Truth Magazine

By Dusty Owens

When the assignment came to write on this subject, I was elated for I had intended to write on it “some day.” My interest in the Positive Mental Attitude concept (hereafter PMA) stems from my business, which is by nature a “people business.” I have been a student of PMA since 1966, having read well over a hundred books and magazines on the subject, while studying as many cassette tapes, and having held numerous seminars all over the North American Continent, teaching people its principles. PMA is not a passing hobby, I know it to be vital to the success of my business and important to living a Christian life.

I fell in love with the gospel of Christ in 1954 when I became a Christian, having studied my way out of Catholicism. I learned then, and know now, that the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16), and we don’t need to understand PMA to be saved. PMA is a system devised by men that can help us to be more effective with the gospel as we work in the kingdom of God.

The expression “Positive Mental Attitude” is no where found in the gospel, but many of the principles that comprise the concept are found there. The expression itself consists of three main thoughts: (1) one must be a “believing” person; (2) the mental process as the key to behavior is a matter of choice; and (3) “attitude” is formulated in the mental process which determines one’s personality and approach to life.

Before relating PMA to the gospel, it is helpful to understand what an “attitude” is. We hear a lot about it, but, what is it? The definition I have used for years is that an attitude is the way a person thinks, feels and acts toward people, things, places and ideas in any situation in his total environment.

Everyone has an attitude. You have certain feelings, opinions, and reactions to everything around you, i.e. people, work, school, government, God, Bible, church, etc. Your attitude shows constantly.

Mind: The Incubator Of Attitudes

Attitudes are “hatched” in the mind, which is located in the organ we call the brain. While psychologists and psychiatrists argue over how many compartments there are in the brain, we only need to be concerned with the mind containing two, the Conscious and the Subconscious, to understand how attitudes are formed.

The function of the Conscious mind basically is administrative. It works on the level of awareness as it gathers information from the environment and recalls other data from the Sub-conscious. It has a value system; it knows right from wrong. A protective mechanism allows it to rationalize and justify to its own end. It can only handle one thought at a time.

The primary function of the Sub-conscious mind is storage. It works much like a tape recorder or computer. It serves as memory or file system and sends information to the Conscious level at beck and call. It forms the attitudes that find expression outwardly, and all below the awareness of the individual. It controls many things that we do through automatic reflexation.

The five senses, sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste, are the “gates” through which the mind receives stimuli (input). Hundreds of bits of input are handled daily, and enter the Conscious portion of the mind before finally registering in the Sub-conscious. Usually, we have to experience something over and over (“spaced-repetition”) before we “learn” it, and recall it.

Out of all this intake, images, words, thoughts, traits, and attitudes are formulated. When we express these in some way, the way we look, talk, walk, sit, etc., the sum is called our personality. This is the person that cannot hide himself. You are the sum of all you have allowed to enter your Sub-consciousness. For the Christian this is very important in its application.

Personality is an outward expression of an inner attitude. That attitude may be “negative” or “positive.” There is no such thing as being negative sometimes and positive other times. We are either a negative or positive personality (sorry, there is no “neutral”). There are “degrees” of negativism and positivism, and one may be more positive (or negative) than another.

A negative personality shows up as a pessimist. He sees nothing but the bleak side of life and is a trumpeter of doom and gloom; he feels inferior to others and has a lowconfidence level; therefore, he is quick to say “it can’t be done.” Also, he tends to complain and to criticize everything and everybody ad nauseam, to the point that he finds himself isolated because people do not want to hear him grumble and complain. There is a “law of the universe” that says, “Negativism Repels and Destroys.”

A positive personality is known for his optimism. He sees the potential for good and for success in life and uses his God-given talents with confidence. He does not feel superior to others but knows he can contribute to their welfare by working conscientiously beside them, and encouraging them with the message, “we can do it.” The “law of the universe” says, “Positivism Attracts and Builds.”

Now, what does all of this mean? We become positive or negative persons gradually. What we allow to come through our “gates,” and to enter our minds, will determine “who we are”! Whether we will be optimistic or pessimistic in life will depend on what we watch on television, what kind of music we listen to, what we read in the newspapers, magazines and books, what we talk about and listen to in conversation with others, etc. These experiences mold our attitude and personality. There is no way that we can subject ourselves to the filth of our society through these mentioned media and be immune to their attitude-shaping influences!

PMA Compared To The Word Of God

We must not think that utilizing PMA is emphasizing just the positive aspects of the word of God to the neglect of the negative ones: “Behold the severity of God” (Rom. 11:22); “Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade man” (2 Cor. 5:11); “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). Warnings (negatives) like these are accepted by the Christian in a positive way to formulate his optimism toward God, going to heaven, etc., knowing “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Heb. 12:5-13), and knowing “him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).

The most basic tenet of PMA is becoming a person who can and will “believe.” There are countless numbers of people who have been inundated with negatives to the point that they are extremely suspicious, skeptical and sour in their outlook in life; among them are a great many professing to be Christians. Is it possible to have this disposition and be pleasing to God? Let us examine His word.

“Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him” (Heb. 11:6) and “belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Jesus taught if we had enough faith we would “seek . . . first his kingdom, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33), and if that faith were as large as a mustard seed, we could “move mountains” (Matt. 17:19-21). Faith is the very foundation of the Christian’s experience which originated in the mind of God to effect our salvation (Heb. 11: 1; 1 Cor. 1:21; Acts 16:31).

The second most basic tenet of PMA is that the mental process is the key to behavior. When God created man in His own image, one of the distinctive qualities He gave him was his mind. This ability to think, reason, imagine, win, remember, etc. set him apart from all animals as a free moral agent. He has the apparatus to determine right from wrong and to make choices. Therein lies his great power: thepower to choose. He determines what shall enter through the “gates” into his Sub-consciousness; therefore, he controls the kind of attitude he will form. And remember, what comes out of the Sub-conscious is what determines who he is.

Solomon stated, though in a negative setting, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” (Prov. 23:7), and “Keep (guard) thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Jesus stated it this way, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Lk. 6:45; cf. Matt. 12:34; 15:18-19; Mk. 7:21). What is stored up in “abundance” in the Sub-conscious is the “treasure of the heart,” and it will come out! If what has been stored up (through the “gates”) is “good” (positive input based on the word of God), then what comes out in the behavioral pattern will be pleasing to God; but, if what has been stored up is “evil” (negative input from media, people, etc.), then what comes out will “defile the man.”

It is exciting to realize that through mind-programing we can become the person that God wants us to be. Both the PMA system and the word of God emphasize the importance of consciously laying up spiritual values in the mind. Blessed is the man that delights in the law of Jehovah and meditates in it day and night (Psa. 1: 1-2). “The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide” (37:31). God said, “I will put my law into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them” (Heb. 8: 10-11). We can program our minds with God’s word if we will “think on these things” (Phil. 4:8), renew our minds (Eph. 4:23; Rom. 12:2), and set our minds on things above and not be so obsessed with things below (Col. 3:1-4).

The third most basic tenet of PMA is that one’s attitude determines his personality and approach to life. We have already seen that what is allowed to come through the “gates” formulates the attitudes of life. The Bible has much to say about proper attitudes. We must love God with our total being (Matt. 22:37); receive His word with meekness (Jas. 1:21) and with an open mind (Matt. 22:39), love our brethren (Jn. 13:34), our neighbors (Matt. 22:39), and even our enemies (5:44). In fact, our attitude must be permeated with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, lowliness, compassion, tenderheartedness, and a forgiving spirit (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12-14).

Far too many professing to be Christians have a negative attitude, and it is traceable to what they are inputting. Today’s saint (?) can readily give you the names of movie and TV personalities, when they were born, and how many times they have been married, but can’t even name the apostles or the books of the Bible; he can quote statistics and standings of any major sport’s figure and team, but can’t quote a single passage of Scripture; he can sit for two or three hours in bitter cold and sleeting rain to view some game, but gets “antsy” if the preacher goes over thirty minutes in a sermon; he can enjoy spending hours with companions who are not interested in spiritual matters, but he does not enjoy assembling with the children of God. There are too many more examples we could give.

Preachers are very susceptible to negative thinking. Many have the attitude that “nobody in the world is interested in being saved, but I’ll be doing my duty just preaching to the brethren year in and year out.” Brethren, that’s not work, that’s a joy! The real work is out on the battlefield of life, contending for the faith with the enemies of God, and sifting through the fields of harvest until you find someone to teach. Our job is not to decide who has “the honest and good heart,” but to sow the seed of the kingdom everywhere, optimistically. Let the power of God work!

There is a saying in the world of computer programming: what goes in, must come out; GIGO, garbage in, garbage out! This is how we get so negative. In many ways, we show that we are negative toward everybody and everything, and especially toward our brethren. Negative characteristics include anger, wrath, malice, shameful speaking, lying, bitterness, clamoring, railing, slandering and gossiping, strivings, jealousies, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, and a other works of the flesh (Col. 3:5-9; Eph. 5:25-31; Gal. 5:19-21). Some who profess to be Christians are among the most vicious people on earth. Paul had them in his day and warned, “If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal. 5:24).

What Is The Answer?

In terms of the gospel, we must all “put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man . . . and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph. 4:22-24). In terms of PMA, we must be re-programmed. To do that we must first choose the attitude we want. Do we want to follow God’s will, or do we want to do Satan’s bidding (Josh. 24:15; Rom. 6:16-17; 8:5-11)? If your answer is “God’s will,” then you must shut down the flow of negative input and increase the flow of positive input. Spend more time studying the Scriptures, meditating, praying, listening to sermons and hymns via tapes and records, conversing about God’s word, and by all means, involving yourself with the saints. You will soon find yourself becoming spiritually minded and interested in doing spiritual things, and God will be glorified!

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 9, pp. 259, 262, 278
May 2, 1985

By Bill Cavender

Bible preaching is preaching the Bible, what it says and what it means. If the Bible is the inspired word of God (which it is, 1 Cor. 2:8-13; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4,20-21), then Bible preaching is the most serious, solemn, sacred, sublime and important work that can be done in this world. If Jehovah be the Only True and Living God (1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; Deut. 6:4-5); if Jesus Christ be Deity manifested in human form (Jn. 1:1-3,14,17; Matt. 16:13-18; 1 Tim. 3:16; Phil. 2:5-11); if no sinner can be saved except through the blood of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God (Matt. 20:28; 26:28; Rom. 3:25-26; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:11-28); if the gospel is God’s power to save the sinner and it must be preached to every human being in every generation in every place (Rom. 1:16-17; Mk. 16:15-16; Col. 1:36,23; 2 Tim. 2:1-2; Matt. 28:18-20); and if sinful men and women, boys and girls, must believe and obey the gospel to be saved from guilt (Jn. 3:16,36; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38-41; Rom. 6:1-7,16-18; 10:13-17; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2 Thess. 1:310), then preaching the Bible is the weightiest task that men can assume to do and attempt to accomplish. Bible preaching is no trifling matter. It is not a frivolous, foolish, silly exercise in futility. It is not a half-hearted, part-time, side line, secondary endeavor in which a man engages to be known among brethren, or by which he becomes “a leader” in a church, or in which he indulges for a livelihood and/or additional income, or because he is too unprepared or lazy to do anything else.

The inspired men, the prophets and apostles, felt and believed that the word of God and its proclamation to a lost world of unsaved sinners and unfaithful brethren was a “burden” to be borne and a work given by God to faithful stewards and laborers. The Hebrew word maysa or burden has the idea of “an utterance or oracle given by God” to faithful men to proclaim to and against men and nations (2 Kings 9:25; Isa. 13:1; Nahum 1:1; Mal. 1:1, etc; it occurs twenty-one times in the Old Testament). The message was of God and from God. The prophets and apostles were permitted to proclaim the word of the Lord alone, without alteration; it had already been bound in heaven (Matt. 16:18-19; 18:18). God said, “And he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully” (Jer. 23:28). This is the only authority any man has who proposes to be a preacher of the Bible. He is to speak God’s word (not man’s or man’s opinions) faithfully as it is written (1 Cor. 4:6).

Paul considered himself to be a steward of the mysteries of God revealed in the gospel, a minister of Christ, one who must be faithful to the Lord (1 Cor. 4:1-2). An elder of a church must be blameless as the steward of God (Tit. 1:7). Each disciple of Jesus must be a wise and faithful steward, a servant caring for his Master’s goods, doing the work entrusted to him (Luke 12:31-48). Ali of us are workers in the Lord’s vineyard and laborers together with God and with each other (1 Cor. 3:1-9; 2 Cor. 6:1).

Bible preaching is to be done by men. The treasure (gospel) is in (committed to) earthen vessels, first of all to the apostles (2 Cor. 4:1-7). Preaching is said to be “the communication of God’s truth by man to men and is the use of speech with intent to reveal God to man.” Preaching is “the art of moving men from a lower to a higher life, the art of inspiring men toward a nobler manhood” by God’s will. Preaching always has as its sole and final objective the saving of the -souls of lost men and women. Our Saviour came into the world “to seek and to save that which was lost,” to “save sinners,” and to “do the will of him that sent me” (Lk. 19: 10; 1 Tim. 1:15; Jn. 6:38). The gospel (“good news” of salvation) which is preached in His name has power and is the power of God to save lost souls (Lk. 24:46-47; Rom. 1:16-17; Mk. 16:15-16). The preacher and teacher of truth must not become side-tracked by opinions, traditions, commandments of men, philosophies, and endless genealogies and wranglings which only engender strife and alienations rather than peace, unity and good will among brethren (Mk. 7:1-13; Matt. 23:1-4,15,23-24; Col. 2:8-9; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; 4:6-7; 2 Tim. 2:15-16,22-26). Plain, simple, unadulterated pure truth from God’s word will appeal to right-thinking souls who search for truth and righteousness. By His holy word God can and does open the ears, eyes, minds and hearts of His offspring to the saving of their souls (Jas. 3:17-18; Acts 16:14-15; 17:27-31; Matt. 13:10-17; Rom. 10:13-17). All Bible teaching must come from the hearts of sincere, convicted men and women, such ones believing with all their hearts that the message of truth is God’s and not their own, and that the gospel and the teacher of it truly are “a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life” (2 Cor. 2:14-17). We are not to trifle with God’s word, nor be idle tellers of tales, nor be pulpit “jim-dandies” or fashion experts, nor menpleasers or ear-ticklers, nor popularity seekers or pulpit personalities and politicians. If the Bible, God’s word and gospel, is to be preached, let it be preached by sincere, consecrated, pure, godly, studious and sober-minded men who understand and believe the source and nature of the message, and who willingly bear the burden which they are to faithfully proclaim, publicly and privately, in behalf of Jesus.

Bible Preaching requires time, study, consecration and diligent efforts. The prophets and apostles did not borrow their messages from one another. They did not consult the brotherhood papers to see what the latest “issue” is among the brethren, what the party line is, and what must be parroted if one is to be considered to be faithful. They did not consult the doctors and teachers of the law amongst the seminary faculties in order to obtain the correct interpretations of the Scriptures so as not to be offensive to the brotherhood. They did not own, operate and publish brotherhood sermon services to supply the over-loaded, hardworking preachers (who have been so busy at the lake with their fishing or skiing, or on the golf course discussing brotherhood problems with other serious-minded preachers, or who have been watching the television each day and night to see how the world turns and what needs to be preached on) their sermons for each Sunday of the month or year because these preachers have “such busy schedules” that they’ve not had the time to study and memorize God’s word or meditate upon it, as they otherwise would have done had they not been so busy. God’s true servants mean business. They do not play at preaching the gospel. They plead with and persuade lost men (2 Cor. 5:11). They do not talk to be talking (1 Cor. 9:19-27). They bear an oracle, a message from God, a burden, and they must preach it.

Jeremiah said, “I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (20:9). Paul said, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). Peter and John answered the Jewish leaders, saying, ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Those who really preach the gospel to the lost seek no honor and glory of men (1 Cor. 7:23), have nothing of which to boast (1 Cor. 1:26-31), but truly have the burden of God’s will in their hearts. They teach precious truth which will set men free in every way and from every thing which would bring us into bondage (Jn. 8:32; Gal. 5: 1-4; Rom. 6:16-23). Matters concerning sin, God’s grace and mercy in forgiveness, the blood of Jesus, obedience to the gospel, faith and works, heaven, hell, judgment and eternity are vital to all. Personalities, popularity, jokes, oratory, stories and poetry are not sufficient to explain and instruct in such eternal verities. Bible preaching is not fight, surface-skimming talking which has no value. Serious, sober-minded men are needed as preachers of the Bible. We are to do God’s win and work cheerfully, willingly, and with great enthusiasm. We are not to run in the wrong direction, away from God, through discouragement, or the lure and lust of things of the world. Jonah tried to run. We must not do so. There might not be a whale to protect us, teach us, and vomit us up! A fire in our bones to preach the word and a compelling necessity in our hearts causes us to speak kindly, honestly, plainly, clearly and simply those things which are most surely believed among us (Lk. 1:1-4; Phil 1:9-11; Eph. 4:15).

The solemn charge regarding the preaching of the inspired Scriptures is best stated by Paul to Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Tim. 4:2-5). The apostle tells us what to preach: “the word. ” He tells us when to preach: “in season, out of season.” He tells us how to preach: “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.” He tells us why to preach: “they will not endure sound doctrine,” etc. So serious is this work that the Bible preacher should be watchful, endure afflictions, fulfill (“to bring to full measure”-W.E. Vine) his ministry, and remember that Jesus will judge it all at His appearing and His kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1,6-8). The Scriptures are profitable “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:14-17). We cannot be able and effective preachers of the Bible if our hearts, minds, souls and bodies are not filled with the word of God and a burning desire for the souls of the lost (Prov. 11:30; Dan. 12:3).

Men cannot preach the Bible unless they have “eaten” and practiced it themselves. John, in receiving the little book from the angel, was told to “take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it, shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey” (Rev. 10: 8-11). In Ezekiel 2:1-3;11, we read, “Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he caused me to eat that roll . . . Then did I eat; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.” To the true Bible preacher, the Word of God will be as sweet as honey in its blessed life-giving power, but it will bring bitterness. He must first preach to himself and conform his mind and will to God’s (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:14). He must remember that he is a sinner, preaching to sinners, just as the high priest of Israel offered the atonement of animal blood each year for his own sins, the sins of his family, and the sins of the people (1 Tim. 1:12-16; Heb. 9:6-7; Lev. 16:6,11,17). We cannot preach conviction if we have little or none. We cannot preach repentance unless we have practiced it. We cannot preach obedience to the faith if we have no faith to really obey God. There is power in preaching only as the power of God has worked to accomplish His will in the soul of the preacher. If there is no “well of living water” in the preacher, it will not swell up and overflow into eternal life in the lives of others (Jn. 4:13-15; 7:37-38; Matt. 5:6).

The word of God is a “burden” to be borne in the preaching of it. Preaching is not easy work-if we do it to please God! It is not easy to preach publicly and privately, to audiences and individuals, day and night, at every opportunity. Most brethren are experts on how it should be done, but comparatively few are willing to try to do itl It is hard work to preach, knowing that we must ever please God and not men,’and that we must give account to Jesus the Judge at the last great day, the judgment day, for our work. We must ever be reading and studying the word of God. We must be praying often and working daily. We must preach to the strong and the weak, but not to encourage the weak so as to discourage the strong, nor to commend the strong so as to grieve the weak. We must preach the grace and mercy of God for the forgiveness of sins, but not in such away as to give credence and latitude to sin. We must encourage sinners to repentance by condemning their sins, yet not driving them to despair for the magnitude and heinousness of their sins. We preachers walk a narrow path, ever praying for wisdom and understanding, and for boldness to speak without fear or favor of men (Acts 4:29). “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:14-17; 3:45).

Bible preaching is both exhausting and inexhaustible. It is exhausting for it requires continual study and learning, thinking and meditating. No man knows it all. No man or group of men is the official interpreter of God’s word for the rest of mankind. We need no official seal, stamp of approval, or imprimatur of any group, school, paper, or hierarchy to preach God’s word. We must preach truth to be approved of God (2 Tim. 2:15), the only approval we must have to go to heaven. “Much study is a weariness of the flesh” (Eccl. 12:12), for the soul and body becomes weary and we grow faint in our hearts and minds at times (Jer. 4:31; 8:18-9:2; Heb. 12:3). Jesus became weary as a man in His journeys (Jn. 4:6). Thinking, studying, working, traveling, preaching, praying, talking (hopefully profitable talking, not brotherhood gossip, back-biting, devouring and consuming one another with our tongues, Gal. 5:13-15), and being concerned for our own soul, our family, our brethren, the lost, and the kingdom of Christ are exhausting burdens. Bible preaching is inexhaustible as we never run out of prospects, lost sinners, unfaithful brethren, problems, opportunities and lessons to teach. We are never done. We never get “caught up. ” There is always work to be done and more to do. Always in our hearts are the souls of fellow human beings. We want to preach all we can, write all we can, help to save all we can, and do all the good we can in one short lifetime. We never run out of truth to learn and lessons to preach. Every Bible preacher “is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matt. 13:52). When you run out of something to preach, read the New Testament, underline each verse you have never used in a sermon or lesson, learn what the verses say and mean-and then go preach! There are fewer Christians-saved people, and more sinners-lost people, all the time. There are plenty of lost souls to teach. We are just not getting out there where they are. We are spending too much time, money and effort in our meeting houses preaching over and over to the same folks, and are not spending nearly enough time, money and effort out among the people of a lost, ungodly world.

Bible preaching is preaching what is needed, not what people or brethren may want to hear. Too many ears of men and brethren are itching, and there are too many professed preachers who will tickle and scratch them (2 Tim. 4:1-5). We must try to “restore” sinners in the “spirit of meekness,” and “convert the sinner from the error of his way,” and all of that with the doctrine of Jesus and with patience (Gal. 6: 1; Jas. 5:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:2). We must not be purposely offensive to people, yet many will find the truth and those who preach it to be offensive (Jn. 6:60-61,66; Matt. 13:20-21, 53-58; 15:12; 26:31-33). It is not pleasant to the preacher nor to the hearer to rebuke sin and to rebuke it sharply, yet this is a part of the work of God (Tit. 1:13). Sin unrebuked and unrepented of will damn both the souls of the preacher and the hearer (Ezek. 33:1-20).

Bible preaching will humble us. It rebukes and rebuffs human pride and self-aggrandizement. The gospel convicts man of sin, making him realize that he is guilty before God. Human glory and achievement cannot save him. His righteousness is as filthy rags. He owes his salvation to God’s mercy and grace, not to his own deservings and perfection. It crucifies his pride and holds human glory in contempt. The wise and the prudent of this world, in their human wisdom, despise the gospel and are not called to obedience by it, for they reject Christ and His blood (1 Cor. 1:18-31). They do not believe in damnation and eternal punishment in hell. They do not want to hear that the wicked are wicked. The wrath of God to come does not frighten them (2 Thess. 1:3-10; Rom. 3:9-18). The judgment seat of Christ and “depart from me, ye workers of iniquity,” are those burdens of Bible preaching which sinful men care not to hear or believe (2 Cor. 5: 10-11; Acts 17:30-3 1; Matt. 25:41,46). Yet this part of God’s truth must be preached and the wicked must be warned (Matt. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1: 10; 2:14-16; Rom. 2:5-6).

Conclusion

It is the fervent prayer, heartfelt hope, and burning desire of every true gospel preacher that lost people will come to Jesus. We would desire that all be doers of the word (Jas. 2:22-27), and not hearers only, that none would die unforgiven. Our Father in heaven has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (2 Pet. 3:9; Ezek. 18:23,32). Our Savior continually invites the guilty, condemned sinner to come to Him for forgiveness and rest (Matt. 11:28-30; Jn. 6:35-37; Rev. 22:17). Would to God that every soul who hears us preach, who stands condemned and unforgiven, who needs the cleansing of the blood of Jesus, who needs the salvation offered by a merciful Father made known in the gospel, would respond to Heaven’s call and duty’s demands and render that obedience to Christ and to the gospel from a sincere heart which will bring that “abundant pardon” of which the prophets and apostles spoke and preached (Isa. 55:6-7).

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 9, pp. 258, 260, 279-280
May 2, 1985

By Irven Lee

It is generally recognized that the great commission, assignment, or mission the Lord has for His faithful followers is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. People who accept the gospel are saved and counted children of God (Acts 2:41,47; 1 Jn. 3:1-3). All those who gladly receive the word are added to the church. Those who do not obey the gospel are to receive the fiery vengeance of God (2 Thess. 1:6-10).

When the whole counsel is preached, the babes in Christ are edified and led to observe all things Christ has commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). Take a moment to consider what faithful proclamation of the word does. It leads aliens to believe and obey the basic first principles, and it then leads to the training of these same people to become elders, preachers, teachers, and other useful members of the church. The church is the house or family of God (Eph. 3:15; 1 Tim. 3:15). The preaching of the whole counsel of God is directly related to the growth in spiritual strength. The brethren at Ephesus were told that the church, which is an indication of the many sided wisdom of God, is here according to His eternal purpose. The world was to understand that Gentiles, as well as Jews, were members of the same body (church), and thus they were fellow heirs and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Paul wrote about the church and the promise in Christ to saints who are builded together in this temple which is for a habitation of God (Eph. 2:14-3:12).

The body of Christ, the church Christ purchased with His own blood, the household of faith, the kingdom of heaven, which is mentioned so often in Matthew’s account, are all the same church of the firstborn which make up the heavenly Jerusalem which is the city of the living God. If this great body of redeemed ones is not important, then Christ died in vain and we are yet in our sins. We should preach the same great message about which the holy apostles and prophets preached and wrote so much. If we speak as the oracles of God, we will preach about this pearl of great price. The preaching which pleases God leads men to become stones in this holy temple, citizens of this kingdom, children in this family, and heirs of His exceeding great and precious promises. These people are the church.

If we believe in Christ as the Son of the living God, we will want to be under Him as our King. He is the head of the church. He paid the price to purchase it, and He is the Captain of this army of the Lord. If the church is not very important, the position of Christ as head of it is not very important. If a man should write a book about Ronald Reagan, the story of that life would not be complete without telling of his becoming President. We cannot preach Christ and Him crucified without telling of the church which He purchased with His blood. Some talk of preaching the man and not the plan. This is impossible because the man (Christ) is inseparably related to the plan (church). Men should be so well taught that they can discern between the Lord’s church and some counterfeit. There are scriptural terms we can use to identify it, so why use human names unless to signify that there have been significant changes from the original pattern? The worship, the government under elders, the high moral standards taught by Christ, and the mission of the church should not be changed. Proper and constant preaching should stamp this truth on every heart. It is His church under His authority and not ours to change at will.

The church is minimized by those who say that “the church is not going to save you.” It is true that the church is not going to save any one, but Christ is going to save the church (Eph. 5:23-27). The preaching and teaching done in any generation should make it plain to all that we are baptized into the body of Christ and that it is in Him that we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:3,7). There should be such bold emphasis on the significance of the church that people will understand that it is not just a social club or a civic club to play Santa Claus at Christmas and distribute alms in the community. It is an essential and very significant part of God’s plan.

If all preachers and teachers knew of God’s eternal purpose, and of Christ’s love for His body, there would be no need to insist that they teach the whole truth about the church. If weak preaching allows the denominational concepts to come in among us, digression and apostasy will come in, and there will be a new denomination meeting in the buildings where the churches once met. Consider the example of the Disciples or Christian church and our former brethren who are planning unity meetings together saying, “Peace! Peace!” Preach it straight or fall into the depths of ruin. Apostasy is always the changing of one or more things about His church. How can we prevent this except by faithful preaching of such things as the apostle taught?

We preach on the sin of alcoholism, the frightening danger from atheism, divorce, fornication, materialism, filthy communication, and other common sins lest the church of the Lord be defiled. The preaching is from a higher and more sacred motive than the motivation of “Mothers Against Drunk Drivers,” even though they have high motives or good reason for their battle. The sins of the world tend to enter the lives of God’s children so servants of the Lord must teach, warn, reprove, and encourage, lest they reach the point at which they will no longer endure sound doctrine. We preach the facts, commands, worthy examples, and principles of righteousness found in the holy writings. The effort is to teach men how they ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 9, pp. 265-266
May 2, 1985

By Johnie Edwards

God’s laws have always been of “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not.” As God laid down His first set of rules for man to abide by, He said what to do and what not to do. Notice as instructions were given to the first man:

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good, and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2:15-17).

The teachings found in the Law of Moses were both positive and negative in nature (Exod. 20). God told Israel that “if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth” (Deut. 28:1). But look at the negative side. “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deut. 28:15). God simply said, “If you do what I say, I will bless you, but if you fail to do what I say, I will curse you.”

The Truth

There is nothing as important as truth. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). The truth has been identified as “thy word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). If men are to be made free from their sins, they must know the truth so they can believe and obey it. Truth must be preached in such a way that those who hear will not have any difficulty in understanding what is required of them in order to please God. There is a great demand for the Lord’s people to take a stand for the truth on every subject. It must be as the apostle Paul wrote the Ephesians, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that he may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:13-14). There are just entirely too many in the church of Christ who don’t have the courage to take a stand for what they really believe to be right-and this is a shame.

What It Means To Stand For The Truth

There is more involved in standing for the truth than many realize. Standing for the truth not only involves preaching the truth on every subject but standing for the truth also demands that there be preaching against things which are sinful in the sight of God! It is one thing not to partake of things which are evil and another thing to reprove them. Paul told the Ephesians, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). So standing for the truth means to stand for what the Bible teaches and stand against sinful things. One reason a lot of churches are weak today is that they never hear anything condemned.

The Charge To Reprove And Rebuke

The need for negative preaching can be seen in Paul’s charge to gospel preachers as he wrote Timothy. “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). Preaching the word involves some reproving and rebuking. The tendency today, among many, is to preach only the things that folks like to hear. If we are not careful, we will be preaching like some people in the Old Testament wanted. They said, “speak unto us smooth things” (Isa. 30:10). One purpose for which God gave us the Scriptures is to reprove us. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

For And Against

Standing for the truth not only involves preaching what we must stand for but likewise what we must stand against. There are things which are sinful and must be, preached against.

(1) We must stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan is out to get us and has been since time began. It is written, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). It must be preached that giving in to the temptations of sin will cause one to be lost eternally. John wrote:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of the God abideth for ever (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

Worldliness is a threat to the purity of the church and must be preached against so that every generation fully understands what worldliness is all about. Every Christian must realize that if he is worldly, he will not be allowed to go to heaven!

(2) The works of the flesh will keep one out of heaven. How long has it been since you heard a sermon on the works of the flesh and what will happen to one who does such things? Paul gave a long list of sins which will keep one from inheriting the kingdom of God. Please take your Bible and read and study these in detail.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).

Since these sins will cause one not to inherit the kingdom of God, don’t you see that they must be condemned! As a parent, have you taken the time to talk to your young men and young ladies about such things?

(3) The church must be kept pure. The New Testament presents the church as the body of Christ and is perfect in work, worship, and organization. But man, not being content with God’s scheme of things, has added to the work, worship, and organization of the church. Fun and frolic have been added to the work of the church; instrumental music to the worship, and sponsoring church arrangements to the organization. It is not enough to just preach what the work, worship, and organization must be, but folks need to know that additions or subtractions to God’s will in these areas are sinful! To go beyond the word of God is sin, and Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death. . .” (Rom. 6:23).

(4) The unbeliever is condemned. It must be preached that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” but please take note of the negative side of this passage. “But he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16).

Surely, you can easily see that positive preaching is good and we must do lots of that, while at the same time, a failure to point out what’s wrong will keep a lot of people out of heaven.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 9, pp. 261, 277
May 2, 1985