Truth Magazine

By Bill McMilleon

In opening this article I suppose it would be advantageous to define what I mean by the term “personality.” Webster defines the word thusly, “the quality or state of being a person.” That definition will suffice for our study with the single proviso that we are studying a divine “personality.”

The purpose of this article is to show that the God the Christian deals with is not some abstract impersonal force but a God which has all the characteristics that constitute a personality. Some may consider this article as ridiculously unnecessary. After all, what Christian would deny the fact that God is personal (i.e. has an individual personality)? Ostensibly no Christian would assert such, but I believe that in a practical sense many do.

To demonstrate what I am referring to let me give a example. A lady once confided in me that when she thought of Jesus she associated Him with all the love, mercy and tenderness of a personal loving Savior. In contrast, she identified God (i.e. the Father) with judgment, severity and a certain aloofness. In short, she felt that she could really know Jesus but there was a certain abstractness when it came to understanding the Father. This kind of thinking makes a dichotomy between Jesus and God that does not exist.

In John 14:8 Philip requested of Jesus, “Lord show us the Father. ” Evidently even Philip had a mistaken concept concerning the Father and the Son. Jesus’ answer silences for all time those who would divorce the personalities and intentions of God and Jesus. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father, how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn. 14:9). In Hebrews 1:3, speaking of Christ, the inspired writer says, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person . . . . ” Certainly we can see from this verse that whatever personal characteristics we attribute to one we must attribute to the other.

The attitude that associates Jesus with only those personality traits of mercy, love and tenderness and attributes to God such traits as severity, judgment and aloofness must be relinquished. A false view of God will hinder our having the proper relationship with Him. The truth is that Jesus is identified in the scriptures as one who is severe when confronting sin (see Jn. 2:13-16; Matt. 26:15; Matt. 18:6,7). All judgment has been given to the Son (Jn. 5:22). God’s stated purpose for doing this is that “all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father” (v. 23).

Further, it is the love of God (i.e. the Father) that gave Jesus for the redemption of the world (Jn. 3:16). His personal interest in our every problem is explicitly and undeniably declared in such passages as Philippians 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:6, 7. It is He that supplies our needs (Phil. 4:19). God is the one who will confirm, establish and perfect us (1 Pet. 5:10). Indeed, the Scriptures declare that He gives us “all things” relative to our spiritual welfare (Rom. 8:32).

What I have said in this article is not intended to detract from the truth that God does all of these things through Christ (Eph. 1:3). The very fact that it is through Christ reveals to us, in the best possible way, that Christ and the Father are “one” (Jn. 10:30).

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 10, p. 302
May 17, 1984

By Michael L. Dubose

Paul said, “And now abildeth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). We understand that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and we emphasize its importance in His plan. We remember the occasion of the lawyer asking Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus answered that we are to love God above all else and that we are to love our neighbor as ourself. He said that the whole law hangs on these two commandments (cf. Mk. 12:28-31). Thus, we continually teach about love as the central force in our obedience to God. However, we don’t deal with hope quite as often. As a result, many Christians fail to take advantage of the great power of hope.

On two other occasions Paul mentions the three together. In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, he wrote, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again in 5:8 Paul said, “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.” It is significant to note that Paul said our helmet, the thing which protects our most vital part, the head, is the hope of salvation. Hope provides us with great protection against the temptations and snares of the devil. It is our “patience of hope” that motivates us to continue working in the Lord’s vineyard.

We can understand the great motivating power of hope by considering everyday occurrences. In fact, life, without hope, would be impossible to bear. We have all seen or heard of someone injured in an accident which results in paralysis to the limbs of the body. Over the days and weeks after the injury, the individual works, moving the paralyzed muscles with great difficulty and often in great pain. But the hope of one day walking again motivates the person to continue, to endure the hours of therapy and the suffering.

It is no wonder that Paul repeatedly connected hope with faith and love. As Christians, hope is necessary to our spiritual well being. It is hope that motivates us to endure in spite of temptation, persecution, and indifference. It is our hope of heaven that helps us to patiently labor despite all of life’s setbacks. The Hebrew writer said, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. . . ” (Heb. 6:19). Our hope is Christ. He is the anchor that holds us secure in life’s troubled waters.

We need to understand that there is a vast difference between hope and wishful thinking. Hope is desire plus expectation. Often we desire something but have no real expectation of receiving it; that is not hope. It is wishful thinking. Sometimes we fully expect to receive something, but have no desire to receive it. That is hardly hope. But, when we truly desire something and have a reasonable expectation of receiving it, then we joyously hope for it.

Without Christ, we would have no hope of heaven. All men sin and separate themselves from God (Rom. 3:23). All are lost and unworthy of heaven (Rom. 6:23). But God sent His Son to die that through Him we might have the hope of everlasting life. Paul told the Colossians that it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Christ is the anchor of the soul in stormy seas. We desire to live in heaven and because Christ died on the cross we can fully expect to enjoy eternal life, if we keep His commandments (Heb. 5:8,9).

While hope is a powerful weapon in our arsenal for quenching the fiery darts of Satan, we must understand the basis of hope. There is only one hope (Eph. 4:4). Only those who obey the truth have that hope. John wrote, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3). We purify ourselves, as John explained, by keeping God’s commandments, by doing righteousness. He said, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 Jn. 1:3-5). And again, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 Jn. 3:7).

Peter taught, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth . . .” (1 Pet. 1:22). Those who have the one hope of which Paul spoke have obeyed the gospel of Christ and are continuing to do righteousness by continuing in His word. These are the ones who have been made free from sin (Jn. 8:32). Others may hope to live in heaven while rejecting the truth, but they have confused hope with wishful thinking. The desire may be there, but they have no right to expect to live in heaven. By refusing to obey God’s word, the basis of hope is gone.

Paul wrote of those outside of Christ as those “which have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). Truly, the most horrifying statement in the Bible is Paul’s description of man without Christ. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). The hopelessness of those who reject God’s word is mirrored in the account of the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. He rejected God’s pleading while he was alive, his opportunity to obey God had passed and only eternal agony stretched before.

Peter said, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1: 13). The idea here is that the child of God must set his heart firmly on Christ. We must recognize that only by doing His will can we hope to live eternally. This earth is not our permanent home; we are on a journey to heaven. Hope enables us to patiently endure, to overcome temptation that we might one day enjoy the mansions prepared for us in heaven.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 10, p. 301
May 17, 1984

By Richard Montgomery 

“One faith or church is as good as another” and “join the church of your choice” are two well worn phrases among religionists who have less than an accurate concept and understanding of basic New Testament teaching. This kind of thinking stems from the idea that service to God is regulated by human preference and is to some degree optional.

First, the Bible denies that one faith is as good as another through positive affirmations that there is but one faith. In Ephesians 4:5, regarding the unity that characterizes disciples’ relationship with God, Paul said there is but “one faith”. This truth is reinforced in numerous passages that allude to “the faith” (metonomy for the whole system or gospel in which one exercises faith in order to become a Christian). For example, Jude wrote of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” “The faith” is to be preached and obeyed (Rom. 16:26). This system of doctrine is not to be amended by man (2 John 9, Gal. 1:7-9). Thus, though there are many faiths extant in today’s religious “scenario,” there is only “one faith” wherein God’s power unto salvation resides. Faith is not a matter of human preference.

Similarly, the New Testament, in effect, confutes the human claim that “one church is as good as another.” When a person obeys the gospel of Christ, he enters a reconciled relationship with God in common with all others who have been redeemed. The Hebrew writer describes this as coming “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn (p. 1 – literally, firstborn ones – RM) who are enrolled in heaven . . .” (Hebrews 12:22,23). Paul describes this collectivity under the figure of “one body” (Eph. 4:4) which is the church (Col. 1:18). Affiliation with such is not a matter of preference, rather, God adds those such as should be saved (Acts 2:47). There is only one body or church in the aggregate or universal sense, and it is simply all people who are “in Christ.”

There is, however, an area where human preference could be exercised justifiably, providing scriptural criterion is employed – the local church. Whereas there is only one church in the universal sense, there have been, are, and can be many local churches. Paul wrote to many churches in the Roman province of Galatia (Gal. 1:2); there were several churches in Asia (Rev. 1-3); etc., etc. That a degree of human preference is involved in these situations is evidenced by the fact that people of Christ join themselves together in local churches of Christ (Acts 9:26-28). A local church is different from the universal church in that it is comprised of some of the redeemed as opposed to all the redeemed., A local church has Organization (elders and deacons, Phil. 1:1). It is a situation in which people of Christ have banded together in (1) agreement, (2) pooling of resources and (3) under oversight and supervision to do the things Christ has authorized as the work of the local church. This arrangement is not optional; the Lord wills that a part of our overall service as Christians entails working and worshiping with other Christians (Heb. 10:24,25). However, many times opportunity presents brethren with choices regarding which local church of many to join or place membership.

Things To Consider When Exercising Preference Regarding A Local Church

1. Choose A Church That Is “Of Christ. ” Since the word “church” is used as a collective noun in the New Testament and simply suggests “Christians (people belonging to Christ) together, ” it is readily transparent that one local church is not as good as another.’For example, a local Methodist church is simply composed of “Methodists together.” But the Methodist Discipline does not comport with New Testament teaching regarding man’s obedience unto salvation. Therefore, Methodist are neither “in Christ” nor “of Christ.” They are not Christians in the Bible sense of the word. And a collectivity of Methodists is not a collectivity (church) of (belonging to) Christ. Remember, people compose churches, and one factor that distinguishes churches is people – people either belonging to and faithful to Christ or people who are not. The former is obviously eminently preferable.

2. Choose A Church That Demands Bible Teaching. Paul warned of brethren who would cease to endure sound doctrine and would appropriate teachers who would suit their fancy (2 Tim. 4:3). Conversely, Paul’s inspired prescription for churches in Crete was a hearty, consistent program of sound doctrine (Tit. 1:5,9; 2:1). Why? Because it is the truth that makes us free (John 8:32) and keeps us free (Gal. 3:1; 5:14). Brethren, weak preaching and teaching makes weak Christians and, consequently, weak churches! The true church is the “pillar and ground ,of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), and local churches are to demand Bible teaching and preaching and provide for the propagation of the gospel (Phil. 2:15,16).

3. Choose A Church That Abides In Sound Doctrine. Theory is one thing; practice is another, and is vitally important as well. Some churches are sound in theory, but slothful (yea, dead!) in practice (Rev. 2:1,2; 3:1). Often churches have become infused with the leaven of perverted doctrine, modernism and unauthorized practices (Rev. 2:14,15). Neither of these situations is for the Christian who aspires to remain faithful and in fellowship with God. Remember, in both cases cited from the Revelation, the Lord called upon all to hear and repent, or else! The fact is, there comes a time when the faithful must take a stand for truth and “come out from among them” (2 Cor. 6:17). Fellowship with God is contingent upon “walking in the light as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7). This is true of individual saint relationships with God, and is true in principle of our “together activities” in the local church. Christians “individually’ or Christians “together” who cease to abide in sound doctrine and practice (light), have no fellowship with God! So, in a manner of speaking, “one so-called church of Christ is not as good as another”.

Friends let us be characterized by the kind of wisdom that “cometh from above” (Jas. 3:17) in exercising our “preferences” in religion. We must recognize that some things are not matters of preference. Yet, in those areas where we have latitude, we must be regulated by scriptural principles. How foolish it is to allow our decisions regarding a local church to be ruled by its size, meeting house or location. Instead of being prejudiced against large or small congregations, shouldn’t we be more concerned with reaching as many lost souls and edifying as many saints as we can? Rather than being hung-up on architecture and style of church buildings, shouldn’t we be satisfied with well equipped and well-maintained places in which to study and worship? And, though brethren ought to choose locations in which optimum service might be rendered and even be willing to re-locate if the cause would be advanced, shouldn’t we be willing to drive past a dozen (or more) more conveniently located so-called churches of Christ in order to work and worship with a church composed of brethren who are sound in the faith?

Preference can be a rich faculty if properly motivated and acquitted. It can be devastating if not used wisely.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 10, pp. 297-298
May 17, 1984

By Kenneth A. Folsom, Jr.

We as Christians have a hope of eternal life. But this hope is conditional upon our submitting to God’s will. Striving to please God and abstain from evil is the fight that every child of God faces. But what is it exactly that we fight against? We are to fight against anything and everything that is not of God! God tells us that everything that is in this world is not of the father, and that if we love what is in the world then the love of the Father is not in us.

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 eyes, the lust of the flesh, 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 God abideth forever (1 John 2:15-17).

The word world comes from the Greek word kosmos which means “primary order, arrangement, ornament, adornment. The present condition of human affairs, in alienation from and opposition to God” (W.E. Vine). In John 8:23 we read, “And he said unto them; Ye are from beneath I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” Jesus not only claimed that they were of this world, but that they were from beneath. Those who live their lives by the world’s standards are of the Devil! It’s that simple.

In Philipians 3:20, the Christians were told that their citizenship is in heaven, not on this world. We are only here for a time. We are not commanded to abstain from this physical world. We are to abstain from the present conditions of human affairs that is in alienation from, and opposition to God. It is in this sense that Christians are (to coin the phrase) “out of this world.” In the following verse (1 John 2:16), we find the three characteristics of the world from which we are to abstain.

The Lust Of The Eyes

The word “lust” comes from the Greek word epithumia, which denotes “strong desire.” So we may be fair in concluding that the lust of the eyes is the strong desire of the eyes. Eye comes from the Greek word ophthalmos, and in this context it is used as the instrument of evil desire, or the principle avenue of temptation (W.E. Vine).

God created us with eyes for a purpose. Although our eyes may be a “principle avenue of temptation,” we know that this was not the purpose for them. If we believe this, then we would be in direct opposition to God. The Bible plainly teaches us that God tempts no man (Jas. 1:13). With our eyes we can behold the beauty of God’s creation. The value of sight can be seen in the example of Christ’s compassion on the blind and how He healed their blindness. Yet, at the same time, this wonderful blessing that we share, may, if we are not careful, supply the avenue for our spiritual demise.

Jesus once said, “If your right eye offend you, pluck it out.” It is better for us to go into heaven with just one eye, than to loose our salvation (Matt. 5:29). Some things like a job, money, or a material possession may be considered as precious as an eye, but nothing should be considered of more value than a right relationship with God. We should be cautious of what we see. We must be in control and not let the desires of our eyes lead us into sin like Eve did, when she saw the fruit of the garden, and the lust of the eyes led her to disobey God (Gen. 3:6). King David is another good example. When David saw Bathsheba, the lust of the eyes led him into committing such transgressions as adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11:2-5).

God has not left us without hope. He promises us that no temptation will overtake us, but that He will provide a means of escaping (1 Cor. 10:17).

“The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eyes is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil the body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34). If our eye is single we will be in subjection to the Lord. Our priorities will be in the right place. We will seek God’s will and this will insure us victory over the lust of the eyes.

The Lust Of The Flesh

The word lust comes from the Greek word epithumia which denotes strong desire of any kind. Here it is used in the context of those evil desires that are ready to express themselves in bodily activity. Lust of the flesh then is desire within man that leads him to participate in some bodily exercise that is sinful (e.g., adultery, smoking, gluttony, etc.). Eve was taken by the lust of the flesh, or the desire to fulfil her fleshly appetite when she saw that the fruit was good for food (Gen. 3:6). It is not easy to resist temptation to the lust of the flesh; however, we that trust God’s word can take comfort in knowing that God will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear. The Bible says that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). If we continue in His word, obeying His commandments, striving to please God according to the truth, then it is written, “We will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. “

Even when we fail and find ourselves in error we have Jesus Christ as our propitiation. If we confess our sins and repent of our error, then He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But we must as the Hebrew writer says “strive as a runner strives to win a race”! Striving to abstain from any sin that might hinder or beset us and get in our way of pleasing God.

The Pride Of Life

There once came a rich young ruler to Jesus. He told Jesus that he had kept the ten commandments since he was a child. “What do I yet lack?” he asked Jesus. Jesus replied, “If thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in heaven: and come and follow me.” But the rich man went away sad because he had many possessions (Matt. 19:24). This rich young ruler may have kept up with the moral laws of Moses, but his eye was not single. The love of money was stronger in his desires than was his relationship to Christ. Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 19:24). Why? Because when a person has riches and everything that the world has to offer then it is easy for them to forget God and credit all of his wealth and fortune to themselves. Consider what God had to say to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:11-14.

Because that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

The pride of life is the desire to have all the worldly pleasures and all of the fame that goes with it. Everyone is your friend when you are rich. The abundance of riches brings with it worldly power and with worldly power comes arrogance and pride. And with pride comes all manner of evil. “Only by pride cometh contention” (Prov. 13:10). “The rich man’s strength is his strong fort and as an high wall is his own conceit, before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Prov. 11-12).

The serpent beguiled Eve through the pride of life. The Scriptures tell us that, when she saw that the fruit was good for to make one wise, she did eat (Gen. 3:6).

There is nothing wrong with knowledge or wisdom, just like there is no evil in money, but in the love of money. But we should desire the wisdom that is from above and not the wisdom of this world. In James 3:17 the inspired writer gives us the characteristics of wisdom from above. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

If anyone claims to be wise by God’s standards, then his life should exemplify these characteristics. Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16).

The way to avoid pride is to remain humble and obedient to God, seeking the wisdom that is from above. God says that the way we receive this wisdom is by simply asking for it (Jas. 1:5). But we must ask in faith nothing wavering. If we steadfastly seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then all things will be added (Matt. 6:33). God holds the answers and we must humble ourselvds before Him in full submission, and ask for his wisdom. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Jesus, Our Example

A person is never convinced of something until it has been proven. There is an old Swedish Proverb that I read somewhere once and it reads, “Never buy a new bucket until you are sure that the old one doesn’t hold water anymore.” No one will change his way of life until he sees that the way that he is living is unsatisfactory, and that the option that you offer is proven to work. Jesus is our example. He has shown us how to escape the “lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.” In the gospel of Matthew (4:1), we are told of how the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. After fasting for forty days, Jesus was tempted of the Devil to turn rock into bread, thus appealing to the Lord’s hunger; but Jesus replied, “Thou shalt not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Again the Devil tempted Jesus. This time he tried tempting Him through the lust of the eyes by showing Him all the kingdoms of the earth. He tried to appeal to the Lord’s pride by suggesting that He jump off the cliff and the angels would save Him from harm. But the Devil was not successful. There were two things that the Lord did each time the Devil tempted Him: (1) He rebuked the Devil (“Get thee hence, Satan.”) (2) He quoted the word of God, giving him an answer for every suggestion the devil made. Then the Devil left Jesus and the angels ministered unto him.

When we are tempted in any way we can resist the temptation (“Get thee hence, Satan”) and turn to God’s word for our strength (for it is written). This is the armor with which we fight the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

Does your bucket hold water? If you answer this question “yes” because you feel that you have everything under control and have no need of Christ, the Bible, or God’s wisdom in your life, then you have been deceived by the pride of life. But don’t worry, Christ offers you a new bucket, filled with living water.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 10, pp. 299-300
May 17, 1984