Truth Magazine

By Earl E. Robertson

In Acts 17:30 Luke records a statement made by the apostle Paul to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers on Mars Hill which, without doubt, has turned many souls from sin to a fife with God. He said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent … .. To repent” translates the present infinitive metanoein, and is defined “to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.”

Since God’s ways and man’s ways are not alike (Isa. 55:8, 9) but God’s ways are right, it is necessary that man make the change in order to be right in his thinking and living. It is unthinkable that man can honestly and intelligently change his mind without evidence. The gospel of Christ is the evidence which leads to one changing his mind.

Repentance is not something God gives directly to a sinner. God grants repentance but it is through the process of teaching (Acts 11:14-18). There is not the slightest possibility for any one to repent, having never heard the gospel of Christ. Every case of conversion fully impresses one with the fact that one’s ability to repent is based upon the evidence presented in the preaching of the gospel. Let none tell you that you can repent if you do not know the reasons for making such a change in your mind.

Hearing some of the denominational preachers one would think repentance is convulsion. They seem to think if they are able to manipulate one into screaming, jerking, going into emotional spells, to gibber, and foam at the mouth, they have caused repentance in that individual’s life! Such is not true. Repentance is a change of one’s mind, not the personification of ignorance. Since repentance is a change of one’s mind it then is an intellectual action: one is taught the truth and is thereby led to an abandonment of his own thoughts and an acceptance of God’s word. It is then a change in one’s mind that leads to a change in life to be acceptable to God (cf. the incestuous brother at Corinth, 1 Cor. 5:1-5; 2 Cor. 2:1-9; 7:712). The case of Jonah illustrates the same thing (Jonah 3; Matt. 12:41). One cannot do any better than one knows; therefore, what one knows is the basis which leads to a change in life. When one changes his mind, that one will not refuse to obey God. “Repent and be baptized” is the command in Acts 2:38! Have you repented?

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 9, p. 274
May 3, 1984

By James M. Jonas

For whatever was written in earlier times was “written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). If you have not yet discovered the treasure chest of the Old Testament, my hope for this article is that it will give you just a taste of the riches that can be found therein. From depths of despair to pinnacles of pleasure, through bitter failures and glorious triumphs, one is led along the path of time with the characters of old. All of the pearls of instruction, the gems of encouragement and the richness of hope are free for our taking but more often than not they lie in their chest untouched beneath settled dust. Take out your chest, brush away the time and let’s sample some treasure.

In the First book of Samuel, we are introduced to a character of unsurpassed courage and trust in the Lord. Although he was the son of a king, although he was the beloved companion and friend of another king, and although he was a valiant and courageous servant of the Lord, he is a character often overlooked when the Bible greats are mentioned. His name is Jonathan, the son of King Saul and devoted friend of David, Saul’s successor to the throne.

Jonathan was a man afflicted by many hurtful circumstances. While he should have been heir to his father’s throne, Saul’s wickedness caused God to rend the kingdom from Saul and his descendants and give it unto David (1 Sam. 13:13-14; 15:26-28). Yet, Jonathan was neither bitter nor jealous toward David concerning this. On the contrary, he even loved David greatly (1 Sam. 18:3-4; 20:18-42). Throughout his life Jonathan found himself torn between his loyalty to David and his obedience to his father but never was there found an occasion for animosity in his heart. He remained true to both sides without compromise for either. But perhaps the most inspiring event of this man’s life involved an incident of faith and trust in his relationship with God.

The 14th chapter of 1 Samuel finds the Philistines threatening the children of God and entrenched in the Israelite city of Michmash. The appearance of the Philistine army was an awesome display: 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and people numbered as the sand of the sea (13:5). The magnitude of the army coupled with the cowardice of the Israelites had sent the greater majority of the population scurrying for the shelter of caves, cellars, woods and neighboring countries (13:6-7). Some even defected and joined sides with the Philistines (14:21). Only Saul, Jonathan and 600 warriors were left to face the Philistines, and these few encamped in Geba which was only a short distance from Michmash (13:15-16).

It is in this setting of cheerless gloom and apparent hopelessness that the courage and faith of Jonathan brilliantly shines forth. All those around him were shivering in faithless fright forgetting the countless times that the Lord’s hand had delivered them from their enemies. It hadn’t been very long ago that the Lord had driven these very same Philistines out of the land under Samuel (7:9-14). Even Jonathan’s own father and God’s chosen leader of the nation was found wanting in his willingness to take a stand and fight. In the face of the massive Philistine host and surrounded by his own fearful countrymen: “Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, ‘Come and let us cross over the garrison of these uncircumcised-, perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few. . . (14:6). What incredible faith and trust Jonathan had in the Lord! How often we falter in the face of adversity because our wavering trust in the Lord causes us to lose sight of Him.

It seems that so often we let the influence of others rub off on us and we end up conforming and compromising with the rest. But not Jonathan. It would have been easy for him to say, “Well, since nobody else is going out to fight I’m not going either.” It would have also been easy for him to be overcome by the size of the foe and he could have said, “I might as well not even try because I probably couldn’t win anyway.” But he didn’t.

What Jonathan did do was go out, only he and his armor bearer, and with the help of God slay twenty Philistines 13 and put the rest of the army to flight (14:14-20). You see, Jonathan recognized the very same principle that you and I must recognize as Christians, and it is also the same one Paul wrote the Roman Christians about in Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” What Jonathan realized is that an army of one man plus God constitutes a majority in any battle to be fought.

Friends, when we depend upon our own abilities and resources to fight our battles and we forget about God, we’re going to find ourselves severely lacking. The result is not only going to be failure, but failure to even try. The only thing that stood between the Israelites and victory was a frame of mind. The question was not could they defeat the Philistines, but would they? It was Jonathan’s faith and trust in the Lord that defeated the Philistines, not his military expertise. When we are working the will of God, what enemy is too formidable to be overcome?

As Christians, our warfare against Satan is not physical or fleshly in nature, but it is a warfare of the spirit and of the mind (2 Cor. 10:3-5). However, the principles of war do not change. Satan had deceived the Israelites and Saul into thinking they could not defeat the Philistines. Even though it was a lie, as long as they believed it to be true, it kept them from winning the battle. Is it not the same today? Do not our fears and failures as Christians result from how we think and feel about the situation instead of what the situation really is? I think it happens something like this: (1) we slowly and almost imperceptibly drift away from and lose sight of our Father; (2) realizing that something is now missing we try to take up the slack by trusting in our own abilities; (3) we soon become insecure because we know that we are inadequate to the task and (4) we wind up in discouragement, despair and failure. Either we give it a halfhearted effort or we won’t try at all.

Be a Jonathan. Fight the fight of faith with courage and bravery, trusting and relying on the Lord’s strength and His promises to care for you. As you face the foe, no matter how fearful and dreaded he may appear, remember that the Lord is standing on your side. “If God is for us, who is against us? “

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 9, pp. 269-270
May 3, 1984

By William C. Sexton

Thomas Jefferson, in the first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Recently I read a book, The Pursuit of Meaning, in which the author suggested that happiness is an illusive term or principle, implying the pleasure principle, meaning is more a proper subject of pursuit! (Joseph B. Fabry).

Fabry was a student of and an admirer of Viktor E Frankl, who survived Hitler’s Camp of extermination and has written several books dealing with meaning. Two of them I have read recently: The Will to Meaning (1970) and the Unheard Cry For Meaning (1978). The basic thesis of these books is: meaning is a primary concern of man! Man is ever seeking for meaning; if it is not found, he seeks to end his life in despair!

Does The Bible Address Such?

Yes! I believe that it does. Many are the passages that so deal with the subject, among them are these: Matthew 9:13; Acts 10:17; 21:13; 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

“Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.”

“Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”

In these passages, we see the need for meaning. Jesus pointed to the need for the people critically observing Him to understand the meaning of a passage which they proposed to believe (Matt. 9:13)! Peter, having seen a vision, does not understand how that fits into the plan of God in which he is involved; he clearly needs to be able to see meaning in what has happened (Acts 10: 17). Paul, saw meaning in the course of action that he was pursuing and, regardless of the uncertain results, he was determined to follow through to the end, believing that even if he lost his life God would be served and his mission fulfilled (Acts 21:13)! At the end, his death was certain; yet, he was not regretful! Instead, he was looking forward to the reward, the ultimate toward which he has been moving (2 Tim. 4:6-8)! Yes, beloved, there was a need for meaning! Paul found it, Peter was seeking, and others, to be successful must seek and find it.

What Is Meaning?

Frankl says, “Meaning is that which is meant, be it by a person who asks me a question, or by a situation which, too, implies a question and calls for an answer” (The Will To Meaning, p. 62). When we seek to give a full, clear definition of meaning, it is not all that easy; it is harder, than it first seems. Synonyms for meaning are “sense,” “import,” “signification,” “significance.” The opposite of meaning is “meaningless” (having no meaning; without significance, senseless).

Meaning is not the same as “means.” Confusion can and does occur at times. Finding meaning in life (that which is valuable) makes sense, has significance to the person involved!

“The fact remains that meaning is available under any circumstance, even the worse conceivable ones” (Frankl). Fabry, as a therapist, has as his aim: to guide people “toward understanding them – as they are and could be and their plan in the totality of living.” As Christians, we have discovered certain truths about ourselves and about the universe, which makes it possible for us to find meaning. (1) We have been created in the image of God (Gen. 1:2627); (2) Therefore, we are responsible to Him and capable of submitting to His instructions, and when we fail, we SIN and shall receive sin’s “wages” (Rom. 6:23); (3) We can and have obtained forgiveness and started over by (a) believing in Jesus as God’s remedy for sin; (b) repenting of our sins; (c) confessing our faith; (d) being baptized to have our sins washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16; Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 10:9-10; Mk. 16:16). (4) Now, being children of God, we are responsible toward others (Rev. 2: 10; 2 Tim. 2:2; Mk. 15:15-16). We are grateful for the relationship we have and we are so glad that we can serve God, being guided by the authority of His Son (Mt. 28:18; Col. 3:17).

We see that we have freedom to act, choices to make! He does not force us to serve Him, but He gives us that right and charges us with certain responsibilities! We can and must find meaning as we act, regardless of the reception that we receive.

Each person has his uniqueness! Frankl points to a person and his response, which I believe rather well points to each person’s uniqueness: “If I don’t do it, who will do it! If I don’t do it now, when should I do it! If I do it for myself only, what am I?” This points to the uniqueness of the time available to each individual, the person and his responsibility. No one can do what another is charged with. Transcendence – no person lives or dies to himself; he has a social and spiritual duty to the other creatures of God (Rom. 14:7-9; 15:1-3).

Aimlessness And Emptiness Difficulties For Many

The Bible speaks of vain action, fruitless behavior (Rom.1:19-22; 1 Pet. 1: 18). Being “vain” in the real sense brings no real fruits in the eternal sense. It may not be recognized for sometime, by some, however. Many are coming to realize that there is no real meaning in what they are doing. Living for instant pleasure, pleasure vanishes! Therefore, many are in trouble, finding life hard to live! As a therapist, Frankl was dealing with people needing meaning! We as Christians, too, have to deal with people needing meaning!

There are three ways in which a person can see needed values – three different types of services that we may render and see that we are fulfilling our mission, even though we are not achieving all that we’d like to.

(1) Creative action wherein we give to the world, the community of humanity among which we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28; Rom. 1:14-15).

(2) Experiential action wherein we get from the community of mankind that which we value, consider our due (Jn. 4:34; 1 Thess. 2:19-20; Phil. 4:18).

(3) Attitudinal action wherein we can’t rally do anything about the fate we are facing, but that we can manifest a stance that is right. That was Paul’s situation in Caesarea, a fate which he deemed that he could not change; nevertheless, he was determined to make his stand Acts 16:25ff; 25:10-12).

There are two types of values: ultimate and moment. Our mental health depends on us finding meaning in our present situation. We are free to find, but it cannot be given! We need to see ourselves as being: (1) irreplaceable (I can be taken away, but I cannot be replaced): (2) each moment is unrepeatable (once it has passed, it cannot be recalled or repeated, it is gone for ever); (3) I must act to be true to myself!

Man Has The Will To Meaning

It is man’s responsibility to find meaning! It is within his power to do so! He has to see the whole framework; his presence has to make sense, have significance, have purpose. He has to be fulfilling self as he understands his role in the universe, as a creature responsible to the Maker!

Each has a perception of self as an individual on the earth, among men. Each person, also sees self as a citizen, neighbor, family-member – all from the stand point of a creature of God. Being a creature of God, a Christian believes that he has a duty to others, to make a contribution to them (cf. Mt. 20:27-28). He should be like Jesus who came to minister, not to be ministered to.

Being true to oneself requires that one do that which is right even if no other so believes (cf. 1 Cor. 4:3). Paul was not all that concerned about pleasing others, knowing that God was the real and only true and final judge of his actions.

Stance is important. Even if he can’t change the actions of others, he can still be true to his mission and find meaning, even if people are going to take his life (cf. Acts 16:25; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). Man needs meaning. To live is Christ, to die is gain (Phil. 2:21)!

The tragic triad, pain, guilt, and death, is inevitable to the man or woman without Christ, if man cannot put it all in a framework that makes sense. All have made and still make mistakes; likewise, all have suffered, and will probably be required to suffer more in the future; all of us look forward to death – it is coming to each, as time passes, though we don’t know when!

Forgiveness of sinful action is available through Christ; pain can be endured and make us mindful that we are moving toward a goal; death can be faced, as a door into an eternity of bliss. In that framework, one can have a sense of dignity, purpose in the worst of conditions that can be brought on by evil men.

So many today, however, are not functioning from that framework or foundation. So many have been taught that “in the final analysis, life is nothing more than a combustion process, an oxidation process.” When such is presented as being scientific, we need to jump up and demand, “What meaning, then, does life really have?”

Beloved, have you found meaning in Christ for your life? If not, then we urge you to seek and find! Having found that, it is an ongoing process, activity! We must find it daily, hourly – all the way along life’s roadway!

If we are finding meaning in life, then let us challenge the false views, fruitless behaviors, stimulate men and women to find meaning in Christ (Jn. 14:6; 6:37). Meaning has to be found; it can’t be given!

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 9,pp. 271-272
May 3, 1984

By Vernon Love

This is an age where it takes the wisdom of Solomon sometimes to teach the truth to some. So, we are always looking for a way to present the truth in a very simple form so all will understand.

One way is always to have one who affirms a point to prove it. This often takes away a false doctrine as there will be no proof that can be presented. We are to “prove all things” (1 Thess. 5:21) but the false teacher must do the same. So, we try to get a false teacher to always come forth with his proof and will wait until he tries or gives up and offers none.

For a long time we have been teaching that the Ten Commandments have been done away and this can be proven with several Scriptures in the New Testament (cf. 2 Cor. 3; Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:14-15; Gal. 4:21-31; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15-17; etc.). But when you discuss with an Adventist, you will get him to agree that all the law has been done away, except the Ten Commandments.

So, I use his argument on him. He and I agree that the law was given to Israel (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5: 1 -11; etc.) and that a Gentile could become a proselyte and keep the law too. Then I ask, since we agree that the law was given to Israel and a Gentile could become a proselyte, when did God change this law so that we who are not of Israel and are not proselytes could obey it now under the New Testament? The Adventists and many others are guilty of keeping a law that was never given to them. Try this and see what they say. Then try to find other points that the false teacher has that can be used against him. Remember, the false teacher must prove his point.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 9, p. 270
May 3, 1984