Tag: Immersion

YOU CAN KNOW THE TRUTH NO. 2

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Shelby G. Floyd

Jesus Christ said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Since we can know the truth, what are the laws of finding the truth?

 

THE LAWS OF KNOWING THE TRUTH

 

There are certain laws in the philosophical world, just as there are certain laws in the scientific and physical world. 

The Law of Identity

First, there is the law of identity. “If a proposition is true then it is true.”  For example, the law of identity states that if a statement has been determined to be true, then the statement is true. In plain terms, it states that Y is Y. For example, if I make a statement that ‘It is raining,’ and it is the truth, then the statement must be true. That is the law of identity.

The Law of the Excluded Middle

Then there is the law of the excluded middle.  “Every precisely stated proposition is either true or false.”  A proposition cannot be both true and false.  For example, if I said that it is the case that today is Sunday, then it could not be the case that it is Sunday for some of you, and Saturday for others, or Monday for still others.  This proposition is either true or false.  The law of the excluded middle is that every precisely stated proposition is either true or false—one or the other. 

The Law of Contradiction

The law of contradiction is that no proposition can be both true and false in the same respect. For example, the statements: “All apples are red,” and “It is not true that all apples are red” is contradictory. This means that one of those statements must be false; they cannot both be true at the same time and in the same manner.

 THE LAW OF RATIONALITY

Finally, the law of rationality is that we ought to justify our conclusions by adequate evidence.  When there is enough credible evidence, then a conclusion must follow. Then your conclusion must be true if it is based on logical facts. For example, Alexander Campbell once said to the young students at Bethany College, “Never put more confidence in a proposition than there is evidence to back it up,” or words to that effect.

 

KNOWLEDGE BY OUR FIVE SENSES

 

I believe that is enough preliminary background into the realm of knowledge that comes by contemplation. And even knowledge that comes by contemplation, perception, and reflection, comes by at least two of our five senses.  We cannot contemplate about something unless you have read it, and we read it by looking—using the eyesight—the optical sense.  And we can contemplate about certain things by hearing—by the auditory senses.  And therefore, even knowledge that comes by contemplation comes through at least two or more of our five senses.  Helen Keller could not see or hear, but she knew a lot of things by contemplation.  She used a third sense and that was the sense of touch—the tactile sense.  She was taught certain things by Braille.  Therefore, knowledge that comes by contemplation can come through three or more of our senses—hearing, seeing, and touch.  But it doesn’t have to be in the realm of personal experience.

Copyright © 1993, 2010, 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

Shelby G. Floyd delivered this portion of a sermon, November 31, 1993, at the South Central Church of Christ, 265 East Southport Road, Indianapolis, Indiana

YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH NO. 1

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Shelby G. Floyd

7

Jesus Christ said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

Many philosophers and wise man agree with what Jesus said.  “The truth is always the strongest argument,” wrote Sophocles.  Daniel Defoe penned, “He that has truth on his side is a fool if he is afraid to own it because of other men’s opinions.”  “Keep one thing forever in view—the truth, and if you do that, though it may seem to lead you away from the opinions of man, it will assuredly conduct you to the throne of God,” affirmed Horace Mann. An unknown author gave us these wonderful words: “An honest man alters his opinion to fit the truth.  A prejudiced man alters the truth to fit his opinion.”

CAN MAN KNOW THE TRUTH?

Can man know the truth?  Can man know any truth?  That is the question we must answer.  I have a very simple proposition for you to consider.  And that proposition my friends is this: “you can know the truth.”  Everyone can know the truth; all can know the truth.  That is the proposition I will seek to uphold and prove with credible evidence.

What is Truth?

What is truth?  A philosopher wrote, “A statement is true if what it says to be the case is the case.  And it is false if what it says to be the case is not the case.”  That is a very simple definition of truth. And it is adequate for what we now present as truth. Truth is a statement that is true if what it says to be the case is actually the case.  Truth is a faithful report of what is, has been, or shall be.

Some Preliminary Matters

Before we consider the question, “Can man know the truth,” there are preliminary matters we must settle.  The problem that men have always faced is, “can we know the truth?”  Is it the case that we can know the truth?  The Greek word [ginosko] means, “I know.”  And the Greek word [aginosko] means, “I do not know.” A theist is one who says, “I believe and therefore I know that God does exist.”  And atheist is one that says, “I know that God does not exist.”  An agnostic is one that says, “I don’t know whether God exists or not.”

It is sad that many people in the church, will not talk with their neighbors and friends about the existence of God, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the verbal inspiration of the Bible, because they take the position of the agnostic.  Their reasoning goes like this: “Well their opinion is just as good as my opinion.  And since I cannot know absolutely that God is, or that Christ is the Son of God, or that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative word of God, then why should I talk with somebody and take that position that I do know?”

That is a false idea.  We can know that God exists.  We can know the truth that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God.  We can know that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative word of God.

WHAT DOES “I KNOW” MEAN?

What do we mean when we say, “I know?”  Can one know anything?  Can one know everything?  Is it possible for one to come to the knowledge of what knowing means?  After all, if we cannot know anything, can I even come to the knowledge of knowing what knowing means?  Yes, we can know the truth of what it means to know something.  Would it be possible for one to know that it is impossible to know?  Some say that one cannot know anything!  And yet they seem to know that one thing, that they cannot know anything!  They know one thing.  What is the one thing they know?  The one thing they know—is that it is impossible to know anything.  But if it is possible to know that you cannot know anything, then it just might be possible to know that you can know some more things.  I will be the first to admit that man cannot know everything.  I insist I do not know everything.  And I think most of you would agree that you do not know everything.  I do not know everything about God, but because I cannot know everything about God’s existence, does it follow logically and rationally and intellectually, that I cannot know that God does exist.  No, that does not follow.

We Know by Experience

When we start to talk about the realm of knowledge, we enter into the field that we call epistemology.  Epistemology is that branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge.  Human beings come to have knowledge, basically and fundamentally in two ways.  We know certain things today by experience.  That knowledge which comes to us by experience comes through our sense perception—the five senses of man.  And this is what we categorize as science.  A lot of the things we know today are scientific by nature—they came by our sense perception and our experience.  Man knows many things in that way.

We Know by Contemplation

In the second place, man also knows things through contemplation.  We contemplate or reflect in our minds through observation, through perception, and through precise reasoning.  And that is what we call the branch of learning known as philosophy.  So philosophy deals with knowledge that comes by contemplation.  Science deals with knowledge that comes by experience.

If we contemplate about the universe, that is what we call metaphysics.  If we contemplate about human conduct, that is what we call ethics or morality.  If we contemplate about the beauty of our world, that is what we call aesthetics.  And if we contemplate about correct reasoning, that is what we call logic—both inductive and deductive logic and reasoning.

Is there evidence that we can know something—either through sense perception, and therefore experience, or is there evidence also that we can know something by contemplation, reflection, perception, and reasoning? I believe there is such evidence.  The empirical philosophers insist that we can only know something by means of our five senses.  If you cannot hear it, see it, smell it, taste it, or touch it, they say you cannot know anything!  That is what the empirical philosophers teach and affirm.

The existential philosophers say and insist that there is really no way that we can know anything for sure or absolutely.  They say that the best we can do is to come to an accommodative knowledge of truth, or a high degree of probability of truth.  But to know something for sure and absolutely, the existential philosopher says that we cannot know anything.  But they are in a self-defeating and a self-contradictory position, for they seem to know that one thing for sure and absolutely and that is that you cannot know anything for sure or absolutely. But the divine philosophers that gave us divine revelation insist that we can know things by our physical, mental and moral senses.  They also teach that we can know the truth through contemplation based on adequate evidence.

Copyright © 1993, 2010, 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

This is a portion of a sermon presented by Shelby G. Floyd, November 21, 1993, at the South Central Church of Christ, 265 East Southport Road, Indianapolis, Indiana.

WATCHMAN ON THE WALL

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Shelby G. Floyd

It is a beautiful morning! And it is good to stand before you and present the word of God. I have decided to speak on the subject, “Watchmen on the Wall!”

We do not usually hear many sermons from the book of Ezekiel. But over the past six months, I have presented at least two lessons from Ezekiel. I spoke to you about those Dry Bones representing Israel who was dead spiritually. Then not long ago I spoke to you that Ezekiel was looking for someone to “Stand in the Gap!” And he found no one.

Today, we study “Watchmen on the Wall.” We all need watchmen. We do not have walls to watch out for invaders to come as far as nations are concerned. The Great Wall of China is probably the last example where nations tried to protect themselves by building a big high wall. But we do hear a lot about we need a wall on our southern border to protect from illegal invaders! So we still see the need for some kind of walls. Continue reading “WATCHMAN ON THE WALL” →

THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE NO. 5

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Shelby G. Floyd

In the New Testament we find that “the book” mentioned by Daniel the prophet is actually “the Lamb’s book of life.” Those whose names written in the Lamb’s book of life will be delivered to heaven because they relied on the blood of the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Let us again be reminded of those two scriptures in the book of Revelation with which we started this lesson. John declared, “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, NIV).

And in the last chapter of the Revelation John said, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27, NIV). God has made it possible for our names to be recorded in “the Lamb’s book of Life” because his beloved Son offered himself up as our Passover lamb and because we have been cleansed by his precious blood like a perfect lamb without spot or blemish.

THE CELESTIAL CITY

We must receive, believe and obey the whole counsel of God. If our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life and we do not add to or take away from what God has revealed to us in his word, then where are we going at the last day? We will not be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Then where is our destination? We will go to that celestial city. It will be a large city. According to the measurements given its literal size would be a cube 1500 miles square. That is probably a figure of speech—a definite figure standing for an indefinite figure. That would mean that the city in heaven would be as large as the United States from shore to shining shore. God uses these terms to assure us that there is going to be plenty of room for all of us whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life.

DANIEL THE PROPHET

It is interesting to note that Daniel the prophet, who lived some 700 to 800 years before Christ, saw and recorded some things that are going to take place at the last day:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:1-2, NIV).

There is no doubt that Daniel is referring to the last day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns and the resurrection of both the just and the unjust. But on that day God’s people whose names are found written in the book will be delivered unto everlasting life. But those not found written in the book will be reserved to shame and everlasting contempt. Everlasting life and everlasting contempt stand in contrast. And the difference is whether our name is found written in God’s book. What a wonderful promise from Daniel to God’s people!

MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Recently, when I looked at my original birth certificate, where it listed baptism it was blank. My father and mother did not have me baptized when I was born. They left that blank. I did not need to be baptized as an infant because I was innocent and without sin. At that point I had done nothing right or wrong. Also, I did not have the capacity to believe, repent, confess Christ, and choose to be baptized of my own free will.

BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN

And as I grew up like everyone else I became a sinner and in need of forgiveness. I remember as a young man when I went forward and made the good confession and was baptized into Christ. One of the men who assisted me in obeying the gospel stated, “you will never regret what you have done today.” And I have been thankful all the days of my life that I made a commitment to live for Christ while I was young.

GOD GAVE ME A NEW LEAF

And it was on that day that God gave me a new leaf clean and white. God took away and blotted out all my past sins. He gave me a new leaf and he gives me a new leaf every day because none of us are perfect. We make mistakes and fall short every day. But the Bible declares, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7,KJV). So if we confess our sins, and repent and acknowledge that we are sinners every day, and pray that God will forgive us, he will keep that leaf in his book of remembrance just as clean, pure and white as it possibly can be.

I hope now as we prepare to stand and sing a song of encouragement, and you realize that your name is not in the Lamb’s book of life, that you will come forward and have your name recorded in the book of registry—the Lamb’s book of life. Before we sing that song of encouragement, I would like for all of us to take note and listen to these words that I wrote down many years ago:

He came to my desk with quivering lip—
The lesson was done.
“Dear Teacher, I want a new leaf,” he said,
“I have spoiled this one.”

I took the old leaf, stained and blotted,
And gave him a new one all unspotted,
And into his sad eyes smiled,
“Do better, now, my child.”

I went to the throne with a quivering soul—
The old year was done.
“Dear Father, hast thou a new leaf for me?
I have spoiled this one.”

He took the old leaf, stained and blotted,
And gave me a new one all unspotted,
And into my sad heart smiled,
“Do better, now, my child.”

—Kathlean Wheeler, Gospel Advocate, September 13, 1973, page 592.

That is exactly the spirit that God has in his relationship with you, if you will obey the gospel and have your name recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. As we sing this song I want you to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ as it were will be standing here with his arms outstretched as he did in the long-ago when he said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, KJV). You will never find any rest for your eternal soul unless you have your name recorded in the Lamb’s book of life! Do not delay another day.*

*Copyright © 2010, 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

This sermon was delivered by Shelby G. Floyd, August 15, 2010, at the Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

shelby@thefloyds.net

THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE NO. 2

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Shelby G. Floyd

 

7

 

 

At the last day the names recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life will enter the Heavenly City!

“And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:26-27 NKJV).

NAMES NOT RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE

We note that some names will not be recorded in “the Book of Life of the Lamb,”

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

This is because they worshipped the Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth instead of the God of heaven and earth! (Revelation 13:1; 11). Why would any sane person go to meet God with their name not recorded in “the Book of Life of the Lamb” (Revelation 13:8)?

Some Names Blotted Out

Some names recorded in the Book will be “blotted out!” Your name recorded in the Book of Life, can be blotted out. This should wake us up, for we do not want our names blotted out of the Book of Life.

Some names were blotted out of God’s Old Testament book of remembrance (Exodus 17:14; Psalms 9:5). Some names of the dead church at Sardis were blotted out (erased) of the Book of Life: “The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5 NASB).

Moses and the Children of Israel

Remember the story when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the law. He was gone for quite some time and then he came down from the mountain with the tablets in his hand. Moses exploded because the people created a golden calf to worship! And they committed immorality (Exodus 32:6; 1 Corinthians 10:7). It is on this occasion that Moses said to the children of Israel that God would blot out of his book those that had sinned against him:

Exodus 32: 30-33
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.”
NIV

Moses loved the children of Israel and asked God to forgive them. But God said I will blot out of my book those who have sinned against me. God did not blot out the name of Moses because he had not sinned against him.

The Wicked Not Listed With the Righteous

Time went on and King David in his Psalms asked God to blot out of the book of the living the wicked in order that their names might not appear along with the righteous. “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous” (Psalms 69:28 NIV). David was a man after God’s own heart. He committed great sin, but he was always repentant. And he usually went to God and asked for forgiveness. Most of the time he went before God to find out what he should do before he decided about a matter.

The wicked will not dwell in the congregation of the righteous in the eternal assembly. It is good that we will not be thrown in with the wicked! God is not going to keep the names of the wicked and the righteous together. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-32).

False Prophets Not Listed in the Records

When we survey the Old Testament history, we find there were false prophets. There were also the true prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. Ezekiel declared in his prophecy that certain false prophets would not be in the writing of the house of Israel: “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD” (Ezekiel 13:9).

The Faithful Receive A Crown of Life

But we can have assurance of our salvation and eternal destiny. In the New Testament our Lord promised that if we will be faithful even to the point of death, he will give us a crown of life:

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Therefore, whether our name is in or blotted out of The Book of Life depends upon each one of us. We are made in the image of God. And we have free will of choice. It is up to us to make the right choice. We are glad that God write things down accurately.

GOD WRITES THINGS DOWN

Somehow, we like people to write things down. A Doctor after showing me my vitals on a computer said, “It is still alright to write things down!” When we incur a debt, and we are asked to pay for it, we want written proof that we owe such along with the interest. It is permanent and there is less risk of mistakes. Therefore, we are encouraged when we read the Bible that God keeps a written record of his relationship with his creation.

The Songs of Slavery

It is interesting that many poets and songwriters noticed that God writes things down. In America during the days of slavery, the book of Revelation was a favorite book of the slaves. They would create poems and songs they would sing. While they were working in the fields they would sing their spiritual songs with much emotion. One song they would sing had these words:

My Lord sees all you do,
And my Lord hears all you say,
And my Lord keeps a-writin’ all the time.

God writes things down. He writes down what he sees and what he hears. Almighty God is aware of those mistreated and of those who mistreated them. It is all written down in his book of remembrance.

The Prophet Malachi

The prophet Malachi wrote in the last book of the Old Testament that God writes things down concerning those who fear him and honor his name:

“Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him” (Malachi 3:16-17, NIV).

Malachi declares that God writes down the names of those who fear and honor his name in the scroll of remembrance. Those names represent his treasured possession at the last day. Therefore, God writes down his treasured possession is his people.

Omar Khayyam

The poet Omar Khayyam wrote these meaningful words about the fact that God always keeps a perfect record, and he writes this record down in his book of remembrance:

The moving finger writes,
And having writ moves on,
Nor all your piety and wit,
Can lure it back,
To cancel half a line.

God can cancel a line. Man cannot cancel a line except by changing our life to please the Lord! God writes things down and there will be no mistakes. The record will be clear and accurate. God’s memory is perfect! God writes things down in his book of remembrance to reassure us that his record is just, righteous and loving to those who fear his name. Above all, make sure your name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

Copyright © 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

Shelby G. Floyd, minister of the heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE NO. 1

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Shelby G. Floyd

The Book of Life

Is your name in the Book of Life? You might say, “What book are you talking about?” Well, Face Book, of course! A lot of us are on Face Book. It is a social network, and it is interesting. It is a good way to communicate with our friends and family, especially if they are separated by some distance. My first cousin says that Face Book is like the old-time telephone party line, where everyone could listen in to someone’s conversation and find out the latest gossip. Face Book is one book we can have our name in. But that is not the book that we speak of today. We ask is your name in the “Lamb’s Book of Life?”

The Book of Physical Life

Recently, I got out my original birth certificate. It is a fancy birth certificate, listing the day of my birth at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana. On the back side of it, my footprints and my thumbprints are imprinted. It said my hair was red, how much I weighed at birth, and who my father and mother were. Some of you can remember when my hair was brown and now it is white with age—red, brown and white!

I read in my daily Bible readings this week the Psalms of David. And there was a reading that jumped out and was very meaningful to me. I want to share it with you:

Psalms 139: 13-16
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
NIV

It is that last verse which I emphasize. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” When I look at my birth certificate, my name is in that book. But God knew how many days I would have upon this earth before I was even born. And he wrote them down in his book of the physical living. And that is amazing! And one of these days we are going to receive another certificate—our death certificate. And our names will be written in the book of those who have ceased to be on this earth. And so physically all of us who are alive today have our names recorded in the book of the physical living.

A Bunch of Everlastings

From 1965 through 1968 I preached for the Arlington church of Christ in Jacksonville, Florida. And while I was living there I visited a used bookstore. And I purchased this little green book that has water marks all over it and the title was blotted out. I took a magic marker and inscribed the title on it. The title is “A Bunch of Everlastings,” by F. W. Boreham. This book is made up of some of the favorite texts of preachers down through the centuries. I love this book and would not take anything for it. Most preachers prize their books as their most cherished possessions. The text I have chosen for our topic today was Dean Stanley’s favorite text, Revelation 21: 27!

Let me share with you the story in this book about Dean Stanley. There were two soldiers in England who boarded a train. They sat down by this gentleman and found out he was from the same town as Dean Stanley. Then they related a story to him about their visit to Westminster Abby, in London, England. As they were ready to visit the Abby it was closing for the day. As they were being turned away, Dean Stanley appeared and asked them if they could return on the next day. They were very disappointed and said that they had to leave the next day. Dean Stanley then took the keys from the regular tour guide and showed them throughout the famous building where all the notables of Great Britain were laid to rest. As they were leaving, he said, “But, after all you both may have a more enduring monument than this, for this will molder into dust and be forgotten, but if your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, you will abide forever.”

He invited them to breakfast the next morning, paid their fares to their home, and again in bidding them goodbye he urged them to make sure that their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life. And then he added these words as they parted company, “If we never meet again on earth, we shall certainly meet in Heaven.”

THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE

That is a wonderful story. And I ask, “Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life?” If it is not, make sure that your name is recorded in God’s book of life—the Lamb’s book of life! The expression, “the Lamb’s book of life” is found only one time in the New Testament. It is used near the end of the book of Revelation when John declared,

“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

In the context in which this passage is stated, John is discussing the new Jerusalem—heaven itself. And then he describes the people who will live in that celestial city. No one will enter the celestial home unless their name is found in the book—the Lamb’s book of life. And this is what makes heaven so outstanding, because those who go there are related to the Lamb of God who gave his precious blood that we might be free from sin: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

And now we look at a related passage that does not use the exact expression the Lamb’s book of life, but it conveys the same idea in different wording: “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Those whose names are written in the book of life will not worship the beast but will worship God in spirit and truth as we are commanded (John 4:24). When John said that the Lamb was slain from the creation of the world it means that in type, prophecy and promise, Christ was promised to be the Lamb of God that would be slain on the cross of Calvary. All the blood of bulls and goats was but a type of the blood of Christ shed on the cross at the fullness of times (Galatians 4:4-5).

 

After reading both of these passages of Scripture, we ask again, “Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life?” If it is not, make it your priority to see that you have your name recorded in the registry of God’s book of life!

Copyright © 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

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

THE RESURRECTED CHRIST

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Shelby G. Floyd

It is good to see all of you today. We are thankful for our visitors. It is wonderful to worship God. On a first day of the week Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to his apostles, and now reigns at the right hand of God in heaven.

Today is the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week. The apostle John from the Isle of Patmos wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10). I think we all are “in the spirit” by the way we sung those beautiful hymns.

THE SEVEN DAY WEEK

Have you ever thought about the days in the week? Today is the first day of the week and Saturday was the seventh day of the week. And one of the first arguments that I present to you today is the seven-day week.

The children of Israel came out of Egypt and in about 50 days they came to Mount Sinai. God gave them his law and that law said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8,11). That is the day they came out of Egypt, out of slavery, and were marching to the promised land. And that is what we all are doing now. We are marching to the heavenly promised land! But we do not worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. We worship on Sunday, the first day of the week.

Where did the week come from? Why not a week of eight, or 10 days? It all goes back to the creation week. God created the heavens and the earth in six days and he rested on the seventh day. And so everywhere we have a seven-day week. And that makes me believe that the world was created in six regular 24-hour days. And that gave us the week as we know it. For 1500 years the Jewish people worshiped on Saturday – the Sabbath – the seventh day of the week.

In Acts two the church was established, and Christians worshipped on the first day of the week. Why was that the case? The first Christians were Jewish people, because 3000 worshipers in Jerusalem were converted on the day of Pentecost which is always on Sunday.

And so we believe one of the strongest arguments for the resurrection of Christ is the fact that 3000 people started worshiping on the first day of the week instead of the seventh day of the week. Why? Now if Christ had not been raised from the dead on the first in the week, we believe it would have been impossible to change the worship day from the seventh day to the first day of the week. The Sabbath day worship was deeply embedded in the history of Israel and the Jewish people. They would not have changed the day of worship unless there was a powerful reason for doing so. And that powerful reason was and is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Continue reading “THE RESURRECTED CHRIST” →

THE GLORIOUS SON OF MAN

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Shelby G. Floyd

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Revelation 1:1 NKJV). This “Revelation of Jesus Christ” came to us through several steps. 

1. God gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ;
2. Jesus sent and signified it by his angel;
3. The angel gave it to his servant John; and,
4. John gave it to the servants of Christ. Continue reading “THE GLORIOUS SON OF MAN” →

OUR HEAVENLY HOME

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Shelby G. Floyd

Our time on this earth is tentative. No one knows the day they will die. But we do know by divine revelation that Jesus went to prepare a place for his people (John 14:1-4). He described it as a mansion with many rooms!

The Heavenly Home

This heavenly home is for those who are now in Christ and who live like Christ lived while he was on the earth. How did Christ live?

Jesus was always aware of what was going on around him. He took the time to reach out and help the poor and needy people he contacted.

The Beggar Wanted Crumbs

In the story of Lazarus, the rich man was lost and in torment, because he was mean and cruel to the beggar. All he asked for was the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. He was hungry, full of sores, and suffering. And all he wanted was what the little dogs would eat that fell from the table (Luke 16:21; Mark 7:27-28).

The rich man fared sumptuously at a banquet every day. Evidently he was a Pharisee. And they loved money (Luke 16:14-15). And God said no one can serve God and money (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Death Is Certain

In the course of time the beggar Lazarus died. He was tenderly carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. And this is a place of spiritual bliss! Of course, later the rich man also died. His emphasis in life was outward and material. So it was in death—he was buried. He took care of the outward man sumptuously in his life and the emphasis now is on the outward man in death.

Lost In Hades

But in the afterlife he was in torments in Hades. This means that he was lost forever. He could not go over across the great gulf to be with Lazarus. And Lazarus could send no one across the great divide to help him. He who showed no mercy while living on the earth received no mercy in the afterlife.

Now the rich man is wonderfully interested in his five brothers who live back on the earth. He wants Lazarus to warn them so they will not go to “this place of torment!”

Abraham states that this cannot be done. At this time the law of Moses and the prophets was in effect. They have Moses and the prophets to guide them and that is all they need. They evidently do not believe Moses and the prophets. But Abraham says, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

Christ And The Gospel

Today, we all have Christ, the gospel, and the teaching of the apostles. And that is enough. The faith has be once delivered (Jude 3). No one is coming back to warn us! So let us all “Trust and Obey!”

Therefore remember the words of Jesus when he said,

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3).

This epitaph was found written upon a tombstone:
Remember, friend, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, soon you shall be,
Prepare for death, and follow me.

Someone comedian wrote,

To follow you, I’m not content,
Until I know which way you went!

Copyright © 2023 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

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

Email: shelby@thefloyds.net

THE DAY OF SMALL BEGINNINGS

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Shelby G. Floyd

Long ago when God’s people rebuilt the temple, the prophet Zechariah asked this question,

“The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth” (Zechariah 4: 9-10 NKJV). Continue reading “THE DAY OF SMALL BEGINNINGS” →