An angry brother once told me, "That is your problem Kingry. You are always right!" From the tone of his voice and his mien, what he really meant to say was "You always think you're right!" Now, to some this may sound like an indictment, but to anyone who knows the will of God on the subject, this attitude of "being right" is one we all are to have.

It seems fashionable these days to be hazy or individualistic in our spiritual thinking. If a brother stands firmly opposed to specific sin or demands steadfastness in righteousness, he is often condescendingly disregarded as a "party-man." Perhaps it is a reaction to the formalized doctrines of men, or the inheritance of our independent American spirit that we wish to sport the raccoon tail of individual thought. But within the church "individual thought" is often an excuse for individual heresy. The reason a large number of saints accept a particular truth is not to conform to tradition but because they cling to the same truth. There is nothing wrong with becoming firmly persuaded in one's own mind about God's truth, or to spend time studying to arrive at truth, as long as that is the goal. But to scour the Bible in order to find something "different" is simply heresy.

The purpose and goal of the Word of God is to produce a strong foundation for the Christian's spiritual house. We are "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone ... (and) the foundation of God standeth sure" (Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim. 2:19). Proper study of God's word does not produce confusion, it produces answers, "These things write I unto you ... that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God" (1 Tim. 3:14, 15). Paul uses the phrase "the answer of God" as a synonym for revelation (Rom. 11:4).

According to God's revelation I can be sure of where I stand -and what I believe. "That (our) hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:2,3). Paul's prayer for the Colossian brethren was that they might grow more certain in their knowledge and thereby achieve the blessedness of firm conviction which understanding God's will brings. Paul went on to say, in effect, "This I say, for there will be those who will try to tell you that you do not know what you believe, and will use plausible arguments and smooth high flown talk to confuse you and seduce you from the truth" (Col. 2:4). His advice was simple: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Col. 2:6).

If brethren, then, disagree with me on the Word of God, I must not be shaken or hurt. If I am right, it is because I believe the truth, not because of any special quality of intellect or personality or training I may have. "Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it" (1 Cor. 4:7)? I should not feel personally threatened because another disagrees with God. But let us suppose that I am wrong, or mistaken. Again, this is between me and the Lord. I have not sinned against the one who teaches me a "better way" but against the lawgiver. The Lord just tells me to repent, or to quit teaching and believing falsehood and, step back into the light. The one who seeks to persuade me to "line up" with the Lord is not my enemy, but my friend, no matter how rotten I may think his method of rebuke to be (Gal. 4:16).

The Lord gave us authority to speak as God when we teach truth. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). If we are to teach anything, let us speak with the assurance of one who utters the very words of God. If we cannot, then we have no business teaching on that subject. When the preacher delivers the ultimatum, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned ... whosoever transgresses and abides not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God" (Mk. 16:16; 2 Jno. 9), he speaks not with his own authority, but with all the authority of God. When I "call the shots" "That ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) and demand that all others "fire in order" those who turn away from the battle because of cowardice, indifference, independence, or distaste will answer to the supreme Commander who gave the order. "He that receiveth you, receiveth me. And he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me" (Matt. 10:40).

There is no place in God's ranks for equivocation, opinion, or amphibolic rhetoric. God has spoken. We have no choice but to accept it. The problem is not in understanding the truth, but in believing it. We need fewer "scholars" in the Lord's church, and more disciples.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:4, p. 10-11
November 22, 1973