There are a number of things in life that we just cannot do without. When we plan a trip, we pack all the basic essentials – pop, chips, cookies – ha! Seriously, we take clothes, medicines, toiletries, etc. One trip in particular that my wife and I took comes to mind. We were headed to Knoxville, TN, from Iola, KS, for the graduation of our niece from the University of Tennessee. An hour away from home, we realized we had left all of our dress clothes. It was difficult to backtrack, but we were so thankful we were not much further down the road.
When we look into the Word of God, we find many things that we just cannot do without if we would come to know the God of Heaven, please Him with our lives and spend eternity with Him. A favorite Gospel song of mine is entitled “Without Him” and was written by Mylon LeFevre and I quote: “Without Him I could do nothing. Without Him I’d surely fail. Without Him I would be drifting like a ship without a sail. Jesus, O Jesus! Do you know Him today? Please don’t turn Him away. O Jesus, O Jesus; without Him how lost I would be!” Let’s consider now some absolute spiritual essentials recorded in the Bible.
The first thing we see is that we cannot do without the shed blood of Jesus for our personal salvation. The Bible declares these words in Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness of sin).” We must accept the blood sacrifice Christ made on the cross in order to be saved from our sins.
A second thing we can’t do without and please God is faith in Christ. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” How wonderful to know the Bible assures us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
A third thing we find in God’s Word that we cannot be without is chastisement by our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:8 tells us, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards (or illegitimates), and not sons.” We are reminded in Ecclesiastes 7:20 that, “There is not a just man (person) on earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.” All of us need God’s correction at times.
As we look further in the Word of God, we find a fourth thing that we cannot do without. He- brews 12:14 admonishes us, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Christ imparts his righteousness to us and the Holy Spirit leads us into holiness.
There was a time in our lives when each of us was “without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world,” (Ephesians 2:12). Thank the Lord, He delivered us from a hopeless end and gave us an endless hope.
— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.
