The Voice of Truth International, Volume 18

8/8/2019 The Voice of Truth International, Volume 18

1/116

I@WP-12%?PRUT IS A UI KNOWA ~ o mp* 23km'inl!=hit ?-34h r CW i m

& a hPQge e-Ys 7m---------wffl-


2/116

To Our GraduatesAs the tasael is turned a page is turnedTo one that is spotlesswhite:Apenislaidinatwmhiinghand:Thequ&ionis.'Whatshalll wri te rPiace your hand in theMaster'shand-Ask Hi o guide your penYoureyes can but d i d y see the pathBut He knows the whm and the when.&rig the way you will err sometimes: 1He has an eraser for you:It is the blood of His biessed SonTo cover thewmn& that you do.

aheadOn the road both bright and \ewishyouwell in the years

dim,I Bu twekmwtha t dwd lbewellwith you

If you put your trust n Him.-Victor Scott


3/116

STAFF:Editor-in-Chief: J.C. ChoateManaging Editor: Byron NicholsLayout Editors: Betty Burton Choate

Barbara A. OliverTypesetting: Gay NicholsEulene Ramsey

Ar t Consultant: Steven B. ChoateComputer Consultant: BradleyS. ChoatePromotion: Dale Grissom,

Oran Rhodes, Mark Posey,Buck Davenport, James Warren,Ken Willis, Don Hinds,Roy D. Baker, Chuck Forsythe,Alan R. Henderson, Paul SalvageAssociate Editors for Foreign Editions:Sunny David, IndiaRoger Dickson, South AfricaReuben Emperado, PhilippinesReggie Gnanasundaram, Sri LankaHenry Kong, SingaporeLoy Mitchell, All-AfricaBill Nicks, Trinidad and TobagoStephen Randall, AustraliaKeith Sisman, United KingdomJohn Thiesen, MalawiRod Kyle, New Zealand

THE VOICEOF TRUTH NTERNATIONALspublished by churches of Christ as a non-profiteffort. J.C. Choate (edi tor) P.O. Box 72,Winona, MS 38967, U.S.A.; Phone: 601-283-1192; Fax: 601-283-1191.

In lieu of a subscription rate, a gift of$4.00 is suggested for single issues, $12.00for four issues. Make checks payable to WorldEvanaelisrn Foundation. and mail to Bvron

STAFF RITERS:George AkpabliW.T. AllisonO.P. BairdRex BanksLeon BarnesWayne BarrierRoy BeasleyMaxie B. BorenT. Pierce BrownRon BryantSalvador B. CariagaJack W. CarterDavid ChadwellFrank ChesserBetty Burton ChoateJeril ClineCharles E. CobbGlenn ColleyWillard CollinsOwen CosgroveSunny DavidJerry L. DavidsonHans DederscheckDavid DeffenbaughClarence DeLoach, Jr.G. DevadanamRoger DicksonBill DillonBobby G. DockeryEarl EdwardsDemar ElamReuben EmperadoAllan E. FlaxmanRoyce FrederickE. Claude GardnerR. GnanasundaramGary C. HamptonJack HarrimanJohn HarrisW. Douglass Harris

Ray HawkGordon HoganAl HorneWayneJacksonAncil JenkinsJerry JenkinsJimmy JividenDayton KeeseeTom KeltonDalton KeyMichael L. KingMack LyonCecil May, Jr.Bill McFarlandColin McKeeJane McWhorterHollis MillerKevin MoorePeter MostertTim NicholsBill NicksFenter NorthernDon L. NorwoodOwen D. OlbrichtBasil OvertonFrances ParrMax PattersonClayton PepperDavid PharrH a ~ e yorterG.F. RainesJohn ThiesenBettyTuckerKen TylerDonW. WalkerBobby WheatJon Gary WilliamsTex WilliamsWilliam Woodson

417-833-5595.cles for publ~cat~ono Byron Nichols In Sprlng-f~eld, ncluding both old and new addresses of the Father and of the Son and of theso that our records can becorrected.


4/116

UNITYAS TAUGHTINTHEBIBLE

J. C. ChoateEditor-in-Chief

A great deal of teaching hasbeen done on unity, and at the sametime the subject of division hasbeen condemned. Much of whathas been said has been in regard tothe denominational world, showingthat the many churches and reli-gious groups created by men keeppeople from being united in the one

body of Christ, as God intended from the beginning.Perhaps these Scriptures have been somewhat misapplied, inadvertent-ly. Christ was praying in John 17 that His followers- is church- ightbe united. The admonitions in the epistles concerning unity are speaking ofunity among Christians. The statements do not encompass those who areactually outside the body of Christ.While it is true that all of the denominational groups are generally madeup of believers in Christ, these believers are not in Christ because they havenever done what the Lord requires in order for them to be added to Hischurch (Acts 2:38-47). Since the world is not familiar with what the Bibleteaches about the church, it assumes that all of these man-made churches areof the Lord, though they are divided. This is not what the Scriptures teach.Division is bad, of course, but these people are not in error because theyare divided, but because they are in bogus churches, churches that wereestablished by men who were trying to go to heaven on their own terms.

At the time Christ lived, and for several hundred years after His churchwas established, there were no denominational churches in existence. Therewas not even any type of Catholic church in existence. There were falseteachers, but none of these had broken away to form separate churches.Whatever unity or division existed in the first century was within the2


5/116

Lord's church. The church at they may be one, even as we areCorinth is an example of such prob- one: I in them, and thou in me, thatlems. Yet in spite of the division, they may be made perfect in one;Paul addressed his letter to th e and that the world may know thatchurch of God, sanctified in Christ thou hast sent me, and hast lovedJesus , and called to be saints , (1 them, as thou hast love me." (JohnCorinthians 1:2). But he pleaded 17:20-23).with them by the name of the Lord Now how could His words bethat they all speak the same thing, any plainer? Christ was not prayingthat there be no divisions among for the world, or even for thethem, but that they be perfectly "believing" world at large, but Hejoined together in the same mind was praying for the Apostles and forand in the same judgment. (l all who would believe on HimCorinthians 1:10). He then pro- through their preaching - or theceeded to reason with them, asking church. He was praying that theythem why they were dividing into would be one even as He and thedifferent groups to follow Paul, Father were one. The Lord pleadedApollos, Peter, and even Christ. He for this type of unity so that theasked if Christ was divided, if Paul world would believe that God hadhad been crucified for them, or if sent Him. Why is it that we find itthey had been baptized in the name difficult to impact the world? It isof Paul. Of course they knew that because of divisions that existChrist was not divided, that Christ among us. Being divided, we wastealone had been crucified for them, our time and money opposing oneand that they had been baptized another, and therefore the worldonly in the name of Christ. The pays no attention to us. If we wereconclusion to Paul's logic was obvi- united, however, we could concen-ous: why were they following men, trate on teaching and converting theand why weren't they following world. What a difference thatChrist? Surely they got the point. would make!In John 17, Christ prayed, But why would there be divi-"Neither pray I for these alone [the sions among the Lord's people?Apostles], but for them also which Because the church is made up ofshall believe on me through their human beings. We have our weak-word; Tha t theya l lbeone;as thou , nesses,personality clashes, andFather, are in me, and I in thee, that even those who can be deceived bythey also may be one in us: that the the world and by the teaching of theworld may bel ieve that thou has present-day religious world. .Assent me. And the glory which thou long as humans make up the churchgavest me I have given them; that with their varying depths of under-

3


6/116

standing, commitment to truth, andwillingness to compromise, therewill be some divisions scatteredthroughout the church.Some seem to reason that if thechurch is led into division, it mustnot truly be the Lord's church.They have evidently forgotten thedivision that Paul and others foundin congregations in the first century.Certainly, the Lord hates divi-sion, condemned it, and prayed thatwe might all be one. As Christianswe want unity, we must not quit thechurch as though it, itself, is wrongif division raises its dirty headamong its members. We mustremember that the church is one andthat it will remain united in Christ.Those who pull away and createdivision are the ones who are wrongand will have to pay a heavy pricefor their actions.Paul said, "Now I beseech you,brethren, mark the m which causedivisions and offenses contrary tothe doctrine which ye have learned;and avoid them. For they that ares u c h s e r v e n o t o u r L or d J e s u sChrist, but their own belly; and byg o o d w o r d s a n d f a i r s p e e c h e sdeceive the hearts of the simple"(Romans 16:17,18). Notice that inthis case the thing that causes divi-sions among brethren is false doc-trine or teaching. Notice also thatthose who cause division are not ofthe Lord. Therefore, the ones whodo remain faithful to the Lordremain the Lord's unified church.

Then Paul says further, "Itherefore, the prisoner of the Lord,beseech you that ye walk worthy oft h e vo ca ti o n w h er ew i t h yo u a r ecalled, With all lowliness and meek-ness, with longsuffering, forbearingone another in love; Endeavoring tokeep the unity of the Spirit in thebond of peace. Ther e is one body,and one Spirit, even as ye are calledin one hope of your calling; OneLord, one faith, one baptism, O neGod and Father of all, who is aboveall, and through all, and in you all"(Ephesians 4:1-6). Again, isn't thatplain? If one wanted to teach unity,how could he improve on that clearstatement?Does the Lord's church existtoday? It certainly does, just it hasalways existed from the day it wasestablished (Acts 2), and it will con-tinue to exist until Christ returns todeliver it up to God. Is it united?Those who remain faithful to theLord are united. The world, howev-er, focuses on those who breakaway, the apostates, the unfaithful.These are not examples of trueChristians, however, because theyhave ceased to be the Lord's faith-ful. Unless they repent and returnto God they will be lost for all eter-nity.I plead with you to become amember of the one church of theBible and to put forth every effort tokeep the church unified. Rememberthat Christ is not divided and neitherwill we be if we follow Him. P

4


7/116

- - -ASSOCIATE EDITORIAL

INDOCTRINATION-THAT'SOUR JOB!ByronNichols

The word "indoctrination" isone which is frequently misunder-stood and misused. This word has abad connotation in the minds ofsome; they use it in connection withsuch ideas as brainwashing and coer-cive action to cause people to acceptideas that they really don't want toaccept. Even in the church there isconfusion and misunderstanding regarding this word. In strongly denounc-ing indoctrination as being wrong, one writer said, "Indoctrination elimi-nates truth, honesty, openness, a search for right, thought, understanding.The word Indoctrination is not in the Bible! To indoctrinate is to program,to control, to dominate." If the things that this writer has attributed to indoc-trination are accurate, then he is absolutely correct- ndoctrination is eviland has no place whatsoever in Christianity. However, please don't drawyour final conclusion just yet.

I would agree that the word "indoctrination" does not appear in theBible. Hopefully our readers have recognized that a major thrust of THEVOICEOF TRUTH NTERNATIONAL is to point people back to what theBible, the inspired Word of God, says. However, just because a word doesnot appear in the Bible does not have to mean that God rejects that word.For example, I don't know of anyone who believes it is wrong to use theword "missionary." Nevertheless, this is a word that has not come to usfrom the Bible, but men have originated this word to refer to activities andpersons that are very biblical in nature. Likewise, the terms "gospel meet-ing" and "lectureship" are not to be found in the Scriptures but are common-ly used in the church and are very biblical in nature. These examples shouldbe sufficient to make our point.

5


8/116

Undoubtedly the writer referred to above is very honest in his thinking,and I'm sure that he is trying to correct something that he believes is wrong.However, it is possible that his definition of "indoctrination" is inaccurate.Since the word is not in the Bible, we must find its definition in a dictionaryinstead. A review of a variety of English dictionaries indicates that the fol-lowing definition from W ebster's New Twentieth Century Dict ionar yUnabridged is typical: "1. to instruct in doctrines, theories, beliefs, orprinciples. 2. to instruct; to teach."With this in mind, it would appear that instead of indoctrination beingwrong, it is right. Not only is it right, it is essential. Now that does notmean that those who engage in indoctrinating people cannot be guilty ofabusive control, restricting the search for what is true and right. That mostcertainly can and does sometimes happen. We can even be guilty of harm-fully indoctrinating when we teach and preach the very Gospel itself. Paulcautions in Ephesians 4:15 that we are to speak the truth "in love. " Truthcan be spoken, taught, and revealed in a variety of manners. It can be con-veyed in a loving and compassiona~emanner, but it can also be conveyed ina hateful manner, in an arrogant manner, in an argumentative manner, etc.Moses, at God's direction, told the Israelites, "And these words which Icommand you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligentlyto your children, and shall tulk of them when you sit in your house, wheny ou w a l k b y t h e w a y , w h en yo u l i e d o w n , a n d w h e n y ou r i s e u p "(Deuteronomy 6:6,7). This is indoctrination. Moses was saying that parentshave an obligation to teach (indoctrinate) their children. He most assuredlydid not mean that they are to "brainwash" their children, but he did meanthat parents are to train, teach, and persuade their children, and to guide theirthinking so as to help them to become faithful followers of God.The Lord expects the church to be busy indoctrinating. Elders are to bemen who are teachers (indoctrinators), (1 Timothy 3:2). Paul told Timothyto commit the things that he had heard (been taught) "to aithful men whowill be ab le t o teach (ind octrinate) others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). InHebrews 5:12 we read of some who should have matured to the point ofhaving become teachers (indoctrinators), but rather were still in need ofbeing taught (indoctrinated) themselves.The Bible makes it very clear that the primary mission of the church isto preach, teach, instruct, and persuade. In other words, the mission of thechurch is to indoctrinate folks as to the Gospel of Christ. Jesus has told usto "preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). Thus, it wouldbe quite accurate to say that Jesus has commanded us to indoctrinate thewhole world regarding the Gospel. Q

6


9/116

GODSavior and Lord................................................esus: The Master 10........eason Reaching Into Faith 12

EVIDENCES ....here Did Cain Get His Wife? 15Shaped By Water .........................17

THEWORDOF GODGod's Light Must Be Turned On ..22............hat Is All IKnow About It 23God's Drawing Power ..................25DOCTRINEO L IV E BYCalled Christians.......................... 9The Whole Duty of Man ...............31............he Fruits of Repentance 33Feelings or Faith? ........................4.........n Incorruptible Inheritance 35IAm a Christian ........................... 7........................his Christian Age 38......an a Christian Be a Mason? 40

SALVATIONFrom Condemnation ................. 4The Danger of Religious ........... 6

THECHURCHThe Seed of Restoration.............. 8

.....he Two Greatest Problems 50. . .he Church. Christ's Beautiful 51....he Uniqueness of the Church 52CHURCHGROWTH. . . .e-evaluating he Preacher's 55

WORSHIP.....................................et Us Go 60A Vision of God ............................ 2

DAILY CHRISTIANLIVINGMe? Cancer? ..............................65Life's Tensions .......................... 7

...............................eacemakers 69.....................he Subtle Tempter 71....................Robber in Ambush 73......ight Provides; Salt Provokes 75..............ake of It What You Will 76Blessings Come Back ..................77.......................nvy and Jealousy 79

THECHRISTIAN HOME.................Concept of Marriage 82

PROVERBS7:22Humor ..........................................84TEXTUALTUDIES............repare to Meet Thy God 86...............................riest for Hire 89Faithful to God's Word .................91

BIBLEQUESTIONS.....ho Are the Children of God? 94..................ho Is My Neighbor? 95Perfect& Weak? ..........................97

CHARTS ND OUTLINES............he Witness of the Spirit 100Human Frailties .......................101The Lord's Supper ..................... 02Hezekiah Speaks .......................105

POEMS ND WRITINGSDoes God Care? .......................... 0Jesus Knows All Men...................39According to the Lord's Word.......53Friendly Fire .................................70My Treasure................................. 0How Idle Can You Afford to Be? ..92Think It Over ................................99

FEATURESHow do you measure up? ............14The Book of Philemon .................1........................ible Word Power 27...............................erse Search 43


10/116

THEVOICE F TRUTHINTERNA~ONAL

"Without a doubt in my mind,THE VOICE OF TRUTHNTERNATIONAL is the best publica-tion by our brethren.""I appreciate THE VOICE OFTRUTH O much! I know I cantrust it to be sound in its con-tent. I know of no other publi-cation more packed with know-ledge and inspiration. 1 lookforward to each issue.""THE VOICE OF TRUTHNTER -NATIONAL is a great work withexcellent lessons. We justreceived two cases and arebusy mailing them out topreachers and church leaders.""As a member of the Lord'schurch for over 40years, I havesearched for a worthy maga-zine. Finally I have found it.The articles, quizzes, etc., aregreat for short Bible studies.Thank you for bringing us thismagazine.""In my opinion, the publicationis without brotherhood equal inbeauty, format, and purpose."

The meals to makeThe house to clean,And washing to be done. . .

Unmindful of your tasks:"Mommy, come and see.. "Would tumble out,"Not now- ot now!There's work to do.. "

SpotLight......................................47Quick Commentary ......................54Walking by Faith ..........................64Who Am I? ..................................93Puzzle Answers ..............Back PageFROMHE HEARTF..

Indonesia ...................................I06My Vision for Indonesia.............. 1 1

8


11/116

VUORLORDJack W. Carter

I suppose Lord is the way we so- ait has been so and choose what we wasince the advent from Him as far as Hisof Jesus. Multitudeswant Him as a Savior , but only a

few of these will allow Him to betheir Lord. Even many of us whofeel that we have accepted Jesus asour Lord prove this to be false bythe way we live our lives.That which determines ouracceptance of Jesus as Lord is theway we honor His direction. Thewriter of Hebrews tells us that Godnow speaks to us through His Son(Hebrews 1 2). In the next chapterwe learn that that which was firstspoken by the Son was then spokenby those who heard Him (Hebrews2: 3). These, of course, were theapostles and other disciples. Thismeans that the words of our NewTesta-ment are actually the words ofGod. This shouldn't surprise us,because we already know that theNew Testament js inspired, and themeaning of "inspired" is "God-breathed." So, honoring the wordsof Jesus means honoring the wordsof the entire New Testament.One of the great infractions ofour relationship with Jesus as our

I often pick.nt to acceptdirection isconcerned. Such an attitude proves,without debate, that we are the lordof our lives, not Jesus. If we obeyHim only when we agree with thedirection He gives, we are actuallydoing our own will, not His.The great fallacy of all of thismight be the way we convince our-selves that this is going to somehowgive us what we want. In a mannerof speaking, it can. We can goalong in life under the pretense thatJesus is our Lord (even though wehave overruled Him) and get ourway in most instances. That is, wewill get our way in this l$e, unlessJesus decides to show us who isreally in charge.But the only one who willdeterrtline whether or not Jesus willbe our Savior is Jesus, Himself.This is an area in which we cannotoverrule Him, and He makes it veryclear in the writings of the newTestament that He will not be ourSavior unless He is truly our Lord .3Jack W . Carter preaches for thechurch in Castle Rock, Colorado,U.S.A.


12/116

Jesus: The M a ste r CommunicatorClarence DeLoach, Jr.

Our world is a world of clash- values. In the battle for the mindsing ideas, opposing ideologies, of people, multiple causes and mes-changing cultures, and confused sages are being communicated.


13/116

Christians, too, are in the busi-ness of communication. The mes-sage is one of God's glory, grace,and love. God has spoken- hatHe has said must be heard andreceived.Jesus, the Son of God, came inthe flesh as the ultimate communi-cator from God. He was the mastercommunicator. He was called "theteacher who came from God" (John3:2). He communicated what Godis like. He taught how men canhave life abundantIy (John 10:lO).Those whom Jesus called, firstthe apostles, then that community ofbelievers called the church, wereinvolved in the business of commu-nication. By word, example, andlife, the followers of Jesus haveimpacted their world. How success-ful have we been? Are we beingheard? Have we been effective inchanneling the blessings of Christ toothers?Perhaps it would help us topause and examine the effectivenessof the Master. The common peopleheard Him gladly. 'Why?

1. Because He identified withthem. He was the "Son of man. "He was not catering to any specialinterest group. He was neither aPharisee nor a Sadducee. He cameto be "servant to all. "2. Because He made no dis-tinctions. He did not value oneabove another because of color.

race, money, or fame. He lookedupon each person as a soul made inthe image of God and worth saving.There was no partiality. He treatedthe Syro-Phonecian woman with thesame dignity that He gave the mas-ter in Israel, Nicodemus.

3. Because He had a messagefor all. It was a message of hopefor the despairing. It was a messageof love for the unloving and unlov-able. It was a message of peace forthe troubled and hurting.

4. Because of the simplicity ofHis speech. He could be under-stood. His language was direct andpractical. His pictures, illustrations,and parables were drawn from ordi-nary life. The great and profoundwas couched in the simplest words.5. Because His life harmo-nized with His teaching. Lukespoke of "all he began to do andteach" (Acts 1:l). He taught us tolove one's enemies- e did! Hetaught us to forgive - e did!Hypocrisy is our greatest obstacle toeffective communication.We are His voice in this world!Are we coming across? Are webeing heard? Could we mar themessage? Let's be challenged bythe example of Jesus to be moreeffective communicators. 8Clarence DeLoach, Jr. preaches forthe Walnut Street congregation of thechurch of Christ in Dickson,Tennessee, U.S.A.


14/116


15/116

This reaff irms the s tatementmade by the Apos t le Paul , " W ewalk b y faith and not b y sight" (2Corinthians 5:7). Human sight cango only so far. Reason can proceedbeyond it, but it also finds its limita-tions. Beyond the bounds and con-fines of human power, when thescope of intellect reaches into thedistant ethereal realms of breathlessnothingness, except for the light ofHeaven, there can be only darknessand gloomy despair.Abraham Lincoln said of theScriptures, "Accept all of them thatyou can by reason, and accept therest by faith, and you will be a bet-ter person."Without light from some spiri-tua l ly s te l l a r source , the wor ldbecomes a philosophical prison, atype of intellectual black hole col-lapsing in on itself. Pete r writeswi th aw e of the splendo r of theBible: "We have a more sure word

of prophecy; whe rein ye do wel lthat you take heed, as unto a lightthat shineth into a dark place, untilthe day dawn, and the day star arisein your hearts . . . ." (2 Peter 1:19).The sun of life goes down leav-ing us in the darkness and quietnessof the tomb. All earth ly wisdomand enterprise come to this place.Oh, Human Reason, is this all thatthere is? What will ever become ofthis silent, breathless crypt?"Beyond the sunset, a hand willguide meTo God the Father whom I adore;His glorious presence, His words of

welcomeWill be my portion on that fairshore."-Virgil P. Brock

Thank God for faith and hope. QOwen Cosgrove preaches for theNorthside Church of Christ inWaxahachie, Texas, U.S.A.


16/116

ow do you measure up?q,et no one despise your youth,

but be an example to the believersin word,

in conduct,in love,

in spirit,in faith,

Till 9 ome, give attention

to exhortation,to doctrine

( 1 qimothy 4:12, la).


17/116

KeithSismanA question often asked of Christians is, where did Cain get his wife?This question is mostly asked to ridicule the Bible and the Christian, point-ing to an alleged contradiction in the Old Testament. Whilst often asked injest, the answer can be used to show the inquirer the inspiration of theScriptures and their agreement with modern science.There is a reason why this question is of deadly importance: because ofAdam, sin entered the world and through sin, death (Genesis 3:3,19;Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:45). In Romans 3:23 we learn that all havesinned. So because of the transgression of Adam and his wife we needanother "Adam7', the man Jesus Christ who laid down His life as a sacrificefor all of mankind, so that we may be saved (1 Corinthians 15:21,22,45). Itis through these Scriptures that we learn that only the descendants of Adam

can be saved! If we are NOT descended from Adam we CANNOT be saved!Now, the Bible describes all humans as sinners, since the beginning,and it follows that all humans have descended from the first man, Adam,except his wife, Eve (Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26).So now we can establish through these Scriptures that Cain's wife alsomust be a descendent of Adam and Eve who had many sons and daughtersother than their three sons whose names we know- ain, Abel and Seth(Genesis 5:4).If Cain's wife was not his sister, she would of necessity have been avery close relative. Would marriage to a sister or a niece have been wrong?No. The Mosaic law (Leviticus 18,19,20), which prohibited marriage ofclose relatives, was not given until approximately 2,500 years later. Also

1 5


18/116

remember that Abraham was mar-r ied to Sarah his half-s is ter but ,again, this was before the time ofM oses. Th e on ly law of marriagethat Cain and his wife were boundunder was one man to one womanfor l i f e (Ge nes i s 2 :24 ; Mat thew19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:2).Now the big question that manyunbelievers will ask is that of con-cern for genetical deformities, hop-i n g t h a t s c i e n c e c a n b e u s e d t oprove the Bible w rong, but whatdoes science have to say on this?

+ Adam and Eve were creat-ed as perfect specimens (Genesis1:31). With their gene pool, inter-breeding would have presented noproblems whatsoever . The evi -dence of modern biology supportsthese thoughts.

+ Th e whole human race isvery similar. W e can interbreedwithout problems, so simple obser-vation tells us that we are all thesame, regardless of geography orcolor. In 1987 Am erican scientistsfound that mitochondria DNA inwomen of several ethnic groups wasvirtually identical, suggesting thatwe all come from one woman (Eve).The date for this woman has beenset at a maximum of 200 ,000 years.

+ Likew ise, all men have a Ychromosome inherited from theirfathers, and a study in 1995 showedthat all men, regardless of ethnic

background, share the same genesequences on the Y chromosome,showing that we all come from thesame father (Adam ).+ The science of PopulationKinet ics has shown that throughsimple arithmetic we can reach theconclusion that the world's popula-t ion has grown only for the las t4,500 to 5,000 years, the approxi-mate time of the universal flood, as

recorded i n Genes i s 6-8. If thegrowth of the population were todate significantly further back thanthat, the present density level wouldhave been reached many years ago.I t is interest ing to note that thistime-frame is when mankind firstappeared historically, as revealedthrough archeology and the remainsof civilizations.Yes, there really was a literalAdam and Eve! All of mankind,regardless of background, i sdescended from them; and, yes, Caindid marry either his sister or a closerelative; and, yes, man is recent!The Bible account does not dis-agree with known and proven biolo-gy, science or history. We can becertain that when we read the recordof the creation of mankind in theScriptures, it is the only account thatmakes sense, being the very word ofcreator God H imself. 8Keith Sisman is a Christian and Bibleteacher living in Huntingdon, Cambs.,England.


19/116

"Then God said, ' k t here be a firmament in the midst of the waters,and let it divide the wa ters from the waters.....'"Then God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered togeth-e r in one place, and le t the dry land appear"' (Genesis 1:1,2,6,9).It would be impossible to travel in the western part of the United Stateswithout realizing that water has shaped the land. Everywhere are mountainscomposed of sedimentary layers, compacted into rock, cut and eroded andweathered by glacial movement, water, wind and time. There are valleysand great up-thrusts as layers bulged upward, reshaped by pressure frombelow. In other areas are great mounds of swirled sedimentary layers-water- ater- ater!Modem, unbelieving geologists would describe the process in this way:'The ocean invaded this rift. Sediments, eroded from neighboring highlandareas, were deposited for over a half a billion years along the margin of thisancient North American Continent in the Belt Sea. Many tens of thousandsof feet of sediment accumulated . . . . Deposits of sand, silt, and carbonate

17


20/116

mud were buried, compressed bytheir own weight; they cemented toform sandstone, s i l ts tone, shale ,limestone, and dolomite." (Glacier,the Story Behind the Scenery, P. 8)The description closely resem-bles exactly what would have hap-pened as the land mass of the earthwas bur ied unde r the c rush ingweight of a water covering, beforeGod made dry land appear on DayThree. The layers of sedimentationin tha t process - he so-ca l led"pre -Cambr ian" l aye rs -weredevoid of plant and animal fossils,for life had not yet been created.Second Subm ersion"...a ll the fountains of the greatdeep were broken up, and the win-dow s of heaven were opened. Andthe rain was on the earth forty daysand forty nights .... And the watersincreased .... And the wate rs pre-vailed and greatly increased on theearth.... And the wa ters preva iledexceedingly on the earth, and all thehigh hills under the whole heavenwere covered .... The w aters pre-vailedfifreen cubits upward, and themountains were covered" (Genesis7:11-20).This second period of submer-sion for the land mass of the earth,during the universal flood of Noah,lasted about one year (and muchlonger in the areas where the waterfroze into snow, ice, and glaciers).Though we don't know how tall the

highest mountains were at that time,the Scriptures say the water was 15cub i t s - ore than 20 fee t -above the tallest one.

Can we imagine the weight ofthe amount of water that would berequired to completely cover theearth? Can we imagine how theentire land mass would have been-crashed and moved and crushed anderoded by the great surging andwashing of such a body of water?Can we imagine the hundreds-of-feet depth of ice and snow thatwould have accumulated over thesections of the world which wouldh a v e e x p e r i e n c e d t h e i r f i r s tonslaught of winter? Why shouldwe be amazed at the bull-dozer typecutting of huge glaciers during the"ice age" that would have followedthe flood? And why should it seemstrange to see mass ive boulderslying here and there in areas devoidof other such rock formations, whenwe realize that rushing, un-baffledwaters covering the world wouldhave had the force and carryingpower to move anything in theirpa th? W ithout doubt , the wateralone remade the entire surface ofthe earth.All the tremendously lush tropi-cal forest and jungle growth, alongwith all the bodies of humans andanimals covering the earth wouldhave been buried under this deluge- ot only buried but compacted


21/116

under a year's sedimentary accumu- + The catastrophe caused a per-lation and the combined weight of manent change in the world's cli-t h e s e d im e n ta r y l a y e r s a n d t h e mate, resulting in conditions of per-water. Trem endous beds of coal mafrost and glaciers which continueand oil would have been the result. today.The fact that well-preserved insects, "You who laid the foundationsleaves, trees, and other fossil re- oftheearth,sothatitshouldnotbemains are often found in the beds of moved forever, You covered it withcoal show that, contrary to evolution- the deep as with a garment;ary descriptions of coal being formed [The first statement describesover millions of years, the tremen- God's work in creation; the seconddous masses of plants were quickly has reference to the f lood watersburied and compacted, as would have which cam e later.]happened in a global flood. "The waters s tood above theIn Alaska, throughout Siberia, mountains.and other areas of permafrost, the "At Your rebuke they fled; Atremains of thousands upon thou- the voice of Your thunder they has-sands of animals have been found. t e n e d a w a ~ "Psalm 104:5-7)."The extensive silty alluvium, now Even though God sent a windfrozen, in central Alaska contains over the earth (Genesis 8:1), begin-numerous mammal fauna .... Freez- n in g t h e e v a p o r a t i o n o f f l o o ding has preserved the skin and tissue waters, not all of the original watersof some of the animals .. .." (R J . above the heavens, as described inF l in t : G l a c i a l a n d P l e i s t o c e n e Genes i s 1, re turned to form theGeology). The list includes bears, canopy that had evidently shieldedwolves, badgers, saber-tooth tigers, the earth before the flood [The lossjagua rs, lynx, woo lly mam m oths, of this protective canopy changedcamels, horses, mastadons, ground the clim ate from tropical over thesloths, etc., etc. whole earth to the wide range ofThese burials say several things: tem pera tures we now experience.]+ The climate before the burials in where did the remainder of thethese places was warm, else the wafer go?lush growth of plants and the very Genesis 7:1 1 also tells us thatlarge and varied animal population in the f lood the founta ins of thewould not have been possible. great deep were broken up, so that+ The sudden death and burial of tremendous amounts of "juvenile"these plants and animals could only water were spewed from underneathhave been catastrophic, as in a the earth's crust. W here did thisglobal flood. water go, when it was time for the

19


22/116

flood to recede?With millions of cubic feet ofwater to be displaced, the only pos-sible solution is that tremendouschanges had to take place in theearth's surface. The writer of Psalm104, by God's guidance, describedthe mountains and valleys that weredeveloped."They [the waters] went up overthe mountains; they went down intothe valleys, to the place which Youfounded for them. You have set theboundary that they may not passover, that they may not return tocover the earth " (Psalm 104:8,9).So when geologists speak of theupthrust in the earth's crust [initiat-ing the beginning of the volcanicactivity that has been directlyresponsible for much of the shapingof this renewed earth] which formedthe mountain chains, when theywonder at the displaced layers,when they say that land masses inone place were actually previouslyjoined to land masses far from thatplace, we shouldn't be surprisedthat such upheavals occurred in thedevelopment of our present world,Logic says that those changes werenecessary to make room for theflood waters, so that dry land couldagain appear. QBetty Burton Choate is the wife of J.C.Choate, editor of The Voice of TruthInternational, The Choates have donemission work in India and Asia since1962.

Does God Care?Does God sit in detached

meditation, unconcernedabout the things that are hap-pening in the world? Parti-cularly, are the cares in myindividual life too small forHis attention?

Jesus assured His listen-ers: "Look at the birds of theair, for they neither sow norreap nor gather into barns;yet your heavenly Fatherfeeds them. Are you not ofmore value than they?"(Matt-hew 6:26).When Jesus was living inthe world, He was movedwith compassion by thepoverty, disease and griefaround Him. He wept for oth-ers in their pain, and Heworked tirelessly to alleviatephysical and spiritual suffer-ing, to bring people to theFather. His life was proof ofthe concern of God for hu-manity. "...casting all yourcare upon Him, for He caresfor you" (1 Peter 5:7).

And more importantly,His death was proof of God'sconcern for every man's spir-itual welfare. We mattergreatly to God.NEXT: Do I Have a Soul?


23/116

The Book of Philemon for adultsUsing a straight line, connect t h t names in column 1 o thedescriptions in column 2. Your lines wil l pass through both anumber and a letter. The number tells you where to put theletter in he box below. The answer wi ll reveal what Paul wasasking of Philemon.

PAUL 0 0 .Sister in the Lord0PHILEMON- .Runaway slave0 @APPHIA * .Ambassador for Christ

ARCHIPPUSm .Fellow workersONESIMUS

@ *Fellow soldierEPAPHRAS* 0 .Slave ownerMARK, ARISTARCHUS, 0 @ .Fellow prisonerDEMAS, LUKE


24/116


25/116

THEWORDOF GOD

"B ut God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spiritsearcheth all things , yea, the deep things of God. For what man krzoweththe things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? even so thethings of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God...Which things alsospeak, nor in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the HolyGhost teacheth..." (1 Corinthians 2:10,11,13). These words serve as areminder to us that a man cannot know the things within another's mind,without being told. Only his own spirit can know his thoughts. Likewise, aman cannot know what is in the mind of God. It is God's own Spirit thatknows His mind.The point being emphasized by the apostle is that all we can possiblyknow about the will of the Lord is what has been revealed by the HolySpirit. In a parallel passage, it is explained that the things which were notknown in other ages are now revealed by the Spirit to the apostles andprophets (Ephesians 3 5 ) . We learn the things of God through the inspiredrevelation of Scripture (2Timothy 3:16,17).Religious discussions may sometimes prompt speculative questions:

23


26/116

"What if ...Don't you think ... s itpossible.. .?', etc. Questions whichseek a biblical answer are legiti-mate, but those which call for mereopinion may be useless. In fact,opinions which suggest and encour-age alternatives to what God hastold us can cause great harm. 1Timothy 6:4 cautions against "dot-ing about questions and strifes ofw o r d s . " Again, Paul says, "Butfool i sh and un learned ques t ionsavoid" (2 Timothy 2:23).Those who want to appearscholarly may be tempted to answerunanswerable questions. Some mayeven speculate on ways to avoidwhat " T h u s s a i t h t h e L o r d . " Afaithful teacher of the Word, how-ever, will be satisfied to point to theScriptures and say, "That is all Iknow about it."For example, numerous ques-tions arise over divorce and remar-riage. Admittedly, there are some-times difficult and complicated situ-ations. But when all the "What ifs"and "It seems likes" have been stat-ed, the fact remains that what theBible says is all I know about it.The problem with what Jesus said inMatthew 19:9 is not that it cannotbe understood. The problem is thatpeople do not want to accept it. Wewould be wise to note that even onthat occasion the listeners foundJesus' answer to be a hard one.What was His response? "All men

cannot receive this saying...He thatis able to receive it, let him receivei t" (Matthew 19:11,12) He,Himself, was limited to whateverthe Father had commanded Him tosay (John 12:49).There are also discussionsabout the plan of salvation.Questions arise about the honestseeker who dies without obeying theGospel. Arguments may be madewith both emotion and reason. Butwhen I have read the commands,promises, and warnings in the Bible,that's all I know about it.We must be careful not to thinkof men "above that which is writ-ten" ( 1 Corinthians 4:6). There ismuch emphasis on education, intel-ligence, and ability. These mayhelp in the study and teaching of theWord, but it must be rememberedthat all spiritual knowledge muststill start and end at the same place- n the Bible.One may know (or think heknows) a great many things aboutthe material world. Those thingsmay be learned from many sources.But the only spiritual truth that Iwill ever know this side of eternitywill be what I learn from the Bible.The bottom line is, "Here is whatthe Bible says. That is all I knowabout it!" 0David R . Pharr preaches for thechurch in Clinton, Tennessee,U.S.A.


27/116

God's Drawing PowerW. Douglass Harris

"N o man can com e to m e, except the Father that sent me draw him:and I will raise him up in the last day . It is written in the prophets,And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard fromthe Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me" (John 6:44,45).

How does God draw sinful men unto Him? Does He do it in some mys-terious, irresistible, better-felt-than-told way? According to our text, it isthrough teaching, as the Old Testament prophets indicated. But what is thisteaching by which God draws sinners to Him? Answer: This teaching iswhat the Holy Scriptures call the Gospel. By the use of an acrostic of theword "gospel," let us see if we can learn what it is and how God draws mento Him.Glad Tidings: Nearly all people, whether Christians or not, understandthat the word "gospel" means "glad tidings" or "good news." In the NewTestament, it is the translation of evangelion and denotes the good newsabout Christ and the salvation that is made possible through Him. So, it isthe glorious good news as was announced by angels to the shepherds at thetime of His birth (Luke 2%-14). It is more than good advice; it is good newsthat meets all of our spiritual needs as a key fits the lock. This good newswas preached in promise unto Abraham (Galatians 323).Originated in the Grace of God: It is called the "word of grace"(Acts 14:3). Paul affirmed that the commission given him by the Lord was"to testify to the gospel of the grace of G od" (Acts 20:24). Since this graceof God is the result of His love, John says, "For Go d so loved the w orld,that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shouldnot perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). So this Gospel originatedin God's grace (John 1:17),but it would be a false conclusion that its' beingby grace makes salvation unconditional. This would ignore many other pas-sages which state conditions with which man must comply to appropriateGod's grace.Simple, Yet Profound: Paul warned against being corrupted from the"simplicity" that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). This word in the originalincludes the idea of simplicity as well as sincerity. The Gospel contains

25


28/116

simple facts to be believed (1 Corinthians 15:1-8); simple commands to beobeyed (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Matthew 7:21); glorious promises simple tounderstand (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:23; Mark 16:16); and simple warnings tobe heeded (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 4: 17; 2 Thessalonians 1 6-9).

Powerful to Save: Paul affirms that it is God's power to save (Romans1:16). Obedience thereto saves the believer from the power, the practice,and the guilt of sin. Paul reminded the Ephesians that they "heard the wordof truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13). This Gospel ispowerful because it reveals God's love and grace, the love and sacrifice ofChrist for sinners, and the Holy Spirit's exhortations not to harden the heartagainst it (Hebrews 3:7,8).

Everlasting in Its Blessings or Benefits: "Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercyhath begotten u s again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and thatfadeth nor away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3,4). No othergospel can bring such benefits (Galatians 1:8,9;2 John 9-1 1). Constant obe-dience thereto brings great joy in this life and eventually leads to heaven(Colossians 1 23).Let It Be Proclaimed to Every Creature: (Mark 16:15). The Gospelis not a luxury to be selfishly kept to ourselves, but a sacred trust to beshared with others. This is the reason Paul was such an avid proclaimer-he considered it a trust (1 Timothy 1:1 ) , and charged Timothy to guard that(the Gospel) which has been committed to him (1 Timothy 6:20).Conclusion: This Gospel is God's drawing and persuasive power(John 6:44,45;12:32). Please read thoughtfully the following quote from

Alexander Cruden:'The gospel is a revelation of the grace of God to fallen man through amediator. Or, it is a wise, and a holy, and gracious constitution ofGod, for the recovery of fallen, sinful man, from that deplorable stateinto which sin had brought him, by sending his own Son Jesus Christinto the flesh, to obey his law which man had broken, to make atone-ment for sin by his death, and thus to procure the favour of God, andeternal happiness for all that believe, repent, and receive the gospel sal-vation." - ruden' s Concordance B

W. Douglass Harris is the editor of the Caribbean Messenger and lives inDecatur, Alabama, U.S.A.26


29/116

It Helps to EnrichYourBlBLE WORD POWER

By F e n t e r D. N o r t h e r nAre you sure you are understanding the richest mean-ing of the Bible? Test your comprehension of thefollowing words used in the con text found inHebrews chapter 4 (KJV). After making yourchoices, turn the page fo r the correct answers.1 . fear A: tremble B: to run away from C: profound reverence D: offer excuse2. promise A: to marry B: sign a note of debt C: an oath D: an undertaking or

giving of something3 . rest A: to cause to cease B: to recline C: to catch one's breath D: sit a while4. mixed A: to unite with B: inharmonious C: indecisive D: poor breeding5. sworn A: having cursed B: affirming or denying with an oath C: make a res-

olution D: uttered idle words6. works A: deeds of God B: interior of a clock C: to labor D: to have employ-

ment7 foundation A: the act of throwing down B: the beginning of a lecture C: afunded scholarship D: a premise8. unbelief A: to reject a premise B: astonishment C: choose differently D:

disobedience9. today A: now B: in this age or era C: until this very moment D: presently10.Jesus A: Son of God B: One who loves C: A nazarene D: Jehovah is salva-

tion11. labour A: a work force B: to be diligent at doing something C: to give birth

D: to perspire12. example A: one of something B: to show by placing the correct number C

to single out for discipline D: a display13. quick A: hurry B: accelerate C : agile D: to be alive14. powerful A: active in work B: strong C: irresistible D: overwhelming15. sharp A: well defined B: honed C: swift in cutting D: mentally bright16. piercing A: a loud noise B: penetrating one's armor of unbelief C: to punc,

ture ear lobes D: stabbing17. profession A: confession B: one 's job C: to speak D: act of instructing18. tempted A: to have a desire for B: to lean in a direction C: proved or triec

D: to succumb to pressure

27


30/116

basedonVine'sGreekDktionary

Answers to"I t helps to Enrich Your Bible Word Power"

1. fear (Gk. ~hobeo)C: profound rever- the very day in which the writer of Hebrewsence. That high respect for God which lived.causes one to submit to his call for righ- 10. Jesus (Gk. Iesous) D:Jehovah is &a-teous moral conduct. tion, that is the Saviour. In this context, the2. promise (Gk. epagellia)D: an under- writer is not speaking of Jesus of Nazareth,taking or giving of something. Except for but Joshua who succeeded Moses and ledActs 23:2 1 it is used in the New Testament Israel into Canaan.only for the promises of God. 11. labour (Gk. spoudazo) B: to be diligent3. rest (in 4 : l Gk. katapausis; in 4:9 at doing something, in this context, to besabbatismos. A: To cause to cease, even extremely active in pursuing the rest thatto the point of reposing. While the latter remains for the people of God.word is used in 4:9, it means the same thing 12. example (Gk. hupodeigmati) B: tobut is respective of keeping of a sabbath show by placing under (before) the eyes,4 . mired (Gk. sugkerannumi) A: to unit &US, let those who fell by disobedience inwith. Hearing the promise (gospel) of God the wilderness, missing the promise of rest,did not unite in their hearts with faith, thus be an example before your eyes of whatit deprived them of entering Canaan rest happens to the d isobedient.under Joshua. Just so, no one will enter 13. quick (Gk. zoe) D: to be alive. Theinto the rem aining rest under Jesus without word of God is engrafted with the spirit offaith in the Word. life, hence is said to be alive. See James 1:21.5. sworn ( ~ k ,mnum i) B: affirmin g r 14. powerful (Gk. energes) A: active indenying with an oath. In this case God work. The word of God is alive and movinggives his own word as a divine unalterable in the work of regenerating he heart. Theredecree that unbelief in his word would is nothing hidden from it even if one storesprohibit entrance into Canaan. it away in the deep recesses of the body and6. works (Gk. ergon) A: deeds of God in soul.this context. Frequently it means the 15. sharp (Gk. tomoteros) C: swifi inactive response of one's faith in the word. cutting, The preached word acts swiftly toSee 2 Thess. 1:ll) cut (prick) the conscience clean of sin and7. foundation (Gk. katabole) A: the act of guilt. See Acts 9: sthrowing down. The world was laid down 16. piercing (Gk. diikneomai)B:penetrat-with great force by the Almighty. Hence ing one's armor of unbelief.to lay down a base for building. 17 profession (Gk. homologeos) A: con-8. *belief (Gk. apeitheo) D: disobedi- fession. Stay true to everything implied inence, it is so banslated in the RV, Faith believing that Jesus IS the Son of God.without obedience, such as the devils had 1% tempted (Gk. pepeirasmenon) C:in James 2:19, is invalid as it shows a proved or tried, e.g. Jesus in Matthew 4.hardness of heart against God's word. Sav-ing faith and obedience to God's word aresynonymous.9. today (Gk. semeron) C: Until this verymoment, is the best here as it means fromthe time it is mentioned in Psalm s95:7 until

28

Vocabulary Scale7- 10 correct.. ............................G o d11-13 correct..................Bible Student14-1 5 correct .................Bible Scholar


31/116

The term "Christian" is found only three times in the Word of God. Farmore often those who were followers of Christ were referred to as "disci-ples" or "brethren." But the fact that Christian was used only three timesdoesn't take away from its significance. It has power and meaning which noother word in Scripture demonstrates."Christian" was used first in Acts 11:26. Peter had been summoned bythe Lord to go and preach to the family of Cornelius back in Acts 10.Cornelius was a Gentile and Peter had not understood, prior to this point,that the mes-really was forworld. Oh, hestatement toActs two, whenthe promise isyour childrenare a fa r o f f ,as the Lord ourBut he wasdirection of

sage of Christthe wholehad made thethat effect inhe said, " F o rto you and toand to all whoeven as manyGod shall call."under thethe Holy Spiritin his words. What he preached didn't necessarily harmonize with what hethought or believed. God had to show a vision to Peter to get him to go andpreach the Good News to Cornelius. As a result, Cornelius and his familybecame obedient to the faith.In Acts 11 Peter returns to the Christians who were Jews and defendshis going to the Gentiles to preach God's Word. It was after that that disci-ples went to Antioch and preached the Gospel of Christ to other Gentiles.

"The hand of G od was upon them and a large number who believed turnedto the Lord" (Acts 11 21). The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to checkthings out and to help with the work.After this Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul and bring him back tohelp in this ministry. They assembled with the church for a whole year."The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11 26). It issurely significant that the name "Christian" was given only after the churchwas opened to people of all backgrounds. Before, many had looked on themessage of Christ and those who followed Him as just an offshoot ofJudaism. Now the Gospel was spreading to all the world. Thus, the nameChristian was given to separate them from other religious backgrounds. It


32/116

declared the loyalty of those whowore the name to Jesus Christ, theSavior of the world. It shouted to theworld, "We belong to Christ. We areHis followers and His disciples."Th e se c o n d i n s t a n c e o f t h ename Christian being used was byAgrippa the king. Paul, in jail forpreaching the Word, was broughtbe fo re Agr ippa so tha t Agr ippam i g h t f i g u re o u t a n a c c e p t a b l echarge against Paul for sending himto Rome to appear before Caesar.When Paul was given the opportuni-ty to sp eak, he procla imed withpower the m essag e of Christ. Heeven questioned Agrippa about hisbelief of the prophets. "Agrippareplied to Paul, 'In a short time youw i l l p e r s u a d e m e t o b e c o m e aChristian. And Paul said, ' I wouldto Cod, that whether in a short orlong time, nor only you, but also allwho hear me this day , might becomes u c h a s I a m , e x c e p t f o r t h e s echains" (Acts 26:28,29).Some have said that Agrippawas using the name in derision.M aybe so . Bu t Pau l ' s re sponseaccepts the nam e Christian for him-self and longs for others to use thesame name in the way he has, ex-cept for the chains. It is true that thename is often misused and applied topeople who are not really followingChrist, but we can, like Paul, use itin the right way and try to draw oth-ers to the Lord with the name.

T h e th i rd i n s t a n c e w h e re"Christian" is used is in 1 Peter4:16. Peter had challenged thosescattered abroad to not suffer asthieves, murderers, evildoers, orbusybodies. "Yet if anyone suffersas a C hr i s t ian , l e t h im nor b eashamed, but glorify Cod in thisn a m e . " Not ice the d i s t inc t ionbetween those suffering for evil andthose suffering as a Christian. Thename is descriptive and refers tothose who are following Christ. Heleft us an example, that we shouldfo l low in His foots teps (1 Peter2:21). To be a Christian is to followthe pattern He has set for us.Every time this word is used inthe New Testament i t is used ofindividuals who were living for theLord. I suspect we have applied theword much too broadly when it isused of a nation or organization.Even when applied to the home, itwould need to be a home built onfollowing Christ in our lives, andnot just the fact all who are therehave been baptized.To wear the name Christian isan honor , bu t i t shou ld humbleevery person who speaks of him selfas a Christian, because of the onewhom we are claiming to follow bythe use of His name. 3

Leon Barnes preaches for the BarrowRoad congregation in Little Rock,Arkansas, U.S.A.


33/116

CheWhole


34/116

This word "fear" used inEcclesiastes 12:13 is translated fromthe Hebrew word "yare," whichmeans "reverence for God."Reverence means "an attitude ofdeep respect, love, and awe for thatwhich is sacred." Therefore, to fearGod means to have the greatestrespect for Him and also a feeling ofterror or deep concern for being dis-obedient to Him.

In the New Testament "fear" istranslated from the Greek word"phobeo," meaning "to cause fear orto terrify," used in such passages as1 Peter 2:17; Acts 13:16; Luke12:4,5.Consider what Solomon re-vealed about man's life on earth inthe flesh. All that mankind mightaccomplish as he lives in this worldis truly vain (useless) unless hebecomes spiritually reconciled untoGod and lives in fellowship withGod. Solomon thus said, "And Ia p p li e d m y m i n d t o s ee k a n d t osearch ou t by w isdom a l l tha t i sdone under heaven; it is an unhappybusiness that God has given to thesons of men t o be busy with. I haveseen everything that is done underthe sun; and behold, all is vanityand a striving after wind" (Eccle-siastes 1 :13,14).

Solomon tried to satisfy himselfwith pleasure (2:l-11); he tried wis-dom applied to earthy matters (2:12-17); he observed that man is totally

controlled by time while here onearth (3: 1-15); he saw all kinds ofinjustice in the lives of people(chapter 4); he saw the excellence ofwisdom if properly used followingGod's guidance (chapters9 and 10).Yet, with all this and more, the con-clusion was and is: "fear God andkeep His comm andments, for this isthe whole duty of man" (12: 13).To keep God's commandmentsin this the Christian age or dispensa-tion is to obey the teachings of theNew Testament. Paul, the apostle,was inspired to write, " T h e r e i stherefore now no condemnation forthose who are in Christ Jesus, whowalk not afier the flesh, but by th eSpirit" (Romans 8:l). This meansthat a person must enter into acovenant relationship with Christthrough faith, repentance, confes-sion, and baptism (Galatians3:26,27; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:8-10; Acts 8:35-39).This is what it means to be " inChrist." Such a person, then, must"walk by the Spirit," which meansto continue to study the Scriptures,especially the New Testament, andto be obedient to its teachings. Thisis what it means for mankind todayto ' Ifear Go d and keep His co m -man dmen ts , for th is is the wholeduty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12: 13). ODon L. Norwood gives his full time tothe Lord's work in India.


35/116

DOCTRINE TO LIVEBY

When Jesus preached, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"(Matthew 4:17), those who heard Him understood the message. They knewHe was calling for more than simply a change of mind or a new perspectiveon who He was. Repentance to them meant a complete surrender of theirwill and a change of behavior- new way of life, not just a different opin-ion. They realized He was calling them to admit their sin and turn from it,to turn around, to forsake their sin and selfishness, and follow Him instead.

The Old Testament was filled with truth about repentance. Ezekiel33:18,19 says, "W hen the righteous turns from his righteousness an d com-mits iniquity, then he shall die in it. But when the wicked turns from hiswickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them." 2Chronicles 7: 14 is a prescription for repentance: " l f m y people who arecalled by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn fromtheir wicked ways, then 1will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin. "John the Baptist demanded to see good deeds as proof of repentance.When the religious hypocrites came to John for baptism, "H e said to them,'Y ou brood of vipers, wh o warned you to flee from the wrath to come?Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance'" (Matthew 3:7,8).What are the fruits of repentance? That is the question the tax-gatherersasked John the Baptist (Luke 3:lO). His answer to them was, "Collect nomore than what you have been ordered to" (verse 13). To some soldierswho asked the same question, his response was, "D o not take money fromanyone by force, o r accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages"(verse 14). In other words, there must be a sincere change in one's lifestyle.One who has genuinely repented will stop doing evil and begin to live right-eously. Along with a change of mind and attitude, true repentance willbegin to produce a change in conduct.Good deeds were also what Paul considered proof of repentance. Notehis description of his ministry to King Agrippa: "I did not prove disobedi-ent to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring . . . to the Gentiles, that theyshould repent and t urn to God , performing deeds appropriate to repen-tance" (Acts 26:19,20).True repentance results in a change of life! 9Tom Kelton preaches for the Lord's church in Midland, Texas, USA.

33


36/116

Feelings are personal. Ourego is wrapped up in them. "human experiences."When feelings are in The religion oftext of religious exp Jesus Christ is not basedwe become verythey are challenged. Yet,feelings are not a criteriafor truth.The experience offeeling close to God or from the Wordalienated from God of God. Themay have little to do Bible is an ab-with reality. A piouspagan might "feel"

of truth thatFeel or contradictsclose to God, or a faithfulChristian might experience a"feeling" of estrangement at times.External circumstances, physicalwell being, and a man's state of Faith?ind greatly influence Jimmyhis feelings; but they can-not be trusted as a basis for faith ora standard for truth. The Bible says,"There is a way which seems rightto a man, but the end is the way ofdeath " (Proverbs 14:12).All religious people - hris-tian or pagan - xperience reli-gious feelings. Such emotional phe-nomena as conversion experiences,

Jividen Do not espouse anyreligious teaching or practicebecause you "feel it is right."Others "feel" contradictory teach-ings and practices are right. A faithbased upon feelings dies when thesubjective feelings change, but afaith based on the Word of God issecure. God's Word does notchange. Think about it. 0ecstatic utterance, and mystical Jimmy Jividen is a writer and preach-t m ~ c e san be found in es for the Oldham Lane congregationgions and sometimes outside of the in Abilene, Texas, U.S.A.


37/116

Every day estates worth hun-dreds of millions of dollars changehands and become the property ofnew owners simply because thecourse of nature is forced uponmankind. Many prospective heirsoften anticipate the receipt of a newfortune. They quickly learn that

their inheritance is not secure,because of taxes, inflation, volatilestock markets, cyclical property val-ues, and property devaluation,caused by decay and aging.Financial advisors, consultants,account managers, investment spe-cialists, attorneys and numerousother professionals are in an everincreasing demand as people turn tothem for help with preserving theirtreasure.Some are successful for awhile, but the passing of timereveals that there is no sure way topreserve wealth. Fortunes are lostevery day by millions of people asstock markets rise and fall. Manypeople spend a lifetime saving andinvesting only to see all of it lost ina few hours. They are usually help-less to change this event and canonly watch as their life's work dis-appears.As always, the Bible has somegood instruction and guidance onthis subject. First, consider the


38/116

teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21. He says, "D o not la y up fory o u r se l ve s t r e a s u r e s o n e a r t h ,where moth and rust destroy andwhere thieves break in and steal;but lay up for yourselves treasuresin heaven, where neither moth norrust destroys, and where thieves donot break in and steal. For whereyour treasure is, there your heartwill be also. "

Consider Matthew 6:23-34 andespecially 6:33 where Jesus states,"...Seek first the kingdom of Godand his righteousness..." Concern-ing real estate investments, readJohn 14:2,3 where Jesus says, " Inmy Father's house are many man-sions, if it were not so, I would havetold you. I go to prepare a place foryou. And if I go and prepare aplace for you, I will come again andreceive you to myseK that where Iam , there you may be also."In 1 Peter 1 3-5 Peter states,"Blessed be the God and Father ofour Lord Jesus Christ, who accord-i ng t o H is a b u n d a n t m e r c y h a s

tance incorruptible and undefileda n d th a t d o e s i lo t f a d e a w a y ,reserved in heaven for you, who arekept by the power of God throughfaith for salvation..."Jesus provides for our inheri-tance. Peter describes the invest-ment made for us in 1 Peter 1 18,19.He states "knowing that you weren o t r e d e e m e d w i th c o r r u p t ib l ethings like silver or gold, from youraimless conduct received by tradi-tion from your fathers, but with theprecious blood of Christ , a s of alamb without blemish and withoutspot. "Our God is keeping our trea-sure. Jesus paid the price and it is aperfect investment. We must sim-ply trust in God and his promisesand our inheritance will be secure.The Bible is a good investmentguide, requiring faith and trust inGod. Faith in man is the basis ofearthly investments. Who do youtrust? Where is your treasure? Q

begotten us again to a living hope Wayne Barrier lives in Florence,through the resurrection of Jesus $ ~ ~ ~ m ~ ; a ~ $ ( : ; : n ~ ~ ~~~i~~:::Christ from the dead, to an inheri- Gospel throughout the world.A religion t h a t does nothing, costs nothing, suffersnothing - s w o r t h nothing.The best th ing t o save for the futu re is your soul.


39/116

Cecil May, Jr.-- - -- -- - -I am a disciple of Christ; I seek to learn from Him and follow Him......but I am not a Disciple of Christ.I am methodist; I try to follow the biblical method.. .. but I am not a Methodist.I am baptist; I have been immersed in water for the forgiveness of my sins.. ....but I am not a Baptist.I am catholic; Christ added me to His universal church......but I am not a Catholic.I am part of an assembly of God; we assemble each Lord's day......but I am not of the Assemblies of God.I am presbyterian; my congregation is shepherded by elders(Gr., presbuteroi)... but I am not a Presbyterian.I am episcopalian; my congregation is overseen by bishops(Greek, episcopoi) ....but 1 am not an Episcopalian.I am a member of a congregation which is Christian and independent.. .

...but I am not of the Independent Christian Church.I am a member of the church of Christ; He built it and purchased it with Hisblood.. . ...but I am not Church of Christ.I am a member of the church of God; He purposed it before the worldsbegan. .. . but I am not Church of God.By the grace of God, I am a Christian. 0Cecil May, Jr., for many years the president of Magnolia Bible College inKosciusko, Mississippi, is now Dean of the V.P. Black School of Biblical Studiesat Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.A.


40/116

DOCTRINE TO LIVEBY

'l'hisChristian

You and I are very blessed peo- grave. Even the Old Testamentple. We live in the grandest period prophets who foretold concerningof time. Our ears have heard what Christ and His mission did not fullysaints and angels of all previous understand the revelations theyages have desired to know but were were giving by the power of thenot permitted to see or hear. Jesus Holy Spirit. The mystery of Christtold his disciples that their eyes and "in other ages was not m ade knownears were blessed because "many unto the sons of men, as it is nowprophets and righteous men have revealed unto his holy apostles anddesired to see those things which ye prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesianssee, and have nor seen them; and to 35).hea r those things w hich ye hear, During the Patriarchal periodand have not heard them" (Matthew from Adam to Moses, God spoke to13:16,17). certain individuals such as Adam,Limited Knowledge in Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.Previous Ages He did not address all people, but toAlthough in every period of chosen ones through angels, dreamstime there have existed those who and visions. In this age, He wasknew something about God, the true laying the groundwork for establish-way to Heaven was not made ing the Israelite nation throughknown to mankind until after Christ which he planned to send a savior,was crucified and arose from the Jesus Christ, into the world.

38


41/116

The second age began whenMoses led Israel out of Egyptianbondage to the promised land ofCanaan. God established these peo-ple as his own special nation forsome 1,500 years, giving them alaw through Moses. This law was a"scho olmaster to br ing us untoChrist" (Galatians 3:24). The peri-od was characterized by animal sac-rifices and a service with a Templeand priests. Being a tutoring period,it was a temporary arrangement,like a schoolmaster, to prepare thepeople for Christ who was cominglater. "Bur afrer that faith is come,we are no longer under a school-master" (Galatians 3:25).We Are in the Final Age

The final age, the one in whichwe now live, is the last. In this age,

"the darkness is past, and the truelight now shineth" (1 John 2:8).Now God no longer deals just withind iv idua l f ami l ies or wi th onena t ion . T he gos pe l i s f o r a l lmankind, ''to the Jew firs t and alsoto the Greek" ( R o m a n s 1:16).Chris t has commanded that th isgood news be preached to everycreature. The times of preparationare past and the full revelation ofGod's will and knowledge has nowbeen de l ivere d . You and I a reblessed above people of all previousages of the wor ld wi th the fu l lknowledge of God's plan of salva-tion available to us. 3John Thiesen is a former missionaryto Malawi and now preaches for theLord's church in Buffalo, Missouri,U.S.A.


42/116

The singular most important and in earth (please read Philippiansthing for every responsible human 2:9-11; Acts 2:36; Matthew 28:18;being is to be saved from sin and its and Ephesians 1:19-23). Only byconsequence of eternal damnation. abiding faithfully in His WordTo obey the Gospel of Christ, and (truth) can anyone be counted a truethus become a Christian, and to disciple of the Lord (John 8:31,32).remain a Christian are the things The Bible makes it exceedinglywhich really matter (read Romans clear that those who become1:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 15:58). Christians are added to the Lord'sThese are essential to one's salvation, church (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47).because there is no other Savior than By obeying the Gospel of ChristJesus Christ, who is the only begotten one becomes a Christian, and this isSon of God (John 3: 16,17). precisely the way he or she becomesIn speaking of Christ, the apos- a member of the Lord 's church.tle Peter declared, " Sa lva t ion i s Both things take place by the same

found in no one else ; for there is no process (see Acts 2:3 8-4 1,47;other name under heaven given to Galatians 3:26,27; Romans 6:3-6; 1men by which we must be saved" Corinthians 12:13). Obviously,(Acts 4:12). Jesus is "the way , the then, to remain loyal to the Lord,truth, and the life" and no man can one must be a faithful member ofcome to God except through Him the Lord's spiritual body, which is(read John 14:6). His church. The church is the "body"God highly exalted Jesus and of the saved (Ephesians 5:23).made Him Lord and gave Him all This very concise summary ofauthority and dominion in heaven basic truths stated in the paragraphs

40


43/116

above must be kept foremost in aChristian's mind throughout life.Therefore, for a Christian to becom ea part of another religious organiza-tion in addition to the Lord's churchis glaringly wrong! In like manner,it is equally wrong for a Christian tobecom e a part of any fraternal orga-nization which claims "a form ofreligion" itself and teaches thingsthat are in conflict with the truth ofthe New Testament.The quest ion is of ten asked,"Can a Christian be a Mason?" Withall my heart I believe the answer isunequivocally NO, absolutely not!Many reasons could be cited, butrealizing this article must be briefbecause of space, I submit the fol-lowing six reasons why I believe aChristian cannot be a Mason:

1. N o on e c a n be a M a s onwho does not believe in "a god,"allowing adherents to have mostany concept of Deity imaginable.However , a genu ine Chr i s t i anbelieves that there is but ONET R U E A N D L I V I N G G O D .Freemasonry presents an abstractgod called En Soph, the "infinite,intellectual light" from which allthings emanate . . . this is verynear to pagan "Sun worship," ifnot, in fact, the same. Th is is acrucial point, because Jesus saidin prayer to the Father, " . . . thisis life eternal , that they shouldknow thee, the only true God,andhim whom thou didst send, even

4 1

Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).2. To see further Masonry'sfixation on the Sun, we need tolook no farther than the "symbol-

ism" in Masonry; the Blaz ingStar, actual ly represent ing theSun; the Point Within a Circle,representing a "hodgepodge" ofthe Sun, the Moon, sexual organsand fertility, etc. - agan to thecore. In addition, Masonry has itsSquare and Compass , which,along with any of the "holybooks," represents the "GreatLights" of Masonry . . . this wouldbe blasphemous to the informedChristian because Christ is "thelight of the worM" (John 8:12).3. The use of the Bible or any

other "sacred book" in MasonicLodges is simply symbolic of "thewill of God." To Masons of theI s l amic pe r suas ion the Korancould be used, or for Hindus, theVeda books. Thus, in Masonry,the Bible is but one book amongseveral to "symbolize" the will ofGod. How can a Christian, whobelieves that the Bible only is infact the revealed Word of God,subscribe to such a system?

4. As a Mason advances inthe Lodge, he must take oaths thatinclude things that are in conflictwith Christianity, accom panied byc e r e m on i e s de s c r i be d by e x -M asons as "superstitious." T heBible teaches against "swearing,"and the practice of "the doctrines


44/116

of men" that make void the Word(Matthew 5:34; James 5:12; andMatthew 156-9).5. E a c h L o d g e h a s i t s

"W orshipful M aster." Can youimagine an informed Chris t iancalling another man, "WorshipfulMaster? 'The Bible teaches thatthe Christian has but one Master,and that is Jesus Christ (Matthew23:lO). If there was nothing elseto consider about Masonry, thisshould be more than enough tos p e a k l o u d a n d c l e a r . . . ACHRISTIAN CANNOT part ici -pate in anything that requires himto ca l l a ma n "Mas te r . " T h eChristian has but one Master, andthat Master is Jesus Christ!

6. In reading the l i te ra tureavailable on Masonry, there canbe no doubt that the Lodge teach-es "a good Maso n" i s heavenbound. Th eir plain s tatementsteach this, and the symbolism ofthe Lambskin so indicates. Also,the liturgy at Masonic funerals,along with the Apron ceremony,clearly portrays the departed ashaving gone to the Great Lodge int h e s k y . I k n o w t h i s i s t r u ebecause I have conducted funeralswhere the Masons took over forthe burial at the cemetery, and Iobserved what they did and heardwhat was said. The Bible teachesthat only through Christ can sal-vation be obtained (see the begin-ning of this article), but Masonryteaches salvation through being a

Mason, regardless of whether oneis obedient to Christ or not.My experience has taught methat a man w ho is a mem ber both of

the Lord's church and the MasonicLodge is likely to cleave to the Lodgeif pressured to choose between them.How sad and how tragic! For a manto so choose is indicative of grossBiblical ignorance, or a lack of trueconversion to Christ, because a trueChristian would not give Christ up foranything or anybody!B e l oved r eade r , t he B i b l eteaches that whatever the Christiandoes, he is to do it "in the name ofthe Lord Jesus: (which means, "byhis authority"), "giving thanks toG o d t h r o ug h H im " ( C o l os s i ans3:17) . The apostle Paul wrote toChristians and taught that God is toreceive "the glory in the church andin Christ Jesus unto all generationsfor ever and ever. Amen" (Ephe-sians 3:21). Notice the importanceof Chr is t and the church that i splainly taught in these passages.That is all that matters to the trueChristian. He does not get himself"en tang led in the affairs of th islife" (2 Timothy 2:4), but that isexactly what he does if he becomesa member of the Masonic Lodge.Can a Christian be a Mason? W hatdo you think? 0Maxie 8. Boren preaches for theBrown Trail Church of Christ inBedford, Texas, U.S.A.


45/116

missing infor-mation fromthe gospel of

4fter the supper, John, chapterdid Jesus go with the

disciples? (V. 1) NKJV.1 . "And Jodas, _, also knew3. Judas received troops, accompanied by officers

from the and , who cameI , and . (V. 3)4. What did Jesus know? (V. 4)

5. When Jesus identified Himself as the One they- 'were seeking, what did they do? (V. 5-9)

6. What did Peter do to defend Jesus? (V. 10)7. To whom was Jesus taken for an illegal night trial? (V. 13)8. Who followed the mob to see where Jesus was taken? (V. 15)9.While Peter was waiting, warming at the fire, he was accused ofwhat? How did he answer? (V. 16-1 )10. When Annas asked Jesus about what He had taught, how did Heanswer? (V. 19-21)11. What did one of the officers do? (V. 22)12. From Annas, Jesus went to Caiaphas (V. 24); then where? (V. 28)13. Taking Jesus to a Roman ruler assured that He would die by. (V. 29-32)14. What question did Pilate ask Jesus concerning His identity? (V. 33)15. Premillennialists are still looking for an earthly kingdom; however,

Jesus said, " ----" (V. 36)16. What was Pilate's final judgment of Jesus? (V. 38)17. Pilate, following the custom of leniency on Passover, would have

released "the King of the Jews". Who did the rulers demandinstead? (V. 39,40)

[See inside of back cover for answers.]


46/116

Sin is man's greatest problem. From the time of Adam and Eve, all menhave sinned. No, no one is ever born with sin. Just as Adam and Eve werecreated in the beginning without sin, so is everyone born into the world with-out sin. But all have sinned, says Romans 3:23, and everyone sins by his ownchoice (James 1:14,15). The Bible also says that the wages of sin is death(Romans 6:23), because sin separates man from God, and that separation iscalled death, which is, in fact, the spiritual alienation of man from God.All accountable beings have sinned in the eyes of God. Wherever thereis man, sin is there. We do not have to travel far to see sin. Sin resides inthe heart and mind of an individual. Proverbs 4:23 - "Keep your heart withall diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. " Christ taught, "Fo r ourof the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, th e f s ,false witness, blasphem ies: These are the things which defile a man"(Matthew 15:19). John wrote, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer"(1 John 3:15). "You have heard," said Christ again, "that it was said tothose of old, 'Yo u shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoeverlooks at a wom an to lust for her has already comm itted adultery with her inhis heart"' (Matthew 5:27,28). When we look at sin from this standpoint,we know that all people who know the difference between right and wrong,except little children, are sinners.All have sinned with their heart or mind whenever they have enter-tained any evil thoughts. Therefore, from God's standard, all are under con-demnation because of sin. The condemnation that sin brings is hell, the lakeof fire and brimstone which bums eternally.No wonder then that God in heaven was so concerned about humans onearth. It was rather natural, because He had created humans in His "ownimage and a f e r His own likeness" (Genesis 1:26,27). We are the "offspringof God" (Acts 17:29). To save and redeem man from sin and its conse-quences, God sent His Son from heaven to earth. By the power of God,Jesus Christ assumed flesh and became a man (John 1:1,2,14). Through His

44


47/116

death on the cross, He became thepropitiation for the sins of the world(1 John 1 1,2; 4: 10). The Bible saysthat when Christ was dying on thecross God was in Christ reconcilingthe world to Himself, not imputingtheir trespasses to them. In fact, theBible tells us that on the cross Godhad made Christ, who knew no sin,to be sin for us, so that we mightbecome the righteousness of God inHim (2 Corinthians 5: 19,21).God has done the most wonder-ful thing- e has put cleansed sin-ners into Christ! "There is there-fore now n o condemnation to thosewho are in Christ Jesus" (Romans8: 1). "There fore , if anyone is inChris t , he is a new creat ion; oldthings have passed away; behold,all t h i n g s h a v e b e c o m e n e w " ( 2Corinthians 5: 17).

In Christ Jesus the individualbecomes a new person; washed ofsins, because of the shed blood ofChrist for sinners from the cross;sanctified, or set apart, to serve andlive for God; justified, whose sinshave been forgiven because of thepropitiatory death of Christ; pre-served, to live undefiled in a sinfulworld, (1 Corinthians 6:11; Jude 1).

In Christ one does not walkaccording to the flesh, but accordingto the guidance of the Holy Spirit ofGod, which comes from the writtenWord of God, as one reads, hears,meditates, and follows His will

(Romans 8:1; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2Peter 1:20,21).

Since there is no condemnationto those who are in Christ Jesus,man's response should be to get intoChrist as quickly as possible. Howdoes one do that? For our answer,we should let the Bible speak. Weread in Galatians 3:27, " F o r a smany of you as have been baptizedin to Chr i s t have pu t o n C hr is t . "When the first gospel meeting washeld on earth, in the city ofJerusalem, the listeners asked thepreachers, "M en and brethren, whatshall we do?" Do you know whatanswer was given to them? Theywere told to "Repent and let every-one of you be baptized in the nameof Jesus Christ for the remission ofsins; and you shall receive the gi f tof the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:37,38).Then we read that those who hadgladly received the Word were bap-tized that day, and they were addedto the church by the Lord Himself.This is how the church of Christ hadits beginning (Acts 2:41,47).Everyone is either in Christ orourside of Christ. Those who areoutside of Christ are under condem-nation, while those who are inChrist are under no condemnation,but are blessed, not only in this life,but also after this life on earth isover (Revelation 14:13). 8Sunny David lives in New Delhi, India,and is a radio evangelist for much ofIndia.


48/116

The Danger Of ReligiousTraditionsCharles E. Cobb

"Full wel l ye reject the com-mandment of G od , that ye may keepyour own tradition" (Mark 7:9).Many of the Jews in the days ofJesus on earth were traditionalists.Jesus accused them of actually mak-ing void the Word of God by theirtraditions (Mark 7:13). Religioustraditions often get in the way ofsincere obedience to the will of Godamong people today.

Tradition is defined as: (2) "aninhe r i t ed pa t t e r n o f t hough t o raction (as religious doctrine or prac-tice or a social custom)" (Webster).Men are often prone to hold to tradi-tion instead of accepting the truth ofGod.What is truth? Our Savior saidin prayer to God, "San ctify themt h r o u g h T h v t r u t h : Thv w o r d i s

all men will) he will be judged bythe truth, not by some religious tra -dition.Men must decide, therefore, togive up any tradition that stands intheir way of obeying the truth. Letus be aware that we are to "proveall things, hold fast that whic h isg o o d " ( 1 T hes s a lon ians 5 : 21).Holding to some religious traditiontha t con t r ad i c t s o r nu l l i f i e s t heWord of God is not good .It matters not how many gener-ations have believed som e error thathas become traditional, it does notmake the tradition good or right.God wants men to believe andobey the truth. Only the truth cansave! Religious traditions canno tsave us. 0

t ruth" ( J o h i 1 7:1 7). When o n e Charles E. Cobb is editor ofTennessee Valley Christian, and hestands before God in judgment (as lives in Scottsboro, Alabama, U.S.A.


49/116

' o n a l B i b l e s t u d i e s a n dChristian counseling.Missions, both in the statesand abroad, are of vital interestto the Dexter church. Successfultown congregations to grow. All evange li sm e f fo r t s wi th in o urit takes is a commitment to local own com munity strengthen ourev an g e l i s m an d a l o t o f h a r d congregation, thus enabling us towork . The D ex te r Chu rch of extend our m iss ion f ie ld . WeChrist showed a renewed interest r e a c h R u s s i a , A f r i c a , S o u t hin pe r sona l evange l i sm abou t America, South Pacific Islands,sixteen years ago when a pro- and India, either through mission-gram involving personal Bible aries we support or by means ofstudies and Christian counseling Bible correspondence courses.was begun. M any have obeyed World Bible School and Pacificthe gospel and many who were Is lands Bible School are veryunfaithful have been restored. important tools in the outreachDex te r i s a smal l town o f program s of this congregation.about 7500, with approximately Ma

Documents

The Voice of Truth International, Volume 18