Truth Magazine

By Tom Roberts

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. . .” (Isa. 64:6).

Among some brethren today who have become enamored with (and tainted by) aspects of Calvinism, the above passage is being used as a proof-text that man is passive in the plan of salvation due to his depraved character. While there are some who are not consistent on this subject and will not adopt the entire Tulip theology of Calvinism which includes “total hereditary depravity,” others are preaching that man is indeed depraved to the extent that he cannot “do” anything to be saved – God must do it all. Quotations can be given from brethren who are insisting that any attempt to have man “doing” anything with regard to salvation is equal to salvation by works or trusting in ourselves and not God. Such brethren are proceeding ever further into the quicksand of denominational theology and are already “over their heads” without realizing it.

Try to understand, if you are unfamiliar with this error, just what is being taught by the use of this passage. Calvinism teaches that all of mankind has become depraved in body and soul due to the inheriting of sin from our fathers (from Adam until now). Because of this depravity, no man is able to think good thoughts, understand the Bible, perform any good works, etc. If man (any man) is to be saved, this salvation must come wholly, totally and exclusively from God because, in this view, man’s depravity has made him incapable of doing anything good. Standard arguments among denominations reject baptism on the grounds that it is a “work” and that man is depraved and cannot “do” anything to save himself. This is the basis for the doctrine of “salvation by faith alone.” Adherents teach that salvation is wholly of grace and that the “faith of Ephesians 2:8, 9 is a gift of God (rather than salvation itself being a gift). Thus God brings about salvation by His own power and grace without any action on the part of the man.

Faithful brethren have always rejected this error. There is nothing in the obedience of faith that nullifies the grace of God. Such passages as John 6:29; 8:39; Acts 10:34, 35, etc., show that man is required to “work out your own salvation” (Phil. 2:12) by obeying the conditions of God’s grace. Yes, man can freely choose to do right, understand the truth and obey it (Rom. 6:16-18). He can do the works which God has appointed him to show faithful obedience just as Abraham did for his own justification. This “doing” is not the “worketh” that is condemned in Romans 4:4ff. The Jews were condemned for trusting in works for salvation and not trusting in God. But they were never condemned for faithful obedience.

When anyone takes the passage in Isaiah 64:6 and uses it to teach the depravity of man and an inability to obey God because of that depravity, they have committed at least two evils. First of all, they have violated the context. Secondly, they have arrayed one Scripture against all the other Scriptures which show the free morality of man.

Context. Isaiah was a prophet sent to a people who had rebelled against God, were hypocritical, and yet who still claimed to be faithful servants of God. A quick reading of Isaiah will show this to be the case: 1:2-9, 10-17 is but one example. Under these circumstances, every act that Israel did was an abomination to God. The very things required by the law (observance of sabbaths, sacrifices, etc.) became acts of hypocrisy because of the rebellious attitude of the Jews. It is for this reason that Isaiah could truthfully say that ” We are all as an unclean thing” (64:6). It is for this reason that he could charge that all the “righteousness” (their lawful deeds) were as “filthy rags.” Friends, it was not that the Jews were depraved due to inheriting Adam’s sin that caused this charge against them. It was because they had willfully rebelled against God and God would not receive their hypocritical worship. For those of you who think otherwise, let me pose this question to you: Was there ever a time when worship of man was anything other than “filthy rags”? If so, what made it so? Was Isaiah condemning the Jews because they were depraved by birth or because they were hypocritical? I suggest a careful reading of Isaiah to see the truth.

Arraying Scripture Against Scripture. No greater sin can we commit than to suggest that one Scripture teaches something that other Scriptures condemn. To do so is to charge God with something less than honesty and to accept that the Bible is not consistent with itself. Yet those who would use Isaiah 64:6 to state that man is depraved and unclean from his birth are guilty of this very thing. There are too many Scriptures that show the innocence of a child at birth, the ability of man to choose good from evil, the reflection of man of his Creator (made in His image), and his free morality than to take this one Scripture out of its context and use it deceitfully.

In the light of the truth, it makes me not a little angry for some person, let alone a brother in Christ, to suggest that man is totally passive in the plan of salvation and that whatever he does (faith, repentance, baptism, etc.) are as “filthy rags.” Think, brethren! The very obedience that God has asked us to do which is patterned after the faithful obedience of Christ (Heb. 5:8, 9) is filthy rags? Never in a million years! In the words of Peter, “in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:35). Can a sinner work? Yes. Are sinners’ works acceptable to God? Yes, when they show the trust of the sinner toward God. Does the sinner have something to do in his own justification? Yes, as he righteously works those things which God has assigned as conditions of grace. This is the proper relation of “salvation by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8, 9).

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 6, pp. 178, 182
March 21, 1985

By Richard W. Terry

An old boy “down home” was caught on his roof top. One of his neighbors came floating by on his house. In the dire state of affairs he quipped, “John, this flood is just awful, isn’t it?” John replied, “No, it’s not so bad.” The neighbor somewhat surprised, retorted, “What do you mean ‘it’s not so bad?”‘ “Why, there goes your hen house floating down stream.” John simply replied, “Yeah, I know, but six months ago I started raising ducks and there they are, everyone of them just swimming around. Everything is going to be alright.” “But, John, this water is going to ruin your crops,” the neighbor persisted. Still undaunted, John replied, “No, it’s not. My crops were already ruined and just the last week the county agent told me my land really needed more water, so this solved that problem.” The pessimist tried one more time to get his cheerful friend. He added, “But, John, the water is still rising. The first thing you know, it’s going to be up to your windows.” Grinning wider than ever, our optimistic friend replied, “Man, I hope so, they’re powerfully dirty and need washin’.”

In the world there are two kinds of people. The “I can do it, I’ll give it my best, if at first I don’t succeed, I’ll keep trying” and the “It can’t be done, so there’s no use in trying. ” Likewise, in the church, we have two types of Christians, winners and losers. The “winners” are those Christians enjoying their Christian experience to the fullest, while the “losers” are miserable and like the fellow in our story, can’t seem to find anything good about life.

The “loser” views. his Christian experience like a prison sentence-something to be served, reluctantly, but never enjoyed. While the “winner” sees his or her life as a Christian as abounding with opportunities and blessings to be enjoyed. Matthew records Jesus’ sermon – the early portion of that sermon has been called the “B” attitudes or blessing attitudes. The word translated “blessed” means “happy, ” so Christians should be happy people. With an of the misery that existed in that day and age, Jesus told them nine times of happy experiences that could be enjoyed as a Christian.

1. Happy are the poor in spirit.

2. Happy are they that mourn.

3. Happy are the meek.

4. Happy are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness.

5. Happy are the merciful.

6. Happy are the pure in heart.

7. Happy are the peace makers.

8. Happy are those who are persecuted for Christ’s sake.

9. Happy are those ridiculed for the cause of Christ.

Then Jesus told those people to do something that seemed almost incredulous in the face of mounting opposition. He said, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad.”

Christianity is a rejoicing religion. Our songs, our prayers, every fiber of our being should resound with praise and rejoicing for the wonderful love of God that is spread abroad in our lives. Texts like Romans 5:2, “Rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” or Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, Rejoice,” or Philippians 3:1, “Finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord,” all stand as testimony to the glorious joy of being a “child of the King.”

When we think of what God’s blessings mean to us, when we think of how lost we were before we came to know Jesus, when we think of all that God does for us, why should we be sad or disappointed? The Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 36:8, “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house. Thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasure.” Again in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Further in Psalm 34:10, “They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” Finally, in Psalm 37:4 David writes, “Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Did you catch that last statement? God is able to do more than we ask or think “according to the power that worketh in us.” There isn’t anything that God has asked us to do that we can’t do. Why? Because God gives us the “power” to accomplish it.

It is sad, but some Christians leave the impression that they were “weaned on a pickle.” They’re not “happy” in the Lord unless they are sharing their misery with others.

I am convinced that millions of people today are not sharing my joy and happiness in being saved and happy to ten about it, because some Christians have the “long-faced, poor suffering little me, self-sacrificing, tell-everybody all my troubles” type of attitude about being a Christian; they act like their second birth was just as painful as their first one was to their mothers. God has not called us to misery, grief and woe. He called us to joy and peace and happiness.

Friends, our joy of being a Christian should be reflected in the way we say “Hello.” After all, when we die we’re going to Heaven; why shouldn’t we be happy? Brethren, we are rich beyond words with the grace of God and His abundant mercy and blessings. “Rejoice, and again I say rejoice.”

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 6, p. 176
March 21, 1985

By Weldon E. Warnock

Following several months of severe illness, brother George Flem of Englewood, Ohio passed away January 24, 1985 at the Veterans Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

Brother Flem, who was a member of the Knollwood Church of Christ in Xenia, Ohio, preached for many congregations following his obedience to the gospel in 1953 at Albany, California. Within two weeks of his conversion, he was searching for small congregations where he could do some preaching and teaching. He later preached full-time for congregations in Portland, Oregon; Pasco, Washington; Lancaster, Brawby, and Vacaville in California; St. Peters, Missouri; and Englewood, Ohio.

During his third year at Englewood, he began to feel tired; he began teaching electronics, thinking a change of pace would perhaps make him feel better. Shortly thereafter, he had to begin drug therapy for Crohn’s Disease. He later suffered through two surgeries, then cancer of the kidney, kidney failure, strokes and Myotonic Dystrophy (a form of Muscular Dystrophy).

When visitors came to see him at the hospital, they were treated to his subtle wit and humor. He complained very little.

Brother Flem also was in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years. At retirement from the Navy, he was Chief Electronics Technician and subsequently taught school for a while.

He is survived by his wife Benetta, daughter Peggy Alexander of Sacramento, California (whose husband Don is a gospel preacher); Kristine Copeland of Gambrills, Maryland; sons, George K. Flem, gospel preacher, Maple Heights, Ohio; Robert of Dayton, Ohio and Charles and William of Englewood, Ohio and several grandchildren.

Memorial services were conducted by brother Basil L. Copeland, Sr., at the Dayton National Cemetery. Brother Copeland spoke of the service, devotion and humility of brother Flem and read a poem the Flems had presented to the Copelands on their 25th wedding anniversary some years back.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 6, pp. 173, 180
March 21, 1985

By David L. Joy

(Editor’s Note: Brother Joy is certainly qualified to speak on the subject of adversity. Last fall, brother Joy suffered a heart disease which required a heart transplant and many weeks of confinement in the hospital. No doubt the material presented in this article was applied in his life during these adversities and is now written for our learning in this article.)

Adversity does invade the life of the Christian. The Christian is not immune to the normal crises which characterize life under the sun. However, adversity can be turned to advantage and teach profound lessons on life. The writer said, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Eccl. 7:2). One must learn the proper use of adversity. The Preacher said, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him” (Eccl. 7:14). What lessons do the days of adversity teach?

Lessons From Adversity

The days of adversity teach “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Death shows no respect of persons. “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath” (Eccl. 9:2). This truth should not make one pessimistic concerning life. It should cause the individual to recognize the reality of death, and the necessity to consider the incorruptible part of man’s being.

Secondly, the days of adversity teach the need for the inward man to be “renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). It is an easy mistake of life to pursue certain interests to the exclusion of man’s spiritual needs. The Preacher said, “All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite (Heb., soul) is not filled” (Eccl. 6:7). Jesus said, “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (Jn. 6:27). When one stands before the “Father of Spirits” in judgment, how one has prepared his soul for eternity is the thing that matters.

Thirdly, the days of adversity teach that one must work “while it is day” (Jn. 9:4). The night will come when man can no longer work. Today is the only day that the Christian has to labor in the Kingdom. Yesterday is gone. To dwell upon the past can create indifference and discontentment with the present (Eccl. 7: 10). The future is unknown. The Bible says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27: 1). Therefore, the Christian must use the opportunities of today to their best advantage.

Finally, the days of adversity teach the necessity of faith that will sustain through the hour of trial. Trials of life are essential to test the quality of one’s faith. Furthermore, the hour of trial is not the time that faith is developed. The faithful Christian will continually “perfect that which is lacking in your faith” (1 Thess. 3:10). When the dark days of adversity come, the mature Christian will have sufficient faith to endure the time of crisis.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 6, p. 173
March 21, 1985