Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

Amazing Grace! how sweet the sound That saves a wretch like me! (John Newton, 1725-1807)

There is a gap of infinite proportions between the perfect holiness of God and the wretched sinfulness of man. God’s grace is the bridge across that gap. The better we grasp the purity of God on one hand and man’s utter defilement by sin on the other, the more amazing becomes the sight of God’s grace-and the sweeter its sound! That should be the result of our study on man’s need, God’s gift, and the means of receiving this gift, the dangers of perverting it, and the privilege of proclaiming it.

Man’s Desperate Need

The sacred and happy fellowship of man with God was broken by sin. The universe was designed and equipped by God to be a blessing to man in every way. God made man in the divine image-an eternal spirit, a pure spirit, and a spirit with moral and spiritual capacities enabling man to enjoy fellowship with his Maker. God blessed man with a body and with access to “the tree of life,” a tree whose fruit perpetually sustained the life of the body. An abundance of delicious foods was provided by trees of every variety. Man was blessed with the job of looking after the gorgeous Garden of Eden, and thus with the joy of accomplishment. The crowning gift to Adam was Eve-a companion made from his rib and perfectly suited to share with him all of life’s bounty.

The record of Genesis 1-2 reveals that God is good, generous, gracious-the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the God of all grace. Grace is “the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds” (W.E. Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words, 11:170). Adam and Eve could never earn, merit, or deserve the loving-kindness of God. Man’s fellowship with his Maker was full and free. How welcomed was the sound of God’s approach! How precious were every moment and every memory of man’s communion with God!

“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. 2:17). “Ye shall not surely die,” Satan lied, as he sang the attractions of sin. Eve listened, and ate. Adam ate. In one moment, by one sin, the horrible pall of death fell upon them. Now, they knew sin. They experienced the passing pleasure, and then . . . . Then, they experienced sin’s night, its guilt, its shame, its unspeakable horror! Now they knew pain, fear, terror, dread, and despair. Righteousness, joy, and peace vanished. The warmth and love of fellowship with God were gone. They truly knew sin with all of its wretchedness, poverty, misery, blindness, nakedness, disease, and bondage. They were living corpses!

Adam and Eve heard the approach of their beloved Friend and Master. Oh, for a place to hide! Yes, they knew sin. They could not undo their sin, could not remove its debt and defilement. All their past good works could not save them. Excuses could not avail.

God held them accountable for their sin. Man looks on the outer world. Just as God’s grace was demonstrated there, sin’s destructive force would be demonstrated there. Physical consequences fell upon the human family, and they were driven from the Garden. The result was physical disease, degeneration, and death. Those sorrows are constant reminders to us all that Satan is our enemy and sin is his instrument to destroy us. Those sorrows humble us and bring us back to reality time and time again-the reality of our desperate need for God’s grace, for His pardon, and for His fellowship.

God’s Supreme Gift of Grace

Many people view the Judgment as a time for weighing their good deeds against their bad deeds-and whichever weighs the most will determine a person’s destiny. But no amount of good deeds by Adam, before or after his sin, could outweigh the effect of even this one sin.

We are all lost if our lives are weighed on the scales of justice alone. If a person is arrested for robbing “just one bank,” he must face that one deed before the judge in spite of all of his promises not to rob again. A football player runs with the ball from one goal line to the other and steps out of bounds only one time at the fifty yard line. Will it do him any good to plead with the referee about all the yards run in bounds before and after the infraction? Is it a touchdown if the runner was sincere, or if a teammate deceived him and urged him to continue running? We must understand Adam and Eve’s despair-every sinner’s despair-your despair and mine-before we can appreciate God’s supreme gift.

While Adam and Eve staggered under the weight of their sin, God by grace promised a Savior who would bear that weight away. The son of woman would some day rise up to bruise Satan’s head, to destroy his work of sin, and to defeat his purpose of condemnation upon man (Gen. 3:15). Immediately, the human family was taught to offer animal sacrifices, which pointed to the Savior’s perfect sacrifice of Himself for sin (4:4). Later, God promised that the Savior would come out of faithful Abram’s seed-“in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (12:1-3).

Could this one sacrifice be sufficient for all sinners? Yes, the prophet said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). Yes, this innocent Servant of God would willingly suffer for all the guilt of all the sinful world. Amazing grace!

God gave the descendants of Abraham the Law of Moses because of their transgressions, to more deeply impress upon their hearts the guilt of their sins. That Law was heavy with rituals, forms and ceremonies, none of which could save of themselves, but all of which kept the slush people in training to understand the mission of the coming Messiah. Though the blood of animal sacrifices flowed like rivers, the sins of the Jews were pardoned only in prospect and Israel was annually reminded of this growing debt. But in the day of the Savior, the Law of Moses with its elementary forms and its load of debt would be replaced by a New Law of righteousness, peace, and joy to be written into the hearts of the people of God. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:31-34).

How are all these blessings made possible? “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If God did so much for us while we were enemies of God, while we were yet wicked and wretched, we cannot doubt that He will supply our every spiritual need and save us in the end now that we are friends of God justified and reconciled in His Son, Jesus Christ. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:1-10). Christ is raised from the dead, is reigning in glory, and is bringing to fruition every promise of God. Amazing grace!

Conditions For Receiving Grace

Grace provided unconditionally for our pardon “while we were yet sinners.” But our personal reception of the gift of pardon is conditional. We read of other gifts received conditionally. God offered Abraham a land, but to receive it he was called upon to leave his native country. “By faith Abraham …obeyed” (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 11:8). The generation of Jews which approached the land in Numbers 13-14 did not obtain it because they disobeyed God. The Lord told Joshua, “I have given into thine hand Jericho,” but obedience to special instructions was required in order for him to possess what God gave (Josh.6). Naaman was cleansed of leprosy when he dipped in the Jordan River seven times. This gift was available the moment Elisha spoke, but could not be received until Naaman met the condition of obedient faith (2 Kgs. 5). So it is with our pardon from sin.

How do we personally receive God’s amazing grace in the forgiveness of our sins? Jesus said that when men hear the gospel of God’s grace, they must believe it and be baptized in order to be saved by God’s grace (Mk. 16:15-16). Through Peter, the Spirit of God told sinners how to be saved by grace: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). In Acts 19:5, sinners at Ephesus, “were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Concerning these very people at Ephesus, the Holy Spirit later said,

For by grace are ye saved by grace through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:8-9).

When and how were they saved by grace through faith? When they were baptized! Baptism for remission of sins is salvation by grace through faith!

After we receive God’s grace in the pardon of our past sins, we must continue in His grace. Christ teaches us how to live each day, always putting off the old man and putting on the new (Eph. 4:17-32). He is our Savior and our head in this new relationship of God’s grace (1:22-23; 5:23). We have privileges and duties in the local church (Acts 2:42; 14:23; 20:7). If the child of God stumbles and falls into sin, God’s amazing grace reaches out still and we receive it as we repent of error, confess wrong, and pray to be forgiven (Acts 8:13-24; 19:17-20; 1 Jn. 1:5-2:2). We can despise “the Spirit of grace” by hardening our hearts, refusing to repent, and so departing in unbelief forever (Heb. 3:12ff; 6:4-6; 10:28-29).

Grace throws a rope to the man drowning in sin. He does not deserve that grace and can never earn it. Unable to reach safety by swimming to it, he must take hold and continue to hold on to the rope in order to be saved by grace.

Perversions of Grace

False teachers in the first century perverted the gospel and “the grace of Christ.” Anything more or less than the apostolic word is a perversion of grace and the Apostles warned against it: “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-9). We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices today.

1. The popular idea is that men will be saved by sincerity alone, or faith alone, or grace alone. If it were grace alone, all men would be saved because God desires none to be lost (2 Pet. 3:10); but, all will not be saved (2 Thess. 1:7-9). We receive saving grace not by faith alone, but by “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:26; 6:17). “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). If sincerity alone can save, all of the following are “nonessential”: the New Testament pattern for the church (1 Tim. 3:14-15), baptism (Mk. 16:16), Christ (Jn. 8:24), the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and God (Heb. 11:6). Many who sincerely cry, “Lord, Lord,” will be lost (Matt. 7:21-23). Jesus said that we must know the truth of God’s grace to be freed from sin (Jn. 8:32). That is why men are lost in idolatry, Masonry, cults, Catholicism, denominations, and sects.

2. Satan’s preachers say, “Since we are saved by grace, there is nothing to do in order to be saved. ” God’s Son taught that “the work of God” is to “believe on him whom he hath sent,” and that men who will not do it “shall die in your sins” (Jn. 6:29; 8:24). God’s only begotten Son, whom we must believe, also said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:5, 16). Once we enter that kingdom of grace, we just “be careful to maintain good works”-this is “faith which worketh by love” (Tit. 2:8; Gal. 5:6). These truths destroy the claim of “once saved, always saved,” i.e. the claim that once we are saved there is still nothing to do in order to receive the final redemption. The Holy Spirit told those who departed into heresy, “Ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4).

3. The Devil’s ministers speak of “irresistible grace” and a “direct miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit .in conviction and conversion,” This means that sinners are waiting on God to act. But God urges sinners to act-to “save yourselves” by obeying the gospel or else be self-condemned (Acts 2:40; 13:46). If sinners must wait on God, He is responsible for their lost state and is a respecter of persons for saving some and neglecting others (10:34).

4. Error argues, “We don’t need the church since we are saved by grace.” Christ is the Head and Savior of the church, which He “purchased with his own blood” (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Acts 20:28). To be saved “by grace” is to be reconciled unto God “in one body”-the church! (Eph. 2:8, 16). The kingdom, body, or church of Christ refers to our relationship with Christ, including all duties and privileges He gave us in the local church. Just as there is only one true God, there is only one true church which is the fulness of divine grace (1:3, 22-23; 4:4).

5. In an effort to declare the conditions for receiving grace “non-essential, ” Satan pretends that they are “works of human merit. ” Thus, man cannot exercise his own faith in the gospel upon hearing it but must wait for God to give faith as a miraculous gift. Or, man upon believing cannot be baptized as the means of calling on God for pardon, lest he should earn salvation. The truth is that faith and baptism are just as essential in God’s plan of grace as is hearing the gospel (Mk. 16:15-16). These conditions mean that sinners cannot be saved by their own merit and so must receive God’s grace in the manner He chose to give it.

6. Another perversion says, ” If we believe the basics and are baptized, violations of the Bible pattern (instrumental music in worship, premillennialism, institutionalism in church work, church sponsored social meals and recreation, etc.) are forgiven even as they are committed. When error is sincere, grace does not require such `mechanical and meritorious works’ as repentance, confession, and prayer for pardon. ” This theory reflects a weakening faith in the authority of the Bible pattern, compromise with the popular idea of salvation by sincerity, and capitulation to the denominational dogma that conditions are works of merit. Leroy Garrett started at this very point, later conceded baptism on the same theory, and is now “sympathetic with . . . universalism”-grace wholly unconditional (Restoration Review, Nov. 1984, p. 366). Human speculation about grace is not the Word of God’s grace. What saith the Scripture? “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God” (2 Jn. 9). Whosoever! “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,” you can be restored to God’s grace only be meeting the conditions of grace (Acts 8:18,24; Jas. 5:16-20.)

7. To kelp people from obeying God now, Satan preaches that grace will be extended to the lost after death. The second-chance idea comes in many forms: prayers for the dead, baptisms of the living for the dead, and theories about the dead hearing the gospel in hades or being raised to hear it later. The Bible says with finality that God provided His grace in Christ to the living and that after we die we face the certainty of judgment (Heb. 9:27-28). It’s now or never! Spread The Good News Of Salvation By Grace!

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Tit. 2:11). God wants all men to hear of His amazing grace. It is broad enough to take in everyone, if only men will receive it. The Lord is patient, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). During the time of God’s patience, we have the wonderful privilege of telling men about His grace.

We must show men their desperate need for God, the supreme gift of His love, the conditions for receiving it, the dangers of perverting grace, and the joy of sharing God’s grace. “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (Jn. 4:35). In other words, men perish while we delay. Like men and women of the first century who caught the sweet sound of God’s amazing grace, let us go “everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:3-4).

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 2, pp. 38-39, 51
January 17, 1985

By Ken Thomas

I claim no special understanding or ability which causes me to write a few things on this subject, but I believe we must try and “call Bible things by Bible names and do Bible things in Bible ways.” We have expressed this sentiment for years as Christians and preachers of the gospel in sermons and in Bible classes in the congregations where we have labored.

It seems to me that we are not being careful enough (in some cases at least) in our writing and preaching and even in our singing to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). Take for example the common misuse of the name “Christian. ” Everything from the country in which we live to the family car or the pet poodle is called “Christian” by some of my brethren. The New Testament treats this “worthy name” with much more respect and dignity than do some among us and it seems to me this cheapens and makes common a name that should be respected more than that. The Holy Spirit only uses the name three times in the New Testament and each time it refers to a disciple (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).

Another Example

Another area of concern to me is the common mistake of speaking about the church universal and applying our conclusions to the local congregation. This is a common mistake in my estimation and needs more study and consideration. Perhaps one of the reasons why some of our friends and neighbors have such a hard time accepting the truth about Christ and His church is that, as we teach them the necessity of membership in Christ’s church, we leave the impression, perhaps, that we are speaking of the congregation where we meet and worship instead of the universal body, that relationship of the family of God, the kingdom of Christ.

Any congregation of the Lord’s people (if all things are according to the New Testament pattern) is a church of Christ, but it is not the church of Christ. The church of Christ is made up, not of congregations, but of saved individuals redeemed by the blood of Jesus when obedient to the gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 12:20).

When we say that Christ is the founder of the church of Christ (Matt. 16:18); that it had its beginning on the first Jewish Pentecost following the resurrection, ascension and coronation of Christ at God’s right hand on David’s throne (Acts 2:22-38, 41,47); that its beginning place was Jerusalem, Palestine, as prophesied (Isa. 2:2-3; Lk. 24:44-53); that the time of its beginning was “in the last days” and, according to our calendars, was about 30 A.D.; that membership is reserved only for those who as believers repent and are immersed in water for the forgiveness of past sins (Acts 2:38, 41,47), we sometimes leave the impression that we are speaking of the local congregation of which we are a member.

But all of the above is spoken of and applies not to any local congregation, but to the church universal, a relationship not an organization. A local congregation is not established by Christ except in an abstract sense. It is set up by the judgment and desire of a group of men and women who are already members of the church of Christ. One is not baptized into any local congregation, but rather into Christ and thereby one comes into a relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-29; 2 Jn. 9; Jn. 14:23; Mt. 28:18-20).

One Final Point

There is a statement which characterizes somewhat how I feel about seeking to express what I am now about to attempt to say. It says, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. ” I am not rushing in but I pray not to be misunderstood and ask each who reads this to consider carefully and, if I err in this, please assist me in a better understanding and way of expressing this principle under consideration.

I have heard for years, brethren speaking and writing of the division between “the Christian Church and the church of Christ.” The very expression above leaves much to be desired in my estimation. I do not think it is a scriptural expression. Books of history on the “restoration movement” frequently say something like this: “In 1906 the church was divided into two groups, the Christian church and the church of Christ.” To be fair, some writers do, and some did, say, “They were divided into two groups, the Christian churches and the churches of Christ.” Usually, however, then and now when speaking of the problem, members of the body of Christ will say “the Christian church and the church of Christ” as if the several congregations of brethren form the church. Brethren, that’s not only institutional, it is denominational.

The fact is, if those who identify with some local Christian church or some “liberal” church of Christ for that matter, are still our brethren even though in error; the church of our Lord has not been divided and so far as I can understand, fellowship is on an individual level, not between bodies or congregations though we may endorse or not endorse a particular group (congregation). Those who no longer walk in the light are out of fellowship with Christ and hence with his faithful brethren. Still the church of our Lord, the kingdom of Christ, is not divided.

Am I making myself clear in this? I pray I am. Will some of you brethren respond with some constructive thinking and writing that will make this clear if I haven’t or correct me if I am wrong in my conclusions?

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 1, p. 17
January 3, 1985

By Johnny Stringer

Under Jesus’ law, marriage is to be permanent. He plainly declared, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6), thus prohibiting divorce. He proceeded to condemn as adulterous the second marriages of divorced people (Matt. 19:9). The New Testament teaches that those who marry are bound to each other for as long as they both live (Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:39). Jesus made only one exception to that rule.

Some brethren have not really grasped the Lord’s teaching on the subject. They understand that one who divorces his spouse cannot remarry (unless it is a case in which the one exception applies); but they have the notion that divorce is perfectly permissible as long as there is no remarriage. They think the only sin is in remarrying. Such thinking is of the devil.

In the first place, the marriage partners made vows to each other; they entered into a covenant to be true and faithful to each other. When a divorce occurs, those vows are not kept. The same is true if one deserts his spouse or if they agree to separate indefinitely, even if no divorce occurs. It might be observed that if an abusive mate forced his mate to flee for safety, he has no right to complain that this mate is failing to keep the vows; for he is to blame for his mate’s being in a position that makes it impossible to keep the vows.

In the second place, Jesus quite clearly commanded, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). Divorce, therefore, is contrary to Jesus’ clear order, whether remarriage occurs or not; and whoever is responsible for the divorce is guilty of sin. Remarriage only adds further sin to the already existing sin of divorce.

Thirdly, in Matthew 5:32 it is not said that the one who put away his spouse remarried; nevertheless, he is not considered to be innocent. Jesus said that he is guilty of causing his spouse to commit adultery. He causes her to commit adultery by putting her into a position in which she would be more strongly tempted. One cannot put his spouse into that position and be free of guilt.

Finally, Paul explicitly condemned leaving one’s spouse in 1 Corinthians 7. In verses 2-4, he taught the obligation of husband and wife to satisfy each other’s physical needs, affirming that each has the right to the body of the other. One who leaves his mate is sinfully failing this obligation and depriving that mate of that to which the mate has a God-given right. Paul therefore instructed husbands and wives not to separate except it be by mutual consent, and then for only a short time (v. 5). Then in verse 10, he issued the explicit pronouncement: “Let not the wife depart from her husband.” What could be plainer? Anyone who can understand Acts 2:38 can understand that. Then the last part of verse 11 says, “Let not the husband put away his wife”; this would be sinful, whether remarriage occurred or not.

After ordering the woman not to depart from her husband, Paul gives the proper course to take if one does commit that sin, giving her the option of either remaining unmarried or being reconciled to her husband. Some think that when Paul prescribed the proper course for those who violate the command, he thereby nullified the command. Of course not. Departing violates the clear command of verse 10, hence is sinful; but those who disobey this command, and then decide they want to straighten up their lives, need to know what to do; so Paul gave them their options. A parallel can be seen in 1 John 2:1. John said, “These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father.” The words “if she depart” in 1 Corinthians 7 do not give her the right to depart, any more than the words “if any man sin” in 1 John 2 give a man the right to sin.

I do not contend that the departing which Paul forbids has reference to fleeing for safety from an abusive mate. When Paul spoke of departing, it is doubtful that he had reference to being driven out. I do contend that the severance of a marriage is wrong and the party or parties responsible will be held accountable. An abusive mate who drives his spouse away is surely guilty of producing the breakup of the marriage.

Marriage is a serious matter. God intends it to be permanent, and anyone who is responsible for severing the marriage relationship is guilty of sin. Moreover, once a person marries, even if a divorce occurs, he will never be free to marry anyone else as long as his first mate lives. There is only one exception to this rule. The exception will be discussed in a future article.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 1, p. 16
January 3, 1985

By Hoyt H. Houchen

Much has been written on the person of Christ, but surprisingly, little has been expounded on the person of God the Father. This may be due in part to the fact that theologians are generally agreed upon the person of God the Father. More controversy exists with regard to the person of Christ. A study of the person of God the Father deserves our careful attention, not only because we need to be informed as to His person, but that we may be able to serve Him more acceptably.

God is more than an immovable force. In contrast to paganism and modern pantheism, God is a personality. He is not a mere inanimate object, nor an abstract idea. He is the one in whom we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Several considerations support the proposition that God is a personal being.

Desire Of Man To Worship

The desire upon the part of man to worship is innate. A universal longing of magi to render homage to a higher being than himself is evident. When the ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun, they were expressing their desire for a superior object. When the mother throws her infant into the “sacred” Ganges river, she is reaching out for something to worship. When the Indian speaks of “happy hunting grounds,” he is expressing his desire for something higher. It has been said that there were more gods and goddesses in Athens, Greece than there were men.

Paul addressed the Athenians: “Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you” (Acts 17:22,23). The altar “to an unknown God” expressed their searching for an object of worship. There is within man that desire to worship something or someone higher than himself.

The Visible More Plausible To Man

Man is prone to worship the visible rather than the invisible. The visible being more tangible than the invisible, this inclination is clearly illustrated by the idols of paganism which depict resemblances of human beings as animals.

But the idea of an impersonal god is not confined to paganism. Organic evolution rules out the existence of a personal God. The god of organic evolution is not a personal being, but rather an impersonal force to which mind and matter respond. The creation of mind and matter by an omniscient and omnipotent person is denied and is substituted by the idea of a slow, evolutionary process involving millions of years. But no evidence for this view has been found in the fields of geology, paleontology, biology, zoology or in any other field of science. There is far more evidence to support the first fact stated in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), than the hypotheses of organic evolution.

Even ancient Israel occasionally expressed a desire to worship the visible. Shortly after her departure from Egypt, she demanded of Aaron, “Up, make us gods” and he made a golden calf (perhaps the image of a bull). The people worshiped it and sacrificed to it (Ex. 32:1-8). Later Israel wanted a human king, not the invisible divine King (1 Sam. 8:4-8). Still later, Jeroboam I (c. 930-909 B.C.) led a revolt against Rehoboam, king of Judah, taking ten tribes with him to the north. He made two calves of gold and said to the people: “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan” (1 Kgs. 12:28,29). Other examples of Israel’s idolatry are mentioned in the Old Testament (2 Kgs. 17:9-12; Ezek. 6:6; 20:31; etc.). Israel’s idolatry, and other sins were the reasons for her being led into captivity.

The Testimony Of The Universe

The magnitude, scope and orderly arrangement of the universe testifies to a superior intellect. The precision which makes possible the accurate movements of our universe demands by reason that only intelligence can account for its origin and existence. As there are laws which govern life upon the earth, so there are laws which govern the universe. The astronomer, for instance, is able with mathematical precision to predict the exact time when there will be an eclipse of the moon or some other planetary object. Men are able with the same accuracy to determine the times for the low and high tides of the ocean. When there is a law there must be a lawgiver. There must be a supreme intelligence and the Bible declares it to be God, an intelligent personal being (Gen. 1:1; Psa. 19:1).

The Make-Up Of Man Testifies

The very make-up of man is staggering to the human imagination. The Psalmist declared: “I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa. 139:14). The functions of the human being, the composite system of intelligence and a biological organism is sufficient within itself to reflect the wondrous hands of the most proficient designer. The workings and potentials of the human mind are probably less known than what has been learned about space. The multiple colors and the intricate design of the beautiful butterfly reflect the astounding art of the master artist. Only a superior personal creator, an intelligent being, can be the plausible explanation for the origin of life, mind and matter.

Man is more than a biological organism with an intellect. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image or likeness of God (Gen. 1:26,27). This nature of man was created (Heb. bara). The other nature was formed (Heb. yatsar) of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7). God is spirit (Jn. 4:24) and since man was made in the likeness of God, it is this aspect in which man is like God – he is a spiritual being. He was created in the spiritual image of God. It is to the spiritual nature of man that God appeals in His divine revelation (Jn. 3:5,6; Rom. 12:1; etc.). Our physical bodies result from the natural laws of procreation; they are born of parents; God is the Father of our spirits (Heb. 12:9). As a result of the new birth (a spiritual birth), man “is renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:10). The physical body is that feature that is peculiar to man. Jesus was “made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7) when He became incarnate, became flesh (Jn. 1:14). Man, then is not only physical, that which characterizes him as man; but he is also spiritual, that which is like God. The spirit of man departs from the body at death (Jas. 2:26). It is the part of man that is immortal as God his Creator is immortal. God is eternal, He has no beginning or end. Man’s spirit began its existence at birth and is eternal; it will always exist somewhere. As the spirit of man is more than an abstract idea or an inanimate object, God the giver of man’s spirit must by a reasonable faith be accepted as a person.

God Reveals Himself

The gods of men have been conceived of as persons, represented by material images; but persons cannot be known unless they reveal themselves. God our Creator has revealed Himself through His word, thus we are able to learn about God. God speaks. He spoke to Abraham directly while he was living in Ur, beyond the Euphrates. God commanded Abraham to leave his home and go into a land which God would show him. Abraham believed God and obeyed. Through God’s word and Abraham’s faithful response to it, Abraham began to know God. God spoke to him on subsequent occasions, and Abraham became known as “the friend of God” (Jas. 2:23). God addressed Moses directly. Moses learned His name, something about His character and nature. God spoke through prophets, on one occasion through a dumb ass, and on another occasion by handwriting on the wall. He now speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1,2). God authenticates that He is a person by addressing man through His written word. He does not speak directly to men today as He did in times past. We learn of God through divine revelation. It should be noted that when men seek to find God solely through the avenues of nature, they inevitably become idolaters. Nature only testifies in behalf of the one true God whom His word has revealed. Observation of nature results in a recognition of a supreme intelligence as to its cause. The Bible reveals who that intelligence is – GOD.

Through the avenue of prayer we address God. The expressions of praise, gratitude and petitions are evidences that the God whom we worship and serve is a personal being.

God Contrasted With Idols

A marked contrast is drawn between God and men’s idols. This distinction is seen and described in such Scriptures as Isaiah 44:9-17. Idolaters pray to a god that cannot hear, that cannot see, that cannot speak. The foolishness and futility of worshiping a dumb idol is obvious.

Conclusion

In order that man may be more able to visualize God as the invisible person that He is, the Bible abounds in anthropomorphisms (characteristics of man attributed to God). This is seen in such passages as Isaiah 59:1,2 and 1 Peter 3:12 where God is said to have a hand, ears, eyes and a face. Anthropopathisms (human feelings ascribed to God) are also found in the Bible – such as rejoicing, sorrow and anger (Lk. 15:7; Deut. 9:19; Hos. 11:9; etc.). Though invisible, these attributes attest to His personality. God is omniscient. He knows all that man thinks (Heb. 4:13).

In contrast to polytheism, there is but one God. “I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God” (Isa. 45:5). The one God who reveals Himself in the Bible is the first person in the Godhead, God the Father. He is an invisible, immortal personality. We rejoice that we, His children can praise Him, extol His matchless name, petition Him, and serve Him from the heart.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 2, pp. 33, 57
January 17, 1985