Truth Magazine

We shall focus our attention on impossible things relative to salvation from sin. If any one of these, or all are lacking, salvation is impossible. It is impossible to be saved:

1. Without Christ. Paul wrote that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He is able to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). Peter said: “Neither is there salvation in none other: For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). However, Jesus saves conditionally, on his terms. He is the author of eternal salvation unto all them who obey him (Heb. 5:8-9).

2. Without the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he preached the gospel unto them by which they are saved (1 Cor. 15:2). This is true for you and me. This is why Jesus said to go preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:16). Those who do not obey the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

The gospel is described as the gospel of God (Rom. 1:11), of Christ (Rom. 1:16), of grace (Acts 20:24), of peace (Eph. 6:16), of salvation (Eph. 1:13), of truth (Gal. 2:5), and of hope (Col. 1:23). Indeed, it is a glorious gospel (2 Cor. 4:4).

3. Outside of the church. All the saved are in the church. The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47). The Bible teaches that Jesus is the savior of the body. Paul wrote, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23). The body is the church (Col. 1:16). There are no saved people outside the Lord’s church, because only the church has been purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28), and only the church is built upon the rock (Matt. 16:18).

4. Without the blood of Christ. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission (Heb. 9:22). It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Heb. 10:4). It takes the blood of Christ to remove sin. Jesus stated, “For this is the blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Paul wrote that in Christ we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14). Of course, to reach the blood, aliens must be baptized into the death of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-4) wherein they receive the benefits of his blood. Then, they are raised to walk in newness of life (v. 4).

5. Without human activity. Some say there is nothing an alien sinner must do, or can do, to save himself, that God does it all for him. But the Jews on Pentecost said, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Peter then told them what to do. He said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” In verse 40 Peter told them “save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Though man cannot provide salvation, he must appropriate it. He is to believe (John 8:24), repent (Luke 13:3), confess (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (Mark 16:16).

If it weren’t for the story of David and Bathsheba, most of us would probably have never heard of Uriah. And while we know the account of the sinful actions engaged in by David and Bathsheba quite well, just how well do we know Uriah? Let us notice some things about him from 2 Samuel 11.

First of all, he was a Hittite (11:3). Yet he served under David in the armies of Israel — who were usually the enemies of the Hittites. Thus we know that he was an honest man who knew God was with the nation of Israel. No doubt he had heard the stories of God’s deliverance and blessings. Knowing this, he made himself a part of the nation as well, marrying the beautiful young lady Bathsheba. He knew his own gods were unable to match the one true God of Israel (Isa. 44:9-17). Not many idol worshipers were as honest with such facts as was Uriah.

Secondly, we read that he was loyal. David had him brought back home in the hopes he could send him to Bathsheba’s house and everyone would assume that her pregnancy resulted from his visit home. However Uriah declined to enjoy the luxuries of home while the rest of the nation was engaged in battle and sleeping in the open fields (11:11). Even when David caused him to become drunk, he had enough conviction and presence of mind that he would not betray the soldiers of Israel in such a fashion (11:13).

He was also a courageous man. David knew that he would be in the forefront of the battle, and not holding back so others would take the risks instead of himself. Uriah was committed to the defense of Israel, and he was ready to fight for her causes. He would press the battle aggressively, and both Joab and David knew they could count on his courage. Like Daniel (Dan. 6) with his prayers, Uriah knew his place in the battle, and you could count on him being there.

We further learn he was a trusting man. David gave him a letter to deliver to Joab which also contained Uriah’s own death warrant. At no time did he attempt to open the letter to peek or snoop and see what David might have written to Joab. (After all, he could just as easily have told Joab that David has sent the message with him verbally.) But David knew he could count on such trust and honesty, and thus David was perfectly willing to use Uriah himself to deliver his own death warrant. (Have you ever considered what might have happened had Uriah actually opened and read that letter?)

In return for such loyalty and service, David repaid him by taking his wife and then ordering his death in battle. Is it any wonder God was displeased with David — especially in view of the fact David seemed to feel he had actually gotten away with it? Uriah stands out as an excellent example of the fact that even though one seeks to do what is right, that doesn’t mean others will not take advantage of or plot against us, or that harm will not befall us just because we are faithful Christians.

And although Bathsheba went on to become the wife of King David, God did not intend for us to forget what they did. They paid a severe penalty in the loss of the child and the public knowledge of David’s sin. Nor did he intend for us to forget the good name of Uriah. Men might have tried to bury any mention of Uriah from their records because of what was done to him by such a popular king as King David. But God exposed the full account! And when the names of the top thirty-seven men are listed who had served King David well (2 Sam. 23:8f), guess whose name appears in 23:39! Yes, the name of Uriah, the Hittite! Though he was mistreated in this life, we can have confidence that God saw that he was well rewarded in the life hereafter in much the same way as was Lazarus (Luke 16)! And may we take courage from his account.

Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). We need to be like the Bereans who“searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). The Scriptures were written by holy men (2 Pet. 1:21) through the inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16). These writings are compiled and now called the Bible. The Scriptures tell us about . . .

1. God. The Scriptures tell us that there is only one God. “But to us there is but one God . . .” (1 Cor. 8:6). The one God is composed of three personalities. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). The record of Matthew 3:13-17 shows that these three are separate persons: The Father in Heaven, the Son on earth, and the Holy Spirit like a dove. Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the one true God is “the living God.”

2. The World. The Scriptures tell us, “God that made the world and all things therein . . .” (Acts 17:24). Also, the Psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Ps.19:1). Above all, God also created man in his own image (Gen. 1:26-27). In John 3:16, the record says, “For God so loved the world . . .” And in 1 John 1:9-10, John said, “that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him . . . and to be the propitiation for our sins.”

3. Christ And His Church. The Scriptures tell us, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son . . .” (Gal. 4:4). Peter declared that the Son of God is the Christ (Matt.16:16). The Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). Jesus claimed, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). “. . . there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). In Matthew 16:18  Jesus promised to build his church. The word “church” came from the Greek word ekklesia, “to call out.” The church then in New Testament Scriptures means “a called out body of people,” men and women (Acts 8:1-4) who believed and were baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:37-38, 41, 47). They were called “Christians” (Acts 11:26), the children of God (Rom. 8:16-17), and the family of God (1 Tim. 3:15). The church is the body (Col. 1:18) and Christ is the savior of the body (Eph. 5:23). The church is the kingdom (Col. 1: 13) and Christ will deliver the kingdom up to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). Are you a member of the Lord’s church, or the Lord’s kingdom? If not, why not?

By Bobby Witherington

It is very obvious that we live in a religiously divided world. And to those people who care about others and who desire harmony in the most important and meaningful areas of life, this division produces both concern and sadness. It also causes frustration — especially on the part of those concerned individuals who have reasoned for hours on some disputed passage and finally conclude the discussion with the parties thereto being as far apart as when they began.  So, being unable to break the stalemate, they frequently seek to justify it by saying, “Well, when all is said and done, it really doesn’t make any difference, for after all, one church is as good as another.”

Do People Really Believe This?

If so, to be consistent, they must admit that for one church to be as good as another, then, there must be some standard that determines whether a thing is either good or bad. And they also must maintain that all churches, equally measure up to that standard, for, you see, if one church falls short of other churches in measuring up to that standard, then it is not as good as the others are. Moreover, to say that one is as good as another is not only to say that all churches are equally as good; it is also to say that all churches are equally as bad! Friend, are you a member of some church? If so, may I ask, do you believe the church of which you are a member is as bad as some others? If your answer is negative (and I suspect it is), then you do not really believe that one church is as good as another.

Is One Person As Good As Another?

By this question, I do not have in mind those persons who have never made any effort whatever toward following the Lord. I refer to those who profess to being his disciples. I read of some who are “weak in the faith” (Rom. 14:1) and of others who are “strong” (Rom. 15:1). I read of some who are likened to “gold, silver, and precious stones,” and others who are likened to “wood, hay, and stubble” (1 Cor. 3:12). I read of some who are “carnal” (1 Cor. 3:1), and others who are “spiritual” (Gal. 6:1). Can any say that all of these persons are equally as good, and therefore equally as bad? It is a fact; we do not, without qualification, say that one person is as good as another.

However, a local church is composed of people who are banded together in faith and practice. Moreover, the “faith and practice” of those people determine the right- ness or wrongness of the church that was formed by their together relationships. If, per chance, one church is com- posed of people who have failed to comply with those terms which make for discipleship to begin with, and another church consists of people who have complied with the scriptural requirements for discipleship, then is the former church “as good” as the latter? Moreover, if one church is composed of people who “bite and devour one another” (Gal. 5:15), and another church of people who are “knit together in love” (Col. 2:2), then is the former church “as good” as the latter?

What Saith The Scriptures?

In the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Revelation, we note letters written to seven churches. One church (Ephesus) had some who had left their “first love” (2:4). Pergamos had some members who held “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,” a doctrine of which the Lord said “I hate” (2:15). The church in Thyatira permitted “that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols” (2:20). The Lord described the church at Sardis as being “dead” (3:1), and the church at Laodicea as “lukewarm” (3:16). On the other hand, there was not one word of censure against the church at Smyrna (2:8-11), and approval was also expressed toward the church at Philadelphia (3:7-13). Can any person intelligently read these seven letters and then honestly conclude that every one of these seven churches was “as good” as the others? Friend, if we can’t say that about all churches then, why do we say that of all churches now?

Let Us Not Use A False Standard!

When one person says “I am as good as another,” he is making the same mistake made by some at Corinth. They measured “themselves by themselves,” and compared “themselves among themselves,” and Paul said they “are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12). They used the wrong measuring rod. If I say that “I am as good as you are,” and you say the same for yourself with reference to me, that does not prove that either of us is as good as we ought to be. When one man sets his watch by another man’s watch that was wrong to begin with, both watches are then wrong! So it is in religious matters. Since “it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23), then neither a man’s life nor his individual doctrine is to be the standard that determines religious conduct.

The True Standard

“God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son” (Heb. 1:2). Jesus said, “the word that I have spoken,  the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). By reason of his death, Jesus became “the mediator of the New Testament” (Heb.  9:15), and it is through this covenant or testament that Christ speaks to us today. This, then, is the standard that determines what it takes to become and to remain his disciple.

Becoming A Disciple Involves:

(1) Believing in God and his Son (Heb. 11:6; John 8:24). (2) Repenting of all sins (Acts 2:38; 17:30). (3) Confessing faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32; Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:10). (4) Being buried with Christ in baptism for the remission of sins (Rom. 6:3, 4; Acts 2:38). At this point, one rises to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) and is “added to the church” (Acts 2:41, 47).

It is a fact that many churches are composed of those who have not complied with these simple terms that make for discipleship, but who have followed the terms that man has laid down. Friend, if a church consists of those who have not obeyed the Lord’s requirements for discipleship, then are its members disciples? If the members of one church have become disciples, and the members of another church have not, then is the latter “as good” as the former?

“Together Activity” Required For Discipleship

A true disciple (follower) of the Lord is a person who: (1) Became a follower of Christ, and (2) continues to follow him. In addition to living a morally upright life, the latter includes uniting oneself to a group of fellow disciples, being banded together as it were by a common faith and practice. In the first century those who did this were “called Christians” (Acts 11:26), and “they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).  Upon “the first day of the week” they “came together to break bread” or to partake of the “Lord’s supper” (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20-28), and to “lay by . . . in store” or to give as “prospered” (1 Cor. 16:1, 2). They sang praises unto God (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), their music being vocal or acappella in nature. Moreover, their “together activities” involved membership in a local congregation whose total organization consisted of “bishops” (or elders), deacons, and saints (Phil. 1:1; Tit. 1:5, 7).  Each congregation was to have its own officers (Acts 14:23) whose oversight was confined to that one church (Acts 20:28). A denominationally structured federation of churches was unheard of in New Testament days.

A Final Remark

Friend, if you can read in your Bible what it takes to become and to remain a Christian, and can also read of a band of Christians who have (and are) complying with those terms, what does that make them? A New Testament church! Now if you look around and observe a group of religious people who have not and are not following the conditions for discipleship, then is the latter “as good” as the former? Remember, it is not merely a matter of moral uprightness; it is a matter of showing respect for, and complying with the Lord’s standard.