Truth Magazine

By Robert F. Turner

The Roman letter has at least five propositions, affirmed and proven by the apostle Paul. (1) Man stands justly condemned for his sins; (2) Grace, not law, is the remedy; (3) This grace is expressed in the crucified Christ; (4) It is available on the condition of obedient faith in Christ; and (5) It is for all, Jew and Gentile alike. Although argued through the first eleven chapters, and referred to thereafter, these propositions have already been discussed, and a summation is drawn in the first five chapters. This means that chapter six, “What shall we say then?” introduces a question that either was actually propounded, or was thought to be possible in the light of the foregoing arguments. Note the question carefully, for the comments that follow are in answer to that question. “Shall we continue to sin, that grace may abound?” The question is from and for people who have been baptized into Christ, and this too must be remembered as we read further.

Paul’s immediate answer is “God forbid,” literally, “may it not be.” And when he adds, “We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?” he is still countering the same people, in answer to the same question. He is not saying “we who have been forgiven. . . . ” That would be to say we who have received the first benefits of grace – a part of the question. He is saying “we who have determined, who have purposed, never to sin again.” The death of sin, is in the intent of the saint, and precedes the burial soon to be mentioned. When he says we are baptized into His death, this “death” includes crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, as he shows (vv. 3-5). He is saying, when we are baptized into the death of Christ, we must participate in the whole thing – the death to sin, the burial (by which guilt of past sins are forgiven, cleansed) and the resurrection to a new life. We must not “continue in sin,” can not continue in sin and be consistent with the total figure of Christ’s death.

He adds strength to his argument in verse six: ” . . our old man was crucified with him.” We have crucified, put to death, the “old man,” our former way of life. Since death preceded burial, in the actual death of Christ and in the figure; this crucifixion is the rejection of the old way of life that must take place before we are buried and forgiven of past sins. It refers to genuine repentance, a turning of our back on the way we once lived. Crucifixion was a painful death, and its use here suggests a change in life that requires drastic action, a trauma, that only strong-hearted resolve can accomplish. We make a grievous mistake when we suggest “all he would have to do is be baptized” – as if anyone could be crucified as a sort of casual thing. No, brethren. When we teach the truth about baptism we do more than say it is a burial, or simply mouth the words, “for remission of sins.” We are asking our neighbor to make a drastic change of allegiance, to crucify the flesh.

Perhaps we can see the rejection of some sins as a crucifixion. Drug addicts go through a literal torture in trying to throw the habit. Some who have tried to stop smoking have known hard days. Alcohol is not easily given up. But we err in thinking it is easy to overcome a temper; or to throw off the desire for power, or money. Covetousness is idolatry, and hard to kill. And perhaps hardest of all is pride or selfishness. Truly putting them to death can be tortuous the crucifixion Paul has in mind. Paul does not suggest that this “death” means it is no longer possible to sin, or even to be a slave to sin. “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body . . . neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness” (vv. 12-13). He is urging us to reconsider our intent and purpose of heart as we entered the waters of baptism. With our back turned on sin, dead unto sin, we were ready to be forgiven, and then arise to a new life. He asks us to recall our early resolve, like asking a troubled couple to remember their wedding vows.

Romans is not the only place figurative language makes this point. In Colossians 2:11 Paul reminds saints of Christ “in whom ye were also circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ” (emphasis mine, rt). Compare this with Romans 6:6 “that the body of sin might be done away. ” Circumcision is figurative here, as crucifixion is in Romans; and means a painful cutting off of the past life. It is here coupled with baptism. Or consider 1 Peter 4:1ff where the process is called “suffering.” “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh (literally, rt), arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.” The footnotes put “unto” sin, rather than “from” sin; and obviously this is not referring to Christ, who had no sin. The “he” is one of “ye” who “no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (v. 2f).

Back in Romans, we crucify the old man in genuine repentance, and then we are buried in baptism “for the remission of sins” or removal of the guilt of our past life. But this is not all, there is a very positive side. Christ’s death (the whole picture) also included His resurrection. He was made king following the resurrection; He became our High Priest following the resurrection; He became our Advocate following the resurrection. Paul puts it plainly: “For the death that he died, he died unto sin once (for all, f.n.): but the (in that, f.n.) life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ” And Paul says, “Even so reckon (consider, rt) ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus” (vv. 11-12). Paul’s argument would not be complete without the positive side. It is not enough simply to turn our back on sin, though very important; we must also “live unto God” a positive life of service. And, how can such an one entertain the question, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” God forbid, indeed!

When I consider the marvelous lesson of Romans 6, and then took at many brethren who claim to have been “baptized into His death,” I get the distinct feeling we are emphasizing the burial, and practically ignoring the preceding death, and the following resurrection. No wonder some folks say we are water salvationists. Brethren, these things ought not to be. Let us do all within our power to bury people who have crucified the past, and who are determined to “arise to walk in newness of life.”

Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, pp. 551, 567
September 18, 1986

By Irvin Himmel

There are many devises in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand (Prov. 19:21).

The word “device” translates the Hebrew word machashebeth, and the term is translated “thought,” “imagination,” “means,” and “purpose” in various Old Testament passages. The devices in a man’s heart are his intentions, plans, purposes, imaginations, thoughts, or schemes.

Devices of the Human Heart

(1) Man devises schemes for fulfilling greed. The wants of man surpass his needs. People develop a strong craving for material things. The Bible refers to this excessive desire as covetousness. Greediness produces wicked imaginations. To feed their greed people have contrived daring plans.

Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, ran after Naaman when the Syrian captain felt indebted to Elisha. Gehazi told Naaman that two young men, sons of the prophets, had just arrived from the hill country of Ephraim. They needed silver and two changes of garments. Gehazi said his master had sent him. Naaman gladly gave as requested and beyond, but the fabricated plot of Gehazi did not escape detection by the Spirit-filled Elisha. The leprosy of Naaman was sent on Gehazi (2 Kgs. 5:20-27).

(2) Man devises ways to exploit sensuality. The public mind is bombarded today with sexually-oriented material. Toothpaste is advertised as having sex appeal. Automobiles, garments, and numerous products are advertised as sexy. Everything from soft drinks to plumbing supplies is sold through ads depicting models with sex appeal. Nudity and nearnudity are pictured on TV, in newspapers, magazines, and books, on large billboards, and commercial displays. Many movies and TV productions go beyond any semblance of moral restraint to portray explicit sex, adultery, homosexuality, rape, and all the trimmings of vulgar language, drunkenness, seduction, crime, drugs, brutality, prostitution, murder, and erotic behavior.

Under the banner of liberation many who find it a lucrative business to promote sensually-centered stuff are enslaving others to the power of lust. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah!

(3) Man devises plans for exalting himself. In the long ago, when the whole earth was of one language and one speech, people tried to build a city and a high tower. A part of their wicked design was, “Let us make us a name. . . ” (Gen. 11:4). The unfinished tower of Babel reminds us of human pride. Men will go to great lengths in quest of name, fame, and renown.

“Affectation of honor and a name among men commonly inspires with a strange ardor for great and difficult undertakings, and often betrays to that which is evil and offensive to God” (Matthew Henry).

(4) Man devises plots for covering his iniquity. Although he began his reign as a man after God’s own heart, king David allowed wicked designs to corrupt his heart. After committing adultery with Bathsheba (wife of Uriah) and learning that she was with child, David tried to conceal his sin. He sent for Uriah, a soldier in the army under Joab, and gave him opportunity to go home, but Uriah had an extraordinary sense of loyalty and insisted on sleeping with the king’s servants. David made him drunk, but he still refused to spend the night at home. In desperation, David arranged for Uriah to be killed on the field of battle. That left everything clear for David to take Bathsheba to be one of his wives. But God was not fooled (2 Sam. 11; 12:1-4).

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).

(5) Man devises false religions. Jeroboam set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel and urged the people of the Northern Kingdom that it was too far to go to Jerusalem to worship. He ordained priests of the lowest of the people and initiated other changes in religion (1 Kgs. 12:25-33). His wicked religious system was designed to insure his reign.

Men invent all manner of false doctrines. They preach whatever they please. They are like the people in Jeremiah’s time who said, “We will walk after our own devices” (Jer. 18:12).

(6) Men devise imaginations to overthrow God’s purposes. Haman devised an ugly plot to exterminate the Jewish race. The Bible refers to it as “his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews” (Esth. 9:25). But God providentially preserved the Jewish race and fulfilled His promise to bring the Messiah into the world through that race.

The Bible prophetically pictures the heathen as imagining a vain thing; the kings and rulers taking counsel together against Jehovah and His anointed (Psa. 2). But the likes of Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate could not defeat God’s purposes!

God’s Counsel

The counsel of God stands firm while the plans, thoughts, and schemes of the human heart vacillate. His counsel comes from His infinite wisdom. What He teaches is right. What He reveals is for our good. Let us believe and obey His will.

“The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psa. 33: 10,11).

Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, p. 554
September 18, 1986

By Mike Willis

How we use our tongue has a grave impact on our present life. The wise man wrote,

A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction (Prov. 13:2-3).

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles (Prov. 21:23; cf. 17:20; 18:6-7,21).

Those who sin with their tongue bring distress to themselves in a variety of ways. More importantly, however, sins of the tongue will cause souls to be lost in hell. Jesus said.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matt. 12:36-37).

Consequently, we must learn to avoid committing sins of the tongue.

Common Sins of the Tongue

1. Talking too much. Some people talk too much, earning for themselves the descriptions of “motor mouth,” “chatterbox,” etc. Such speech pours out foolishness (Prov. 15:2,28) because no forethought is given to what is said. “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Prov. 29:11). There are some things better left unsaid.

2. Whispering and talebearing. Whisperers and talebearers dig up evil stories about things which others have committed so they win have something to tell on that person (Prov. 16:27). Too, they tell secrets (Prov. 11:13). As a result,, they wound people, inflicting pain with their tongue (Prov. 18:8), and separate friends (Prov. 16:28; 17:9). Talebearers and whisperers are fools (Prov. 10: 18 – from nabal which describes one who has no respect for God).

When I perceive that one of my friends in a whisperer or gossip, I must quit listening to his stories. The listening ear must share in the blame of the gossiping tongue. The wise man wrote, “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue” (Prov. 25:23).

3. Lying. Another sin of the tongue is the sin of lying, telling a deliberate falsehood. Some men lie to cover their sins, to avoid hurting the feelings of someone else, to take advantage of others, and many other reasons. God hates the “lying tongue” (Prov. 6:17; 12:22). Eventually, a liar will be exposed. “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment” (Prov. 12:19). His friends will eventually catch him in his lie. When that occurs, his word no longer will be trusted. Liars must tell lies to cover their life. Sooner or later, they are caught in their lies, either because someone heard the other story that he told, he forgot to whom he told what, or some other reason. One can protect himself from having to have a perfect memory of what he told whom by always telling the truth.

4. Flattery. Some people flatter a person when in his presence and then attack and destroy him behind his back. The proverbs say that such a person hides hatred with lying lips (Prov. 10:18) and warns of the danger of the “kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6). Eventually these flatterers will become known for what they are (Prov. 28:23). Men have little respect for this kind of character.

5. Angry words. Some words are described as “grievous words” because they stir up anger (Prov. 15:1). Frequently, they are words spoken in haste and without forethought (Prov. 12:16); they gender strife (Prov. 15:18). Little thought is given to the damage these angry words do to the various relationships of life. Read the words to “Angry Words” by H.R. Palmer:

Angry words! O let them never

From the tongue unbridled slip;

May the heart’s best impulse ever

Check them ere they soil the lip.

Love is much too pure and holy,

Friendship is too sacred far,

For a moment’s reckless folly

Thus to desolate and mar.

Angry words are lightly spoken,

Bitt’rest tho’ts are rashly stirred,

Brightest links of life are broken,

By a single angry word.

“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;

Children, obey the Father’s blest command;

“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;

Children, obey the blest command.

6. Biting, sarcastic speech. “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” (Prov. 12:18). We sometimes say, “He really cut you down!” What a misuse of the tongue when its only function is to hurt someone else.

7. Profanity andfilthy stories. The Ten Commandments warn us not to take the name of the Lord in vain (Exod. 20:7). James deplored those Christians who “bless the Lord” on the one hand and “curse we men, which are made after the image of God” on the other hand. He said, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be” (Jas. 3:10). Many who profess to be Christians use profanity regularly.

“Filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting” (Eph. 5:4) were among the sinful uses of the tongue condemned by Paul. Those who have heard filthy jokes know what Paul was condemning. Jokes which are vulgar and filthy reflect a mind that is in the gutter and drags others down to the same level.

The Proper Use of the Tongue

The tongue, which is so frequently guilty of sin, can and should be used for the accomplishment of good. Consider what an impact for righteousness the Saviour’s tongue had on this earth. Here are some good uses of the tongue:

1. To calm anger. “A soft answer turneth away wrath” (Prov. 15:1). Rather than using the tongue to stir up anger, we should use it to calm anger.

2. To disperse knowledge. “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge. . . ” (Prov. 15:7). The tongue can be used to teach someone how to be saved, to live better, to do a job easier, and many other useful purposes.

3. To rebuke sin. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6). “He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue” (Prov. 28:32). The tongue should be used to point out the sinner’s evil ways, while calling him to repentance (cf. the work of John the Baptist in Matt. 3).

4. To encourage others. “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! ” (Prov. 15:23) We can render service to our fellowman by encouraging the downhearted and depressed, the weak and sickly.

When the tongue is used in these ways, it is pleasant to others (Prov. 15:26). These uses of the tongue make friends (Prov. 16:13; 22:11).

You can understand why this kind of tongue is compared to:

A tree of life (Prov. 15:4).

A well of life (Prov. 10:11).

A honeycomb (Prov. 16:24).

An apple of gold in a network of silver (Prov. 25:11).

Choice silver (Prov. 10:20).

Good food (Prov. 10:21).

Conclusion

You control your tongue. “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips” (Prov. 16:23). Though the tongue can never be tamed (Jas. 3:8), it can be bridled and controlled. You should begin right now to control your tongue.

Don’t allow yourself to abuse people when angry. Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Be truthful. Learn to speak an encouraging word, to comfort those who are suffering, and to express your love. You will enhance the quality of your life here and have the hope of eternity in heaven later.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, pp. 546, 568
September 18, 1986

By Larry Ray Hafley

And he said onto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which be possesseth. And be spoke a parable unto them, saying, the ground of certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou bast much goods laid up for many years; take thine emu, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou bag provided? So Is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Lk. 12:1521).

The word “beware” is an intensive term. Because it is inherently emphatic, it is rarely followed by an exclamation mark. We would not expect to see a sign, “Beware of wet paint,” or “Beware, new grass sown,” because the word is too strong for the occasion. But we have all seen signs saying, “Beware bad dog,” or “Beware bridge out.” Thus, when Jesus used the word “beware,” He was indicating great danger (cf. Matt. 7:15; Lk. 12:1; 2 Pet. 3:17).

The Lord also treats us to the essential, fundamental evil and error of covetousness; that is, covetousness makes one think that the life is comprised and composed “of the things which he possesseth. ” And do we not judge it so? If we have material goods, we are “better off” or even just plain “better” than those who do not have them. This is what the Lord was attacking when He asked the rhetorical question in the sermon on the mount, “Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matt. 6:25) Your life’s value, your soul’s worth, is not measured by what you own. “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mk. 8:36) That question could never have been posed if covetousness’ theme (my life does consist in what I possess) were true. It is not what you own, it is what owns you that really matters.

The Rich Fool

The parable of the rich fool is given to illustrate and demonstrate the truthfulness of Jesus’ opening statement.

It is not wrong to be rich. Abraham, Solomon and Job were not simply rich; they were “very rich” (cf. Gen. 13:2). The rich man of our text is not criticized or condemned because he was wealthy. Wealth itself does not damn. Poverty does not save. Wealth is not a vice. Poverty is not a virtue. Many will go to hell over riches who never had money in the bank. At least, Paul intimates as much when he says, “they that will be (not, “they that are”) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9). It is not riches but the “trust” in riches that dooms men (Mk. 10:23-35).

It is this trust, this belief in material substance, that condemned the rich man. Five times he used the personal pronoun “my.” He referred to “my fruits, my barns, my fruits, my goods, my soul. ” That is not evil, either, for there is a sense in which things do belong to us; we “own” them (Acts 5:4; Matt. 20:15). However, it was the absorbing, consuming thought of his life, and that is wrong. He acted wisely in building greater barns for his surplus lest it rot or be devoured by scavengers. He acted foolishly in allowing his goods to secure, as he thought they did, his soul.

He imagined “many years” of solace, succor and security. “Take thine (another possessive pronoun) ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” How does the rest of it go? “For tomorrow we die” is how it ends, but the rich man did not consider death. He stopped with “merry.” He forgot, “for tomorrow we die.” But even if he had said it, he would still have been in error. It was not, “tomorrow, ” but “this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”

“Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Neither the devil nor this world can give you one itern that will not be snatched and taken from you the moment you die. We go into bankruptcy at death. We leave and lose it all (Eccl. 5:15). The wise man of Ecclesiastes wondered whether his riches might not go to a fool who would throw it all away (Eccl. 2:18,19). “He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them” (Psa. 39:6). The rich man did not foresee this eventuality. He was oblivious to eternity. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him . . . that he should still live for ever, and not see corruption” (Psa. 49:6-9).

Being “rich toward God” is the antidote to covetousness. It is the man who has his priorities in order who sees to the wealth and prosperity of his soul. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). Do not ever forget who the real beggar turned out to be in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31). Ironic, is it not, that the rich man of our narrative will also be the impoverished beggar in spiritual rags in the day of Judgment?

Guardian of Truth XXX: 18, p. 549
September 18, 1986