Truth Magazine

By Forrest D. Moyer

Peter spoke to the gathering in Jerusalem on the question of circumcision and law keeping and said: “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15:10-11). The yoke of which Peter spoke was the Law of Moses. Some of the Judaizers were trying to bind some segments of that law upon the Gentiles who had become Christians. Paul and Barnabas had strongly resisted such an effort at Antioch (Acts 15:1-2). Now in the meeting, Peter likewise resists such Pharisaical demands. He wants the Jews to realize that their salvation, like that of the Gentiles, is by the grace of the Lord Jesus. The meticulous keeping of the law of Moses could not bring salvation to them.

Paul beautifully demonstrates how salvation comes to us in Ephesians 2. Based on the fact that God is rich in mercy, that he has great love, that he shows us the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness, he saves us, raises us up with him and sits us with him in the heavenlies in Christ (vv. 4-7). Then in vv. 8-9 Paul avers: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Since I am not saved by works of human righteousness but by God’s grace, some have concluded that man has nothing whatsoever to do with his salvation.

Here is where the paradox of grace enters. It is true that nothing that I do can merit salvation for me. It is by his marvelous grace. And yet, strangely enough, our Lord demands all that we have and are. He expects us to deny ourselves and take up his cross daily and follow him (Lk. 9:23). He expects us to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” to him (Rom. 12:1). He expects my body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). He urges me to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Heb. 10:23). He tells me that Jesus is the “author of eternal salvation to all those who obey him” (Heb. 5:9). Really, he demands my everything – my every thought, my every action, my every word, my heart, soul and mind. And yet he says that I am saved by his grace. How can it be that I am saved from past sins and continue to be saved from current sins by his grace and yet have him demand all that I am? If his grace saves me, why should I need to deny myself and take up his cross? Why should I be concerned about obeying him at all? This is the paradox of grace!

You see, the reason that I cannot be saved by works (of any kind) is that I would have to perfectly work or obey the law under which I live. Paul said that in Galatians 3:10-12: “. . . Cursed is every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.”‘ To be justified by keeping a law, one would have to keep that law perfectly. Since no one perfectly keeps the law (any law), he cannot be saved by perfect law keeping. Even if we could be saved by perfect obedience, then we would have occasion to boast in our perfection. We would glorify ourselves. God’s plan is for all glory to be given to him through Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:21). Since I am weak, frail, imperfect and unworthy, I must have one who is all-powerful and totally perfect in which to put my faith. When by faith I receive salvation by grace, I give him all the praise. I cry out, “Worthy art thou!” (Rev. 5)

But not only so, when I put myself under Jesus as my Lord and do what he says (Lk. 6:46), 1 am giving glory, not to myself, but to him. When I take up his cross daily and follow him, it gives all the glory to God and none to myself, for I must deny myself. The way that I glorify the Father is by honoring the Son (John 5:23). 1 do that by total submission to him. The only way that I can show my love to God is by obeying him (1 John 5:3). My purpose for being on this planet is to glorify God. I could not do this by my own works of righteousness or by meriting a right-standing with him. Consequently, God’s plan for my glorifying him is by my faith taking him at his word. That faith is a response to his love and his grace. When in response to his will, I repent and am baptized for the remission of sins, all the glory goes to him since it is his plan and not mine. Those who refuse Bible baptism are refusing God’s grace and are not glorifying him. In the same way, Christians who do not accept his will for our lives in living for him do not glorify him. They become like those “whose God is their belly and who glory in their shame.” The only way to give all the glory to God is to do what he says in his word.

Does this mean “perfect obedience”? No, John tells us that “if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). So, I do not live a perfect life or render perfect obedience. I falter, I slip, I fall. To glorify God in such an instance as this means that I turn from my sin in genuine repentance and confess it to him. His grace then forgives, and I keep on walking in the light of his glory. I will be constantly striving to do all that he wants in my life. But I do not rely on my own power to stand in right relationship to God. He is the one who enables. His grace makes it all possible. When I realize this, then I can have a happy and confident walk with God. The “blessed assurance” comes from his rather than from my own ability or power.

I am so thankful for the grace of God that reaches down into this sinful world and saves me and all who come to him in faith. Because of what he has done, I must bow in total submission to his will. I may not understand all of it perfectly, but I must be constantly seeking, learning, and following. And some glad day because of his grace and love, I can be with him in that glorious city where there is no sin and no sorrow and where I can praise him while eternity’s ages roll on and on. Friend, won’t you join with those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? You, too, can glorify God in your body while you live here on this earth.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 11, pp. 321, 343
June 2, 1988

By Mike Willis

Americans live in a society which provides religious freedom to its citizens which allows us to worship God in any manner we please. We have developed tolerance toward each other’s beliefs; we recognize that each individual has a civil right to his own beliefs and no one has any authority to coerce anyone to believe anything. Most people in American churches believe that there are Christians in all denominations. When discussing the peculiar denominational beliefs of these churches, the members emphasize that each should be allowed to worship God in the manner in which he pleases and believe that God will accept the, worship of those in each denomination.

The fact that our civil government provides for the practice of religious differences should not be understood, however, to mean that God will accept every religious practice and belief. Satan is the author of the concept that God will accept every belief and practice. God has never revealed that he will accept every man’s worship, just so long as he is good, honest and sincere. Rather, he revealed, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20).

The Reason Every Man Does Not Have A Right To His Own Belief Why does one not have the right to his own belief? Because all authority has been given to Jesus (Matt. 28:18). He has the power to command and man has the obligation to obey. God revealed that we should “hear him” (Mk. 9:7). He is the prophet of whom Moses wrote: “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23). Those who will be saved are those who obey the Lord (Matt. 7:21; Heb. 5:8,9). The man who does not obey the Lord will not be saved, regardless of how sincere he might be.

The Lord has commanded that men not add to the revelation of God or subtract from it. Paul wrote, “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another” (1 Cor. 4:6). John added, “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn. 9). As the same apostle closed the book of Revelation, he warned, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19).

We learn what God wants us to do in service to him through the pages of the New Testament. The man who is not content to abide within that revelation has departed from God and is outside the grace of God.

Should someone tell you that “every man has a right to his own belief,” ask yourself, “Does this man have the power to enforce what he has told me?” When I stand before God in judgment and he says, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41) because I have not believed and obeyed the truth, can the man who told me that God will accept my worship so long as I am sincere step forward and change the judgment of God? Will he have the power to save my soul from damnation? If not, I suggest that you should listen to him who has the power to save your soul from damnation, rather than to him who does not have that power (Matt. 10:28).

Bible Examples Demonstrate That Man Does Not Have The Right To His Own Belief

The record of the rejection of Cain’s worship (Gen. 4:3-5) demonstrates that God will not accept every kind of worship. God had prescribed the worship which Cain and Abel should offer (Heb. 11:4; Rom. 10:17). Abel offered his worship by faith and was pleasing to God. Cain did not act by faith and his worship was rejected by God.

God rejected the worship which Nadab and Abihu offered, demonstrating again that not every kind of worship pleases God (Lev. 10:1-2).

When Jeroboam instituted a system of worship in Bethel, he sinned against God because his worship was not according to the revelation which God had given through Moses (1 Kgs. 12:25-33). He departed from God’s pattern of worship by changing the place where sacrifice could be offered, using idols, using priests who were not descendants of Aaron, and changing the feast days. God rejected the worship which he instituted, demonstrating that Jeroboam did not have a right to his own belief.

Some Things In Which We Have No Personal Right To Our Own Belief

Here are some things about which we do not have a personal right to our own belief:

1. What we think of Jesus. The Lord said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jn. 8:24). If a man plans to be saved in heaven, he does not have the choice not to believe in Jesus. Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16). The man who rejects that Jesus was born of a virgin, performed miracles, shed his blood on the cross as the atonement for sins, and was raised from the dead cannot be saved – regardless of how good, honest, and sincere he might be. I cannot choose to believe that Jesus is the illegitimate son of Jewish parents, that he was not crucified on a cross, and that his body rotted in some unknown Judean tomb and still be saved. If I choose to believe this, I will be condemned to hell.

2. To choose to which church we should belong. Jesus did not establish many different churches. He promised to build his church (Matt. 16:18 – “my church” is singular, not plural). Paul said that there is but one body (Eph. 4:4). In the first century, Paul emphasized that all men were reconciled to God in one body (Eph. 2:16). There was not a Jewish church, a Gentile church and a Samaritan church. Rather all of mankind was reconciled to God in one body. Even as there is one Lord, one Spirit, and one God, there is also one body or one church. I do not have the right to establish a church other than the one which Christ established and then choose to be saved in it. I can either be a member of the Lord’s church or not be saved. Those who would tell you that you have the right to choose the church you want – whether it be Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. – reject the Bible statements that all men are reconciled to God in one body (Eph. 2:16). The denominations of men are religious plants which the Lord will root up (Matt. 15:13-14). 1 cannot choose to be a member of a man-made denomination and still be saved. If I choose to be a member of a church which Jesus did not build, I will be lost eternally.

3. To choose what name we shall wear in religion. Some imply that one can choose whether to wear the name Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, or some other name. Jesus did not so teach. The Lord promised to give his children “a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name” (Isa. 62:2). The new name which he gave to his children was “Christian.” The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:26). This is the name which God’s children should wear. Paul rejected the idea that men could wear another name and still be saved (1 Cor. 1:10-13). If I choose to wear someone’s name other than Christ’s, the Lord will choose not to save me.

4. To determine what standard of holiness to follow. Some imply that one’s moral standards are a matter of personal preference. Some Christians choose to be “gay” and others choose to be “straight.” Some Christians choose to drink and some choose to be “tee-totalers.” Every man is entitled to his own belief, we are told. Not so! The Lord revealed the standard of holiness which men should follow, condemning the works of the flesh and stating that those who were guilty of the sins of the flesh could not enter the kingdom of heaven (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). Christians cannot choose to go to heaven practicing lascivious behavior (such as immodest dress, dancing, etc.), being gay, being social drinkers, etc.; those who practice immorality cannot go to heaven.

5. To determine how to worship God. God has given men a pattern for worship. He has revealed that men should worship him through singing (Eph. 5:19), prayer (1 Thess. 5:17), observing the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11: 17-34), giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2), and preaching apostolic doctrine (Acts 2:42). Some have the idea that we can change the worship to make it more appealing to the public. Worship services in many denominations include special singing groups to entertain the audience; instrumental music was added to the worship to make it more appealing to man. Athletes and entertainers give their “testimony” to draw a crowd of people. The Lord’s supper is omitted from weekly worship and reserved for special days such as Easter.

We have been told in recent years that every man has his own right to believe what he chooses about using mechanical instruments of music in worship. We are told to recognize our brethren’s right to worship God using instruments of music in worship. We might as well say that we should recognize the right of men to leave the Lord’s supper out of first day of the week worship, to take up contributions anytime they assemble, to burn incense and candles as worship to God, to use a specially-ordained priesthood, etc.

Jesus said that worship must be “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). Worship that rests on the traditions of men is vain (Matt. 15:8-9). Worship designed by the will of men displeases God (Col. 2:21-23). Man does not have the right to choose the kind of worship which pleases him. Rather, he has an obligation to worship like God directed. Otherwise, he cannot be saved from sin.

6. To determine how he will be saved. God has revealed the conditions which men must meet to be saved by the blood of Christ. Man does not have the right to lay down the conditions on which God will wash away his sins. Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mk. 16:16). Man does not have the choice between being saved (1) “by faith only” and (2) by belief plus baptism. The Lord made the decision of how men would be saved. Those who are “saved” in some other way are not saved at all!

Conclusion

God made us creatures of free moral choice. We can choose to obey or disobey the Lord. However, should we choose to disobey the Lord, we cannot choose to escape the consequences of disobedience. God has chosen to punish eternally those who disobey him.

The man who teaches us that “every man has a right to his own belief” is looking only at this world and one’s civil rights. While I agree with the idea that one should be given the political freedom to worship God as he pleases, I reject the idea that God will accept just any kind of worship, that he will save us on our own conditions, that we can choose our own standard of morality, and believe anything we choose about Jesus. Man does not have the right to his own belief.

While we can agree that our civil government does provide every man the right to his own religious convictions and practices, we do not believe that God is thereby obligated to accept every man’s religious beliefs and practices.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 11, pp. 322, 342-343
June 2, 1988

By Donald P. Ames

It has long been the contention of those seeking to bind the Sabbath on people today that it was a “moral” law, one that was binding from the creation upon all people, and since it was a “moral” law, should still be binding upon us today. It is argued that it was sanctified in Genesis 2:3, and such being the case, God “set it apart” at that point in time as an eternal law. We would like to note some objections to such a position in order to help others facing such teaching.

First of all, it is pointed out in the word of God that the Sabbath was part of the law that God gave to the Jews. In Exodus 20:2 God said, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” He then gave to the Jews the Ten Commandments. But this law was given only to those who had been in Egyptian bondage! In Deuteronomy 5:3, Moses said, “The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.” If the Sabbath was part of an “eternal” law, then why was it part of a covenant that was given only to those who had been brought forth from captivity? In fact, other than Exodus 16:26, there is no mention of any of the Jewish ancestors even observing the Sabbath. This silence of any observance of it is not by accident. In Nehemiah 9:13-14, the prophet points out that at Mount Sinai God “made known to them your holy Sabbath.”

Secondly, it might be pointed out that the Sabbath was a memorial between those whom God delivered from Egyptian bondage and God. In Deuteronomy 5:15, Moses pointed out that God brought them up out of the land of Egypt, “therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” Ezekiel refers to the same point in Ezekiel 20:10-12, when he adds that the Sabbath was “a sign between them and me” that they might understand that God was the one who “sanctifies them” (or set them apart). This being the case, unless our ancestors were part of the Egyptian bondage (Exod. 20:2), that law is not a sign for us, nor the Sabbath a reminder!

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that there is no record anywhere of the Gentiles being Sabbath keepers. All through the pages of the Old Testament God describes the good and bad points of the Gentile world. Yet, not one prophet of the Old Testament refers to any nation of the Gentile world as being Sabbath keepers. Why is there such a vast silence, assuming the whole world was keeping it? Not only is the Bible silent, but even in secular history there is no record of the Gentile world being Sabbath keepers. Again, the total silence is strange, assuming the Gentile world was keeping it.

But, some may counter that the Gentile world had drifted away from God and was not interested in doing what God commanded (Eph. 2). That certainly is true by the time of the New Testament. Yet it is interesting to note even righteous Noah is not commended for reestablishing the Sabbath. Nor Abraham. Nor those of the city of Nineveh who repented at the preaching of Jonah. In fact, there is no condemnation of anyone other than the Jewish nation for not keeping the Sabbath! God itemized the sins and condemned the Gentile world for violating many of his laws. His prophets mentioned many violations. Nations were punished for many violations. But never was the profaning of his Sabbath one of the sins charged to the Gentile world – or even to those before the establishment of the Jewish nation. Why such strange silence? If this Sabbath was an eternal, moral law binding upon the whole world, why is there no condemnation for its being violated?

Some seek to get around that by claiming “Remember the Sabbath” (Exod. 20:8) means that they were to go back to a practice that had been forgotten. However “remember” can be used two ways: (1) pointing backwards to a forgotten practice, and (2) pointing ahead to setting up a future practice. Since the Sabbath was a sign of the Egyptian deliverance, and was given to those brought out of Egypt, and was not given to their forefathers, but was made known at Mount Sinai, it is pretty obvious which direction the word “remember” is pointing to in Exodus 20:8. Which direction did it point in Ecclesiastes 12:1, Hebrews 13:7 or Colossians 4:18?

Others would point to Exodus 31:15-17 where the Sabbath is held up as a memorial of the creation as further proof it was eternal. They would argue it is “perpetual” and “forever,” while rejecting the same application to the same words in Exodus 30:8 concerning the burning of incense. However, when tied in to Genesis 2:3, this has caused some to hestitate and conclude maybe it was eternal. But, (1) the primary objective of the Sabbath was a memorial of the fact God had given them rest from the Egyptian captivity. (2) Secondly, it was to be a day of rest, in the same sense that God had ceased his activities of creation on the seventh day. The emphasis in Exodus 31 is on the rest, and not as a memorial of the creation, and of God as the supreme Creator of the universe who gave the law and thus their subjection to it.

But what about Genesis 2:3? One must keep in mind that Moses is the author of the first five books of the Old Testament. The events recorded therein were frequently written after thefact, and not at the actual time they occurred (i.e., Moses was not present at the creation, but wrote about it much later). Now, let us note a parallel found in the New Testament. Matthew wrote his gospel later in life, and not as a daily diary of everyday happenings. In Matthew 10:24 he lists the apostles (who at this time were still disciples), and concludes the list with “Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” Had Judas already betrayed Christ in this point of chronology? No, we all recognize this was not done until he betrayed him and he was delivered up to be crucified in Matthew 26. However, at the time Matthew wrote, the betrayal of Judas had become a fact of history! We simply must turn to other passages to establish the when of the fact. Likewise, by the time Moses wrote Genesis, the fact of the sanctifying of the Sabbath was history, but the other passages have to establish the when. If we can understand Matthew 10:4, we have no problem understanding Genesis 2:3. This is useless to Sabbath keepers as an argument for an “eternal nature” of the Sabbath.

But there is another interesting quote I’d like to use to close out this study. I have in my library a Hebrew commentary on the first five books of the Old Testament. It is edited by “the late chief Rabbi (Dr. J.H. Hertz, C.H.)” and printed by the Soncino, Press in London (5713-1952). It is entitled Pentateuch and Haftorahs. Commenting on Exodus 31:13 (p. 356), he says, “The Sabbath was recognized throughout the ancient world as the peculiar and distinctive festival of the Jewish people.” Amazing! That is exactly what we have already determined from the word of God! And since we have the word of God, history, and even the statement of a Hebrew Rabbi, where does that leave those who would argue it was binding and practiced by the entire world from the time of creation on? Some doctrines are believed in spite of the facts, and not because of them!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 10, pp. 291-292
May 19, 1988

By Johnny Stringer

To be justified is to be pronounced not guilty. In Romans 3:19-4:8, Paul contrasts two methods of justification: (1) justification by faith and (2) justification by law.

Justification By Faith

Justification by faith involves not a dead faith (Jas. 2:17-26), but faith which moves us to obey God (Gal. 5:6; Rom. 1:5; 16:25-26). By faith we recognize God’s law as our standard, and we submit ourselves to his law (Matt. 7:21; 1 John 3:4).

Yet, perfect law-keeping is not required, for God has provided that people who exercise faith in him may be forgiven of their violations of his law. When we are forgiven, it is as though we had not sinned; we are considered not guilty. Forgiveness is contingent on our having the faith to obey certain conditions (Acts 2:38; 8:22). Inasmuch as these conditions include repentance, we cannot persist impenitently in violating God’s law and be forgiven.

Because we have been guilty of violating God’s law, we do not deserve to stand justified in his sight. Hence, our salvation is by grace; we have not earned it by our works (Eph. 2:9). Meeting God’s conditions to have our sins forgiven does not cause us to deserve forgiveness, but by his grace God will grant forgiveness if we have the faith to meet these non-meritorious conditions.

Justification by Law

As we have discussed in previous articles, justification by mere law (no grace, just law) would necessitate keeping God’s law perfectly. Obviously, if there were no grace to forgive sin, the only way to be justified (declared not guilty) would be never to commit a sin. Justification by mere law, therefore, would involve earning justification by our works. Our work of perfectly keeping God’s law – living sinlessly would cause us to deserve justification; hence, we could boast (Rom. 3:27, 4:2).

In our text, when Paul refutes the idea of being justified by works, he is not saying that it is unnecessary to submit to God’s law and obey God’s conditions for forgiveness of our sins. This would contradict plain passages which teach the necessity of obedience (Heb. 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Matt. 7:21). When we read of “works” in Romans 3 and 4, we must remember the kind of works under discussion in the context: the works of perfect law-keeping. As we demonstrated in previous articles, this is the work Paul has been showing not to be the means of our justification.

If we were justified by the works of perfect law-keeping, we could boast, for our justification would be earned and grace would not be needed; but since we are justified by faith rather than by earning it, boasting is excluded (3:27). Abraham could have boasted if he had lived sinlessly so as to be justified strictly by his own perfect life (4:2). The one who “worketh” (keeps God’s law perfectly) earns his reward so that it is a thing owed him; he does not receive it by grace (4:4). The one who “worketh not” (does not perfectly keep God’s law), but exercises an obedient faith, is justified although his works are not perfect and therefore not sufficient to justify him (4:5).

Remember, the word works must be defined by the context. In James 2:24, where James says we are justified by works rather than by faith only, he is talking about a different kind of works – not perfect law-keeping which earns justification, but non-meritorious obedience resulting from faith.

Conclusion

There are two conceivable ways men could be justified: (1) keep God’s law perfectly and thus be justified by virtue of a sinless life; (2) be forgiven of our violations of God’s law and thus be justified despite the sins in our fives. Inasmuch as we fail to keep divine law perfectly, we must depend on being forgiven of our sins. We can be forgiven by God’s marvelous grace if we exercise an obedient faith in our Lord. Praise God!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 10, p. 294
May 19, 1988