with God’s incidental will. Then there is the circumstantial will of God—His desire for all who have sinned to turn from sin in faithful, loving obedience.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:3-4)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (Gal. 5:6)

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:9)

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:22-25)

From these passages we must conclude that (1) God desires all men to be saved, (2) faith working through love is what avails, (3) you must obey Jesus for Him to be the author of your eternal salvation, (4) souls are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit, which is the same as having been born again through the word of God and (5) one is born again through the word of God when he obeys the truth through the Spirit, which is the same as being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5).

What truth must one obey in order to be born of water and the Spirit? He must obey the truth contained in the Great Commission. The only thing Jesus ever said—so far as we know—while on earth about salvation, after He became the author of it, is recorded in Mark 16:15-16.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

He also said repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name. (Luke 24:47) And when repentance and remission of sins were preached in His name, baptism was placed between them. (Acts 2:38)

When Saul of Tarsus saw Jesus on the Damascus road, he was told by Him “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6) Jesus then sent a man named Ananias to tell Saul, “And why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

An angel told a Gentile centurion named Cornelius to send for Peter who would tell him words whereby he and his family would be saved (Acts 11:13-14). Peter, when he came, “commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:48)

When people in Samaria “believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” (Acts 8:12)

When Philip later “preached Jesus” to the Ethiopian, the man asked, “What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36)

Paul and Silas told the Philippian jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” After they “spoke the word of the Lord to him,” he and his family were all baptized. (Acts 16:31-33)

Therefore, preaching Jesus (or speaking the word of the Lord) causes some people to desire baptism.

One is “baptized into Christ” (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27), where “every spiritual blessing” including salvation is found. (Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:10) Therefore, baptism is essential to obtaining every spiritual blessing including salvation.

Therefore, God’s circumstantial will for alien sinners—those yet outside His spiritual kingdom—is for them to turn from sin in faithful, loving obedience to Him. &