Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

During the course of the discussion in recent years pertaining to the unity-in-diversity method of fellowship, brethren have begun to examine anew the grounds of our salvation. Though the discussion has been profitable to me, I am saddened by the fact that I see several of my brethren accepting the doctrines of Calvinism, such as the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account. Too, I see them making charges that those who state that obedience to Christ’s commands is necessary for salvation are guilty of legalism. Such manifests an ignorance of what legalism is and an inaccurate knowledge of the grounds of our salvation.

Those who have been writing in defense of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account seemingly are only able to see two methods of salvation: (1) justification by works (perfect obedience to the law of Christ) and (2) justification by the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the believer’s account. Those who do not believe in the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the believer’s account are charged with being guilty of believing in salvation through perfect obedience. To them there is no alternative to believing in the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account except the alternative of salvation through perfect obedience.

There is, however, another alternative: justification through forgiveness. The one to whom the Lord will not impute sin is the man whose sins have been forgiven. Read what Paul wrote in Rom. 4:6. 8.

“Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

Notice that this passage states that the man whose sins have been forgiven is the one who is righteous. The man who stands justified because his sins have been forgiven does not stand justified on the basis of works. Indeed, justification by works demands perfect obedience to the law; because the man who is justified by works has an obedience which is perfect, he does not need forgiveness. Hence, justification through forgiveness cannot be considered justification through works. He who so charges does not understand justification by works!

The ground of one’s salvation is Christ’s blood. The man who is justified through forgiveness depends upon Christ’s blood to wash away every transgression of God’s law which he has ever committed. There can be, therefore, no dependence upon the works of man for salvation; one’s salvation is through the grace of God. God gave us that which we did not deserve-forgiveness of sins; consequently, we’ can stand justified by grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

The condition for receiving forgiveness of sins is different from the ground on which forgiveness of sins rests. The grounds for the forgiveness of sins is God’s grace as manifested in the sacrifice of Christ’s blood for the forgiveness of man’s sins. However, one receives the benefits of Christ’s blood conditionally. (If one receives the benefits of Christ’s blood unconditionally, the doctrine of universalism, the belief that all men will eventually be saved, is true since Christ died for all.) The conditions which the alien sinner must meet to obtain the forgiveness of sins are as follows: faith (Heb.

11:6), repentance (Acts 2:38), confession of faith in Christ (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10), and baptism (Acts 2:38). The conditions which the erring Christian must meet to have his sins forgiven are as follows: repentance (Acts $:22), confession of sins (1 in. 1:7.2:1), and prayer (Acts 8:22).

(The man who teaches that the Christian’s sins are forgiven unconditionally is logically compelled to accept the doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” Either one of two things is true: (1) either the Christian’s are remitted conditionally or (2) the Christian’s sins are remitted unconditionally. If they are remitted unconditionally, the doctrine of “once saved, always saved” is true. If they are remitted conditionally, those conditions must be met before the Christian’s sins are remitted.)

There is nothing meritorious in salvation when one teaches that sins are forgiven conditionally. If a rich uncle left me a million dollars upon the condition that I walked down a road backwards for one mile, I would not think that I had earned that million dollars by walking down that road backwards. Rather I would understand that I had to comply with some conditions to receive the grace of that rich uncle. Similarly, the meeting of conditions to receive the benefit of God’s grace in no way implies that man has earned his salvation. The charge of “salvation by works” which some make against baptism for the alien sinner or repentance, confession and prayer for the erring Christian applies with equal force to “faith.” If baptism is a work whereby an alien sinner earns his salvation or if repentance, confession and prayer are works whereby the erring Christian earns his salvation, then so also is faith! God’s salvation is graciously given to the sinner conditionally. The meeting of these conditions is not “salvation by works”; rather, it is salvation by grace!

When a man’s sins are forgiven, he stands righteous before God. He stands righteous before God because there are no sins laid to his charge. His sins have been forgiven, so he stands before God as if he had lived a perfect life. He is not regarded as perfect because Christ’s perfect obedience has been imputed to his account. Rather, he stands perfect before God because his sins have been forgiven. Justification comes through forgiveness which comes to us through the precious blood of Christ. He who charges that this is salvation by works knows nothing of what the Bible means when it speaks of salvation by works!

The Perfect Obedience of Jesus

What part, then, does the perfect obedience of Jesus play in God’s plan for saving man? No one can deny that Jesus lived a perfect life and that His perfect life was necessary for our salvation. However, the part which His perfect life plays in our salvation is so;nething altogether different from the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the believer’s account. Here are the things which Christ’s perfect obedience did:

1. It qualified Him as a sin offering. The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29) was in many respects exactly like the lamb offered on the altar during the Mosaical period. The animal offered to God during the Mosaical period had to be one without blemish (Lev. 4: 23, 28). Similarly, Jesus had to be a Lamb of God without blemish. Peter wrote, “. . . knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Similarly the writer of Hebrews mentioned that Christ “offered Himself without blemish to God” (Heb. 9:14). Hence, His perfect life qualified Him as the perfect sacrifice for sins. Had Jesus sinned, He could not have atoned for Himself, much less for others. His perfect life qualified Him as the perfect sin offering.

As the perfect sin offering, He has the ability to save others. Again, the writer of Hebrews said, “. . . although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:8-9). Through the sacrifice on the cross, redemption was made for His people. “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that- time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb. 10:11-14). Notice that the writer shows that the one offering of the Lamb atoned for the sins of the people. There is no mention of the perfect life of Christ covering anyone’s sins; rather, the Scriptures teach that the sacrifice of the Christ atoned for the sins of the people. His perfect life only qualified Him as the perfect sacrifice.

2. It made Him a perfect example to follow. 1 Pet. 2:21-24 holds out the perfect life of Jesus as an example for us to imitate. This passage makes no mention of the perfect life of Jesus covering our sins; rather, it holds forth Jesus as an example to be emulated in the same way as other passages hold forth other faithful men to be imitated.

If there is any passage in all of the Scripture which implies that the perfect obedience of Jesus is applied to the account of the believer, I wish that someone would show it to me. I can read of Jesus’ perfect life qualifying Him as the perfect sacrifice and of His perfectlife being used an an example for imitation, but I cannot read of the perfect obedience of Jesus being applied to the account of the believer to cover his sins of ignorance and weaknesses of the flesh.

Conclusion

The reason why brethren are propagating this doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the account of the believer is that they are searching for some theological basis to have fellowship with brethren who refuse to repent of their sins of introducing instrumental’ music in worship, perverting the mission of the church into recreational areas, distorting the organization of the church through the sponsoring church arrangement, and supporting human institutions from the church treasury. Consequently, they have resorted to the Calvinist doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Jesus to the believer’s account. They apply this to the sincere man attending the Christian Churches and liberal churches among us. They say that God will not see the sins of using instrumental music, supporting human institutions, involving the church in recreation, etc. because He sees instead the perfect obedience of Christ. Consequently, God will save those who are involved in these sins even though they never repent of them or ask the Lord to forgive them for practicing these things. However, if we are going to enjoy sweet fellowship with these brethren in heaven, we should go ahead and enjoy it on earth. Therefore, these brethren are teaching that we should fellowship our brethren involved in these sins because the perfect obedience of Christ is imputed to them to cover their sins.

My brethren, this is a false doctrine borrowed from Calvinism designed to give some theological justification for fellowshipping brethren who are involved in supporting, defending, and propagating sin! Those who .are true to the Lord cannot be guilty of bidding “Godspeed” those who are guilty of sin. Consequently, we need- to mark those who are propagating this doctrine to stop the spread of this gangrene among us.

Truth Magazine XXII: 7, pp. 115-117
February 16, 1978

By Leslie Diestelkamp

In 1975 and again in 1976, there were more than a million divorces in America in each year. Of all those who marry in 1977, at least one-third will end in divorce. This chapter will be devoted to discussion of some things that cause divorce or that otherwise wreck marriages. Of course we can only consider a few such causes, but it is hoped that at least a few people will be better prepared to withstand the prevailing trends so that a few more marriages may indeed endure. These items of destruction we shall mention need to be recognized before marriage and also afterward. “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” Dangers must be recognized before they materialize into explosive weapons of destruction in family circles.

1. Virtually every marriage is characterized by some disagreements; some of these differences eventuate in arguments or quarrels. But such arguments do not usually bring separations. Certainly they need not cause serious trouble. But accumulative quarreling may destroy the marriage. This is the kind of argument in which one or both may keep bringing up old differences, adding one quarrel upon another. In such cases old wounds never have time to heal but are opened with fresh irritation again and again. We must forgive and forget! Let by-gones be by-gones! If you must argue today, do not look back upon the last quarrel. Let every hasty, angry word of yesterday be forgotten. Let no burning embers remain in your heart from yesterday’s argument. In other words, do not add fuel to an old flame!

2. The social and economic structure of our society, especially that which has developed since World War II, provides too much temptation to too many people. Because men and women work together day after day in very close proximity, those associations that should be only casual often become intimate and frequently lead to overwhelming temptation and also to jealousies. It has been said that “Familiarity breeds contempt” and in this case familiarity becomes too intimate and that intimacy leads to passion and lust. This has~led to tragic immoral corruption. Almost every town has been rocked by such scandals, and every city contains great numbers of people who have thus fallen. The crude, vulgar jokes about executives and their secretaries are not amusing to good people, but the sordid pictures they paint are too often true-to-life regarding many people in all kinds of occupations. And the special point I want to make here is to urge every reader who counts his marriage precious to be absolutely sure that regardless of his work and the necessary proximity to others working with him that he does not permit himself the luxury of intimacy! It will be much better to have been considered cool and aloof than to have been made another victim of too much familiarity.

3. Paul admonished, ‘Defraud ye not one the other, except it be by consent for a time… that Satan tempt ye not” (1 Cor. 7:5). Yet many marriage counselors tell us unsatisfied emotions is a major cause of separation and divorce. One partner may think only in terms of receiving emotional satisfaction and of fulfilling his own passionate desires. But, without taking either for granted, each must give real consideration to the needs of the other, and this must be done freely, even enthusiastically, and certainly not reluctantly. In fact, therein (that is, in satisfying the companion) lies one of the greatest joys of the marriage relationship.

If quarrels are settled and the matter is dropped, if each spouse conducts himself (or herself) in such a way, at all time-at work and at play, at home and away-so as to deserve the trust and confidence of the companion, and if each wholeheartedly participates in every marriage relationship so as to please and satisfy the other, then most other troubles and problems will be overcome. And remember, when there is a joyful home life, other things will usually be all right. Solomon said, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Prov. 17:22).

Solomon also said, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing” and I am convinced that the wife that finds a good husband has not done all that bad either! We are made for each other and it is God’s intent that we share the most precious and the most rewarding of all human relationships. But God’s intent can only be fully realized when each can face the other with a clear conscience, a clean heart and a pure body.

Furthermore, the greatest success cannot be attained in the marriage companionship merely because of romantic appeal, emotional release or even because of a passive fidelity that precludes unfaithfulness. to the spouse. Rather, to assure success, each partner must live every day by a solemn commitment that was made before the wedding and that we reiterated constantly thereafter. This determination must include tolerance for the faults of a companion, patience with the other’s weaknesses and compassionate kindness for one another. Satan tries constantly to wreck your marriage, you know, and he is wise to all the subtle temptations and all the aggravating frustrations which the world can cast in your pathway. The devil will be happy if he can make you unworthy of the love and trust of your companion, and he will be just as glad if he can make you unwilling to forgive an unworthy spouse! He wants to destroy the real sanctity of your home and the peace and harmony you should have there; and he does not care how he does it. Besides that, he knows that you are the only one that can prevent that destruction. Do not let him get a foot-hold in your family circle! Watch out for the little things that can become home wreckers! Next: “Stop The Clock.”

Truth Magazine XXII: 7, p. 114
February 16, 1978

By Weldon E. Warnock

To deny the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the children of God is, to deny the teaching of the Bible. We read, “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (2 Tim. 1:14). Again, we read, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19)? These Scriptures, and others, plainly teach that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. However, the issue is not whether the Spirit dwells in the Christian, but rather how does He dwell. Does He dwell in the Christian personally or does He dwell representatively? Bible students are divided over the manner of the Spirit’s indwelling. It is this writer’s conviction that the Spirit dwells in Christians, representatively, rather than personally or actually.

The Father and Son Dwell In Us

We do not seem to have ,any difficulty in understanding how God the Father and God the Son dwell in us. The Bible teaches that both dwell in us. Listen to John: ” . . . . .If we love one another, God dwelleth in us. . .” (1 Jn. 4:12). Verses 13, 15 and 16 also teach the Father dwelleth in us. Cf. 2 Cor. 6:16. Of Jesus, Paul stated, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin. ..” (Rom. 8:10). The apostle further declared, “. . .Christ liveth in me. . .” (Gal. 2:20). To the Colossians, Paul wrote, “. . .which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

Who is ready to say that the Father and the Son dwell in us, personally? No one, I am confident. Then why contend for a personal indwelling of the Spirit, but deny the same for the Father and the Son? If we claim the Father and the Son dwell in us representatively or through instrumentality, then why not claim the same thing for the Holy Spirit?

Paul clearly indicates that Christ dwells in us by faith: “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. . .” (Eph. 3:17). This is also the manner by which both the Father and the Holy Spirit dwell in us. When we permit Christ to be formed in us (Gal. 4:19), Christ dwells in us. When we become partakers of God’s nature (2 Pet. 1:4), God the Father dwells in us. All of this is done by faith which is produced by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The same means of indwelling is true of the Holy Spirit. When we allow our lives to be controlled by the Spirit through the revealed Word, the Spirit dwelleth.in us.

To the Galatians, Paul wrote; “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith” (Gal. 3:2)? In the text, you will observe that we receive the Spirit by the Word of God. Among the Galatians, both the miraculous powers of the Spirit (v. 5). and the spiritual graces of the Spirit (v. 14; 4:5,6), came as a result of their hearing, believing and obeying the gospel which Paul preached.

In Eph. 5:18, we are commanded to “be filled with the Spirit.” Paul wrote, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:18-19). The parallel passage is Col. -3:16. It states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” When we let the Word of God dwell in us we are being filled with the Spirit. The Word of God is not the Spirit, but through the Word, the Spirit abides in us.

The Spirit Is God

It seems that a clear understanding as to who the , Spirit is will go far in clarifying the issue. The Bible teaches the Holy Spirit is God. We read in Acts 5:3-4, . `But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost . . . .thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.;’ Peter said the Holy Spirit is God. Cf. Mt. 12:28 and Lk. 11:20.

The word, “God,” means “deity.” Hence, the Holy Spirit being God, is Deity. There are three divine Beings: God the Father (1 Cor. 8:6), God the Son (Jn. 1:1) and God the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:3-4). Our concept. of the Holy Spirit should be he same as our concept of the Father and the Son as far as divine nature is concerned.

The Holy Spirit possesses the characteristics of a divine Being. He is eternal (Heb. 9:14), omniscient, knowing all things (1 Cor. 2:10.11), omnipotent, being all-powerful (Micah 3:8), omnipresent, His presence being everywhere (Psa. 139:7). He possesses the divine attributes of goodness, holiness, grace, will, judgment and truth (Neh. 9:20; Eph. 1:13; Heb. 10:29; 1 Cor. 12:11; Acts 15:28; Jn. 16:13). As a divine Being, actions are attributed to the Holy Spirit which further show Him to be a person or personality. He hears (Jn. 16:13), speaks (1 Tim. 4:1), commands (Acts 13:2), can be grieved (Eph. 4:30), can be quenched (1 Thess. 5:19) and can be insulted (Heb. 10:29).

In view of who the Spirit is, it is puzzling how anybody who recognizes the divine personality of the Spirit can advocate a personal indwelling. Just think of it-God literally and actually dwelling in us! Such a view is far-fetched and without Biblical support. To teach a personal indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit, one must accept the fact of an incarnation of every person who has received the Holy Spirit. Jesus was ~incarnated-God in the flesh-and He was called Immanuel, “God with us” (Mt. 1:23). Why not call every Christian “Immanuel” if God is in him? Ladies and gentlemen, this is the consequence of proposing a personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Too, Jesus accepted worship because He was God. Why cannot Christians accept worship if God is in them?

The Holy Spirit Is A Person

Since the Holy Spirit is a divine person, to have Him in a multitude of people at once is contrary to the very concept of person. A person has a fixed position. He occupies only one place at a time. This is true with any person, whether human or divine. In the Bible, we read of several persons (demons) occupying one body (Lk. 11:24-26), but we never read of one person abiding in several bodies at once.

But someone says, “God is omnipresent, and He can be everywhere at the same time.” This is confusing “omnipresence” with “ominperson.” God is omnipresent but He is not omniperson. To teach that the person of God is everywhere is to teach pantheism, an ‘idea of God that is paganistic. Jehovah is transcendent and immanent, but He is not omniperson. We will say more about omnipresence, shortly, after we consider the aspects of person.

According to the New International Dictionary by Merriam-Webster, “person” means “a being characterized- by conscious apprehension, rationality, and moral sense.” Thus, the Holy Spirit, as a person, has conscious apprehension, rationality and moral sense. He is not, therefore, just an influence, a mere power or force,. or some kind of mysterious and indefinable fog-like substance.

The Encyclopedia Brittanica (Vol 21) informs us that “the natural sense of the word `person’ is undoubtedly individuality.” Quoting from the ;New International Dictionary again, we observe that the word, “individual,” is defined, “An indivisible entity or a totality which cannot be separated into parts without altering the character and significance of these parts.” Notice that an individual is indivisible and cannot be separated into parts. Hence, the Holy Spirit, as a person, an individual, is indivisible.

The Holy Spirit can no more be broken-up into bits and pieces and parceled out among thousands of people and keep His totality and entity than you and I can. You do not divide a person. Such destroys its character and nature. To those who teach that God is everywhere, and, therefore, the Holy Spirit would not have to be fragmented to be in every Christian, make the presence of God, and the person of God, synonymous. But there is quite a difference between the two. (Parenthetically, there is a sense in which God’s presence is not everywhere. Cf. Gen. 4:16; 2 Kings 13:23; 24:20; Jer. 23:39. Too, if omnipresence means that God’s person has to be everywhere and in every place, then God is in an alien sinner.)

Omnipresence of God

God is found in many places by the instrumentality of His creations, laws, works, agents, appointments, etc., while His person is in heaven. This is what is involved in the omnipresence of God. Omnipresence does not mean that God’s person is everywhere, but rather His presence is everywhere through the above avenues of laws, agents, etc. During World War II, Hitler’s presence was felt throughout Europe by his armies, influence and oppression, but he, personally, was in Germany. In like-manner, God’s presence is throughout the universe, but His person is in heaven.

Through the agency of angels, God is said to be present in the Old Testament. The Lord saved Israel from the Egyptians (Ex. 14:30k), but He did it through the “angel of his presence” (Isa. 63:9). Notice the word, “presence.” God spoke to Moses from a burning bush (Ex. 3:4), but He did it through an angel (v. 2). God went before Israel in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21), but He did it through the medium of an angel (Ex. 14:19). All of these things are attributed to God, but He performed them through agency-angels. God was present, representatively.

In the New Testament, Jesus promised to be in every assembly where two or three are gathered in His name (Mt. 18:20), but who, believes that Jesus is actuallly present? Jesus promised to be with His diciples until the end of the world (Mt. 28:20), but who insists that Jesus is with His disciples, personally? Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56; Eph. 1:20; 1 Pet. 3:22). Since Jesus is in heaven, He is with us by such things as appointments, laws, influence, etc. When and wherever we serve the Lord, we come before His divine presence.

If, therefore, the Father and the Son can be present through agents, works, laws and appointments without being present in person, why cannot the Holy Spirit. The truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit is present through the instrumentality of His teaching, gifts, works, influence and appointments, rather than His person.

During the days of miracles (the first century), the Holy Spirit empowered men to work miracles (Heb. 2:34; 1 Cor. 12:7-11). The power, by metonymy, is sometimes spoken of as the Holy Spirit. Webster defines “metonymy” as follows: “Use of one word for another that it suggests, as the effect for the cause, the cause for the effect, the sign for the thing signified, the container for the thing contained, etc. (a man keeps a good table, instead of good food).” Hence, by the usage of metonymical speech, the Bible sometimes puts the Holy Spirit when the effect of the Holy Spirit is intended. The cause (Holy Spirit) is put for the effect (work).

A clear example of metonymical speech is in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, who had five brethren, wanted Abraham to send back Lazarus to testify to the brothers, lest they come to the place of torment. Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Lk. 16:29). Here, Moses and the prophets are put for their writings. The cause is put for the effect.

Thomas Horne, in his classical work, wrote in the section on metonym, “The Holy Spirit is put for His Effects . . . .The Holy Spirit is put for His Operations . . . .The Holy Spirit is put for the Influences or Gifts of the Spirit . . . .More especially the Holy Spirit is put for those peculiar and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit” (Introduction to the Scriptures, by Thomas Hartwell Home, Vol. II, Part I, pp. 455-456). D.R. Dungan wrote, “God and Christ and the Holy Spirit are frequently mentioned, whereas the result of their efforts in the redemption of the race is intended” (Hermeneutics, p. 271). Cf. “Figures of Speech Used in the Bible,” by E. W. Bullinger, pp. 540-3.

Therefore, in view of what Horne and Dungan correctly stated, the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), at Samaria (Acts 8:14-18), at the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:44), at Ephesus (Acts 19:6) and at Corinth (1 Cor. 12:4-11), through miraculous endowments and operations. This is one way the Spirit was in the apostles at the same time (Jn. 14:17) and in the prophets (1 Pet. 1:10-11). The Holy Spirit, personally, was not in the man, but rather the Spirit’s presence was there through the miraculous gifts. The Spirit was present, representatively.

Today, after the cessation of miracles, the Spirit is in us by the influence of His teaching through the Word. Of course, He was in the first century Christians this way, too, as well as through extraordinary endowments. Look at the context of Eph. 5:18. To be filled with the Spirit is to sing spiritual songs from the heart (v. 19), is to give thanks (v. 20), is to submit to one another (v. 21), is a right relationship between husband and wife (vs.- 22-33), etc. When we do the Lord’s will, affected and controlled by it, the Spirit is in us. When we permit the fruit of the Spirit to be a part of us, the Spirit through the fruit dwells in us (cf. Gal. 5:22-23).

Yes, the Spirit is in us, but not personally. He is present through instrumentality and medium of means, and not by taking up an actual abode in our mortal bodies. Nowhere in the Bible does an inspired writer state the Holy Spirit dwells in God’s people, personally.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 108-110
February 9, 1978

By Earl Robertson

Christianity

Christianity is the religion derived from Jesus Christ. The noun “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament, but this companion word is not found therein. It is first found in the so-called Church Fathers (Ignatius), and there retains its proper identification. Objectively, Christianity is the religion of Christ, which exists solely upon the divine revelation of God’s will to man. This revelation affirms that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Messiah, an Old Testament word, means anointed. Christ of the New Testament is the Messiah of the Old Testament and means anointed. The root Chrio from which the word Christ comes means “to touch with the hand,” “to besmear,” “to anoint.” God anointed Jesus (Lk. 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38).

Christianity is a distinctive religion. It is historically grounded because its founder was an actual person who lived in this world at a certain time. Christianity is in character supernatural, because it depends upon divinely revealed truth. This revelation informs us of the self-disclosure of God in Christ (John 1:1-14; 1 Tim. 3:16). Man no longer has to grope in the dark; the historical Christ promised by the prophets of the Old Testament came, was identified by the Father (Matt. 17:5), and was confessed to be the Christ the Son of God by both His friends and His enemies (Matt. 16:16; 27:54).

The coming of Christ into the world was to effect reconciliation between God and man (Eph. 2:16). His coming was to save sinners by the sacrifice of Himself (Lk. 19:10; Heb. 2:9; 9:26). The salvation offered by this sacrifice is guaranteed to everyone that “believeth and is baptized” (Mark 16:15, 16). The gospel of Christ makes this promise! Furthermore, the gospel of Christ is God’s power to save the believer (Rom. 1:16). The reason is the fact that God’s righteousness is revealed in the gospel (Rom. 1:17). This affirms the exclusiveness of the very basis of Christianity: it does not grant that men are saved by any other means than the gospel of Christ. The creeds of men can have no part in the matter of human redemption! This conviction is derived from the inclusive and exclusive nature of divine revelation. We live by what God’s word says (Matt. 4:4). Christianity is a life duly subscribed to the truth of Him who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, p. 107
February 9, 1978