"COME
AND SEE"
Nathanael said,
"can any good thing come out of
In the first century,
when people found Jesus they immediately went and told others. Philip
found Jesus and he went quickly to share Him with Nathanael.
Apparently Nathanael is also known by the name Bartholomew.
Nathanael was
concerned about whether any good thing could come out of
COME AND SEE; THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD.
The Bible claims to be the word of God. Peter said, "knowing this first,
that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never
came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21.) The Bible is not the wisdom and work of
men but of the holy Spirit. Paul said, "These
things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the
Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1
Corinthians 2:13.) The Bible will never pass away. Jesus stated this in Matthew
24:35. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My
words will by no means pass away." The Bible is truth. It is our guide
from earth to heaven. it is the word of God. It has
nothing to fear from honest investigation. So, come and see!
COME AND SEE; THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF
GOD. God blessed all nations through the seed of Abraham. The scriptures
predicted all nations being blessed through Abraham. "And the Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to
Abraham beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed."
(Galatians 3:8.) These blessings came in and through Jesus. "Now to
Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,'
as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ." (Galatians
3:16.) Peter acknowledged Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. "Also we
have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God." (John 6:69.) Those who believe Jesus to be the Son must obey Him
that He might be "Savior."
COME AND SEE THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS.
Man has a sin problem. Sin has separated mankind from God. "Behold, the
Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it
cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your
sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah
59:1-2.) The only answer to the sin problem is the precious blood of Jesus.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8.) The gospel is the great news
that Christ suffered sin's penalty in man's place. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul
describes and defines 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." The only grounds for man's forgiveness is Jesus' death!
COME AND SEE THE
COME AND SEE WHAT CHRISTIANITY CAN DO FOR
YOU. Christianity had done more for our world than anything else ever could or
will do. Christianity will bring you salvation from past sins. Man is a sinner
and needs forgiveness. Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will
be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark
16:16.) Christianity opens many doors
to do good for others. We are told, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in
any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (Galatians
6:1.) Christianity is the way of life which will lead to heaven. The Christian
treats others as he wished to be treated (Luke 6:31, loves his enemies
(Matthew 5:44), keeps himself pure (Matthew 5:8), and offers himself as a
living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1-2). The end of this life is peace, joy and
the hope of heaven. (Colossians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:4.)
COME AND SEE GOD'S SIMPLE PLAN OF
SALVATION. The Bible teaches that man is a sinner. (Romans 3:23.) In order to
be saved God requires five simple things: (1) One must hear and learn the
truth. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God." (Romans 10:17), (2) One must believe in God and in Christ as the Son
of God. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who
comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) "He said to them, But who do you
say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16.), (3) One must repent of his sins.
"I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
(Luke 13:3), (4) One must confess Christ as the Son of God. "Therefore
whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who
is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32), and (5) One must be baptized to be save. Jesus
made it plain: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16.) One obeying these
simple commands is saved from past sins and added to the Lord's church. You
should take action on these matters today!
COME AND SEE NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP. The
kind of worship God wants is described in John 4:24. "God is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." God is to be the
object of our worship. To worship in spirit means to worship with a sincere
heart. To worship in truth suggests that we worship according to the teachings
of the New Testament. As early Christians worshipped God: (1) They assembled each Lord's day to study
God's word. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15),
(2) They assembled each Lord's day to pray. Christians are to, "pray without
ceasing)" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), (3) They assembled each Lord's day to
sing. The only instrument used was the "heart." "Speaking to one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:19), (4) They assembled each Lord's
day to give as they had been prospered. "On the first day of the week let
each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there
be no collections when I come." (1 Corinthians 16:2), and (5) They assembled
each Lord's day to partake of the Lord's Supper. "Now on the first day of
the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to
depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until
midnight." (Acts 20:7). This is the way the early Christians worshipped
on every Sunday. If we are Christians we will do no less!
Come and see what Jesus can mean in your
life personally. Come and see the hope we have of eternal life. "And the
Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say,
"Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take
the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17.) For the Christians,
tomorrow will be better than today. "Come and see."
By Charles Box,