Truth Magazine

By Ramon A. Madrigal

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:18b-20 NIV).

These words of Jesus, commonly referred to as the “Great Commission,” have throughout the ages been a source of motivation to disciplined (i.e. disciple) Christians everywhere to zealously perform the task of evangelism. Yet while many brethren fully realize the implications of this passage to those who would carry their cross daily, others often point to the preacher to do their Divine decree. These apathetic (or should I say “pathetic”?) Christians try to defend their continual. neglect by claiming that they are not equipped (as is the preacher) to teach anybody, much less than “all nations.” While it is true that some have been blessed with teaching talents, personal charm, and the “gift of gab,” we often overlook something of striking importance in this passage. Jesus not only commands, but promises! He says, “I will be with you always.”

While many obstacles confront the Christian in his quest for souls, Christ provides constant companionship in our efforts to seek and save the lost. Yes, we are sometimes less than perfect teachers of the Word; sometimes we are sloppy in our “cottage” presentations, often weak in our social prowess, fumbling through our feeble vocabulary for the right words; but we are not alone. Jesus promises to be with us. Perhaps it would be helpful to look at some heroes of the Old Testament era and notice how God accomplished His great purposes through weak and sometimes reluctant men.

God Used Men

In Genesis 12, the Lord Yahweh calls Abram and commands him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and to go to the land that God would show him. We might imagine ourselves hesitating at such prospects, but Abram quickly did as he was told. Whatever Abram might have thought about the matter, he demonstrated his loyalty and faithfulness to Yahweh by his actions (see James 2). What we need to notice, however, is that along with the command came a promise: “I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you will I curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you” (vv. 2-1).

The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 beautifully demonstrates the providence of God. Sold into slavery at the tender age of seventeen, Joseph rose to a prominent position in his master’s house, only to be cast into prison at the hands of a scheming woman. When most people would have given up all hope to despair, the faithful Joseph patiently waited for God to act. He soon became ruler over all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. This history should comfort all Christians today in their efforts to serve Him even in times of trouble (see Rom. 8:28). God has promised the “crown of life” to all those who are “faithful unto death” (Rev. 2: 10).

While Abram and Joseph readily accepted their assigned duties, the great Lawgiver himself, Moses, was rather reluctant at his responsibility. Upon being commissioned by God to “bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:11), Moses replied, “Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh . . . ?” He later complained (as many do today) of being uneloquent in speech, with a slow tongue. Yet Moses was forgetting the Lord’s promise of strength and support. In verse 12, Yahweh assured His servant that “I certainly will be with you. . . . ” This is a continual covenant God makes with His messengers. His steadfast promise gives us strength, comfort, and courage as we shine our lights in a darkened and dismal world. We need to remember, as did Moses, that although the task before us is awesome in scope and eternal in consequence, God has not left us alone. He continued with Joshua as He did with Moses, and that promise was reissued to Israel’s new leader (cf. Deut. 31:23 and Josh. 1:59). This is a profound principle. God does not leave us to our own devices to struggle without His presence, but He blesses us with Himself.

When God sent Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, Gideon was perplexed at his unlikely qualifications as a savior. The least in position in his father’s poor household, Gideon exclaimed: “How can I save Israel?” Notice God’s promise: “Surely I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man” (Judg. 6:15-16). This blessing seems contagious once we look at it from a biblical perspective. Upon a thorough examination of the Scriptures, one quickly recognizes the fact that God’s promises are steadfast and sure, and that our feeble excuses (from evangelism) do not free us from responsibility but exhibit weakened faith. While it is true that it is often difficult to preach Christ to ungodly colleagues and profane neighbors, it is equally true that Christ gives us the necessary strength and energy to accomplish all things (Phil. 4:13). Jesus’ words in Matthew 28 need not haunt us for neglected duty but excite us to spiritual opportunity. Inherent in the Great Commission is a Great Promise! That no matter what may happen in our evangelistic efforts, we are not alone – for God is with us! Indeed, He is with us always!

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, p. 468
August 2, 1984

By Anonymous

“If I quit going on week end trips with my husband in order to attend services regularly, he will leave me.” Such fear may exist in the heart of many a Christian married to a non-Christian, but it rarely, if ever, has been expressed more forthrightly. In the mind of the dear sister this was an extremely serious problem. She definitely did not want to lose her husband. How could I possibly encourage her to attend Sunday services regularly?

It was necessary to respond in some way, but how could I impress her with her duty and at the same time avoid putting down her husband? It is always appropriate to appeal to the Scriptures. We read Ephesians 5:22: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord.”

After that reading, I emphasized that she definitely had an obligation to be submissive to her husband. Then I said, “This passage requires your submission to your husband to be ‘as (your submission) unto the Lord.”‘ Having obtained her agreement, I pointed out that if submission to her husband was “as unto the Lord,” then her submission “unto the Lord” necessarily must come first.

Next we read 1 Corinthians 7:13-15: “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean: but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. but God hath called us to peace.”

With that reading concluded, I again emphasized that her first obligation must be to the Lord and that submission to her husband must take second place. I also pointed out that in case her faithfulness unto the Lord did cause her husband to leave her, she was instructed by this passage to let him go.

Realizing that she faced a heart-rending choice, I decided to take a calculated risk. I said, “I have never met your husband and therefore do not know him at all, but if you decide to begin attending services regularly, he will not leave you. If I am wrong about that, if he does leave you, he is not nearly as smart as I believe he is. I think that he is smart enough to know that he has a good wife and that if he was to leave you, he would not be able to find a better woman than you. I think he is smart enough to want to keep you.”

He did want to keep her. She quit going with him on weekend trips and began attending Sunday services regularly. Her husband did not leave her and she was happier in her marriage than ever before.

In one church where I worked, the oldest member was a man who had been raised in a rural area where the churches only met on Sunday. He had obeyed the gospel late in life, but when he did, it was with a whole heart. However, he had never been able to see any need to attend mid-week services. Time and again we discussed his attitude and studied the Scriptures. In time he began attending the Wednesday evening services. Then I had to be away one Wednesday and the brethren became involved in a warm, if not heated, discussion. I was never able to learn exactly what took place, but it destroyed all that I had been able to accomplish with one dear brother. I have no knowledge of him ever again attending a mid-week service the rest of his life.

In one church with which I was associated, the brethren were in the habit of saying: “By faith this is the body of Christ” and “By faith this is the blood of Christ” when they offered thanks at the Lord’s table. At that time, I was not acquainted with metaphors; thus, I was unable to explain that Jesus used them when He instituted the Lord’s supper. (Yes, I had a college degree, but education is no guarantee that a fellow knows everything. Every preacher should take warnings.) I could only say that the bread and fruit of the vine are the body and blood of Christ in no way other than the way which Christ meant. Of course, that was no answer at all. However, I had some questions which I wanted those brethren to answer.

I asked, “Do you believe the bread and fruit of the vine become the literal flesh and blood of Jesus?” They did not. I asked, “Does the bread and fruit of the vine become the spiritual body of Christ?” They were not certain and would neither answer yes nor no. I pointed out that if the bread and fruit of the vine actually becomes the flesh and blood of Christ at all, it has to become that either literally or spiritually. They had denied the literal and, therefore, must either say that it becomes the spiritual body and blood of Christ or else actually does not become the body and blood of Christ.

Then I pointed out that we were all agreed that the church is the spiritual body of Christ (Eph. 1: 19-23). Therefore, the bread did not become the spiritual body of Christ. Thus the bread and fruit of the vine actually must not become the body and blood of Christ in any way. However, that was not the end of the matter. As is often the case, that only took care of a symptom, not the real problem. The problem was that they objected to using the word “represents.” After a time, I preached a sermon on the Lord’s supper and showed that the idea of memory – the bringing of something to mind – inheres in the word “remembrance.”

I pointed out that any object used to cause something else to be brought to mind may properly be said to represent the thing it brings to mind. Then I appealed to those brethren to cease objecting to the use of the word “represents,” in the offering of thanks at the Lord’s table.

There was a knock at my door; when I answered, a preacher and a member of the church where he was preaching were wanting to talk to me. I was well acquainted with both of them. It had not been long since the preacher had printed an uncomplimentary article in the church bulletin about a couple who had quit attending there and had started attending where I preached. I had responded in our bulletin pointing out that the couple had not identified with us; that we had not been contacted by brethren of the other church about the matter and suggesting that the author of the article should get the facts straight, before printing such erroneous charges.

Now these two brethren had come to explain to me that due to the circumstances under which the couple departed from them, the church where I was preaching must not use the man in any public way (neither church had elders, at that time). After some discussion, I asked, “Has the church there withdrawn from them?” It had not. I asked, “Does it intend to withdraw from them?” It did not. Then I said, “If the church there is not going to discipline them, by what right are you demanding that we discipline them? As I see it, the way things stand, you are trying to meddle in the internal affairs of another church.” It was one thing to tell me their side of the matter, but it was something else altogether, when they began telling another church how to deal with the situation.

A young couple were natives of the city where I was preaching, but they had learned the truth and obeyed it while away. Returning to the area, they identified with us.

Before their conversion, they had led very worldly lives and were still babes in Christ. She was highly emotional and from time to time would call me on the telephone to discuss some biblical subject about which she was very disturbed.

When I answered the telephone and heard her voice, I was not surprised. We were in the midst of a gospel meeting. The previous night two of her husband’s aunts had been persuaded to attend the service. During the sermon that night, the preacher dealt with the sin of drunkenness and the sister wanted to know: “Why did the preacher have to preach on that subject, that night, of all nights, when my husband’s aunts were present for the first time and probably will never come back, because they are two of the biggest lushes in the world?”

I pointed out that the preacher had no way to know that; he had preached on a biblical subject and there was nothing they needed more.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 16, pp. 487-488
August 16, 1984

By Titus Edwards

Why Young People Need To Obey The Gospel

Youth is the time to obey the gospel. Let me suggest why young people need to obey the gospel of Christ in their youth.

(1) Because The Lord Commands It! “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth . . . ” (Eccl. 12: 1). The Lord has always demanded that people obey him. We should never take for granted any of God’s commands! Just as Jesus was about His Father’s business during His youth (Lk. 2:41-52), so should young people be doing the Lord’s bidding.

(2) To Receive Salvation! Salvation comes the same way to all – through obedience to the gospel .(Matt. 7:21; Heb. 5:9). Young people need to realize that as they reach an understanding of right and wrong, they are responsible for their sins in God’s sight. Those sins will damn their souls in hell, if not repented of and- forgiven. Such can only be received through Jesus Christ. He has provided salvation if we will but listen to Him, believe on Him, repent of those sins, publicly express our faith and be baptized. Yes, even young people sin and are responsible for it (Job. 20:11; Psa. 25:7; 2 Tim. 2:22). You did not inherit your sins from your parents, but committed them yourselves, and you can only be forgiven by your own obedient faith, not by the faith of your parents! If you want to go to heaven, you must obey the gospel, young people!

(3) Because Obedience Will Get Harder! Delaying allows more fear to build up – more excuses to be thought up. 78016 of conversions occur between the ages of 12 and 16. 19 out of 20 become Christians before they reach age 25. Sin gets a firmer grip on us the longer we commit such and repentance becomes harder. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1).

(4) Christ Could Return And Find You Unprepared For The Judgment! Do you know when Christ will return? None do (Mt. 24:42). We need always to be ready for His coming (2 Cor. 5: 10). If you have not obeyed the gospel, then you are not ready!

(5) Because Christianity Is The Secret To True Happiness! Living it up in sin is not all that it appears! You may think if you could do whatever you wish you would be truly happy. No so! True joy comes by living as God would have us live! “Blessed are they that do his commandments . . .” (Rev. 22:14). Christ gives us our direction, meaning to our lives, a purpose for being here. The world and sin cannot teach us what life is all about.

(6) Because You Will Have More Time To Serve God! Those who obey in their youth have more background and time to progress to greater heights spiritually. Those who do wait till later in life to obey always regret wasting those early, precious years, when they could have used their strength and energy for Jesus.

(7) To Be The Proper Example To Others! You can never influence others to do right unless you yourself have obeyed the gospel. Young people need to be concerned about their influence and be a proper example in all areas (1 Tim. 4:12; Prov. 20:11).

(8) Because Death Is Near To A It Of Us! You may feel like you are young and your life is in front of you, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you will live forever. Death is not limited to old people. David said that there is but a step between him and death (1 Sam. 20:3). Life is brief, fleeting, and we could lose it any minute (Jas. 4:14; Psa. 39:4). Young people do die in automobile crashes, accidents, and by diseases! What a sad day it will be in judgment for those young people who knew the truth, but delayed to obey, and death took them prematurely away from every last opportunity to obey the gospel on earth!

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 16, p. 486
August 16, 1984

By David McClister

When one believes the gospel, repents of his past sins, confesses his belief in Christ, and is baptized in water for the remission of his sins, he is then placed into a relationship which the apostle Paul refers to as “in Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27f). It is in Christ, and only in Christ, that man has numerous spiritual blessings available to him, one of which is the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:3,7). Outside of Christ there can be no salvation (2 Tim. 2:10).

Yet the baptized believer is also placed into another relationship, viz. in God’s grace. Although God’s grace is available to all men (Tit. 2:11), its benefits in the spiritual realm are reserved only for those who are His children. One of the benefits of God’s grace enjoyed by the Christian is the plan, often referred to as the second law of pardon, whereby, if obeyed, the Christian can be cleansed of any sins he may have committed since his baptism. That plan requires that the erring Christian realize his sin (1 Jn. 1:6,8, 10; cf. Gal. 6:7f), repent of it (Acts 8:22), confess it to God (1 Jn. 1:9), and ask for His forgiveness (Acts 8:22). Also involved in God’s grace is the giving of time and opportunity for the erring Christian to obey that plan of pardon.

The apostle John speaks of yet another relationship: “in the light.” John speaks of walking in the light, meaning a walk (life) of obedience to the will of God. He says in 1 John 1:7, “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light . . .” The “he” refers to God in v. 5, where John had stated “that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” It is my understanding of this verse that a walk in the light is obedience to the will of God. If one sins he is out of the light, for walking in the light involves walking as God is in the light, and there is no sin with God. Hence, there is no sin in the light. A sin, whether it be a willful sin or a sin of ignorance or weakness, results in our being out of the light.

But just because a Christian is out of the light does not mean that all hope is lost. We may leave the light and still be in God’s grace. The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates this fact (Lk. 15). The son left his father’s house and in so doing left that close relationship with his father. Yet all the while his father was willing to receive him back and was anticipating the day when he would return. So it is with the Christian. A child of God may sin and thus leave that close relationship with God which is called “in the light,” but being out of the light does not mean that we have lost all favor with God.

Now how long one may stay out of the light and yet remain in grace is not revealed in the Bible. That is up to God to decide. We do know, however, if one persists long enough in sin that it will result in his being out of grace. Paul told the Galatians, “. . . ye have fallen from grace” (5:4). Also, Hebrews 10:26 says, “If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,” which I believe is referring to the fact that one may persist in sin to the point where he is no longer an object of the grace of God. It is also apparent that sooner or later one will become aware of his sin and realize his need to repent of it and confess it. If he persists willfully in such disobedience he will, when God so decides, fall from grace. The Jews of Jesus’ day are a good example here (cf. Matt. 22:1-8).

The reason I make the distinction between being in the light and in grace is because it seems that some brethren have confused the two ideas. Some would have us believe that when one is out of the light he is also out of grace. I do not believe that such is the case. The Christian does not lose all hope of salvation when he sins. There is hope left in the realm of God’s grace in that God, by His grace, has provided a plan whereby the erring Christian can be restored to a right relationship with God, and it is our experience that God graciously allows sufficient time and opportunity for such Christians to obey and be restored.

The following chart explains much of what I am trying to say. As a Christian “walks” in life, as he obeys God’s word he is walking in the light. If he sins he is no longer in the light, yet he still remains in God’s grace. If he will take advantage of the opportunities and the plan for restoration that has been provided by God’s grace, he can be restored to that relationship called “in the light.’ If, however, he persists in his sin, he will eventually, but when only God knows and determines, fall from God’s grace. Yet note that he will never get out of Christ (the New Testament does not tell that one can get out of Christ. The New Testament does, however, speak of apostate Christians [e.g. 1 Tim. 4:1]. These are those who are Christians, yet have fallen out of the light and from grace).

Are an erring Christian’s sins automatically forgiven as long as he remains in grace? We must always remember that “in the light” is where God wants us to be (1 Jn. 2: 1), not outside of it. The Bible teaches that we must confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9) and repent of them (Acts 8:22) and ask God for forgiveness. When one is aware of his sin, he must confess and repent of that sin itself (or as some have said, specifically). Yet some may ask, what about sins of ignorance or sins of weakness? In the case of ignorant sins, which may also include a sin of weakness, one obviously cannot repent of them nor confess them. I believe that every Christian can and must confess to God that there may be sins he has committed of which he is yet unaware, and he may ask God for the forgiveness of these sins thus expressing what others have called a penitent attitude. What else can he do?

Of course, every Christian is to continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). The Christian should mature to the point that sin is a rare occurrence in his life. There is no safety in ignorance.

If some should press, asking, “What if one dies having committed a sin of ignorance of which he never became aware?” I will answer: God will decide his lot, and He has not revealed the “rules” by which that decision will be made.(1) Since man is not judge, God has not revealed to man the laws of judgment in such cases. The same holds true for the one who died knowing his sin and never repented of it, yet who otherwise lived in the light (i.e., he was about to repent when he died).

Certainly these few lines are not the final word on the controversy among us. These thoughts are offered in an attempt to show the difference between the obedient Christian and the erring Christian, and to show the difference between the erring Christian and the apostate Christians. I do believe that the Christian has security in Christ, and that security is in the form of God’s grace which has provided a plan for a continued right relationship with God. it is up to the Christian to avail himself of this expression of grace and obey the plan for pardon should he sin. Hypothetical situations which extend outside of the scope of God’s revealed word will be judged by God. I will not venture to say that God’s grace will automatically forgive a sin of ignorance or a sin of weakness, much less a wilful sin. Yes we have security in Christ, but we must also realize the danger of every sin.

Endnote

1. Perhaps a word of clarification is in order here. I refer here to the faithful Christian who strives with all of his might to know what is required of him and to obey God and who is striving to walk in the light to the very best of his ability, yet who dies ignorant of some sin in his life. This decision is God’s to make, and I do not know the “rules” by which he will make it.

I certainly do not mean to include those who are engaging in unscriptural and sinful practices, embracing and defending them. I cannot agree with the grace-unity advocates who fellowship errors such as the use of the mechanical instrument in worship, the sponsoring church arrangement, or other such practices as are current among liberal churches of Christ, on the basis of the sincerity or ignorance of those who practice them.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, pp. 466-467
August 2, 1984