Truth Magazine

By Tom M. Roberts

Introduction: The Sadducees plot to present Jesus with “the unanswerable question.” He uses this as an occasion to show that God is, indeed, the God of the living. This provides great comfort to Christians and great incentive to those who are not Christians to obey the gospel. Not only is our God alive; we have eternal life in Christ. (Note: Text promotes understanding that the Bible teaches by Divine implication or, as some state it, necessary inference.)

I. God is the God of the living, as evidenced by Creation.

A. Physical life stems from God.

B. Evolution is wrong on the origin of life.

C. Even the universe is personified – Ps. 19:1; 148:1ff.

D. Life reflects a living God, not inorganic matter.

E. Life sprang into existence “in the beginning” (Gen. 1:1), not after eons of non-life, through inorganic chemistry.

II. God is the God of the living, as evidenced by spiritual life.

A. There is more to man than physical life (Gen. 2:7).

B. The “whole of man” is connected to his relation ship to God (Eccl. 12:13).

C. Man is a spiritual being in a physical body. The body may decay but that which is the “persona” of man continues.

D. The eternity of man’s existence is an awesome reality.

1. Death is not a cessation of existence.

2. Death is a separation of the body and spirit (Jas. 2:26). Note: It is the body that dies, not the spirit.

E. “You” will exist eternally, either in heaven or hell.

F. Sin and death, though constant in our history, is not the purpose of our existence. God created man to live. Sin and death are aberrant behavior, a defiling of our likeness to God.

III. God is the God of the living, as evidenced by eternal life.

A. Jesus came to restore that which we lost through sin: life (John 10:10). Note: usual error on this passage.

B. This life is reflective of his being (John 1:4).

C. This life is conditional, based upon faith (John 3:36, 3:16).

D. This life speaks of both quality and eternity (1 Jn. 5:10-13).

E. It is life snatched from death: a rebirth (Jn. 3:1ff).

1 . The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6.23, 3:23).

2. Death requires blood for atonement (Lev. 17.10-11).

3. God provided the sacrifice (Gen. 22:9-14; Rom. 3.21-26).

4. Life is in Christ (John 20:30,31).

Conclusion: The wonderful continuity of faith: we serve the same God as did Abraham. We have the same life. We will live in the same city (Heb. 11:13-16). Are you living in Christ (Heb. 10:31)?

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 5, p. 146
March 3, 1988

By Forrest D. Moyer

We sometimes speak of life amid the shadows. We refer to such things as sorrow and adversity, calamity and misfortune as shadows. Yet, we need to remember that the same God who made the sunshine also made the shadows. Yea, it is the brilliancy of the sunshine that produces the contrast of the shadows. Is there a value in shadows? Yes, verily, for who could appreciate the beauty of the sunrise were it not for the shadows of the night? To awake on a foggy morning with only the shadows of the misty clouds about us causes us to yearn for the crisp dawn with sun reflecting upon the western hills. Yes, shadows have their purpose.

And it is so with the shadows of pain, sorrow and adversity. The one who comes out of such shadows as these appreciates the light so much more than the one who has known only peace and prosperity. The pain of sorrow only intensifies the joy of contentment. The bitter cup of anguish makes the taste of comfort that much sweeter. We must learn to use the shadows to come to appreciate the sunshine.

When adversity comes, the end result of it will be determined by how we accept it and how we use it. We can lie down and wallow in the shadows of self-pity or we can move toward the sunshine. The choice is really ours. For as surely as there is a night, there also follows a sunrise. We can walk toward that sunrise and away from the night. Sunset may be coming, but the sunrise we’ll see!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 5, p. 149
March 3, 1988

By Steve Wallace

It has been long contested whether or not a Christian can participate in carnal warfare in the service of his government. I could no doubt create controversy with some by stating my views on the subject here; however, such is not my purpose in writing. The facts are that many Christians are in the armed forces as well. Some have made it a point to assure themselves of non-combatant positions, while others would be found on the front lines in the event of a war. One can meet all kinds.

Are there other questions confronting a Christian who is either in the military or thinking about a career therein besides the “War Question”? Is the question of carnal warfare the only one to be answered relevant to service in the armed forces? In our discussion of this particular issue I fear that other issues, issues just as important, may have been passed by or overlooked. They are issues which go beyond the “War Question.”

1. Being apart of a New Testament church (Heb. 10:25; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). While many are fortunate enough to land jobs which seldom cause any disruption in their working and worshiping with a local church, there are perhaps just as many with whom it is quite the opposite. It starts in basic training where the recruit often is not allowed off post for the first few weeks – and there is seldom a church on post.

After basic training a person is sent wherever the military decides and this can often mean duty overseas. While there are liberal churches in many places overseas, the same cannot be said for sound churches. Most of the Christians in the military whom I have met have been assigned to a place where no sound church exists; they simply “attend” with the liberals during their time in that place. While good has occasionally come from a situation like this as a result of the brethren taking a stand for the truth, this usually is not the case. One cannot fulfill the commandment of Hebrews 10:25 by attending or otherwise being a part of a church involved in unscriptural practices.

If one is transferred into an area where there is a sound church or if that person is a real go-getter and gets a church started, this is not the end of the problem we’re discussing! The military often involves its personnel in temporary duties that can send an individual almost anywhere for varying lengths of time. Item: One brother can make it to services only 4 to 6 times a year because his work constantly takes him places where he can’t attend. Item: Another Christian is out up to six months a year for the same reason! More common is a 2 to 4 week exercise during which the Christian’s name is always in the announcements at services as being “in the field” or “TDY” (Temporary Duty).

Thinking about a career in the military? After considering the “War Question,” I hope that you’ll consider Hebrews 10:25 and other verses which relate to a Christian’s responsibility to the local church as well.

2. An Ungodly Atmosphere. I speak now especially in reference to single males about service in the Army (i.e., this particular branch of the military). Having worked in a factory for a number of years, I know that ungodliness is not unique to any one segment of our society. However, having visited Army barracks where the single enlisted men must live, I have to say that it would be hard to imagine a more ungodly atmosphere. From the filthy pictures on the walls to the sponsored drinking parties, the Christian is virtually immersed in ungodliness. I have known only two Christians who have survived living in the Army barracks spiritually. All the rest have fallen away. But don’t just take my word about the filth these brethren are subjected to: read the following article taken from a December 1987 issue of Stars & Stripes, the military’s magazine entitled: “GI Talks About Vulgar Language in the Military.”

I am an American serviceman. I would like to address the civilian reader who is irritated by vulgar language.

Before I joined the military I almost never used vulgar language. When I went to basic training, everybody was called every bad name you could think of.

The people who trained us used vulgar language every time they opened their mouths. Now I speak it all the time.

I have heard nothing but vulgar language since I’ve been in the military. I asked my father about that, “There has been vulgar language ever since I can remember.”

My father has been in the military over 20 years.

All I can say is ignore it. We will always speak vulgar language. The military can do something about it, but will not be able to enforce it.

You can try joining to understand our point of view.

Do you believe that it is your duty to “deny ungodliness and worldly lust” as a soldier in the Lord’s army (Tit. 2:11-12)? It will be a lot easier if you don’t join the U.S. Army!

I cannot close this article without saying something about the many fine brethren I’ve men in our country’s armed forces. There are many brethren whom I have learned to love deeply: brethren who have stood for the truth, who have resisted the ungodliness they have been confronted with, brethren who have established churches when they found none in their area, and brethren who have worked to build up churches. It is the danger that military life poses to the Christian that warrant the warning given herein.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 6, p. 165
March 17, 1988

By Larry Ray Hafley

There are a number of items in the Bible I would like to know more about. Are you curious too? Perhaps you have mused or dreamed of certain things in the Scriptures that are but briefly mentioned – just enough to whet your imagination. Can you think of a few examples?

I suppose most all of us would love to know more about Jesus’ early life. Before his thirtieth birthday, we only have the event when he was twelve (Lk. 2:42). Do you ever long for more such information? What was his life like as a child and as a young man?

Remember the dream Mrs. Pilate had? What happened to the woman at the well in John 4? What did the Ethiopian eunuch do with his new found faith? Did you ever wonder what happened to Joseph, the Lord’s earthly “father”?

Surely, the life of Moses was interesting. He was highly educated in Egyptian lore, “and he was a man of power in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). We know a great deal about his life as the great Lawgiver, the Emancipator of Israel, but what is signified by his “power in words and deeds”?

At the death of Jesus, “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matt. 27:52-54). Exactly who were these saints? What did they experience when they went into the city? What were the reactions to their appearances?

And what of the plot to kill Lazarus after the Lord raised him from the dead (Jn. 12:10)? Were any of the conspirators later converted (Acts 6:7)? Think of the intrigue we know nothing about. What became of the men who led Saul of Tarsus into Damascus after the Lord appeared to him? They were his associates. What did they think? What did they come to know and believe? How did Paul’s nephew learn of the secret plan to assassinate his uncle? Was his sister or nephew a Christian? If not, what was his immediate family’s reaction to Paul after his conversion?

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk. 24:27). What would you give to know all that the Lord said on that occasion? And what was included in the “many other words” of Peter on Pentecost (Acts 2:40)? Would you like to have a record of Paul’s appeals to Felix? We have the skeleton of his sermon outline (righteousness, temperance and judgment to come), but what did he say?

On and on we could go. Concerning a multitude of these and related topics, we can observe:

(1) That God has revealed all we need to know (2 Tim. 3:16,17). We lack nothing necessary to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

(2) That the Bible is not written to satisfy a curious appetite (Jn. 21:25).

And what of the plot to kill Lazarus after the Lord raised him from the dead (Jn. 12:10)? Were any of the conspirators later converted (Acts 6:7)? Think of the intrigue we know nothing about. What became of the men who led Saul of Tarsus into Damascus after the Lord appeared to him? They were his associates. What did they think? What did they come to know and believe? How did Paul’s nephew learn of the secret plan to assassinate his uncle? Was his sister or nephew a Christian? If not, what was his immediate family’s reaction to Paul after his conversion?

(3) That our thirst for more information may be the reason God has left some things in obscurity. It may be his way to motivate us to mine the truth for the precious ore of faith and insight. “Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 6:5).

(4) That a subtle sign of inspiration is seen in the things that are not revealed. Man writes to answers our quest for more knowledge. Holy men of God, though, spake as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit in order to effect the purposes of God. If the Bible had been a deliberate fraud, mere men could not failed but to have embellished mysteries with more detail.

(5) That the cloud of one passage may be clearly dissipated by the elements of light in another. The book of Matthew and Stephen and Paul’s discourses (Acts 7 & 13) may clarify the missing links of Luke 24:27.

(6) That the secret things belong unto God (Deut. 29:29).

(7) That it will be wonderful to go to heaven and obtain answers to our questions and solutions to the puzzles of our curious faith – or will it even matter then?

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 5, p. 147
March 3, 1988