CHRIST

Is

The

ANSWER

byPaul Goodvvin

Preface

Christ is the answer. What ajoy it is to writethis simple statement! Divine Revelation andhuman experience bear witness to itstruthfulness.

We are faced with many perplexing problems- sin, sorrow, death, judgment, eternity, andChrist is the ultimate answer to everyone ofthem. CHRIST is God's remedy for man'sruin. What people do with Christ is a matter oflife or death: "For the wages of sin is death; butthe gift of God is eternal life through JesusChrist our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The wages ofsin is eternal death; the gift of God is eternallife. The wages of sin is eternal separation(death means separation) from God; the gift ofGod is eternal union (life means union) withGod. The wages of sin (ultimately) is hell; thegift of God (ultimately) is heaven.

The di Itercnce between death and life, helland hea VI.: 11. is Christ. "He that believeth on theSon hath everlasting life: and he that believethnot the Son shall not see life; but the wrath ofGod ahidcth on him" (John 3:36). Yourattitude toward Christ will determine yourCILL.,,: J~ -t.ny.

Outside of the Saviour there is nothing butdeath, judgment, and hell. In Him there is life,eternal life, heaven. "The gift of God is eternallife through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans6:23b). Christ said: "T am the way, the truthand the life: no man cometh unto the Father butby me" (John J 4:6). "For God so loved theworld, that he gave his only begotten Son, thatwhosoever believeth in him should not perish,but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). AcceptGod's gift of salvation now and let this day bethe day of salvation for you.

CHRISTIs The Answer

If you are lost, Christ is the answer. Thechurch cannot save you. Neither can the twoordinances of the church, baptism and theLord's Supper. save you. These pictorialordinances point to Christ, but they do not savethe lost. It is tragic to trust the pictures ratherthan the one pictured. The powers ofredemption are not found within the heart ofthe sinner. God demands perfection and thesinner cannot meet this standard. However,Christ who knew no sin met every demand ofGod's law and then died for sinners. With joy,then, we read, "Christ is the end ofthe law forrighteousness to every one that believeth"(Rom.10:4).

Christ, and Christ alone, can save you."Neither is there salvation in any other: for

there is none other name under heaven givenamong men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts4: 12). When Heaven gave Jesus Christ,Heaven gave all. That Christ is the onlySaviour is not a doctrine found only in the NewTestamcnt. It is the teaching of the OldTestament as well. Every Old Testamentprophet preached salvation through believingin Christ. "To Him give all the prophetswitness, that through his name whosoeverbelieveth in Him shall receive remission ofsins" (Acts 10:43). Ifit were possible to call allthe Old Testament prophets on the witnessstand and ask them the simple question, "Towhom did you point the people for salvation?"they would answer in unison, "Christ." Thepromised Messiah of the Old Testament is theresurrected Christ of the New. Some peoplewho want to bel ieve this glorious doctrine havesome difficulty understanding how faith can beplaced in 'one who has not yet come. Our faith

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in the second coming of Christ illustrates thesimplicity of the whole matter. We lookforward to His return when we will be givenbody redemption. The saints of today wait forhis second coming while the saints of oldwai red for his first coming.

"On Christ the solid rock I stand, all otherground is sinking sand."

CHRISTIs The Answer

If you are saved but living an unhappy,defeated life, Christ is the answer. OurShepherd Saviour reminds us that He came thatwe might have the abundant life (John 10: 10).Christ not only wants us to have life, but Healso wants us to have the abundant life.

Visiting the hospitals, one finds people invarying degrees of health. Here is one who is

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walking down the corridor. Another is sittingon the side of his bed. Others lie still on thebed. Some have lapsed into coma. They allhave physical life. The physically strong (ableto walk, run, work, etc.) when compared withthe sick in the hospitals have abundant life.Hold this idea in your mind. Now take it acrossinto the spiritual realm. God wants his childrento live actively, triumphantly, victoriously. Wewho have been born from above are not madeto live like the earthworm, but rather we are to"mount up with wings as eagles." Throughsubmission to Christ we can rise above theharassing circumstances of life. A friend ofmine was asked how he was getting along. Hereplied, "Pretty good under the circumstances."That's just it. We live too much of our livesunder the circumstances. It need not be so ifwewait upon the Lord (lsa.40:31). Want a deepsettled peace which will enable you to face afrustrating world? This inside peace is not

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immunity from the storms, but it is peace in thestorm. This tranquillity of mind comes to thosewho recognize the lordship of Christ. Worrywears down; faith builds up. Paul writes fromprison: "Don't worry over anything whatever;tell God every detail of your needs in earnestand thankful prayer, and the peace of God,which transcends human understanding, willkeep constant guard over your hearts andminds as they rest in Christ Jesus" (Phi1.4:6, 7.J.B. Phillip's Translastion). All of God'schildren have peace with God (Rom.6: 1), butrelatively few experience the peace of Godwhich passes all understanding.

Want to win others to salvation and toservice'? We are born to reproduce and failureto do so is tragic. "Follow me," said Christ,"And I will make you fishers of men."

Christ ... Listening to Him, trusting Him,following Him brings the abundant life.

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CHRISTIs The Answer

If you are in deep sorrow, Christ is theanswer. The prophet Isaiah tells us Christ wassent "to bind up the broken-hearted." Davidproclaimed the same glorious truth when hesaid: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and heshall sustain thee." How will the Lordaccomplish this? How will He sustain us whenwe cast our burdens upon Him? This He willdo in one of two ways. He will take away theburden or He will send us additional strengthto bear up under it. The Apostle Paul had athorn in the flesh. None of us would concludethis was a literal thorn in the flesh, but it wassome kind of trouble that was like a thorn inthe flesh. It was a constant hurt which wouldnot go away. Three times Paul prayed aboutthis matter, but God did not remove the thorn.

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But we must not conclude God was insensitiveto the petitions of this peerless preacher. Intenderness God reminds Paul: "My grace issufficient for thee: for my strength is madeperfect in weakness." With gladness Paulaccepted this answer and went away with asong in his heart. Note his response, a practicaland praise-worthy example for all of us, "Mostgladly therefore will I rather glory in myinfirmities, that the power of Christ may restupon me. Therefore I take pleasure ininfirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, inpersecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: forwhen I am weak, then am I strong."

This writer has never been shaken by thefoolish claims that God is dead. He hascommuned with God many times since this"God-is-dead" heresy from hell was firstpropagated. God is. There are ten thousanddemonstrations which prove his existence. Itneed not be argued. God lives, and He loves,

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and He cares.Sorrow is the lot of all men everywhere.

What does a man do in deep sorrow? This isthe test. Some deny it, but the answer is notthat simple. Others try to drown their sorrowsin revelry only to find they have added to theirsorrows. Some suffer on in stoic silencedetermined to be unmoved no matter whathappens. People who know God through JesusChrist cast their care upon Him knowing thatHe does care for them, and God is present helpto them in time of trouble. Our Creator andSaviour does give comfort and super-humanstrength to those who trust Him.

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SOMEBODY CARES

Somebody knows when your heart aches,And everything seems to go wrong,

Somebody knows when the shadowsNeed chasing away with a song.

Somebody knows when you're lonely,Tired, discouraged and blue,

Somebody wants you to know Him,And know that He dearly loves you.

Somebody cares when you're tempted,And the world grows dizzy and dim;

Somebody cares when you're weakest,And farthest away from Him.

oneSome~ grieves when you're fallen,

Though you are not lost from His sight;Somebody waits for your coming,

Taking the gloom from your night.

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Somebody loves you when weary;Somebody loves you when strong;

Always is waiting to help you,Watches you - one of the throng.

Needing His friendship so holy,leeding His watch-care so true.

His name? We call His name Jesus.His people? Just I and just you.

Author Unknown

CHRISTIs The Answer

If your life is one long round of worry andfretfulness, Christ is the answer. It was VanceHavner who declared this age is characterizedby three words - hurry, worry, and bury. Manyof God's people live under the constant strainof worry and anxiety. This would not be if we

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took seriously the saying of our Saviour.Trusting in our Heavenly Father's care, placingspiritual things first and material things second,would relieve us of many burdening cares(Matt.6:25-34).

The little girl who misquoted a part of the23rd Psalm was right in her philosophy whenshe said, "The Lord is my shepherd and that isall I want!" This is a simple thought, and yet itis profound.

This writer once heard L.D. Capell say, "Tothe extent you worry, to that extent you lackfaith in God." The statement was a rebuke andat first brought resentment in my heart. Yearsof experience and study have brought me to awholehearted acceptance of the statement. It iswhen we take things out of God's hands thatwe really begin to worry about them.

When anxiety begins to dominate a life itmeans prayer life, meaningful, trusting prayer,has stopped, and the worried, fretful child of

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God has taken over to work out his ownproblems in his own strength and wisdom. It isa foolish sheep who refuses the care andprotection of the Shepherd.

The Apostle Paul had many troubles, but hedid not let adversity become his master. "Innothing be anxious," he said. Pray withthanksgiving in your heart is the advice of himwho went through some deep waters. "Withthanksgiving" is a key phrase. Gratitude in theheart will do wonders for the wholepersonality, and there is a reason for gratitudein the heart of a child of God no matter whatthe situation may be. Pray. Anything bigenough to disturb and disrupt your life is bigenough to take to the Lord in prayer. Peoplewho pray as Paul instructs us to pray inPhi1.4:6,7 will possess a peace which defiesunderstanding, and this peace which guards ourhearts and minds is through Christ Jesus.

Read Phi1.4:6,7 and make it your own.

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CHRISTIs The Answer

If you, like many people, live in bondageto the fear of death, Christ is the answer.Some even speak oftheir dread of going to thegraveyard. It is a dismal thought indeed, butthis writer is bold in declaring he is not goingto the grave - has no intention of attending hisown funeral.

The body is likened to a house (II Cor.S:l).One day there will develop a leak in the roof orthe walls will cave in and the tenant will beevicted. For the child of God this will mean aleaving of the body and a going to be withChrist (II ce-.s :8). The apostle Paul calls deatha departure - a trip to Paradise (Phil.l :23). Noneed to worry about transportation becauseGod will have on hand a great convoy of

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angels to carry his child home (Lk.16:22).Every funeral this writer conducts or just

attends leaves with him the idea that whateverelse a man may have if he does not have theanswer to death he really does not haveanything.

We who still have physical life do not knowwhat it is like to die, and when we shall havegained this knowledge by personal experiencethere will be no way to pass it back to theliving, but our Saviour died and arose from thedead never to die again. He tells us not to beafraid: "Fear not; I am the first and the last: Iam he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, Iam alive for evermore, Amen; and have thekeys of hell and of death."

In another precious promise our Redeemerassures us that because He lives we shall livealso (John 14:19).

It is Christ who shall come back to earth andgive us body redemption. "But we are citizens

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of Heaven; our outlook goes beyond this worldto the hopeful expectation of the Saviour Whowill come from Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.He will re-make these wretched bodies of oursto resemble His own glorious Body, by thatpower of His which makes Him the Master ofeverything that is" (Phi1.3:20,21. PhillipsTranslation).

In Christ there is the answer to death. In Himthere is strength for today and hope fortomorrow.

CHRISTIs The Answer

If you tremble at the thought of judgment,Christ is the answer. Do you fear that you maybe condemned and cast off from God forever?You need not have such fear if you are trustingChrist to save you. Our Saviour said: "Verily,

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verily. I say unto you, lie that heareth myword. and believeth on him that sent me, hathc\\.Tlil:iliJl~ lire, and shall not come intocondemnation; but is passed from death unto!jj~." (Iohu 5:24). We who have our faith in( 1,!'ic,l Il<lVL: already crossed the bridge from.icurh l!J1!() life, and we shall never be

t , .J-':I;:i"! hl'L~!lJSC We have accepted Him\"hn was condemned in our place.

(jUl in the pioneer West, prairie fires used tobreak nut und sweep along at a rapid pace.t J("I~JSil\jl'illy 11C(1ple were burned to death intll' ,.,t;' fires. The old timers knew what to do\\ lien they saw a prairie fire coming. Theysirnply set lire to the grass where they weres[;!I1ding. Soon a spot was burned over andthere lhey took their stand without any fear ofIII windswept fires moving toward them. Theystood unafraid because the fire had alreadyburned over where they were standing. There isone place 'where we can take our stand and

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know the judgment fires of God have alreadyburned over it. The fiery judgment of Godagainst sin raged at Calvary. God the Fatherspared not his Son. It was no make-believe.The wrath of God against sin was spent onJesus Christ. We go free because He wascondemned for us. We live forever because Hedied for us. This is the love of God, thegoodness of God, the grace of God. Yes, Christis the answer to judgment.

CHRISTIs The Answer

If you would like to be sure you are on theright road - the road that leads home to God,Christ is the answer. Many live in a fog ofdoubt and uncertainity. When asked about theirsalvation they reply, "I am trying to live right,and I hope I can go to heaven when I die. I

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hope [ am on the right road."You can be sure. Get on the "Jesus Road"

and it will lead you home. Our Saviour said, "1am the way, the truth, and the life: no mancometh unto the Father, but by me." Scholarstell us the word rendered "way" means road.Jesus is the road to the Father, the only road.All other roads will inevitably lead to a deadend of destruction.

It is Christ who died for our sins and roseagain the third day (I Cor.15:1-4). It is Christwho saves us to the uttermost because He everlives to make intercession for us (Heb.7:25). Itis Christ who shall give us final and completevictory at His second coming (I John 3:2)."Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victorythrough our Lord JeSLIS Christ."

Commit yourself without reservation into Hishands now. Let Him save you, and you willnever have cause to regret it. "Believe on theLord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

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Grace Missionary Baptist ChurchSounding Out The Word Ministry

1823 AldineMail RouteHouston, TX 77039

(281)442-7137