Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

For The Truth’s Sake, we must learn how to “flee fornication” (1 Cor. 6:18). We cannot afford to be naive about the wiles of the Devil, for he is constantly walking about “seeking whom he may devour” (Eph. 6:11; 1 Pet. 5:8). If we are to resist and to stand against him, we must take the counsel of God’s Word for our armor.

(I) We may have to literally flee the presence of one who seeks to entice us. When other arts of seduction failed. Potiphar’s wife tried to embrace Joseph in order to stir his lust. “And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out” (Gen. 39:12). There is a time to teach God’s Word and warn those who have wicked thoughts. There is also a time when words will not avail to restrain the other person and when we must flee for our own safety. Being made of flesh, Joseph knew he could not resist such physical advances. If we had to lose our job in order to escape such attempts today, that would be better than to stay in the presence of unreasonable temptation until we lose our soul.

(2) We must be careful not to create unnecessary temptation in ourselves or in others. It is not wrong to be tempted (Heb. 4:15) but is wrong to dwell upon that which tempts (Jas. 1:14-15). We are asking for trouble when we dance, engage in promiscuous petting, or attend night clubs where every possible inducement to immorality is found. Not in dress, speech, or action should we do anything that might cause others to sin, even within the heart (Matt. 5:28; 18:6). This is a real danger in dancing or wearing such immodest attire as shorts and swimsuits. Many people who disapprove fornication condone everything that leads to it, as though it were right to contemplate the act but wrong to commit it.

(3) We should always pray for God’s help. None of us are beyond temptation. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13). Jesus Himself prayed for His disciples, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (Jn. 17:15). God knows and cares about our struggles; as we humble ourselves before Him, He strengthens us to resist Satan (1 Pet. 5:6-9). “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Ja. 1:5).

(4) We must fill the heart with good things. We cannot entirely control what we hear, see, and read, but we do have a great deal of control over what we dwell upon. Instead of filling the heart with everything that corrupts, and then fighting to resist the natural effects, we should fill our heart with things that are good, beautiful, and uplifting. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true… honest . . just… pure… lovely… of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Truth Magazine XXII: 29, p. 474
July 27, 1978

By Mike Willis

In recent years, we have read about the establishment of “free churches” among us as those infected with the grace-unity heresy crystallize into a movement to the point that they divide local congregations over their doctrines. It has always been paradoxical to me that this unity movement believes in unity so much that they will divide churches to show how much they believe in unity. Those who pull out start what they call “free churches.” They act as if they alone, of all the brethren among us, are the only free thinkers that exist. Regarding some “free-thinkers” of his day, Alexander Campbell wrote,

For Free-thinkers are not more free from prejudice and passion, from enthusiasm and infatuation, than those whom they denounce as dupes and impostors. With many of them, a Free-thinker is one who is free to form opinions as despots enact laws; free to assert and to decide, not only without, but even against reason and well established testimony. Those who are not so free in these respects, they rank amongst impostors and dupes (The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. I, p. 514).

The “free-thinkers” of today are no different from the “free-thinkers” of his day. They feel free to oppose those of us who call sin by its proper name (e.g., they have no opposition to those who divided the church by bringing instrumental music, sponsoring churches, recreation and institutionalism into the worship, work, and organization of the churches, but they stand opposed to those of us who call these things sin); they feel free to fellowship sin; they feel free to offer hope to the pious unimmersed; they feel free to offer hope to the man whose course of life involves habitual walking in darkness and the defense of the sin which he is committing (e.g., instrumental music in worship, the sponsoring church arrangement, recreation sponsored by the church, and institutionalism). My brethren, if this is the kind of freedom which they mean when they call themselves “free-thinkers,” I shall remain content to not be known as a free thinker. They remind me of the “free-thinkers” of Peter’s day whom he described as follows: “while they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Pet. 2:19).

Truth Magazine XXII: 29, p. 473
July 27, 1978

By Bobby L. Graham

An admitted paraphrase (putting what the author thought the verses means rather than what the original text says), this book was composed by Kenneth Taylor for his children on his way to work. A simple reading is enough to convince the reader that, after all, not much time or thought was required to produce this one! The book has slang and curse words; two picture editions of the Living Bible, The Jesus Book and Reach Out, use pictures of trances, rock music groups, and couples in embrace to illustrate (imagine it!) the inspired Scriptures. Outright vulgarity appears in the Old Testament section of this “children’s book”.

At least two errors appear in Genesis 1: verse one has “when God began creating” and later in the chapter we find”period of time” used to explain the days of creation. A later Genesis passage, 6:2, says, “Evil beings from the spirit world became sexually involved with human women.”

The plan of salvation could not be learned from this perversion. It speaks of Abraham finding favor with God by faith alone in Rom. 4:12; says that trusting (faith) is a gift from God in Eph. 2:8; words Rom. 8:3 thusly: “We aren’t saved from sin’s grasps by knowing the commandments of God, because we can’t and don’t keep them”; and Rom. 6:3 like this: “We became Christians and were baptized.”

Instead of maintaining Paul’s contrast between the partial information available to any one person under the administration of the miraculous and the full knowledge under the completed revelation of God’s word, 1 Cor. 13:10 says, “When we have been made perfect,” without any warrant whatever.

The false idea of inherited sin is taught in Eph. 2:3 (“being born with evil natures”) and in Ps. 51:5 (“born a sinner”).

Romans 8:16 talks about the Spirit speaking to us in our hearts and telling us that we are God’s children, in a real distortion of what the verse really says. “Only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means,” according to 1 Cor. 2:14-another twisting to teach the direct operation of the Holy Spirit.

Premillennialism comes in for its share of help in 2 Tim. 4:1, which speaks of Christ appearing to set up his’ kingdom; Isa. 2:2, in speaking of Jerusalem and the Temple becoming the world’s greatest attraction in the last days; and Rev. 7:14, where special emphasis is given to the Great Tribulation by means of its capitalization.

The crude language of the gutter, not what the text says, is found in 1 Sam. 20:30; Gen. 19:5; 2 Sam. 11:4, and John 9:34.

Such flippancy as to be absurd occurs in Isa. 5:14; Eccl. 10:11; 1 Kings 20:11; and Acts 23:3.

It should be obvious that genuine respect for the word of God is just as lacking among those who claim to be giving the world a more readable Bible as it is among unbelievers and agnostics.

Truth Magazine XXII: 29, pp. 471-472
July 27, 1978

By Wallace H. Little

That’s right. I found a live, scared puppy in our trash can. It was about three months old, possibly younger. The can had been emptied the previous day. Someone who obviously did not want it, was trying to get rid of the animal “the easy way.” When I lowered the mouth of the can, the puppy skipped around me and ran off. I hope he found a home.

Sometimes I think we all have our “puppy in the trash can.” We have responsibilities, but do not want to fulfill them. Perhaps they are visiting the delinquent members of the congregation, going to see one who had sinned, or giving up an evening in front of the TV to teach a lost soul the gospel of Christ. Or, how about handing out Bible literature door-to-door? Or whatever. Perhaps it is not so apparent as the four-legged puppy I found, but are we not also guilty of rejecting our responsibilities sometimes? Have we not turned away when we had opportunity and ability?

The parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30) points out the two characteristics of responsibility: (1) ability, and (2) opportunity. Whoever put that puppy in my trash can had both, but rejected them. Thus he rejected his responsibility. What of our abilities and opportunities?

What is my “puppy in the trash can”? What is yours?

Truth Magazine XXII: 29, p. 472
July 27, 1978