Truth Magazine

By John A. Smith

In the beautiful and poetic instructive prayer of Jesus in Matthew 6, disciples are called upon to use prayer in their fight against temptation: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (v. 13a). We may not always easily discern the relation between prayer and our ability to say “no” in the face of temptation. Understanding the statement of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”) and relating it to our struggle with temptation may help us clear our spiritual vision.

Commonality of Temptation

First, Paul tells us that we will not face an uncommon temptation. That should help us in at least two ways. We are not alone and we are not the first person to face the situation in which we find ourselves. That takes away the “Why me?” lament. If others have gone through what we are facing, we have in them a rich resource of strength and encouragement. If others can conquer temptation and recover from failures, then so can I! Take heart.

Satan is said to tempt us in one of three ways: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16). He does not have new tricks at his disposal. If I know how I will be attacked and tempted, I ought to be prepared to fight, surmounting every stumbling block put in my way.

What effect should this knowledge have upon my prayers? I believe that everyone striving to live above sin should pray for encouragement from their spiritually-minded brethren and for the vision to discern clearly the temptations put in his way. Thus prayer is a valuable tool in living above sin.

Not Beyond Our Ability

Second, Paul tells us that we will not be tempted beyond our ability to resist. Satan is limited as to how far he can push us and how severe the temptation can be. We need to pray that we will recognize this and not try to excuse ourselves easily. Rather than praying that they will properly use the strength given them by God, I fear that some prefer to absolve themselves by attributing the sin to “human weakness,” circumstance, or the “can’t-help-its.”

Prayer can be a powerful and welcome ally in our fight against sin. We need to beseech the Lord for his aid in not allowing Satan to deceive us With his “weakness dribble.” Rather than excusing ourselves, let us pray that, with the Lord’s help, we will see and use our ability to flee, fight, and triumph.

The Way of Escape

Third, Paul explains that there will always be a way of escape. Satan can not back us into a comer in which we have no other choice but to succumb and sin. The way of escape will for the moment seem to be the more difficult of our options. If this were not so, it would not be called temptation.

The way out may be preemptive. The escape may be the avoidance of certain situations, places, or people. The person who has difficulty being temperate with donuts might be wise to avoid bakeries. Others may have to deny themselves certain types of activities in order to avoid the arousal of lusts. At times the most expedient approach to a temptation is planned avoidance.

At other times we will not be able to anticipate the arrival of temptation. Some situations demand that we stand and fight while others call for flight. We need wisdom to determine the difference.

Armed with effective fervent prayer, the sin-fighting disciple can keep his spiritual eyes open for the escape. We need to pray for vision, understanding, and wisdom. “Lord help me to see the escape and earnestly desire it.”

Conclusion

The soldier of Christ is not fully dressed unless he takes up prayer (Eph. 6:18-19). Let each of us determine to add prayer to our apparel using it in our continuing struggle with temptation. We can pray when we are tempted and pray when we fail. With prayer on our lips, let us set our sights on the celestial city.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, p. 38
January 19, 1988

By Dan Binkley

Remember the commercial a few years ago that said; “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better”? Don’t feel bad if you don’t remember it; it’s an old commercial. It is a nice sentiment though, isn’t it? But is that all there is to it? It certainly is true that without exception we are all getting older. The myth of the “fountain of youth” has fooled men and women for generations. But try as you will, you cannot stop the aging process. Someone said, “About the time your face clears up, your mind gets filmy.

Let’s not be content with just accepting the fact that we are growing old. Let’s plan and work at becoming better. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” Then there was the fellow who took a different approach, “If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.”

The book of Ecclesiastes talks about life here on earth, and in chapters eleven and twelve describes the aging process. Not only does Solomon tell what happens to us as we get older, he also tells us how to grow old gracefully.

Enjoy Life By Giving (Eccl. 11:1-2)

The idea of these verses comes from planting rice, sowing the seed on the water that would later produce food. The best way to happiness and true meaning to your life is to share with others. Become involved in the lives of other people. Look beyond yourself.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Paul writes in Ephesians 4:28 that a person should work at his job rather than steal so that he will have honestly earned a living for himself and have something to give to those who are in need.

As you get older and look back, the knowledge that you were generous with what God gave you gives you much comfort – not just money – but also your time, abilities and energy. Give yourself to teach those who are younger and to set a good example for them to follow.

Adapt Willingly (Eccl. 11:34)

In verse 3 Solomon is showing us the inevitabilities of life. Clouds will pour out rain and trees will fall in the forest. And many other events will transpire which are inescapable.

The counsel comes in verse 4; “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” If you keep watching, occupying yourself with those inevitable events, that’s all you will amount to. You’ll never get around to sowing the seed because you are waiting for ideal conditions and therefore you’ll never reap. When you adapt to the inevitable changes in life as you get older, then you can be productive in any given situation. Dr. James Dobson states, “The first principle of mental health is to accept that which cannot be changed.” So instead of reaching a point in your life that you cease being productive and think that the only thing you can do is sit in the rocking chair, you must remember that anyone at any age has worthwhile things he can accomplish and contribute to the world around him. Look around and see how you can be a benefit to others.

Trust God (Eccl. 11:5-6)

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes all things. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

Many things are beyond our comprehension. But even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t try something just because you don’t know or understand everything about it. Being unable to understand all that is involved in reproduction certainly hasn’t stopped people from having children. Therefore, be busy sowing (that is doing whatever needs to be done and is good to do), and trust God to raise it up.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

Rejoice Daily (Eccl. 11:7-8)

We are never too old to rejoice. It is good to be alive and to see the beauties of God’s creation. “Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.” Psalm 118:24 says, “Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” And the apostle Paul urges us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4).

We are not being encouraged to rejoice in the wrong things, or just make having fun our goal in life. But see in all that you do there is reason to count your blessings and be thankful.

Remember Your Creator While You Are Young (Eccl. 12:1-2)

Remember him while you are young lest you look back and say, “I have no delight in them.” Few people are more bitter and lonely today than those who have grown old alone, that is, apart from the Lord. The picture of verse 2 is that instead of clearing after rain, the old person who in bitterness, has closed himself in, and the clouds, instead of refreshment, bring one storm after another. Therefore, lest you find yourself cynical and bitter in your old age keep the Lord in focus throughout your entire life. You won’t regret it.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, p. 21
January 5, 1989

By Cled E. Wallace

The everlasting and inevitable conflict between truth and error, right and wrong, goes on. It would be heavenly if all knew, believed, and lived the truth, error were banished from the earth, and universal peace prevailed. Such has not been since sin entered into the world, and there is no evidence that such a happy state is imminent. Our Lord said: “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:34-39). Jesus knew that there would be bitter conflict and the need of loyalty and courage on the part of his followers in resisting men and movements organized for the propagation of error.

Desirable, But Impossible

It would be far less painful and heartbreaking if the conflict could proceed in a purely impersonal way. But such has never been and cannot be. Issues and movements are too closely identified with men. Men come to personify the issues that inflame them. It becomes impossible to fight error without at the same time fighting the men in whom the error is incarnated. The conflict between Jesus and the apostles of false doctrine in his day was bitter and personal. They early recognized him as the embodiment of principles they would not compromise with. He was set for their destruction as leaders of the people. He mentioned them by name, called them wolves in sheep’s clothing, whited sepulchers, sons of hell, fools and blind, blind guides, hypocrites, and warned the people pointedly to beware of their teaching. His fight against error necessitated a fight on the chief protagonists of error. The organized enemies of Jesus were neither dumb nor dull. In his most impersonal teaching “they perceived that he spake of them.” They in their turn asked him questions, ridiculed and mocked him, tried to debate with him, and finally in despair killed him. It was a fight to the finish. The resurrection raised the banner of truth on high, but the conflict goes on.

It is a foolish notion that a heretical movement in the church, or out, can be fought in a purely impersonal way. Some seem to think that a death stroke can be administered to the movement and leave the man or men who are the life of it unscathed. It is the killing one of the Siamese twins without affecting the health of the other. It cannot be done. Too tender a solicitation for such men is in itself an evidence of too great a toleration for the movement. An apology for false teachers is an apology for th7eir false teaching. Try to fix it any other way without making a complete wreck of the principles of logic! The least that can be done to logic by such a course is to beg the question, declare that the movement is not serious enough in its nature or consequences to oppose. And that will start a fight on another issue. A fence sitter in no man’s land in a major conflict would never have invited a light from heaven on the road to Damascus.

Compromise Is Deadly

Christ and his apostles were kindly men where kindliness was a virtue, but they were terrible men when the great movement they were identified with was opposed or threatened by compromise. Paul, the kindly preacher, turning the light of truth into the darkened heart of Sergius Paulus, becomes transformed into divine fury when Elymas sought to turn the proconsul from the faith. He “fastened his eyes on him, and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” Softies in religion usually wave this aside by saying that Paul was inspired and could read the hearts of men, which we cannot do. That does not dispose of the main point that fighting false movements cannot be effectively done by ignoring or apologizing for false teachers. Besides, I have never seen a serious effort to prove that it requires any inspiration to identify a perverter of the right ways of the Lord. Such an assumption is some more logic for you! Imagine Paul saying to Sergius Paulus: “Our friend Elymas possibly has good intentions. But that he is wrong I shall now at length present to you. You will please give consideration to ______” Ugh! If Paul were living today, he would have to tone down his personalities to get into some of the papers. It is, of course, both scriptural and sensible to temper criticism to the seriousness of the offense, but only cowardice will seek to always make it impersonal.

This man Paul creats admiration and astonishment in about equal measure. His methods are surely sound. The cause of Christ needed safeguarding in Crete. Leaders were needed who held “to the faithful word which is according to the teaching,” and they must “be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers. ” There were men there who were “unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped.” Paul assured Titus, whom he left in Crete to set in order the things that were wanting, that “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons,” and that he must “reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” Does anybody seriously think that a soft-walking, soft-talking, sweet-spirited compromiser, such as breaks out in some of “our” papers today, could have carried out Paul’s commission in Crete?

The Case of Paul and Barnabas

Paul and Peter and Barnabas were friends. They were more than friends – they were brethren in Christ. A situation arose were Peter and Barnabas were identified with a movement that threatened to disrupt the church. What did personal friendship have to do with such a situation? Simply nothing. Friendship was not the issue and had nothing to do with the issues. Paul did not recall the fact that he and Barnabas had faced the dangers of the Pisidian highlands together and make an impersonal fight on a disruptive movement. He saw clearly that Peter and Barnabas “walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel.” He “resisted” them “to the face” because they “stood condemned.” He rebuked them before the whole church, not because he loved strife, but because the welfare of the church demanded it. He was fighting for Christ and against his friends, because they chose a course which was hostile to the cause of Christ. And he was right in so doing. There is abundance of Scripture to support a gospel paper in a vigorous and aggressive policy in dealing with the problems and perils that threaten the peace and loyalty of the church today.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, pp. 33, 55
January 19, 1989

By Charles Thomas Jones

The Bible class is an excellent way to provide spiritual food for all ages. Class discussion and other classroom activities provide for added learning techniques as opposed to the lecture approach which is often used in the assembly. Because most teaching from the pulpit is presented at the adult level, the Bible class is the primary channel through which the church is able to mold the hearts of the young. The strength of the church in the future greatly depends on how well we use this channel now.

A good Bible class program does not just happen, but needs the active participation and direction of the elders. This requires defining specific targets for the program, making plans for reaching these goals, acquiring a good knowledge of the study materials, providing for teacher training, and selecting qualified teachers. Clearly, dedicated and knowledgeable teachers who are willing to apply the time and energy required are vital to the success of the program. Without careful planning and leadership, the teaching program can easily drift into little more than a formal child care program.

While the elders can provide leadership in planning an effective class program, equally important is the reenforcement of the concepts and principles in the home. No matter how well the Bible class program may be carried out, the effectiveness can be greatly diminished by the lack of parental example and concern for the spiritual development of the family.

Concepts of a good Bible class curriculum and the best way to implement it are somewhat subjective and will vary from one congregation to another. Recently, the Downtown church in Lawrenceburg, TN (where I am now serving as an elder) has initiated plans for improving our Bible study program. In the following paragraphs I would like to describe briefly three characteristics which we are including in our program. I will also summarize the basic features of the plan. These thoughts are not presented as being unique with us nor am I suggesting that this is the only effective approach. It is, however, an approach that we feel will greatly improve our efforts to feed the flock through the Bible class program.

1. The Students Need The Overall Picture

A clear understanding of any, subject requires a general overview in order to understand how the component parts fit into the whole. Equally important is the need for the Bible class student to have a overall view of the Scriptures to see how the lessons all fit together. Perhaps all too often, our classes are presented as a collection of lessons, which contain valid truths and principles, but leave the student unable to see the forest for the individual trees. The varied lessons of the Old and New Testaments need to be tied together into an overall picture which illustrates the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption.

In our program we want to clearly stress that Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Scriptures. Teachers at all age levels are deliberately developing this theme so that the student will come to the full realization that all of our studies ultimately relate to the Savior and his kingdom. We want the student to understand that God purposed this plan before the foundation of the world, that the prophets anticipated the Lord’s coming, and that God’s purpose was fulfilled by Jesus and his church. One way we keep this broad perspective before the student is through the use of time lines showing where the specific lessons falls in the overall plan. The prophecies of the Lord’s coming and their fulfillment also provide opportunities to stress this overall concept.

Basic to this central theme also is the understanding that God gave different laws and spoke in various ways as his plan developed. But today he has given us his Son for us to hear. Obviously, this understanding is an essential element to the proper division of the Scriptures. The need for stressing it is apparent when one considers the fact that many are unable to make a distinction between the Ten Commandments and the New Covenant.

We want also to take deliberate steps to stress some overall characteristics of God’s word. In the light of much modern thinking that the Scriptures were written for Bible times and are not applicable today, and that new revelations are still to come, we want to insure through our class program that the student sees the Bible as relevant and complete. He should know that God has provided all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3), that there will be no more revelations (Jude 3), and that the Word will abide forever (1 Pet. 1:23-25).

2. Focus On The Principles Rather Than Facts

The Bible contains many fascinating stories, and it is sometimes easy to focus on the specifics of the narrative at the expense of some key concepts or principles. These stories have much appeal to the young, and are, possibly, somewhat easier to present in a lesson than the more abstract principles. However as a result, the student may, remember more about what John the Baptist ate and wore than the message he preached. Most preparatory workbooks for our Bible classes focus on the facts of a story with word matching exercises, scrambled word puzzles, fill in the blanks, true and false statements, etc. These have some value in getting the student to consider the details of the lesson but are often mechanical exercises which do not stress the main message. Of course, lessons cannot be presented without some related detail, but these should be the tools for basing applicable themes and principles rather than the major focus.

A prime consideration of teacher preparation should be to identify two or three key points to be stressed. This will vary with each lesson but will provide the opportunity to emphasize the broad picture outlined above, build character, educate in doctrinal matters, and develop proper relationships in the world, etc. Of course, the lesson plan will have to be developed for the maturity level of the student. But we need to keep in mind that we can plant ideas in the minds of the very young. Initially, there may be little understanding, but repetition with increasing depth will gradually implant these things in the student’s minds. Our whole aim will be to give the student the fundamentals that will serve as building blocks for spiritual growth and help him to have the desire to serve God all of his life. I do not want to minimize the importance of knowing Bible facts, but these should be used only as the tools for developing the lesson.

3. Greatest Emphasis Should Be On The New Covenant

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he referred to the Old Testament writings as that which was able to provide the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. In a similar way, he wrote that the things written before were for our example and instruction (1 Cor. 10:11). Without question, Old Testament Scripture is a vital part of our Bible study. Everyone needs to see how God dealt with his people in the past, and how this portion of God’s Word develops the understanding of many New Testament references. Thus, a decision which each eldership must make is the proportion of time which should be given to the Old Testament.

We have made a judgment that there is a need to place the greatest emphasis on the covenant we live under today. There is a very basic need for our students to know more about the church, its purpose, its work, its worship, and the responsibilities of membership. He should also know the numerous instructions of the epistles regarding social, business, civic, and family relationships. The trends in moral behavior and liberal thinking in society as a whole suggest to us a fundamental need for greater concentration in these areas. This should help the student to withstand false doctrine and conduct his life in harmony with New Testament principles.

The Class Plan

The Downtown church has established a goal to cover the entire Bible in its classes in three year cycles. For a student progressing from the first grade through high school the subject matter will be repeated four times with increasing depth. We are having continuing lessons from Sunday to the midweek study. This represents about 100 lessons per year or a total of 300 lessons for the three year curriculum.

Three brethren and three sisters have composed a working group to define the Bible text which should be covered along with key concepts for each lesson. The initial target is to cover 100 lessons from the Old Testament and 200 from the New Testament in the cycle. Each grade level will have the same subject for each study period. This has the advantage of continuity of subject material as the students are promoted through the various age levels. In addition, where there are several students in the same household, there is opportunity for family study on the same subject.

Two teachers are assigned to the class room and teach both the Sunday morning and mid-week classes for a quarter. The two work jointly in preparing the lesson plans and teaching the class. Meanwhile, two other teachers are preparing for the next quarter in a teacher’s, training class. In this way the teacher has an opportunity to study the subject material and make the lesson plans in advance. The training class is designed to stress the key points of the lesson and provide opportunity for teacher exchange of ideas. Each pair of teachers develops the presentation material and techniques appropriate to each age group. This approach is an excellent way to bring new teachers into the program and provide the guidance for accomplishing the overall objectives we have set for our Bible studies.

This effort is in the learning stages and much work remains to be done. Very likely some fine tuning will be necessary as we proceed. However, we are confident that with a lot of hard work we can have a very effective Bible class program.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, pp. 18-19, 24
January 5, 1989