Make Your Heart Right
By H. E. Phillips
The wise man said: “Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Jesus said: “But
those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and
they defile the
man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man:
but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man” (Matt. 15:18-20).
When Simon thought to purchase the gift of God with money, Peter told him that
his
heart was not right in the sight of God (Acts 8:12).
Many of us say and do things which we know are not right. We try to excuse ourselves
by saying that we thought it was right, but we know we were not right; our hearts
are not right in the sight of God. Envy, hate or some such heart conditions keep
us from acting as Christians, and we know we are wrong. We are responsible for
the condition of our hearts. Be sure your heart is right in all that you do and
say. No man can be right when his heart is wrong!
The Greatest Gain
By H. E. Phillips
The greatest gain in the world is not the material values which seem to
be the main goal of people today. If man could obtain all the wealth in the
world,
what
would he have? He would not have any substance that would make him really happy;
he would not be contented or satisfied with any of it. This kind of wealth
of this world would soon be taken from him. Paul said, “For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1
Tim. 6:7). The only benefit the wealth of the world can give to us is while
we live
here.
But what will we do after this life? There is not a single material substance
of value in this world that we can use after this life is over.
Jesus said, “For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt.
16:26). This calls our attention to real values. Real gain is not of the things
men generally seek after in this life; it is the salvation of the soul. Nothing
is more important. It concerns life, eternal life, after our days are numbered
here. Eternal life is far beyond the value of anything upon earth.
Paul struck at the heart of the matter when he compared earthly gain to real
gain in Philippians 3. He spoke of his standing in life before his conversion
and then said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for
Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Phil. 3:7,8).
The greatest gain in life is to win Christ and save the soul. This cannot be
taken from one by death or by any other power as long as we hold on to Christ.
As sure as we live, we shall die, and just that certain we will face God for
the judgment. Let us lay aside the things of little value and center out efforts
upon obtaining the real things of life.
Only One Body
By H. E. Phillips
There is only one body. The Bible says so. “But now are they many members,
yet but one body” (1 Cor. 12:20). “For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom
for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:5,6). Christ is the only
mediator between God and men. We must go through him to the Father, and without
him we cannot go to the Father. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John
1:6). God speaks unto us by His Son: “God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1,2).
There is only ONE body, ONE Father and ONE Mediator (Christ). “There
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:4-6). That ONE body is the church
(Eph. 1:22).
Christ is the saviour of the body. There is only ONE saviour. “For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body” (Eph. 5:23).
Every saved person from Pentecost has been in the church. The “safe” infants
do not need salvation, but every sinner who has obeyed the gospel of Christ
for the remission of his sins has been added to the church (Acts 2:47).