Singing to Praise God

Do you enjoy singing praises to God? Singing is a required and important part of our worship to God. It is through the praises that we sing that we get the opportunity to teach and admonish one another. Paul wrote: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16). When God’s Word dwells within us RICHLY, we will express our joy to God in the teaching and admonishing of one another in song!

We know that we are not to entertain men with our singing, but rather we are commanded to sing to praise God. The Hebrew writer said: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You” (Hebrews 2:12). When we sing to God we must sing with the spirit and understanding. Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren and said to them: “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15). We must also sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

Singing is a vital part of our worship to God. When we sing praises to God with the proper spirit and understanding, with grace in our heart, then our song service will be joyful, meaningful, and able to teach and admonish one another. But if we don’t have the proper attitude and prepare ourselves to sing to God, then our song service will be dull and not able to lift each other up. Let’s all strive to prepare ourselves to give God and each other our very best in our song service!

Our First Love

As Christians we have a “first love” and that is Jesus Christ our Savior and King! We need to keep our hearts and minds focused on Jesus each day that we live. Remember the Ephesians? With all their positive aspects and glorious past history, with all of their diligent devotion - what did the Lord say to them? “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-- unless you repent” (Revelation 2:2-5). 

Don’t Forget Our First Love!

We need to be very careful not to forget our first love like the Ephesians did long, long ago. There are many things that occupy our time and efforts and if we are not careful then before we know it we will also be guilty of leaving our first love, Jesus Christ! There is nothing more precious to us as Christians as having our VICTORY in Jesus Christ. A Christian can reclaim that first love by getting back to the basics of love, duty, and responsibility. We are commanded to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” and to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23; Romans 12:2). Throughout 2020, let’s continue to make sure that we stay focused and stay in tune to “our first love!”

Faith or Baptism Alone Does Not Save Us

It is very interesting to note that the Bible mentions several things that man is saved by. We not are saved by faith or even baptism alone. Faith and Baptism are pieces to the overall puzzle of those things which God says saves us. The Bible teaches that man is saved by:

hope (Romans 8:24
grace (Ephesians 2:8)
faith (Acts 16:31)
mercy (Titus 3:5)
words Acts 11:14)
baptism (1 Peter 3:21)
the word (James 1:21)
the truth (John 8:32)
hearing (John 5:24)
obedience (Hebrews 5:9)
the gospel (Romans 1:16-17)
knowledge (1 Timothy 2:4)
belief and baptism (Mark 16:16)
repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38)
calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13)
the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5)
being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5)
faithfulness (Revelation 2:10
God (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:21)
the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)
the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28)

Jesus stated very plainly “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). All of the things above “saves us.” Are we ready to accept what Jesus said and do the will of the Father? Our eternity (heaven or hell) will be determined by Christ (John 12:48). It is important that we make the right choice and listen to and then obey the words of God!