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Dear Friend: Deepest Bible Knowledge

Dear M.,

Thank you for the card and the Scriptures. They were very good texts. I memorized Hebrews 5:11-14 and 2 Corinthians 4:1-9 fifty years ago. Psalm 61:7 was the only one I did not recognize, but it was a blessing. Thank you.

You commented on simple Bible knowledge and deepest Bible knowledge. Here is a favorite verse of mine: “But I fear, lest by any, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).

The saving Gospel of Jesus Christ is both simple and free. If it were not simple, it could not be for everyone. Some of us are simple. If it were not free, salvation could not be for everyone.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possible dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:6-8)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—nor by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He save us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good; these things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)
M., it is impossible to go into the deeper truths of Christ if you have not received the free and simple basics of the Gospel. Hebrews 5:11-14 says that you need to be taught again the simple truths. You have not believed or received the simple truths.

You have been very kind and pleasant with me. I am grateful. However, I have been around you enough to know that you are angry and bitter towards several people. This is not Christian.

You have told me that it was impossible to get rid of bitterness. Certainly that is true by your effort or by what you call deeper truth. This “deeper” truth is not deeper; it is a substitute, and contrary to the simple gospel truth.

You do not have the love defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

The Gospel that saves is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.”

This is what was preached when the 3,000 were saved in Acts 2, the 2,000 more in Acts 3 and 4, Cornelius and his family in chapter 10, and others on through the book of Acts.

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, salvation is dependent on what man does. The New Testament tells us that salvation is based upon what Jehovah has done already, not what we do.

You need to accept the free gift of salvation bought and paid for by Jehovah. The name Jesus means Jehovah saves.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Your friend,

Jim Wilson

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