Assembly Times:

  Sunday:

    Bible Class - 9:45am

    Worship - 10:40am

    Evening - 5:30pm

  Wednesday:

    Bible Class - 7:00pm

Imagine being in an art museum and seeing some of the greatest works of art in man’s history. You come across a classic, such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.  Who, in their right mind, would think about taking a palette and with a brush touching up the painting?

I believe the average person would say, “That’s unthinkable!” For hundreds of years the Mona Lisa has been considered one of the greatest artistic works of all time. How silly to think we could improve this masterpiece!

Is it really any less “unthinkable” to consider what man tries to do with God and His Word?  Today man likes to tamper with what God has revealed.  God’s masterpiece, salvation through Christ, is constantly under attack by those who would change or try to improve on the conditions laid down in God’s Holy Word.   Jesus came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  He died so that we can be saved.  He became poor so that we could become rich (II Cor. 8:9).  As the Hebrew writer put it, “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9).

Really we only have two options.  We can choose to receive salvation through Christ by following the conditions He laid down or we can choose not to follow.  What we cannot do is choose to change it!  It seems almost too good to be true, when we think about forgiveness of sins and an eternity in heaven.  No, there’s nothing we can do to earn salvation.  God does not owe it to us for anything we do or have done.  However, He has promised us eternal life if we keep His word (I John 2:25; 2:3-6).

Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection (Mark 16:16), “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

When the Jews, convicted of their guilt of crucifying the Son of God, asked the apostles what they must do, Peter responded (Acts 2:38), “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

When Philip spoke to the Eunuch in Acts 8, he preached Jesus to him (Acts 8:35).  The eunuch saw water and asked to be baptized.  Philip told him he could if he believed with all his heart.  The Eunuch confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.  Philip stopped the chariot, took him down into the water and baptized him.

I wonder why someone would want to take anything away from God’s plan for salvation. Not many would consider omitting belief, repentance, or even confessing their faith from what God has said. Yet, to be consistent, you can’t add or take away anything!  We wouldn’t think of adding or removing something from a physical masterpiece.  Why would we tamper with God’s?  

--Shane Williams

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20