Truth Magazine

By Steve Curtis

Information contained in this article is taken from “Mother Theresa’s Sainthood Not Automatic,” written by Philip Pullella (Reuters via Internet, Sept. 6, 1997). Since the death of Mother Theresa, several things have been writ-ten and said about her sainthood. Those who loved her want to pressure the Catholic church to elevate her to sainthood immediately. However, being recognized as a saint by the Catholic church is no automatic thing.

If most people got their way, sainthood for Mother Theresa would be automatic. People already considered her to be a “living saint” and “Saint of the Gutters.” So, why not just go ahead and say she is a saint? The Catholic church will not let Mother Theresa be called a saint until she satisfies all its human doctrines and commandments. Despite the feelings and emotions of the grieving, only time (a lot of time) and the Catholic Church will tell whether Mother Theresa will be a saint.

If one ignored issues like the infallibility of the Pope, infant baptism, the doctrine of transubstantiation, etc. and just considered the issue of sainthood alone, one could easily see that the Catholic Church does not teach what the Bible teaches. Therefore, regardless of whether Mother Theresa is ever recognized as a saint or not, she will not be a saint as recognized in the word of God. Let us compare the Catholic saint with the biblical saint.

Does It Take Years and Does The Church Decide?

According to the above mentioned article, “People the world over considered Mother Theresa of Calcutta a ‘living saint’ but `years or decades may pass before the Roman Catholic Church can elevate her to sainthood.’ Where in the Bible can one read that it takes years or decades before a person can become a saint? In Ephesians 1:1, Paul ad-dressed the “saints who are in Ephesus.” What process taking years or decades did the Ephesians go through before Paul recognized them as saints?

Furthermore, where does the Bible say that in order to be a saint the Catholic Church must elevate you to that position? In the first place, the Catholic church cannot be found in the Bible. In the second place, the New Testament church never elevated anyone to sainthood. The New Testament church was made up of those who were saints (1 Cor. 1:2).

Why does the world allow such to go unchallenged? If a gospel preacher was to state that Mother Theresa is not a saint because she was not a member of the New Testament church, he would be booed and hissed. Unfortunately, some of his own brethren would be in that number. Yet, the Catholic Church can declare that sainthood is a process that takes years, at the end of which the church will decide the outcome, and people think nothing of it.

Does Death Precede Becoming A Saint?

The next statement in the article is this. “Despite a person’s reputation during his or her life, the process that leads to saint-hood cannot begin until after death.” Read

Ephesians 1:1. Paul addressed his letter to “the saints who are in Ephesus.” He did not write to “the saints buried in Ephesus.” If one accepts the Catholic doctrine of sainthood, he must necessarily accept the fact that Paul wrote to a group of dead people in Ephesus.

What would be the purpose of writing to a group of dead people instructing them in the way of the Lord? Exactly how would the dead saints at Ephesus “walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1)? In what way could the dead at Ephesus have “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11)? It is clear that the Bible’s concept and the Catholic Church’s concept of a saint are not the same. This is not hardheartedness or sarcasm. Friends, the obvious truth is the Catholic Church, its doctrine, and its practices, are not from God.

Miracles And Sainthood?

Now, according to the process of becoming recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, miracles have to be attributed to the deceased. Here is the statement. “And whatever Mother Theresa did during her lifetime, two miracles after her death have to be recognized by the Church.” This is amazing! If a gospel preacher was to get up and read directly from the word of God, the very words of Jesus in Mark 16:16 without adding comment  “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved,” there would be some who would get upset, angry and make all kinds of accusations against him. “He’s preaching his opinion. He believes in water salvation. He does not believe in faith and grace.” On the other hand, a religious group can decide that in order to be a saint two miracles have to be attributed to the individual after his death, which is not even hinted at in the Bible, and no one gets upset at all.

Friends, if this was God’s will, it would be in the Bible. In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter said, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” Peter said we have all things, not some, not a few, not a lot, but all things. If miracles were necessary to be a saint, God would have told us. Not only can we see that the Catholic Church makes it harder for a person to be a saint than God does, but we can see that Catholicism is a man-made religion.

Earning A Reputation of Sanctity?

“If a person has earned a `reputation of sanctity’ among people, the local bishop can begin the process but he must wait at least five years after the person has died.” If the Catholic Church believes what the Bible teaches, according to them, the apostle Paul did two things before penning his epistle to the “saints at Ephesus.” He considered their previous reputation and waited five years after the death of everyone at Ephesus before he referred to them as saints.

What was the reputation of the Ephesians? The Bible says it was far from “sanctity.” Before they obeyed the gospel, they were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Even after obeying the gospel, “many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds” of practicing magic (Acts 19:18-19). The reputation of the Ephesians was just like my reputation, your reputation, and everyone else’s. We are all sinners (Rom. 3:10, 23). Without Christ the Ephesians, like you and I, were without hope (Eph. 2:12). How were the Ephesians elevated to sainthood? Paul said it was “in one body, through the cross” (Eph. 2:16). Why did Paul not consider the minimal five year waiting period? Why did Paul not take into account the reputation of those who were once sinners? The reason why Paul did not consider these things is there was no such thing as the Pope and the Catholic church in his day. If there had been, the inspired apostle would have condemned them for such human doctrines.

The Process Of Sainthood

After waiting five years, what does this process involve according to the Catholic Church? “A `postulator’ is appointed to help gather information from people who knew the candidate, seeking evidence of holiness.” Then, “the evidence  usually amounting to many, many volumes  is sent under seal to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes for Saints. A `relator’ is appointed. His job is to evaluate the evidence and make a recommendation in the form of a `positio,’ or position paper.” May the gospel preacher have a strong backbone and thick skin who would dare suggest trying to find evidence of anyone’s holiness, not to mention Mother Theresa’s. Yet, the Catholic Church can look at someone like dear, Nobel prize winning Mother Theresa and question her holiness. Before they can take an official position they have to appoint special investigators and gather volumes and volumes of material. This is not found in the Bible. It just is not there.

What happens after this investigation? The article states, “If the investigation ends positively, a papal decree recognizing the person’s heroic virtues is published and the person is granted the title of `venerable.’ One miracle is required after a candidate’s death for the cause to move on to Beatification…. The candidate can then be beatified and declared a `blessed’ of the Church. This allows a limited form of veneration . . . Another miracle is needed between Beatification and Canonization, or the conferring of sainthood.” If this is in the Bible, I simply have missed it.

What if the Catholic Church’s investigation for saint-hood ends negatively? Is dear, Nobel prize winning Mother Theresa declared unholy? Will the “living saint,” “Saint of the Gutters” be lost eternally? What if she is recognized as having “heroic virtues,” but no miracles follow? An honest heart can see two things. First, the Catholic church makes it harder to be a saint than God does. So, why not just follow God’s word? Second, one can see that the Catholic Church does not teach what the Bible teaches. Once men leave the Bible, though “they draw near to God with their mouths and honor Him with their lips,” it is nothing more than vanity (Matt. 15:7-9). The end result for those who follow such man-made religions is damnation (Matt. 15:12).

What Does The Bible Teach Concerning

Becoming A Saint?

The word “saint” or “saints” appears several times in the Scriptures. Basically, the idea behind the word saint is “set apart.” To be a saint is to be “set apart for God, to be, as it were exclusively His” (Thayer).

When the Scriptures speak about saints, it speaks of those who are set apart to God (Rom. 1:7; Phil. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2). One is separated or set apart to God when he is called by the gospel. God calls men today through the gospel (2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9-10). One does not become a saint through Catholicism.

In Acts 8:1, a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem. In Acts 9:13, Ananias was afraid to go to Saul because he had persecuted and done much harm to the saints in Jerusalem. Therefore, to speak of saints is to speak of the church, to speak of the church is to speak of the saints. The conclusion is whatever is necessary for one to be a member of the church is that which is necessary to be a saint. From Acts 2, we know that this is obedience to the gospel. Those who have obeyed the gospel call (hear, believe, repent, confess, and are baptized for the remission of sins) are saved and added to the church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). Therefore, the saved are the saints, the church.

If the Catholic Church ever elevates Mother Theresa to sainthood, it would not mean that she is a saint in view of what the Bible teaches. If Mother Theresa was not a saint before her death, it is too late now. Death has robbed her of that opportunity regardless of feelings, human judgments, or the Catholic church. On the day of judgment, it will only matter if one is a saint according to the Bible definition. In view of your own mortality, have you obeyed the gospel call? Are you a saint, set apart to God?

Guardian of Truth XLI: 23 p. 7-8
December 4, 1997

By Keith Sharp

1. I appreciate brother Mike Willis for being willing to publish this discussion and brother James P. Needham for being willing to engage in it. I hope the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace will be the result. I am willing to extend the right hand of fellowship to those who believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man and was tempted to sin as a man. For those who believe Jesus sometimes used his own divine attributes while on earth, I think you are mistaken, but since we both agree on his deity and his humanity, our disagreement should not affect our fellowship.

2. Proposition: The Scriptures teach that the Son of God, in the days of his flesh, emptied himself of the use of his own peculiarly divine attributes.

3. Definitions: “The Son of God”: Jesus Christ, the di-vine, incarnate Word. “In the days of his flesh”: for the 33 years he lived as a man on earth. “Emptied”: to be defined in course of argument. “His own peculiarly divine attributes”: His characteristics that set him apart as deity. I neither affirm nor believe he emptied himself of the possession of these at-tributes but that he emptied himself of their use.

4. Questions for brother Needham:

a. Must one believe that Jesus used all his own di vine attributes while on earth to be saved?

b. Did Jesus have a human spirit?

c. Could Jesus have sinned?

d. If so, why didn’t he?

The Scriptures affirm that Jesus is God (e.g., John 1:1). While on this earth he was “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

5. God has certain characteristics which he shares with none of his creatures (Isa. 46:9). They are peculiarly his and are the distinguishing attributes of deity, expressing his divine nature. God exists in “the form of God” (Phil. 2:5-6). He is eternal (Ps. 90:2), unchangeable (Mal. 3:6), perfectly free to do as he wills (Job 23:13), omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-12), omniscient (Ps. 147:5), omnipotent (Isa. 40:28), infinitely holy, i.e., cannot be tempted to sin (Rev. 4:8; Jas. 1:13), and glorious (Ps. 113:4). He is distinct from humans in that he is an invisible, immortal spirit (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:13-16; John 4:24).

6. Because God has perfect freedom, he can limit the use of his divine attributes without ceasing to be God, deity, or divine. He no longer creates worlds (Gen. 2:1-3), but he is still the Creator (Acts 17:24). He will never again destroy the world by water (Gen. 9:8-15), but he still retains the power to destroy the world (2 Pet. 3:10-12). He no longer imparts miracle working power to his people (1 Cor. 13:8-13), but he is still all powerful (Rev. 4:8). To deny this truth is to deny one of the peculiar attributes of God, his perfect freedom to do as he wills.

7. The Scriptures also affirm that Jesus was a man. Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be a “man of sorrows” (Isa. 53:3). Jesus called himself a “man” (John 8:40) in the same conversation in which he claimed to be “I AM” (John 8:58). The apostles called him “a man” (e.g., Acts 2:22). The divine Word became a man by the miracle of the virgin birth (Matt. 1:18-23).

8. For God to become man, he had to empty him-self. The apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians to have the mind of Christ, the mind of humility. To both explain and illustrate his lesson, the inspired apostle explained how Jesus became a man.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8).

9. The term “form” means “the external appearance” (Thayer, 418) and further “signifies the form as it is the utterance of the inner life; not ‘being,’ but `mode of being,’ or better, ‘mode of existence”‘ (Trench, 262).

This form is something which can be changed (cf. Mark 16:12).

10. The phrase “made Himself of no reputation” is translated “emptied himself’ in both the American Standard and New American Standard versions. The verb means “to empty” (Vine 2:25), “to empty, make empty” (Thayer, 344; so Amdt & Gingrich, 429).

11. The term translated by the negative conjunction “but” (v. 7) is “an adversative participle indicating a difference with or contrast to what precedes” (Arndt & Gingrich 37). For example, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, when Paul indicated the Corinthians had formerly been immoral, “but” were then “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified,” he was indicating they were no longer one (immoral) but were the other (washed, sanctified, justified). The same grammatical construction is used in the same way in the immediate context to state the point that Jesus’ humility illustrates (Phil. 2:3).

12. So the apostle Paul teaches that Christ emptied him-self of the two things in the clause before the conjunction “but” (the form of God and equality with God) and, in contrast “took the form of a servant,” and being in that form he did something, “He humbled himself,” and that humility extended to the point that he was obedient, obedient to the point of death, “even the death of the cross,” that is, the most shameful death of all (cf. Gal. 3:13).

13. This does not mean that Jesus “in the days of His flesh” ceased being deity. But he did empty himself of the form of God and that which went with it, equality with God. (cf. 2 Cor. 8:9).

14. The longest passage in the Bible on the nature of Christ is Hebrews chapters one and two. Immediately after he had affirmed the deity of Jesus (Heb. 1), the inspired writer affirmed he became a “man … the son of man” (Heb. 2:6, 9). He who was “so much better than the angels” (Heb.1:4), “was made a little lower than the an-gels” (Heb. 2:9). He became one with us, becoming our brother (Heb. 2:11). As our brother, he worshiped and trusted God (Heb. 2:12-13). “Therefore, in all things he had to be made like his brethren” (Heb. 2:17).

15. Jesus did not just enter a fleshly body; he “became flesh” (John 1:14). “Flesh and blood” (Heb. 2:14) is a figurative expression for man with his human nature (Matt. 16:17; Gal. 1:16). Jesus fully shared our human nature (Heb. 2:14). To deny that Jesus became truly and fully human and was tempted to sin in the same ways we are is to deny him as Savior and High Priest (Heb. 2:10-11, 17-18). It is to be antichrist (1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 7).

16. Just as God has peculiar divine attributes, humans have characteristics that are in contrast with the divine at-tributes. It is a logical contradiction for both sets of at-tributes to be in use simultaneously. Just as it is a denial of the deity of Christ to deny he possesses the divine attributes, it is a denial of his humanity to deny he possessed human attributes.

17. Which characteristics did Jesus use in the days of his flesh, human or divine? He who existed “in the form of God” took “the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). He who is “from everlasting to everlasting” was “born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). The unchangeable God became subject to change in both body and spirit (Luke 2:52). The perfectly free Word became the servant of God and men (Phil. 2:5-8). The one who is present everywhere was limited to a local presence (John 10:40; 11:1, 7, 17-21). The being whose “understanding is infinite” “increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52). The one who “neither faints nor is weary” was “wearied” (John 4:6). He who “cannot be tempted by evil” “was in all points tempted as we are” (Heb. 4:15). He emptied himself of the divine glory (John 17:5). The invisible God was seen of men (1 John 1:1-3). The immortal God died (Heb. 2:14-15). He who was Spirit took on a fleshly existence (Luke 24:39). The attributes Jesus used while in the flesh were all human characteristics, not divine. They included attributes of the spirit as well as of the fleshly body. He did not cease to possess the divine attributes, but the attributes he used were human.

18. This formulated argument will demonstrate the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth. (1) It was the will of God that the Son of God, in the days of his flesh, act in the role of a servant (Isa. 52:13). (2) The Son of God, in his role as a servant, was a man (Isa. 53:3). (3) The Son of God, in the days of his flesh, always did his Father’s will (John 8:29). (4) Therefore, the Son of God, in the days of his flesh, acted in the capacity of a man (cf. Phil. 2:5-8).

19. This is not a denial of the deity of Christ; it is an affirmation of his humanity. Though we may never fully comprehend how Jesus could both be fully human and fully divine, we must not deny either.

20. Jesus Christ, in the days of his flesh, was God as he is and man as he ought to be. The Scriptures teach that to attain this dual nature he emptied himself of the use of his own peculiarly divine attributes to employ human attributes. Therefore, the Scriptures teach that the Son of God, in the days of his flesh, emptied himself of the use of his own peculiarly divine attributes.

List of Works Cited

Arndt, W.F. and F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.

Thayer, J.H., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Trench, Richard C., Synonyms of the New Testament.

Vine, W.E., Repository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

By Connie W. Adams

The church at Sardis had a reputation which did not match reality. “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God” (Rev. 3:1-2). They still had a few names there which had “not defiled their garments” and were “worthy” (v. 4) but these were the exception and did not reflect the general state of that congregation.

Like Sardis, many a congregation has been praised and held in honor for its great work for the Lord, only to have many who have defiled their garments and who are the harbingers of death for well respected churches. In these same churches there are often found a few godly people who are trying their best to do the will of God. Indeed, they are worthy.

Preaching to Ourselves

Some brethren have decided that gospel preaching has minimal effect. They have either shifted their emphasis to personal evangelism, or have reduced the number of occasions annually, and sometimes weekly, when the gospel may be preached. One reason given for abandoning gospel meetings, or for shortening them to two or three days is that we are simply preaching to ourselves. I have been in nearly full-time meeting work for the last twenty-two years and still preach to some who have not obeyed the gospel. These are not as plentiful as I would like to see but still there are some. And they are worth the effort.

But if it were true that we are only preaching to ourselves, and sometimes to the strongest members of the church, is that not important? Do we not need to “strengthen the things which remain”? If a congregation only has a little strength left, should that not be preserved? If it is not, then what will become of those congregations?

Provoking unto Love and Good Works

The Hebrew writer challenged Christians to “consider one another to provoke unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). The following verse shows that to be related to their own assembling together. Verse 26 indicates that this would help to avoid willful sin. Verse 30 reminded all that “the Lord shall judge his people.”

1. Elders need to be encouraged and strengthened in doing what is right. All members need to be taught “to esteem them highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thess. 5:13). If gospel preaching will work to that end, is it not worth “strengthening the things which remain”?

2. Faithful teachers of the word need to be strengthened in their efforts. No congregation can ever be any stronger than the quality and soundness of the teaching it receives. The word has been taught to faithful men in order that they might teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). If we have a few good teachers of the word of God in a congregation, are they not worth strengthening? Will not gospel preaching work to that end?

3. In spite of the fact that many have defiled their garments and think and act just like the world around us, there are some who are trying hard not to love the world (1 John. 2:15-17) but to savor the things of God. Their ears and eyes are daily assaulted at school or in the work place with the sights and sounds of the ungodly. They need (help to keep their balance and maintain their purity. Will gospel preaching help to encourage and strengthen them? If so, is it not worth preaching to ourselves?

4. In every congregation there are parents with children from infancy through the late teens who are concerned with training their children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:3-4). Yes, I know some parents have capitulated to the world and its standards and are neglecting to provide the spiritual guidance which is so vital. But all have not done that. I meet a growing number of parents who are deeply concerned with guiding their children through the rapids of godless education and entertainment. That is no small accomplishment. The word of God is still the best source of help they can receive. Is it not worth strengthening what remains in this regard? Why are sermons or classes on the family so eagerly received? For a number of years in meetings I preached at least one sermon on the family and would advertise it for a few nights before doing so. Without exception, that would be the best attended night of the meeting. People need help in this area and they know they do. Should we stop offering this help from the word of God because we are just preaching to ourselves?

5. In nearly every meeting there are gospel preachers who come. There are some within local churches who aspire to preach the gospel. Is it worth the effort to preach to them? I am benefited spiritually when I get to hear some faithful brother preach from the word of God. Old truths are reinforced and new insights are gained in passages of the word. I once took some brethren to hear Roy E. Cogdill. He preached that night on “Baptism.” I admit to being disappointed when he announced his topic. But by the time he was finished I had fresh insights and information on Acts 2:38, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21, and other familiar texts and came away with my batteries recharged. If the gospel is God’s power to save, then it must be made known in order for salvation to occur. God’s plan for making it known is that it must be preached. Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, Romans 10:8-17. What is wrong with preaching to preachers? This preacher needs to hear it.

Frankly, we don’t have the strength among preachers we ought to have. So much of what is called gospel preaching is weak, indecisive, and rooted more in the philosophies of this world than in the text of what God said in his word. So, do preachers need preaching to? Yes we do. All of us. There are still some Bible preachers around and we need to strengthen that which remains.

Conclusion

So then, my brethren, if we can reach the lost with the gospel, let us do so. If we are in a cycle of history where spiritual concerns are waning, then we must do what we can to maintain our own standing before God, and not only maintain it, but “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). If the faithful do not remain faithful, then how will the gospel reach the rest of the world? “Strengthen the things which remain.”

Guardian of Truth XLI: 23 p. 3-4
December 4, 1997

By Mike Willis

The Scriptures speak of our obligations one toward another in giving mutual support in order that we might survive in our resistance against sin. Hebrews 12:12-13 commands us as follows: “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed” (Heb. 12:12-13, NRSV). Other passages teach the same obligation:

1 Thessalonians 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

1 Corinthians 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

J. Barmby explained the meaning of Hebrews 12:12-13 saying, “The strong in faith ought to desire and aim at the healing of such lame ones, i.e. their being strengthened in the faith, rather than expose them to the risk of apostasy by any wavering of their own” (Pulpit Commentary: Hebrews 358). We need to do what this verse says, but in order to do so, we need to know how.

Who Are Those With Drooping Hands And Feeble Knees?

The figure of “drooping hands” and “feeble knees” is used on several occasions to describe those who are failing in their spiritual strength.

Job 4:3-4  Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

Isaiah 35:3  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

Who are some whose hands may be drooping and knees may be feeble? In the context, the passage is speaking of those who are weak because of the fear of persecution (see Heb. 12:1-11). But in another respect, it may include (a) Those who have experienced death in their family; (b) Those who have a serious physical illness (Job 16:2 laments his “miserable comforters”); (c) Those who have had a major tragedy in their lives; (d) Those who have fallen into temptation (Luke 22:31-32; Rom. 7:15-19); (e) Those who have fallen into sin (Matt. 26:75). When I look at this list, I realize that is me at different stages of my life. That is you at the different stages of your life.

Sometimes one’s feebleness is caused by his neglect of those things he should be doing to grow (Heb. 5:11-14; Ps. 119:11). Some are weak because they have neglected Bible study, prayer, association with other Christians, and such like things.

How We Can Strengthen Those With Weak

Knees and Droopy Hands

1. Comfort and empathy (2 Cor. 1:3-6). Paul explained that those who have received comfort are most qualified to give comfort to others. Surely those who are facing circumstances such as those listed above need comfort and empathy.

2. With words of encouragement. Job 4:3-4 indicates that one’s words can hold up them that are falling. What kind of words do those who have drooping hands and feeble knees need? Here are some words they do not need: (a) Judgmental words (Matt. 7:1-2); (b) Words that show arrogant superiority ( “Holier-than-thou” words, Luke 18:9-14); (c) Whispering and tale bearing words (Prov. 18:8; 26:22).

Here are some words they do need: (a) Words of encouragement. Barnabas was a “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). (b) Good words (Prov. 12:25); (c) Words spoken in due season (Prov. 15:23); (d) Pleasant words (Prov. 15:26; 16:24); (e) Wise words (Prov. 22:17); (f) Words fitly spoken (Prov. 25:11).

3. With deeds to help them. Some need things done for them, such as cleaning their houses, sitting with them during surgery on their loved one, and holding their hands during a funeral. Some need money (Acts 4:32-37; Jas. 1:27).

4. With prayer (1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1). The song “When You Pray” emphasizes our need for prayer for and from each other. The song says:

When you pray, would you pray for me

For I need his love and his care.

When you pray, would you pray for me

Would you mention my name in your prayer.

When I pray, I will pray for you

For you need his love and his care.

When I pray, I will pray for you

I will mention your name in my prayer.

5. With association. Each of us recognizes that evil companions corrupt good morals (1 Cor. 15:33). The opposite of this is that good associations encourage us. We can invite those who are weak into our homes, go out to eat together, and otherwise make opportunities to encourage them because we see their desperate need (whether or not they recognize it for themselves). See Proverbs 9:6; 13:20.

6. With a good example. W. Jones wrote, “If the whole congregation, by their united and consistent walk, trod a plain and beaten path for men’s feet, those lame ones, though halting, would be easily able to keep in it, and, by keeping in the `straight tracks,’ would even acquire the habit of walking straight onward, and so be healed; but if the tracks were errant and confused, their erratic steps would deviate more and more, till at length they fell away out of the right way altogether” (Pulpit Commentary: Hebrews 378).

Conclusion

Let us look about us for those who may have drooping hands and weak knees to provide the support they need be-fore they wander away from the Lord or just plain give up. We labor so hard to find a new contact whom we can baptize. Shouldn’t we labor just as hard to keep those precious souls who have already been converted?

Guardian of Truth XLI: 23 p. 2
December 4, 1997