Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

In the last editorial of Guardian of Truth, I sought to demonstrate that Jesus is Immanuel – God with us. We confined our study to the book of Hebrews in showing the teaching of that book concerning Jesus Christ. The study of Jesus is incomplete if all that we notice is who Jesus is. We must continue the study to see what Jesus has done and is doing for us.

Jesus Our Mediator

The book of Hebrews contains many statements which relate to the work of Jesus in our behalf. We want to consider what these passages say about Jesus’ work.

l. Jesus Our Sacrifice For Sin. The opening verses of Hebrews mention what later becomes one of the main themes of the book, namely that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin. In listing things about Jesus, the author stated, “. . . when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:2). His sacrifice is different from that of the Levitical priests who made daily sacrifices for sin (10:11) in that it was a one time, never to be repeated, sacrifice for sin which was all-sufficient to cleanse from sin.

For such an high priest became us … who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself (Heb. 7:27).

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtain-ed eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:11-12).

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself …. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many …. (Heb. 9:24-26, 28).

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Heb. 10:14).

We have Jesus, the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. We do not have a mere body of facts to believe, a correct dogma; we have a loving Savior who gave Himself for our sins.

2. Jesus Our High Priest. In comparing Jesus’ work to that of the law of Moses, the divine type of Jesus’ work, the author repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus is our High Priest. He wrote, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus . . .” (Heb. 3:1). We need to ponder the many truths revealed to us about Jesus as our High Priest.

A priest is appointed to serve “in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; far that he himself also is compass-ed with infirmity” (Heb. 5:1-2). Jesus serves as our High Priest, yet He is superior to the Levitical priests in the following respects: (a) He is an ever-living priest. The Levitical priests died (cf. Heb. 9:8), necessitating that they be periodically replaced. The succession of priests saw some good priests and some wicked priests (such as Amras and Caiaphas who plotted the murder of Jesus) hold that position. The change of priests resulted in some men serv-ing who were wicked. Our High Priest is an ever-living High Priest; “he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Heb. 7:24; cf. 7:3, 1617, 2425). (b) He is a sinless Priest. The Levitical priests, like all other responsible persons, were sinners. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people . . .” (Heb. 7:2627). (c) He serves in heaven. The Levitical priests did their ser-vice in a tabernacle made with hands. The tabernacle was divided into two parts, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Only priests could enter the Holy Place and only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, once a year. This was designed by God to indicate “that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing” (Heb. 9:8). Jesus serves as our High Priest, but He does not enter into an earthly tent; His work was done in the very presence of God Himself. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24).

3. Jews The Captain Of Our Salvation. Jeans is describ-ed in Hebrews 2:10 as the “captain of the our salvation.” The word archegas means “the chief leader, prince; one that takes the lead in anything … and thus affords an ex-ample; the author.” “Jeans is so styled, as both He who has acquired salvation for the race, and He from whom it is derived to the, as being at once its First Cause and First Possessor . . . ., as One who, being placed Himself in the forefront of humanity, leads on His followers to the ap-pointed goal” (Franz Defitzsch, Commentary on the Epis-tle to the Hebrews, Vol. 1, p. 117).

4. Jesus Surety of a Better Testament. In Hebrews 7:22, Jesus is described as the surety of a better testament. The word egguos means “surety, guarantee. The word means a bond, bail, collateral, or some kind of guarantee that a promise will be fulfilled. The word was used in the papyri in legal and promissory documents meaning ‘a guarantor’ or ‘one who stands security.’ Jesus Himself is our security that there will be no annulment of this new and better covenant” (Fritz Rienecker, A Linquistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Vol. H, p. 342).

5. Jesus Victor Over Sin. Throughout the book of Hebrews, Jesus is pictured as the conqueror of death and sin. “When he had by himself purged our sins,” He “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:2). Jesus not only sacrificed Himself for sin, He was rais-ed from the dead (cf. Heb. 12:2; 13:20). He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was “king of Salem, priest of the most high God” (Heb. 7:1). His name “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness” and he ruled over Salem (peace), making him a king of peace. Jesus, reigning after the order of Melchizedek, is a King of Righteousness and King of Peace (cf. Isa. 9:6 – Prince of Peace). “But this am, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb. 10:13-14).

6. Jesus Mediator Of A New Covenant. Jesus is also described as “the mediator of a better covenant” (Heb. 8:6; 9:15). The prophets foretold this part of the Messiah’s work. Isaiah wrote, “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles” (42:6; cf. 49:8). The blood which Jesus shed was “the blood of the new testament” (Matt. 26:28). Even as the Old Covenant was sealed with blood (Ex. 24:3-8), this covenant was also sealed with blood. “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you . . .” (Heb. 9:18-19). This testament was not made without the shedding of blood. Jesus served as our mediator and sealed the testament with His own blood.

7. Jesus Our Intercessor. Seated at the right hand of God, Jesus is presently making intercession for His saints. “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an un-changeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:24-25). When I am guilty of sin, I can confess it to the Lord and Jesus will make intercession for me. His work continues forever.

These statements about Jesus in the book of Hebrews emphasize to us His great work. He was not merely a good teacher or a moral reformer. He was the Mediator of the better covenant, the perfect Sacrifice for sin, the Victor over sin, the Captain of our salvation, our High Priest, and our Intercessor. He is indeed our all-sufficient Savior.

We now can have access to the throne of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us ever praise and adore His matchless name for the grace which He has given to us. (Continued next week)

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 15, pp. 450, 452-453
August 4, 1983

By Irven Lee

Large department stores, super markets, and other retail stores have many good things for sale. This is a wonderful convenience that we enjoy in this generation. Proper discipline leads to orderly conduct which is beautiful. There are likely many parents who would make a down payment and regular monthly payments for proper discipline for their children if it were available on the market and highly advertised. This purchase, of course, cannot be made because this item cannot be produced in the factory and sold through some market.

America wants to buy everything that it needs. Parents seem too much involved in searching for money, entertainment, and even in dissipation, so that they do not find time to bring their children up in the training and admonition of the Lord as taught in Ephesians 6:4. Many children are abused and neglected. Some are spoiled and pampered. A fortunate few are properly disciplined. Those exercised or drilled in obedience through instruction, love, and chasten-ing produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:11). The home is the place where this fruit should grow.

The Bible: A Child-Rearing Manual

Children are not all alike and training is not easy, but it is of great importance. The Creator has designed the child so that he is young for several years. This gives the parents time to search for skill in how to bring each into subjection or into submission (1 Tim. 3:4, 5). There is “know how” involved in this work, and this knowledge cannot be bought at the store just as the overall training is not on sale. Parents must seek this skill to find it. They may advise with good friends, but skill still must be developed. Advice may be very diverse and contradictory. The best advice is always from the Bible. This book is consistent and does not vary from generation to generation according to the trends of philosophers and psychologists.

After becoming aware of how precious the peaceable fruit of righteousness is and of the fact that each child must be skillfully disciplined to produce this fruit, each worthy parent sets out to drvelop his skill in harmony with scriptural advice. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). “A foolish son is the calamity of his father” (Prov. 19:12). “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul” (Prov. 29:17).

We should feel free to search for wisdom in caring for children from both the Old Testament and from the New Testament. We do not live under the old law, but the facts of history from the Old Testament are still true. Our Lord’s death on the cross did not take away the history, the wisdom, or the picture of the goodness and the severity of God from the Old Testament. In fact, things recorded there were written for our example (1 Cor. 10:1-11; Rom. 15:4). In every age, the responsibility for child care has been on the family. Children of Solomon’s day were like children in our day in that all needed the proper training, and parents were the special ones to do it.

Discipline Produces Righteousness

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Prov. 29:15). “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). These verses show something in the contrast between the properly trained child and the untrained child. The difference is beyond words to describe. It is not easy to do the training, but it is worth all of the time and effort to obtain the finished product. The promise that the disciplined child will not depart from the right way is not teaching the impossibility of apostasy, but it is showing that training of the right type is effective and long lasting in its effect.

Punishment or chastening has its place as a tool for wise parents to use in nurturing their chidren. Many object to its use, but the Lord has always recommended it. He knows best. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (Prov. 13:24). “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” (Prov. 19:18). “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beaten him with a rod, he shall not die” (Prov. 23:13, 14). This advice was needed long before Solomon’s day, and it has been needed ever since. The Dr. Spock type of permissiveness brought up a generation of city burners who were self-willed and resented all authority. They were a shame to our nation.

Let us notice parallel counsel from the New Testament. “Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chaseneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chaseneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:5-11).

Corrective Discipline

If a child does not receive the chastening rod it is as if he did not have a father. Parents sometimes make mistakes. It is sad but true that some are abusive rather than corrective in the punishment they mete out to their children. This is not that which is recommended by the Bible. Firm and strict discipline is advised, but love for the children provokes this kind of exercise for them. The rose for chastening is not, of course, a club for abuse.

When a child shows a rebellious disposition his stubborn will should be brought into subjection. Inconsistent and ineffective chastening may only agitate the problem. It is very important that the punishment be adequate to get the job done. If the child can get his way by a louder squeal or by a vigorous physical effort, he is not in subjection. He makes his own decisions and is in no position to profit by his parents’ experience. Why should one cross him if he is to get his way anyway by some ugly maneuver? Such agitation may actually teach rebellion rather than obedience. The worthy effort teaches the child obedience and self-control. The child must learn self-discipline, and this is a final step after learning to respect his parents.

Discipline in the home is basic and important for proper conduct at school. Good teachers would be glad if all parents were good disciplinarians. Officers of the law and employers in industry and business wish the same. There would be less crime and more peace among neighbors if each adult had been taught respect for laws and for those in authority early in life. Obedience to God is more natural for one who has first been trained by a wise and determined father and mother.

Punishment is needed to make the child recognize the parent’s right to express his will. The child is not the one to take charge of things in the home. He is not the head of the family and should learn this lesson early in life. Every child should also be fully assured that he is loved and that he is a welcomed member of the family. The chastening is only part of the training process.

Bible Instruction

Instruction is very important in training a child in the way he should go. He at first is not capable of discerning the wise from the unwise. He is brought into subjection so that he will listen, and he can then be taught. It takes time and patience to do the teaching. This part of the training should begin early. Teaching Bible stories and principles of righteousness help parents see their children become worthy adults. They can be taught good manners and proper behavior just as the school child can be taught grammar and mathematics.

Communication

Time with the child is one of the most important elements in the successful process of child development. Parents should listen to the child, and the child should listen to the adults. Each can benefit from this two way conversation. It is our only hope of getting through to the little mind. A new generation should not be left to repeat all of the mistakes that have been made before them. If dialogue begins early and is continually encouraged there can still be communication when the child is as tall as the parent. In such conversations there can be the building of mutual love and understanding as well as instruction and correction.

Example

The example of the parents is very important in the training process. Law breakers could hardly teach respect for government. Alcoholics and drug addicts could not teach sobriety. Children are repulsed by hypocrisy, while they are still too young to discuss it and describe it with words. One important way of teaching is by showing or demonstrating the. right way.

Companions’ Influence

parents are not the only ones who influence the growing child. Each is influenced by his associates. If all parents were devout Christians and skilled disciplinarians there would be the ideal situation for child care and development, but the ideal is only a wish. Many young people are left to grow up as if they were animals. Children from good homes have some contact with these unruly neighbors. Parents have great need of wisdom in warding off these ungodly influences from evil companions. “Evil companionships corrupt good manners” (1 Car. 13:33). This danger is sometimes overlooked, and children are lost in spite of good examples at home and some worthy efforts at discipline. Let us all realize that young people face many temptations.

Families can well afford to encourage happy association with worthy companies by inviting the best into the home and by allowing their children to visit in better homes. It is the home that is responsible for providing the proper social life. The influence that children have on one another is very great.

Influence of Television

Television is a very dangerous force that is doing much harm in America today. Parents who would train their children in the way they should go should exercise much control over this powerful medium. Hollywood in all of its ungodliness is in charge of programs that are offered the young and the old. Atheism, immorality, violence, and alcohol with other harmful drugs are taught by song and drama. Their skills and popularity add to the danger. Are you training your children, or is this being done by money loving atheists?

Training, Not Forcing

Over the years each must make his own decisions. The successful parents do more than force their own wills on their children. They must train their sons and daughters to make wise choices and to choose worthy companions. Chastening is for the early years to bring about subjection. This is followed by instruction, worshiping together, encouraging, and continued firmness in the demand for righteousness.

A United Front

Both parents need to work together in matters of discipline. The children are almost certain to be lost unless there is agreement between the mother and the father in the training process. If one parent takes the part of the children against the other parent, failure is sure to come. A mother may fail to discipline and may object to the father’s use of chastening. 1 heard recently of a divorced couple who shared in the custody of the children. One of the neighbors observed that when the children were with the mother they behaved very much as young wild animals might with no sign of training. On the other hand, when they were with the father they were calm, well-behaved youngsters. It will be very hard for those children ever to develop into sober, law abiding adults because of the twisted experiences of their childhood. They are to be pitied. After they have grown up as law-breakers in one environment, it may be too late to make them understand why rules differ under different circumstances, and they will follow the course that seems good to them in bringing the most pleasure in this life. The mistakes in child training are made early, and the time of reaping comes later. All parents can agree that the heartache is great at harvest time.

Hyper-Active Children

Capable adults may easily observe that some children are much more active than others. In fact, some are hyperactive to such a degree that they need special help in learning to discipline themselves. In this age of wonderful achievements in medical science, there are doctors who can help the hyperactive children so that they require less punishment and pressure to bring them into subjection. There are doctors who obtained their M.D. degrees and then beyond this made a special study of the mind and nervous system. Such doctors can help the mentally ill, help the little one whose body is so keyed up that he runs a little like the steam engine that does not have a governor.

It is unfortunate that some feel that a child is disgraced if he goes to a skilled psychiatrist. Some infants are carried to highly trained surgeons immediately after birth because some part of the body is not functioning properly. It is sad for the little ones to need such help, but it is no disgrace. All through life physical problems may develop, and we look for those who are qualified to help in such cases. The seriously hyperactive child may appear to be an un-disciplined child because he cannot central his actions, when he may be in need of the help of a reputable physician. I am not a doctor, but I can suggest that you carefully observe your child and do your best to understand his needs.

A well disciplined child is a happy child, and the happy child is one whom everybody can enjoy. Every child deserves to be happy.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 15, pp. 449, 474-475
August 4, 1983

By David Holder

We hear much today about mind control. Such control is the power of the cults as well as the idea behind advertising. The inescapable fact is that something is going to control our thinking. And whatever it is that wields such control over our minds determines the kind of people we are. The writer of Proverbs observed, “For as he thinks within himself, so is he” (23:7). This should impress us with the fact that we must be concerned about our thinking. The reason that people do not do right and live right is that they do not think right. While mind control is the power of the cults and other such evils, it is also the power of the word of God. Paul teaches in Romans 12:2, “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Each Christian needs to do some serious thinking about thinking.

The Danger Of Wrong Thinking

The Bible is replete with examples of and warnings about wrong thinking and its consequences. In the days of Noah, “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). As a result, God destroyed mankind by the flood. In Isaiah 55:6-8 God called upon the unrighteous man to forsake his thoughts, “For,” God said, “my thoughts are not your thoughts.” Certainly God had not erred in His thoughts. It was the people whose thinking was not right.

There are several warnings in the New Testament regarding our thoughts, especially thoughts about ourselves. Paul speaks to all people in Romans 12:3 when he warns man ” . . . not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” And Galatians 6:3 reads, “If a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” The summary of the matter is, whether we like to “think” it or not, man is capable of wrong thinking. We can think ourselves into or out of just about anything. “Free thinkers” have thought their way out of morals, religion, and belief in the existence of God, just to name a few. Some professed Christians have thought their way into pride, immorality, and sin of all kinds. This clearly shows that what we think is important because our thinking is a determining factor in the way we live our lives. Hence, it is necessary that our thinking be controlled by the right things.

Controlling Our Thinking

Our minds are controlled by one or more of four basic influences: our own will, the will of other people, things of the world, or the will of God. A good example of how such influences work is to study the mind of Pilate, the Roman procurator who sentenced Jesus to die. When Jesus first came before Pilate, the governor found the Son of Goo guilty of nothing and desired to release him. This was Pilate’s own will. Luke records in 23:23 that “the people were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed.” Pilate was influenced by the will of others. Finally, the people said to Pilate, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend” (Jn. 19:12). They held before Pilate the power and prestige of his position. This greatly influenced the decision he made. Without doubt, there were definite influences in control of Pilate’s mind at various times which led him eventually to sentence Jesus to death. Such makes an interesting study, but what does this have to do with our thinking today?

The conclusion is that there are certain factors which can and will control our minds if we so allow them. If it is our desire, however, to be right and acceptable to God, then our minds must be controlled by the will of God alone. After all, who knows more about our minds than He? And who is more worthy of such control than God? Examine carefully what God’s word has to say about such matters:

(1) “Whatsoever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). How can we do right and think only of evil, immoral, and worldly things? Why is it that men sin and Christians forsake Christ and grow unfaithful? It is because their minds are dwelling on the wrong things. What the church and the world needs today is more people who think on such things as Paul lists in Philippians 4:8.

(2) “Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Why would a man put his soul’s salvation into his own hand or into the hands of other people? Yet this is what so many people do through the thinking they are involved in. Their minds are controlled by some other will than God’s. The Bible teaches men to yield their will and thinking to the will of Christ. Paul exhorts, “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on things that are upon earth” (Col. 3:2).

The mind of man, without reservation, is the most complex thing on earth. If man could ever happen to figure out all things in the realms of science, technology, and medicine, never will he completely know his own mind. Probably the most difficult task we have as Christians is to control our own minds to the extent that we completely yield ourselves to the will of God. Rather than turning to cultism, agnosticism, or atheism as we search for peace and fulfillment in life, let us learn that true fulfillment and salvation come only from minds controlled by the will of God.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 14, p. 436
July 21, 1983

By Jimmy Tuten

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3).

Jesus had told His apostles, and all His disciples for all time, that “if ye love me, keep my commandments.” He continued, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he ii is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:14, 21, 23). And, to the contrary, He said, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. . .” (John 14:24).

Many years later by the Holy Spirit, John told us again that our love of God is demonstrated and proven by keeping His commandments. We are to cultivate a deep and abiding faith “which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6). Paul further defines such a faith as “the keeping of the commandments of God” (1 Cor. 7:19). There is no love of God, no respect for Him and His Son, if our will is not yielded to Their will. He who does not obey does not have the love of God abiding in him. Seven hundred years before Jesus came, the prophet Micah stated the basis of all acceptable obedience to Jehovah when he said, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Mic. 6:8). Saving faith is always that faith which loves God and sincerely does His will, willingly and cheerfully. God’s commandments “are not grievous” (burdensome, heavy, hard to keep). God has not required the impossible of us. Every commandment can be kept if we want to keep them. A command is “grievous” when we don’t want to do it. Genuine love for God makes obedience enjoyable.

Two brothers, one crippled and the other healthy, became lost while walking in the woods. The cripple tired quickly and had to be carried on the shoulders of his younger and small brother. He was carried some distance. Upon finding freedom they were met by a stranger who observed the situation and said, “My, that must have been quite a burden!” “No sir,” the lad said, “He’s my brother!” God’s commands are like that. Because they are what they are, they are not burdensome. This is the love of God.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 14, p. 435
July 21, 1983