Truth Magazine

By Dennis C. Abernathy

Almost every one we talk with about the salvation of their soul will agree that Christ is essential to our salvation. Especially, is this so with anyone who believes the Bible. But when we ask the question: “Is the church essential to our salvation?” or “Is it necessary to be a member of the church to please Almighty God, or to do what He expects of you?”, we begin to get various answers. The reason for this is because so many have an improper understanding of what the Bible says about the church! They feel they can be saved separate and apart from the church, that it is non-essential (it is a good organization, and perhaps you would be better off if you were a member, but it is not necessary) to our pleasing God. What about you my friend or brother? Do you believe that Christ is necessary to your salvation, but that the church plays no vital part in your soul’s destiny? In other words, do you believe (as so many do) that membership in the church is of no eternal value? In this article we wish to affirm (in as simple a way as we know how) that both Christ and the church are essential to our salvation. Follow in your Bibles, and let us see!

1. Christ and the Church -A Very Close Relationship: If we can just come to realize and appreciate the very close relationship between Christ and the church, then I am convinced that we would never be guilty of thinking, much less saying, “I can be saved without ever being a member of the church.”

Take your Bible right now and read Ephesians 5:22-33. One thing we learn from these very beautiful passages is that the church is referred to as the “bride of Christ.” This certainly depicts the close affinity between the Lord and the church! Really, what I am saying is this: to belong to Christ is to belong to the church. Paul also stated in the same reading that Christ would “sanctify, cleanse, and present the church to Himself.” The record also states that Christ “gave Himself for the church.” I now ask this simple, but pertinent, question: “Did our Lord suffer the’ agony of death to bring into existence a non-essential institution?” Did the only begotten Son of God offer himself on a Roman cross (think of the suffering, shame, ridicule, etc.) in order to present something that we can either take or leave, accept or reject? Did he?

My Christian friend, and brother, before you are too hasty to cry out in righteous indignation against the poor soul who thinks little of the church, why not make an examination of self! Does your action (attending all the services, giving of your money, time, encouragement) depict this “take it or leave it” attitude? Is the church essential to you in “word only”? Let us strengthen and undergird our teaching by living consistently with it.

In Acts 20:28, we read: “Take heed unto yourselves and all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of the Lord which He hath purchased with His own blood.” Here we have the apostle Paul sending for the Ephesian elders to come and meet him in Miletus and he speaks fervently to them. Among the things he said was that the church was bought or purchased with Christ’s blood. Did Christ shed His blood in vain? The church must be very important. It must be worth every bit of Christ’s blood. Do you believe the Lord overpaid? Certainly not! The purchase price equals the value of the thing purchased (church), which shows that the church is just as important to our salvation as is Christ’s precious blood. Who can deny that the church is essential? If the blood of Christ is essential, then the church is essential.

But before we pass, we as Christians should go and read Hebrews 10:26-29. Let us beware lest we count the blood of the covenant (Christ’s blood) an unholy thing, by committing wilful acts of sin. But not only do we learn that Christ shed His blood to purchase the church, we also learn that his blood was “for the remission of sins.” “For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Is this unmistakable relationship between salvation from sin, the blood of Christ, and the church becoming clearer and clearer? In Acts chapter two, we read of those who received “remission of sins” by repenting and being baptized (Acts 2:38). What does that have to do with the church you ask? Read verses 41 and 47. The saved were added to the church! Those Jews on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 benefitted by the blood of Christ, by being in what the blood bought or purchased, that is, the church! What have we said? Notice: Christ shed His blood for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:7), but He also shed His blood to purchase or buy the church (Acts 20:28) We benefit from His blood by being in the church or the purchased possession!

This very close relationship between Christ and the church is further seen in Acts $:l-5. This, of course, is talking of Saul of Tarsus, who was a leader of the Pharisees, and who, the record says, “made havoc of the church.” He was one of the leaders in the persecution of the church. You may be asking just what this has to do with the point we are making? Just this! In Acts 9:4, Jesus asked Saul, “Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?” To persecute the church is to persecute Christ! Why? Because Christ and the church are one (Eph. 5:32).

Turn in your Bible now and read Colossians 1:18,24. From these words we learn that the church is the spiritual body of Christ over which He rules as head. Therefore, to try to be saved by Christ but apart from the church is to separate the head from the body! The very fact that the Bible teaches us that Christ is the head of the church, which is His body, proves conclusively that the church is essential. Who can imagine or visualize the perfect Son of God as the head of a non-essential organism?

We now go to Ephesians 2:13-16. Read it before you go on with me. These verses talk about reconciliation. To reconcile means to bring us back in harmony with God. Man has sinned (Rom. 3:23), estranged himself from God (Isa. 59:1-2), but he can be brought back on friendly terms with God. But this reconciliation is only to be had in the body, the church, by the blood of Christ. May I illustrate (See chart below):

Where	What	How
Verse 13: In Christ	Made nigh	By the blood of Christ
Verse 16: In one body	Reconciled	By the cross
Is the Church Essential?

Last of all we come to Ephesians 5:23, which says, “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.” Now, dear reader, if you think the church is non-essential, you shall have to get another Savior, for Christ is the Savior of the body, the church, over which He rules as head!

I think just here, it would be good to point out something that is very simple, yet unique, that being this: one enters into Christ and the church the same way and at the same time. Rom. 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:26-27 show us that baptism is the step that puts one into Christ. Take time to read them! But woe and behold in 1 Corinthians 12:13 we read that it is baptism which puts one into the church. Can you recall ever reading of any other way to enter “into Christ” or “into one body” (or church)? It would seem that the aforementioned passages would be enough to show the reasonable person the importance of being a member of the church, but let me go one step more.

2. The Close Relationship And Love Between Brethren: The church is spoken of as God’s family (1 Tim. 3:15). Therefore, to be in the church is to be a part of God’s family. That. means God is our Father and His family or household is composed or made up of his children.

To be a member of the church means we enjoy the “love of brethren” (Rom. 12:10; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 Pet. 2:17). I, for one, believe these warm associations and friendships are reasons for becoming a member of the church. The care we have, the joy we share, the esteem in which we hold one another is truly a marvelous thing. The song we so often sing expresses what I am trying to say:

“Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love

The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows, the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part it gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.”

Are you a member of the church? Christ gave Himself for the church, shed His blood to purchase it, rules over it as head, will save the church one day, and has given you the opportunity to be reconciled therein. We, of course, are speaking of Christ’s church, not just any church, not some denominational body that is not even mentioned in the Word of God, but the church Jesus built and that you can read of in the Bible. Why not obey the Lord now and become a member of the church, the body of the redeemed?

Truth Magazine XXII: 49, pp. 794-795
December 14, 1978

By Mike Willis

The August 26, 1978 issue of the Dayton Journal Herald carried an article written by John Dart which discussed the tendency of people today to either disbelieve in or to disregard the Bible passages pertaining to hell. The following statistics were cited in this article:

* A study by priest-sociologist Andrew Greeley showed that while 70 percent of the Catholics surveyed believe in life after death only one-third of the sampling said they believe in hell.

* A Gallup poll in February found that 54 percent of those polled believe in angels and 39 percent in devils. Most significantly, religion analyst Martin Marty says, studies show that “only one in eight who believes in hell believes it is a threat to him.”

* A Christian psychotherapist says he sees 20 persons a week in group or individual sessions who often discuss their thoughts on death. “I don’t remember a single one of them relating their death anxiety to a fear of how they’re going to face the judgment,” says Neil Warren, dean of Fuller Seminary’s graduate school of psychology.

* Hell suffers from inattention in liberal-to-moderate churches, which say they’re more concerned about justice and morality in this life.

* A common view, held by Christian Science and Religious Science and believers of various stripes, is that the only “hell” that exists is created during one’s lifetime by personal attitudes or actions. Evangelist Ruth Carter Stapleton, quoted to that effect by a religious magazine last year but under criticism currently for alleged unorthodoxy, recently said she believes that persons can experience hell “even before they die.”

I guess that I should not have been surprised to read something to this effect in print. People are not living like they believe that there is a place of everlasting punishment. They do not act like they fear facing the judgment throne of God and being cast into a place of everlasting torment. Yet, somehow reading these statements in the daily newspaper startled me.

Perhaps the reason that I was startled was because they raised the question in my own mind about what people in the Lord’s churches believe and what we are preaching. How long has it been since you heard a sermon on hell, heaven, and the judgment day? How long has it been since you heard someone appeal to hell as a reason for obeying the gospel?

There Is A Hell

Contrary to what many modern religions teach, there is a hell. Jesus Himself spoke more about Gehenna than any other person in the New Testament. Notice some of His teaching regarding the subject:

(1) It is better to go into heaven maimed than into hell fire whole. Here is a sample of what He said along that line: “And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30; cf. 18:9; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47).

(2) God will cast both the soul and body of the wicked into hell. In a passage in which Jesus was teaching His disciples not to fear men, He told them that they should rather fear God. His reason for reminding them of this was that man only has the ability to destroy the body whereas God has the ability to destroy both body and soul. He said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28; Lk. 12:5). Hence, Jesus revealed that there is a place of eternal punishment that exists beyond the mere destruction of one’s body.

(3) The wicked cannot escape this eternal punishment. In His scathing rebuke of the hypocrisy of the Jews in His day, Jesus asked, “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt. 23:33). The wicked cannot escape the righteous judgment of God.

Yes, my friend, there is a hell. Modern theology might scoff at the idea, all men might remove it from their minds, and we all might hope that there is no such place but none of these will change the fact that God has prepared a place of everlasting punishment for those who are wicked and refuse to obey His will.

What Is Hell Like?

Most of us are able to see that the descriptions of hell contain figures of speech to describe a punishment much too horrible for us to imagine. Yet, these figures of speech need to be continually impressed in our minds. Here are some of them:

(1) Wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:50). The pain would be so great the men and women would be crying aloud and grinding their teeth.

(2) Everlasting fire (Matt. 18:8). It is a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die. To burn with fire is horrible pain even when it lasts but for the moment. Hell, however; is described as everlasting fire!

(3) Outer darkness (Matt. 22:13). The darkness is horrible because it represents total separation from God who is the Light.

(4) Worse than death without mercy (Heh 10:28-29). There is not much which can be conceived of in this life which is worse than death without mercy as a form of punishment. To imagine someone putting another person to death in as agonizing a fashion as possible is one of the most horrible things imaginable. Yet, He who refuses to submit to the Son of God faces something worse than death without mercy.

These figures of speech impress our minds with the fact that there is some kind of horrible punishment awaiting those who will not submit voluntarily in this life to the Son of God. We might wish that there was no such place as hell but the revelation of God through Jesus Christ reveals that there is a place of everlasting punishment. The same revelation which shows the extent of God’s love toward man in the cross of Christ also testifies to the justice of God which punishes the wicked.

Notice these passages which show that there is an everlasting punishment awaiting the wicked:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power . . . (2 Thess. 1:6-9).

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile (Rom. 2:8-9).

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are ~ kept in store, reserved unto , fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2 Pet. 3:7).

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him (Jude 14, 15).

The testimony of God’s revelation is quite clear regarding the matter of a place of everlasting punishment for those who are disobedient to the will of God. God’s justice demands that those who are not cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus be cast into hell. How can our holy God be morally pure and close His eyes to the sinfulness and rebellion of man? God can only be just when the price for sin is paid by the blood of Christ and applied to the souls of man.

Let us not allow our minds to be contaminated by this doctrine which is so popular today which treats God as some kind of sugar coated candy. The present doctrine of God visualizes God as being so gentle and kind that He could not do harm to anyone. The God whom we worship is the same God who destroyed the world with water, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire, visited wrath upon the Israelites several times for their wickedness, and otherwise showed His willingness to punish the wicked.

Furthermore, let us not be persuaded to believe that hell is right here on this earth. The other side of that coin, you know, is that heaven is right here on this earth. Are you prepared to accept the idea that the only thing that you will receive from God is your present earthly life, being blessed as it now is? If not, you must believe that there is something beyond the things which you suffer in this life prepared for the wicked.

Conclusion

The awareness of death, the judgment, heaven and hell should never be too far removed from our thoughts on a day-by-day basis. Peter said, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pet. 4:17-18). There is a hell! We must act now in obedience to God our Father in order to be able to escape everlasting punishment and receive everlasting life. It might be considered old-fashioned to believe in and preach about hell. If that be the case, let us be content to be considered old fashioned!

Truth Magazine XXII: 49, pp. 787-789
December 14, 1978

By Daniel L. Tam

The clouds of a very severe storm appeared to be gathering, as Marcus Alftwst left the house on Sunday morning, though he paid little attention to them. He had arisen at 6 A.M., fixed breakfast, read the paper, washed last night’s and this morning’s dishes, watched a usual weekend T.V. program and then prepared, as he had done for the last 23 years, to attend worship services.

A little rain will not stop me, he amused, as he drove the seven and four tenths miles to the medium sized wooden building, already nearly filled with morning worshipers. A little flutter of exasperation nagged his mind, as he noticed Harris Tubid’s old Pontiac parked in his space. Harris only comes to church about once a month, he thought, and then he gets my space. He always does that. Well, some people just do not care. With that, Marcus pulled to the end of the lot, and considered that he might get wet if the rain hit before the end of the service. Maybe he should send Tubid his cleaning bill. Oh well!

Ronald Audie was already making the morning announcements, when Marcus, after convincing an entire row of people to scoot down, was able to get his seat. If we had our names on our seats, he thought, then maybe everybody and his brother would not plop down in them . . . people just do not care . . . they just do not! Marcus wished that Ronald Audie would not attempt to make announcements. He had pointed out to two or three others that Audie never wears a tie. A bright sport shirt with the collar on the outside of his coat, that is Audie’s speed. Alright for the local diner perhaps, but taking part in public worship? He really did not know why they kept asking Brother Audie to participate.

“Oh No! Al Chrisper is going to lead singing this morning. If there is anyone that knows less about singing than Al, I’ve not met him.” Marcus did not like anything about Brother Chrisper’s leading. He sings too fast and too low; he does not use his hand to lead; and, of all things, he actually pats his foot. How anyone could sing under those conditions, he did not know. Besides, Chrisper does not even write the song numbers on the blackboard. Marcus had decided a long time ago, when “big Al” leads, “big Mark” does not sing.

James Smar led the opening prayer. Kind of pushy, for a fellow who has only been a member of the church a few months, and not a very good prayer either, Marcus thought. Probably be a good idea if they just used Brother Smar on Wednesday evenings.

The Lord’s supper was passed and Marcus partook of both the bread and the fruit of the vine. He felt a little guilty that at no time during that part of the service, did he actually even think of the Lord, let alone the great sacrifice. Elva NuKild’s baby was crying, and he had spent the entire time of the supper, considering how wonderful it would be, if babies were born with enough sense to behave during services.

Marcus was aware of the contribution. He had decided about two months ago, that it was time for the preacher to move on. It was not that he was doing too bad a job, but the preacher had been here three years . . . and well . . . the fellow was not that good a preacher. He had that irritating habit of licking his lips during a sermon. One time last year, he had licked his lips 32 times in the course of that long, one hour and thirteen minute sermon. Marcus took a small note-pad from his shirt pocket, added the jots, and noted that the preacher had licked his lips nine times today. Anyway, he had decided not to contribute so much as a thin dime to the church till they got rid of him.

Harris Tubid’s son, Ronnie, led the closing prayer. Marcus wondered if God would hear the prayer of a person whose dad would steal another man’s parking space?

It was raining as Marcus Alftwst left the building. But then, he thought, did not God say that the rain would fall on the just?

Truth Magazine XXII: 50, p. 802
December 21, 1978

By William Y. Beasley

Do you have eternal life? Would you like to know? You can know: “These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). This should be not only an interesting study (everyone has a vital, personal interest in it), but also a profitable one (we can change our condition). As we continue our study of 1 John together, ask yourself, Do I know, from God’s standard, that I have eternal life?”

“We Love The Brethren” (1 John 3:13-18)

This section is based on what has proceeded: The murder of Abel by Cain (3:12). Being hated is to be expected (“Marvel not . . . “-3:13). Such is the way of the world. When one passes from death to life in Jesus, he will love his brethren: “We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren”(3:14). According to R. C. H. Lenski, “This is the same perfect tense that was used in 2:29 and 3:9, and it has full present connotation” (Interpretation of Peter, John, Jude, pp. 468-469). In fact, Lenski translated a part of the verse: “. . . because we are loving the brothers” (Ibid.). Have you passed from death to life? Do you have eternal life? Do you love (are you loving) the brothers? The above is not three, but one question.

Lest we misunderstand the full significance of loving the brethren, the reverse is also stated: “He that loveth not abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (3:14-15). John said that this was something that “ye know”-perhaps because of the teachings of Jesus as recorded in Matt. 5:22 and John 8:44.

To know what love is we need but look to the example of Jesus Christ who “laid down his life for us” (3:16; Rom. 5:6-10; John 10:11, 17, 18). We are to love one another that much: “. . . we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (3:16). This is the same thing that Jesus preached: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). The new thing about the commandment of Jesus was its degree or intensity-“even as I have loved you.” I pray God that I misjudge my brethren, but right here each of us needs to work on our love. We might pick and choose some for whom we would die, but what about the others? There is no question that some would not “lay down his life for the brethren” (3:16) if needed because they will not or have not shown compassion for them in benevolence. They “love in word . . . with the tongue” but not “in deed and truth” (3:18).

An Un-Condemning Heart (1 John 3:19-24)

The immediate, textual application of this section is to love the brethren (benevolence). The heart, perhaps what we call conscience, is 100% accurate only in showing condemnation. A clean conscience does not in itself prove righteousness because “God is greater than our hearts” (3:20). Our hearts may or may not be properly taught, may or may not be spiritually inclined at all. Our hearts tend to forget, but God “knoweth all things” (3:20). We are limited, we are finite. God is infinite and unforgetting.

An uncondemning heart gives us “boldness toward God” (3:21). It is all too possible that the uncondemning heart should be condemning. Many of us have heard statements like, “I’m satisfied with my baptism or marriage” and we know that they ought not be satisfied. One should have an uncondemning heart when and only when it is “because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight” (3:22). This is limited only by the things which Jesus has commanded. One cannot “believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ” and reject the Son’s authority. The second commandment is to “love one another” (3:23). When we keep His commandments (plural), we abide in Him (God) and He in us (3:24). We know that God abides in us “by the Spirit which He gave us” (3:24). Is this speaking of a personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Is it even speaking of the Holy Spirit? It is speaking, we are convinced, not of the Holy Spirit, but of the same idea we found earlier in 1 John 2:24 and 3:9, i.e., seed is equal to word of God which is to abide in us.

Conclusion

Do you know you have eternal life? Do you love the brethren? Are you right now loving the brothers? Do you love to the degree, with the intensity that you should? God, help each of us. Are you benevolent to your brother and sister in the Lord? Do you have an uncondemning heart? Do you “keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (3:22)?

Truth Magazine XXII: 49, p. 793
December 14, 1978