Truth Magazine

By Irvin Himmel

As if it were not bad enough that they deprive themselves of joy, some people make life miserable for others around them. Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

(1) Trust in God. The individual who puts his faith in God has a source of strength and delight that unbelievers do not understand. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5). “And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he” (Prov. 16:20). People who worry and stew may call themselves Christians, but their attitude mirrors lack of trust in the Lord.

(2) Relish the Scriptures. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psa. 1:1,2). “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psa. 119:103). The sacred Scriptures give hope, comfort, and gladness to lovers of truth.

(3) Live Righteously. “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart” (Psa. 32:10,11). “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him” (Psa. 64:10). The New Testament teaches us to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit. 2:12). Clean living contributes to deep rooted joy and contentment.

(4) Worship God Regularly. Worship itself should be a delight, and through worship to God our hearts are lifted. David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1). “O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation” (Psa. 95:1). “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. . . . Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad” (Psa. 96:9-11). Worship is for the glory of God and the happiness of man.

(5) Keep a Clean Conscience. When before Felix, Ananias the high priest, and the Jewish elders, Paul remarked, “And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). Timothy was instructed to hold on to faith and a “a good conscience” (1 Tim. 1:19). Paul served God with “pure conscience” (2 Tim. 1:3). There can be no true happiness when one violates his conscience. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Later when they appeared before the governor of Egypt (not knowing that he was Joseph), they admitted to each other, “We are very guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear” (Gen. 42:21). The guilt of conscience made them miserable.

(6) Learn Contentment. Some people constantly fret and complain. They gripe about their wages, their job, the government, the weather, and whatever else comes to mind. Some professed Christians grumble about their elders, the preaching, the song leading, and the Bible classes. Their attitude bears little resemblance to the disposition that the New Testament teaches. Paul wrote, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). A contented person is a happy.individual. Without contentment joy is only superficial.

(7) Stay Busy in Constructive Work. Idleness breeds displeasure, restlessness, despondency, and much mischief. Happiness comes to him who works persistently, consistently, and diligently. The happy Christian is not slothful in business, but “fervent in spirit” as he serves the Lord (Rom. 12:11). Effort and accomplishment bring the inward pleasure of fulfillment. Concentration on beneficial work keeps the mind away from thoughts that are detrimental. This is one of several reasons for our “abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

The accumulation of wealth is no guarantee of happiness. Sinful pleasure brings only temporary joy followed by deep remorse and regret. The road to fame is not the path to lasting joy. The seven points outlined above will bring happiness to the heart and serenity to the soul, no matter how painful the outward circumstances.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 7, p. 203
April 7, 1988

 

By Garreth L. Clair

Now that we have covered that which leads to the establishment of the divine institution (i.e., the church of Christ), we are now ready to look at its establishment in reality. The church of Christ was not established until all the conditions of prophecy were met. Notice please the following facts relative to this fact:

1. The Old Testament prophets predicted that the time for the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom (i.e., the church) was the latter days, or last days (Isa. 2:2).

a. The apostle Peter stated that the pouring out of the Spirit which Joel said would be in the last days was the explanation of the events occurring in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:15-21; cf. Joel 2:28-32).

b. If the day of Pentecost was indeed in the “last days” of Joel’s prophecy, we may conclude that Pentecost was the same “last days” of Isaiah’s prophecy. Consequently, the day of Pentecost of Acts 2 is the correct time for the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom (i.e., the church of Christ).

2. The Old Testament prophets said that the Kingdom of Messiah was to be established in Jerusalem/Zion (Isa. 2:3; Mic. 4:2). The word of the Lord, the law of the Kingdom, was to go forth from the city of Jerusalem.

a. Jesus Christ stated before he ascended to his Father, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved. Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Lk. 24:46,47).

b. Jesus further directed his apostles to go to Jerusalem and wait there until they were clothed with power from on high in order that they might be his witnesses and preach the gospel message (i.e., the message of the Kingdom, the church) to the whole creation.

c. The apostles did as Christ instructed them according to Acts 2:1-4. From the facts revealed in Acts 1 and in the first four verses of Acts 2, it is evident that the apostles were in the right place (Jerusalem) at the right time (the last days of the Mosaic dispensation) for their part in the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom, the church of Christ.

3. The Old Testament prophets said that people of all nations would make up the kingdom which they predicted (Isa. 2:2-4).

a. On the day of Pentecost, “there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5).

b. Then Peter and the eleven preached repentance and remission of sins in the name of Jesus for the first time in the history of the world. The apostles preached that the promise was to the Jews assembled there, and to their children, “And to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39).

(1) “All that are afar off, ” in this context, refers to the Gentile nations (cf. Eph. 2:12,13).

(2) Application was made to all nations in that which began on Pentecost day recorded in Acts 2, although some eight to ten years later the Gentiles were officially brought into the Kingdom, or church (Acts 10,11).

One may argue that the church was not established on the day of Pentecost and that, therefore, the prophecies pertaining to the city of Jerusalem have not yet been fulfilled. The person who makes such an argument simply does not understand the difference between beginning and maturing. Please observe the following argument by David Lipscomb, “Cornelius was not thefirst Gentile brought into the church. Those scattered abroad went everywhere preaching. Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. ‘And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.’ Of this work the apostles seemed to take no cognizance until after the admission of Cornelius (and his household). When this was done, they sent Barnabas to look after them ” (Questions and Answers, by Lipscomb and Sewell edited by M.C. Kurfees, 1921 by McQuiddy Publishing Co.). For a fuller discussion of this point see Salvation From Sin by David Lipscomb 1913, same publisher, pp. 149ff.

4. The Old Testament prophets further predicted that the Lord would be the ruler of the kingdom when it was established (Isa. 2:24).

a. On Pentecost day Peter said, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

b. Christ had already been given all authority (power) in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18-20). He had also been exalted to the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33).

c. Jesus Christ was seated on the right hand of God in heavenly places and was/is “the head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:20-23).

d. Further, Christ had been given the throne of his father David (in lineage) and of his kingdom there would be no end (see Lk. 1:32,33 and 1 Cor. 15:14-28).

The church of Christ (i.e., the Kingdom) was established on the day of Pentecost. Notice please the following facts:

1. One way of establishing the scriptural authority of a philosophy is through deduction; to this concept we now direct your attention in establishing the facts about the establishment of the Kingdom on Pentecost day:

a. The Kingdom was to come with power (Mk. 9:1).

b. The power was to come as the Holy Spirit came to the apostles of Christ (Acts 1:8).

c. The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost day (Acts 2:14).

d. Consequently, the kingdom of God (the church of Christ) was established on that particular day nearly 20 centuries ago.

2. The necessary elements for the establishment of the kingdom were present on Pentecost day.

a. Jesus Christ was proclaimed as a reigning king for the first time in the history of the world (Acts 2:33).

b. A new law was bound upon mankind; the word of the Lord went forth from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2,3; Acts 2:38).

c. Subjects (citizens) were added to the kingdom for the first time (Acts 2:41,47).

On the day of Pentecost and thereafter the church of Christ, the Kingdom, is referred to as being in existence. Before the day of Pentecost, as we have already established, the church was referred to as being in the future or at hand. Notice the following facts that establish the fact, the church is spoken of after Pentecost (Acts 2) as being established:

1. The obedient were added to it by the Lord (Acts 2:47).

2. Fear came upon the (existing) church when Ananias and his wife Sapphira died because of the lie they told (Acts 5:11).

3. A great persecution arose against the church (Acts 8:1).

4. People were being translated into the kingdom (Col. 1:13,14; 1:18).

5. They had received a kingdom (Heb. 12:28).

6. The Lord had made them to be a kingdom (Rev. 1:6,9).

In bringing this lesson to a close there is a continuous need to review the facts relating to this lesson:

1. The matter of identity: Each Christian ought to be able to distinguish the church from Old Testament institutions and from religious institutions of modern human origins.

2. To identify the system of law which governs the church since its establishment. It is extremely difficult to know when one is correct religiously if he does not know where his proper beginning is!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 7, pp. 200-202
April 7, 1988

By Johnny Stringer

Jesus is king. The commandments of a king are law. Yet, there are those who deny that we are subject to divine law. When we insist that brethren adhere to God’s law in our worship and service to God, we are told that this is not necessary, for we are under grace, not law. Some brethren evidently believe that grace and law are mutually exclusive – if you have one you cannot have the other.

Do not be deceived. The fact that we are under a system of grace does not mean that we are not subject to law or that it is not essential for us to be guided by God’s law.

Paul described himself as “being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21). The word which we are to learn and do is called the law of liberty (Jas. 1:25). If we were not amenable to law, we could not sin, for sin is transgression of the law (1 Jn. 3:4). It is undeniable, therefore, that God has given us a law.

It ought to be obvious that if God has given us a law, we are expected to obey it; and the Bible makes it plain that we must be guided by god’s law in our conduct and our teaching (2 Tim. 3:16-17; John 4:24; Matt. 7:21-23; 28-28:20; 2 Jn. 9; Jn. 8:31; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 16:13; Jude 3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Tit. 1:9; Jas. 5:19-20). Indeed, whenever God has spoken to man or given a law, he has expected men to give his law supreme respect and strict obedience (Deut. 4:2; Lev. 10:1-2; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19). Failure to do so in sin (1 Jn. 3:4).

No, brethren, our being under grace does not mean we are not subject to law; rather, it means that we have a means of forgiveness when we violate that law. The forgiveness is dependent on our meeting certain conditions, including repentance (Acts 8:22); hence, we cannot persist in violating God’s law with impunity.

Paul’s teaching in Romans regarding grace and law is often misunderstood. Because he teaches that we are saved by grace rather than by law, some conclude that we are not subject to law or that submission to God’s law is not essential. It should be obvious, however, that this is not what Paul means. If it were, he would be contradicting the Scriptures we have already cited.

What Paul teaches in Romans is that we are not under a system of mere law (without grace) as a means of justification. We have more than law; we have grace by which we can be forgiven when we violate his law.

If we depended simply on law as a means of justification, we would have to keep that law perfectly. We could not repent of our violations and obtain forgiveness, for there would be no grace; we would be depending strictly on law, not grace. We can be thankful that God has not simply given us a law and said, “Now to be justified, you have to keep this law; but once you violate the law, you have blown your chance for justification; there is no grace – no forgiveness. “

If we were justified by perfectly keeping God’s law, grace would be excluded. Our justification would be earned by our sinless living. If we kept God’s law perfectly, we would be sinless; hence, we would need no grace.

A person who taught that we were saved by perfectly keeping God’s law would be a legalist. I am not a legalist in that sense of the word, for I know I cannot be justified in that manner; I have not kept God’s law perfectly. I must depend on God’s gracious forgiveness. But I cannot persist in violating God’s law and be forgiven; I must repent.

An upcoming article will confirm this view by examining a misunderstood passage regarding law and grace: Romans 3:19-4:9.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 7, pp. 196, 215
April 7, 1988

By Mike Willis

Several years ago, the Crossroads church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida began to draw national attention. Ira Rice rarely published an issue of Contending for the Faith without devoting some attention to the Crossroads movement. Some early articles had trouble elucidating the problem at Crossroads. Several years have passed and one is able to write more clearly about the Crossroads movement for we are well beyond the crossroads and able to see where the philosophy and doctrines espoused at Crossroads lead.

The Crossroads church in Gainesville, Florida was formerly known as the 14th Street church. They changed their name to “Crossroads” for they were at a crossroad in their thinking. Would they continue in the mainstream of liberalism and walk in the path which other liberal churches were walking or would they venture into new fields and try something different? They were at the crossroads and chose to reject the option of staying in the “traditional” path walked by most liberal churches in order to cut a new path into territory previously unwalked by churches of Christ.

Crossroads Is A Big Liberal Church

Whatever one might not be able grasp about other aspects of the Crossroads groups, he should have no trouble grasping that the Crossroads movement is thoroughly committed to and entrenched in liberalism.

The 1982 Budget of the Crossroads church listed these expenditures:

World Bible School $5,600

Alan Cloyd, Restoration Ministry 600

Bus Ministry 12,600

Christian Family Services 45,000

Kitchen Supplies 4,000

Flowers 2,200

The Crossroads church is a liberal church committed to ministering to the “whole man.” “God expects benevolence, personal and family counseling and every other ministry to be emphasized and utilized in seeking and saving the lost.”(1) Committed to this philosophy, the following programs were a part of their ministry:

1. Fanning Springs Development. A retreat with accommodations for about 250.(2)

2.Christian Family Services. 120 acres of land at Riegel Ranch were purchased for this facility.(3) Group care facilities at Riegel Ranch were projected to care for 40 to 60 children in 6-8 cottages. “We want to start with one cottage to house eight children with house parents. We estimate the first cottage will cost about $250,000. In addition, operating funds of about $100,000 per year must be raised.”(4)

3. Time and Stress Management Workshop.(5) This workshop charges a fee for participation.(6)

4. Girl Scouts troops meet in their building.(7)

5. An annual “Play Day.” “Our annual Play Day will be coming up on Saturday, March 24 and will be held as usual at Fanning Springs. A nominal fee will be charged for the meal. A full day of games, recreation and sports activities are planned for the entire family.”(8)

6. Donations have been taken at times other than the first day of the week. “Our annual Bring Your Neighbor Day is coming up April 1. There will be two services that morning, the first at 9:30 and the second at 11:30. Following each service there will be a barbecue lunch and a program by the Crossroads Singers. On Wednesday evening, March 28, we will be taking donations to pay for the chicken.”(9) Churches which developed from the Crossroads movement have followed in their footsteps of not being content with the pattern of a contribution taken on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:1-2). The Boston Church bulletin wrote, “Our elders in Boston have provided us with an opportunity to meet the needs of the poor around the world by scheduling a Wednesday night contribution.”(10)

7. The Crossorads church receives donations from other congregations. In a bulletin stating that their Sunday worship attendance was 991 and their contribution was $12,679, the following statement appeared: “I want to bring you up to date on our fund raising for the new facilities. The initial response to our new building program has been tremendous. Despite a world-wide recession and economic problems in our country, our members and brothers and sisters around the country have given generously and have made sacrificial pledges.”(11) What a departure from the New Testament pattern in which one church sent another church money! In the New Testament, one church sent another church money to relieve the benevolent needs of its members (Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9; etc.). The church in better financial circumstances sent to a church in worse financial circumstances, not the other way around.

8. Black History Weekend. The Crossroads church conducted a “Black History Weekend” in connection with Black History month. A musical drama entitled “We’ve Come This Far By Faith” was conducted at the Crossroads church.(12) Another concert was conducted in February 1988.(13)

9. Crossroads Singers. The Crossroads church formed a special group of singers called “The Crossroads Singers” who entertain at the worship services and conduct special concerts at Gainesville and around the country.(14) They have produced several albums for sale through their ministry, including a Christmas album entitled “Holiday Souvenirs.” In their advertising brochure, the Crossroads church explains the function of this group,

The Crossroads Singers are an integral part of the total work of the congregation. Their local concerts serve as an effective way to share with the community the message of committed Christian living. The Singers are used in conjunction with evangelistic crusades, vacation Bible schools, and special services.

10. A day care center.(15)

The Crossroads church is a big, liberal church. In this respect, the Crossroads church is identified with the liberal churches across this country which have redefined the work of the church to include fields of work not authorized by God. Every passage of Scripture which has been used to condemn other liberal churches for being involved in the social gospel applies with equal force to the Crossroads church and its satellites.

Crossroads’ Unique Features

Despite the objections which most of us would have to the Crossroads movement, these are not the objections of their sister liberal churches. Across the country, objections began to be made to the Crossroads church and her satellites. Here are some of the common objections to the Crossroads movement:

1. The Prayer Partner. Following the principles enunciated in Robert Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism, the Crossroads brethren developed a plan in which “every member must have a master – someone must be designated for every member to serve as his master . . . called ‘prayer partners’. . . . The prayer partner functions much in the same way a Catholic priest functions.”(16) The prayer partner system is used to exert pressure on the member to control his conduct.

2. A restructured organization in which the preacher and a group of “soul talk leaders” make up the leadership of the congregation.(17) Chuck Lucas at Crossroads was the leader of the Crossroads movement, even though there were elders in the local church. A new theology of organization began to evolve in the Crossroads churches in which a commitment to the preacher predominated.

3. Total Commitment. No Bible believer is opposed to total commitment to Jesus; however, many are opposed to the Crossroads philosophy of total commitment. “Total commitment at Crossroads, according to all that I can find out, involves slavish loyalty to the Crossroads program and its leaders, the giving of large sums of money to the cause, even if one has to borrow it . . . and giving up their jobs to devote more time to the Crossroads cause.”(18) Slavish commitment to a human leader and man-made rules brought objections from many different parts of the country where Crossroads satellites existed.

Nevertheless, this was just the crossroads. The Crossroads church was not content to stay at the crossroads; they were determined to move beyond the crossroads. We will relate this development in the next issue.

Endnotes

1. At the Crossroads (hereafter abbreviated ATC), [6 November 1973], p. 1.

2. ATC [31 January 1982], p. 1.

3. ATC [31 January 1982], p. 1.

4. Quarterly Newsletter for Christian Family Services [January 1984], p. 2.

5. ATC [31 October 1982], p. 3.

6. ATC ( 14 March 1982], p. 2.

7. ATC [5 September 1982], p. 2.

8. ATC [11 March 1984], p. 3.

9. ATC [25 March 1984], p, 3.

10. Boston Church of Christ [1 November 1987], p. 3.

11. ATC [9 October 1983], p. 3.

12. ATC [15 February 1987], p. 1.

13. ATC [14 February 1988], p. 4.

14. ATC [31 October 1982], p. 3; [18 October 1981], p. 3; [11 July 1982], p. 3.

15. The Crossroads Singers, p. 8.

16. Charles G. Goodall, “A Letter To A Crossroads-Type Church,” Torch [August 1981], p. 4.

17. Charles G. Goodall, “A Follow-Up Letter To Sunrise Members,” Torch [September 1981), p. 22.

18. James P. Needham, “The Crossroads Phenomenon,” Torch [October 1981], p. 6.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 7, pp. 194, 214-215
April 7, 1988