WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS?

By

Shelby G. Floyd

When Jesus saw the palsied man let down into the room where he was teaching, he said, “My son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Some sitting nearby were startled and in their hearts thought Jesus was guilty of blasphemy. They asked, “Who can forgive sins but God only” (Mark 2:7)?

WHICH IS EASIER TO SAY?

Christ who knows the hearts of men asked them, “Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or take up your bed and walk” (Mark 2:9)? The key word is “say.” It is definitely easier to say “your sins are forgiven.” This would be hard to verify because it would be an act that would be inward and invisible. To tell a paralytic to take up his bed and walk would be more difficult, for it could only be certified if in fact he did take up his bed and walk.

ONLY CHRIST HAS THE ABSOLUTE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS

To prove that he had the power on earth to forgive sins, Jesus told the paralytic to take up his bed and go home. This he did before them all. Therefore Christ demonstrated the ultimate purpose of all his miracles, signs and wonders. They were to confirm his identity as “the Son of Man” who also was the “Son of God.” Christ was the Son of Man according to the flesh and the Son of God according to the Spirit (Roman 1:3-4).

The miracles of Christ and the apostles confirm that Jesus was who he claimed to be and that the word of God is immutable:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

Only God has the power to forgive sins. Christ is God in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14), and forgives sins through his blood (Mt. 26:28; 1:21).

Copyright © 2019 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP NO. 6

By

Shelby G. Floyd

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
-Galatians 2:9 KJV

THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP

PART THREE

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRISTIANS Continue reading “THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP NO. 6”

THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP NO. 2

By

Shelby G. Floyd

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. -Galatians 2:9 KJV

LESSON TWO

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST

Many persons do not have an accurate understanding of what is involved in fellowship with God and with one another. About the only idea that some have concerning fellowship is a sign over a door in some church building which says, “Fellowship Room.” This lesson is designed to enlighten our understanding concerning our fellowship with Christ the Son of God.

The apostle John said,

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1: 3).

Continue reading “THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP NO. 2”

THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS

By

Shelby G. Floyd

One of the favorite figures of speech applied to the church is that of a way, a path, and a road that leads from one place to another.

DO ALL RELIGIOUS ROADS LEAD TO HEAVEN?

Christianity is a definite way over which the redeemed pass from earth to heaven. In a day when highways and roads are so familiar, it is easy for some people to get the idea that there are many ways for one to reach heaven. It is a popular doctrine that we are all going to heaven in different ways. While this is popular, is it the truth? Continue reading “THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS”

THE LORD’S DAY

By

Shelby G. Floyd

John the apostle said that he was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10).

When this statement was made John was in exile on the island of Patmos. To what day does John refer? Every day belongs to the Lord for he created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh.

Therefore, John must have had in mind a special day set aside to honor God and Jesus Christ. Under the Old Testament economy the seventh day which is our Saturday was set aside to worship God. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”

In the New Testament economy God has changed the day from Saturday to Sunday which is called the “first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). It is on this day that our Savior arose from the dead, on this day the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Also the first full gospel sermon offering forgiveness of sin was delivered on this day (Acts 2:1-4).The church had it’s beginning in Jerusalem on Sunday—the first day of the week (Acts 2:1-47). The New Testament church was in the habit of worshipping God and having fellowship with Christ and each other on this day (Acts 2:42-47). In Acts of Apostles we have a window into a Sunday worship service (Acts 20:1-12). We are commanded to meet on this day (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

Let us all be faithful in this blessed privilege and duty. Let us be present in body, soul and spirit on the Lord’s Day!

Copyright © 2018 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Everyone is born into the kingdom of nature by a natural birth—of and from the womb. Those who become Christians are born into the kingdom of God by a spiritual birth—of and from water and the Spirit: Jesus answered,

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5).

Continue reading “BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT”

WALK IN THE LIGHT

Walk in the Light of the Lord

By

Shelby G. Floyd

The Bible teaches that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). God is the one who created the light in the beginning and he said it is good (Genesis 1:3-4). Light is good because it has the qualities to dispel darkness, direct and discover. Continue reading “WALK IN THE LIGHT”

CHRIST, THE ETERNAL WORD

By

Shelby G. Floyd

The book of 1 John was written about 85-90 A. D., at a time when false teachers were denying that Christ was divine and also that he had a fleshly body. John refutes both of these false ideas. There are some today who are still teaching these same false doctrines. Continue reading “CHRIST, THE ETERNAL WORD”

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

By

Shelby G. Floyd

When Jesus lived on the earth he visited the homes of many people. Some of these people treated Jesus with kindness and hospitality while others treated him with contempt and disgrace. If Jesus were to visit your home, how would you react, and how would you receive him?

The following words by Lois Blanchard Sades entitled, “If Jesus Came to Your House” might well illustrate the predicament that many people would find themselves.

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two –
If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such and honored Guest
And all the food you’d serve to Him would be the very best;

And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there –
That servicing Him in your home is joy beyond compare.

But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’ve been?

Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard,
And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder, if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?

Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read?
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go?
Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have him meet your very closest friends,
Or would you hope they’d stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.

—Lois Blanchard Sades

Let us examine some of the records concerning the homes in which Jesus visited, and take note of the reaction of the people who were there with him.

JESUS VISITED MATTHEW LEVI’S HOUSE

First, let us notice the visit of Jesus to Matthew Levi’s house. As Jesus traveled along the Sea of Galilee, he invited Matthew Levi, a tax collector, to follow him and be his disciple. Matthew accepted this invitation, and invited Jesus into his home where he prepared a great dinner for Jesus and many other friends. Jesus accepted the invitation, and went to Matthew Levi’s house. Immediately, the Pharisees and the scribes murmured against Jesus because he would visit into the home of a man like Matthew Levi, and eat with publicans and sinners. Jesus answered their criticism by comparing himself to a physician whose work is not to go to those who are well but to those who are sick. Since Jesus was like a physician, he needed to go to those who were sick in sin and spiritually diseased. He had the only remedy to heal the sin sick soul. Therefore I’m sure that if Christ were to visit into some of the homes today, there would be some people who will be ready to criticize Him because he would not be keeping the kind of company that they would think he ought to keep.

JESUS VISITED THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS

A little later, Jesus visited the home of Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. Jairus had a little daughter about 12 years of age; she was very sick, even to the point of death, and Jairus invited Jesus to his own house in order that he might heal his young daughter. As they traveled to his house, a messenger came to say that there was no use troubling Jesus any longer, for the young girl had died. Jesus quieted their fears by advising them not to be afraid, but to believe; and then he took Peter, James and John along with the father and mother into the house, and stated to all that were there that she was not dead, but only sleeping. Their reaction to that statement was: “And they laughed him to scorn.” Nevertheless, Jesus raised the young girl from her sleep of death. Luke, in his account, tells us that her spirit came again and she rose straightway (Luke 8:55).

No one has the power to perform any kind of miracle today; but I’m sure that if Jesus were here today and performing such miracles as he did in the long ago, there would be some who would laugh him to scorn. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, which is a pledge and a promise that he will raise all the dead at the last day, but when gospel preachers talk about the resurrection of the body from the grave, there are many today who will laugh us to scorn and deny that such will ever take place.

JESUS VISITED HIS HOMETOWN CONGREGATION OF NAZARETH

Still on another occasion Jesus visited his hometown of Nazareth, and entered into one of the synagogues. As his custom was, he stood up to read, and they brought him the book of Isaiah, and he read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). Having read that great and wonderful passage describing his ministry to those who are lost in sin, he sat down. Later when they asked him some questions, and Jesus commented upon their questions, they were ready to drive them from their synagogue and destroy his life: “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust them out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill where on their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way” (Luke 4:28-30).

WHAT IF JESUS VISITED SOME CHURCHES TODAY?

This indicates that if Jesus were to visit many churches in our land today and read the Bible and make the application as pointed as he did when he lived upon the earth, many people would be ready to drive him from their midst and take his life. We need to seriously ask ourselves the question of how we would treat the Lord if he were to come to our house or to our congregation. He will not physically come to our house, but he is coming back again to judge all who have ever lived upon the earth according to the standard of God’s word (2 Corinthians 5:10).

HOW WOULD YOU TREAT JESUS?

The way we live and the way we act determine in a great way how we would treat the Lord. The way we treat the poor, the downhearted, the stranger, the sick, the thirsty and the hungry is really how we would treat the Lord. Jesus said to a certain group of people: “Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not unto me.” And he said that these people shall go away into everlasting punishment. When Saul of Tarsus traveled even unto strange cities and persecuted the church, binding men and women and putting them into prison because they were Christians; Jesus confronted Saul and said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul persecuted Jesus by persecuting the people of Christ. And so the way we treat the people of Christ is how we would treat Christ were he to visit our house, city or congregation.*

* Copyright © 2017 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved. I originally wrote this article in July, 1974.

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

“God calls men when they are busy, and Satan calls them when they are idle.”

BIBLICAL INSPIRATION NO. 3

By

Shelby G. Floyd

CHRIST AND THE PENTATEUCH

 

CHRIST CLAIMED THE PENTATEUCH IS INSPIRED

Not only did Jesus sanction the authority and inspiration of Moses concerning Genesis, the first book of the Bible, but also the other four books of the Pentateuch which generally are received as the books of Moses. Jesus affirmed the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch and claimed that Moses even wrote concerning him.

THE PENTATEUCH TESTIFIES OF THE DEITY OF CHRIST

The Old Testament books testify concerning the deity of Christ. Jesus presented this area of testi¬mony to his critics as recorded in John chapter five:

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” “…But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (John 5:39-40, 45-47.)

CHRIST IS THE PROPHET LIKE MOSES

Observe that Jesus stated that Moses wrote concerning him when he said God would raise up a prophet like unto him:

Deuteronomy 18: 15-19
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.”

This is what Moses wrote concerning Christ, and it is taken from the book of Deuteronomy, the fourth book of the Pentateuch. But Jesus said if you believe not his writings how shall you believe my words? Therefore Jesus believed that Moses was the author of the first five books of the Old Testament. He endorsed and sanctioned the inspiration of the writings of Moses. Also Peter and the apostles accepted the inspiration of Deuteronomy when they applied this same text to Christ. (Acts 3:22-24.)

Concerning this argument of Christ, one writer has made the following fine statement,

“Here is no ad hominem argument. He meets His Jewish persecutors with a head on declaration that their Bible is true, though they have misconstrued it. He declares the Pentateuch to have been written by Moses and to be prophetic of Himself. Strangely, these two points are denied by the entire group of higher critics of our day. That the Old Testament was supernaturally written and made predictions about Jesus Christ is not accepted by modem scholarship. With a thoroughly naturalistic bias they rule out direct Messianic prediction.” 1

From this we can draw the obvious conclusion that Jesus endorsed all five books of Moses, and he based his argument upon the very fact that Moses’ writings were inspired and authoritative and that they had made predictions concerning him.

CHRIST DEFEATED THE DEVIL WITH THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

We would do well to hold the same attitude and reverence for the writings of Moses and other inspired prophets of olden times. But perhaps the best example of the attitude of Jesus toward the writings of Moses is found in the fourth chapter of Matthew, where we have the record of the great battle between Jesus Christ and the devil himself.

After Jesus had been baptized, and had received the commendation of his heavenly father, he was rushed into the suffering of temptation. After he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, the devil came to him and tempted him. In each case our Lord quoted from the book of Deuteronomy, and in so doing vanquished the onslaughts of Satan.

First, Satan suggested that Jesus should turn stones into bread in order to satisfy his hunger, but Jesus replied, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4: 4.) This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8: 3.

Secondly, the devil took him upon the pinnacle of the temple and suggested that he cast himself down since God had given his angels charge concerning him, and that they would bear him up any time lest he would dash his foot against a stone. Jesus replied, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4: 7.) This is a quotation of Deuteronomy 6: 16.

In the third place, when the devil took Christ up into an exceedingly high mountain, and offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would only fall down and worship him, Jesus replied: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4: 10.) This is a quotation from Deut. 6: 13.

Did Jesus respect the book of Deuteronomy? Did our Lord think that there was any power in the word of God as recorded in that book? Most obviously he did. There was such power and force in his arguments that the devil left him at least for a little time.

Let all who respect God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, accept the verbal inspiration and divine revelation of the Pentateuch—the five books of Moses.

Copyright © 2009 2017 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

1 R. Laird Harris, Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible, p. 58.

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142