Truth Magazine

By Olen Holderby

The above title suggests, and correctly so, that this writer does not believe that one can be saved in the denominations. As I go about from place to place, I am made to wonder just how many members of the Lord’s body believe this. All sorts of reservations and “maybes” are heard in regard to this question and the fallacious reasoning used says to me that there is a lack of understanding of the gospel. This is true, or there is an awful lot of disrespect for the gospel.

My reasons for believing this are no different than those of many others who believe the same thing; so, I wish to share with you three or four reasons why I believe this to be true  that one cannot be saved in the denominations, not in any of them!

The first reason is, as most will admit, that denominations were begun by men, not the Lord. Did the Lord accurately state the case when he said, “I will build my church”? (Matt. 16:18). If he did, that settles the matter; not a single denomination was begun by the Lord  therefore not a one of them belongs to him. This fact is given emphasis in many Scriptures. “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). “There is a way that seems right to a man, But, its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12).

The New Testament is even plainer on this point. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14). “There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy…. (Jas. 4:12). “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14). “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Each denomination has its own way, its own lawgiver, and normally accepts many churches as being right  a broad way. This is one reason why I believe that one cannot be saved in the denominations.

Secondly, the denominations teach a perverted gospel; and, a perverted gospel will not save anyone. Listen to Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). This passage makes the gospel of Christ God’s power, his only power, to save the souls of men.

Please read Galatians 1:6-7. Most of these people appear to have accepted the false teaching that one had to be circumcised after the manner of the law of Moses, in order to be saved. In doing this they had removed themselves from God, and had gone after what Paul called “another gospel.” Please notice his use of the word “another” in vv. 6 -7 both. “. . .unto another gospel (of a different sort, Oh): which is not another (of the same sort as I preach, Oh).” Paul called this insertion of circumcision into the gospel, a perverted gospel.

A perverted gospel is precisely what the denominations teach, adding one or more points to what they would like to think is acceptable to the Lord. They add to, take away from, or change the teaching of the gospel of Christ in one or more ways: in teaching men what to do to be saved from sin, in offering a system of worship, and in the functional aspects of the church. Only God’s truth (obeyed) will save the soul from sin (1 Pet. 1:22). When this truth is mixed with some error, it is no longer God’s power to save. Obeying God’s will, and his will only, is what will take men to heaven (Matt. 7:21). Their teaching of a perverted gospel is another reason why I believe that one cannot be saved in the denominations.

Thirdly, the Lord established only one church (Matt. 16:18); he purchased that church with his own blood (Acts 20:28); and, he saves that one church (Eph. 5:23). Lest someone think that I am saying just being a member of the Lord’s church will guarantee a home in heaven, please read Matthew 13:41-43. If the facts presented in this paragraph are true, how in the world can anyone argue for salvation in any denomination?

Could we put all three of the above reasons together and simply say, “One cannot be saved in the denominations because they are in error, one way or the other”? I do not think that anyone who believes the three reasons would argue with such conclusion.

A Brief Application

Let us, now, apply these thoughts to our brethren in error. Congregation A, over here, teaches and practices that the church can contribute to human institutions. Congregation B, though they do not practice such, believe and teach that the use of instruments of music in worship is accept-able to God. Congregation C pushes the idea of “unity-in-diversity.” Congregation D is very active in sponsoring social activities. Congregation E teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for man today. Congregation F believes and teaches that the guilty party in a divorce can remarry with-out sin, and accept members who openly practice such. Congregation G believes and teaches that all these congregations should be in fellowship with one another. And, several of these congregations believe, teach, and practice a kind of cooperation that combines some of their efforts under the head of a “sponsoring congregation.”

Now, my friends, think about this! Think about all the perversion that must occur in the effort to defend all of these erroneous practices. Do such have a perverted gospel or not? Is not this the way that denominations came into existence in the first place? All students of history know that the answer is a resounding “Yes.”

I hear some one say, “I wouldn’t be a part of a denomination.” Great! Neither would I. But, would you be a part of one of these congregation which you know to be in error in one or more of the ways mentioned above? If it is wrong to be a part of a denomination, what makes it right to be a part of a congregation of our own people who are in error? What set of rules do we follow to exclude one and include the other?

Yes, my friend, it is true that we cannot be saved in any of the denominations; and, it is equally true that one cannot be saved in a congregation of God’s people who persist in error. If we cannot convince them to change their teaching and practice, we need to get out. If this is not the proper conclusion, please get your Bible and show me why. Do not permit anyone to take your crown (Rev. 3:11).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 1
April 3, 1997

By David Halbrook

The account of the life of Rahab is one of the shortest accounts recorded in Hebrews 11, yet God places it among the accounts of Abraham and Moses. As 2 Peter 3:8 says, “a thousand years is as a day to the Lord.” Had man writ-ten this chapter, he would have written of those who were currently famous for their faith, but the passing of time does not affect God, who sees all. He remembered her faith as if she were still alive. Rahab never raised an army or took part in any battles like the siege on Jericho, but God recognized her assistance. By helping Israel’s spies, she over-came her past and saved the life of her whole household. Ultimately, she became a part not only of the nation of Israel but of the lineage of Christ Jesus himself (Matt. 1:5). Because of the Hebrew writer’s record, we continue to recognize her faith as an example for us today.

When reading Hebrews 11, we must realize that this chapter is not a chapter of perfect people. Rahab was a harlot by trade. (She obviously had to give up being a harlot, for Israel would not have accepted her into their nation as a prostitute because the law condemned prostitution [Lev. 19:29; 21:91). Everyone in this chapter sinned, but it is their faith that God records for our benefit.

Rahab has received much criticism because she lied when the King asked about the spies. Whether she lied because of a lack of faith under pressure or whether she did not consider lying wrong because of her past life, God does not tell us. Her faith in God, however, caused her to bring the spies into her house and proved her faith (see Jas. 2:25). Furthermore, it was for her faith, not her dishonesty, that Rahab was included in this chapter.

Proponents of situation ethics have attempted to use this event to justify their stance. Situation ethics teaches that there is no standard of morality, but that every situation calls for different actions. Situation ethics would justify the sin of lying in certain situations, for example to save your life. The situation was no different for Abram in Egypt when he lied about Sarah’s identity because he was afraid. It was just as wrong for Abram as it was for Sarah, and we are just as wrong when we lie today. Situation ethics does nothing but wear down convictions. It is an easy way out in a troubling situation.

As Christians we face hard decisions every day, but regardless of our situation, we have responsibility to obey God’s commandments if we love him (John 24:15). The Bible nowhere approves of situation ethics. In fact, Revelation 21:8 lists liars among those who “shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Obviously, God disapproved of her lie, but his will was still done despite the sin of Rahab.

The writer of Hebrews mentions her in Hebrews 11 for the faith in God that she displayed in her confession of God in Joshua 2:11, “for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath,” and this faith is what caused her to take care of the spies. God does good unto the nations today, despite their often wicked rulers. God, through providence, continues to exercise his will today, despite the sinful acts of man.

Through her confession of God’s existence and power, we can see Rahab’s faith. But “faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone” (Jas. 2:17). Without her expression of faith, Israel would not have saved her. James 2:14-16 ex-plains that unless our faith causes us to take action it is worthless. James 2 gives the example of a believer who sees a hungry, ill-clad indigent and wishes him good luck and God’s blessings but does nothing to meet his needs. Today, if we pray that those who are lost in sin will have the time and opportunity to find the truth yet we stand by and do nothing, confident in our faith, then we have no works that support our faith. Our faith is then dead. What good would Rahab’s faith have been had she met the spies and told them that it was too risky for them to be in her house, but that she had heard of their God and hoped that their mission would be successful? The Israelites would have exterminated her along with the rest of the population of Jericho.

When we are searching for souls to teach, we often have the kind of person in mind that we are looking for. We over-look people who we do not believe would care whether or not God exists much less would be interested in the gospel. But in Rahab we see a woman who was a harlot, who heard about the works that God had done for Israel, and recognized his power. Even those in Canaan who did not believe in God recognized that Israel had something different and powerful working for them. When the people of Jericho heard how God had parted the Red Sea for Israel, Rahab said that their “hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer” (Josh. 1:11). No record is given of how the spies became acquainted with Rahab and what they told her about God, but she was in awe at the works of God and recognized him as the true God. Though a harlot, she evidently had an honest heart.

Were we spies sent ahead into the land of Canaan, would Rahab have been the kind of person that we would have approached? For some very good reasons, probably not, but the point is that we must constantly keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities to help anyone who would hear us. In John 7:24 Jesus told the Pharisees not to judge others according to what they perceived, but to “judge righteous judgment.” Only God can see the hearts of men, so we have no right to withhold the gospel from anyone. There are no limits to the effects that the gospel can have on honest hearts.

Knowing that the destruction of her city was imminent, Rahab talked to the spies about sparing her life. They agreed that because of her help, they would save her and her household if she hung the scarlet cord from her window. Then those in her house at the time of the destruction of the city would be spared. They told her that unless she complied with these conditions, her blood would be on her head.

We have all been in this situation. At some time we have sinned, and in God’s sight what we did was no worse than any sin that Rahab had committed. We then reach a point where we realize that there is a coming destruction and, unless we have God on our side, it will destroy us too. When we come to this realization, our hearts melt within us as we realize our lost condition. Then we look to God for a way out, which he has provided. God has always been willing to accept those who meet his conditions for salvation. Would Israel have saved Rahab had she not hung the scarlet cord out the window? Could she have chosen the “house of her choice” to be in when the Israelites conquered Jericho and still have been saved? After all, she had faith in God and his power and had done good deeds to his people, was not that enough?

Obviously the answer is no and the same applies today. Faith is an important part of our salvation, but God has commanded other steps, which some refuse to accept. Whether men recognize his commandments or not does not change God’s plan for salvation (Acts 5:29). Baptism is as much a part of our salvation as any other step, no more, no less. Some deny baptism and ask us if we “really think that there is any saving power in the water?” What if Rahab had said, “Is there any saving power in the scarlet cord?”

Christ established his church on earth (Matt. 16:18) and there is only one true church, or body of Christ (Eph. 1:23; 4:4). We have no power to pick the “church of our choice” and expect to please God. Let us have the faith of Rahab and confess his power and salvation to all the lost!

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 18-19
April 3, 1997

By Jeremy Sweets

Even at the mention of the biblical character Abraham, the attribute of faith clearly comes to mind. His life embodied the very essence of faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we are to walk by faith, not by sight.” Abraham’s life exemplifies the meaning of Paul’s charge to the Corinthians. In fact, Hebrews 11 lists Abraham among those men whose faith shines forth as a guiding light.

Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Likewise, Abraham made a great sacrifice by giving up his homeland to follow God. Though he had no idea where he was going, he knew whom he was following. Without questioning God’s commandments, Abraham accepted God’s decisions simply because God commanded him to do so. Complete faith requires obedience to the supreme authority, not grudgingly or with an attitude that questions the competence of God. As humans, we find it easy to follow God when our circumstances are not burdensome, but, when Christianity demands us to sacrifice that which we hold dear, our resolve can diminish. Will we leave our homeland and follow God wherever he leads us? Will we be as Abraham and look ahead to a hopeful expectancy to see our God?

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.” What an extreme amount of faith this must have taken! In a sense, Abraham’s love for Jehovah even parallels God’s own gracious love for the entire world. Just as God offered up his only son, so, too, did Abraham. Abraham was completely submissive to God. Though Abraham loved his only son, he loved God more. Today as Christians, we have an extremely hard time imitating Abraham’s attitude. Jesus states in Matthew 10:37, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” When our faith comes down to a choice between God and those closest to us, we too often pick our family and friends. Even if we do not denounce God, we lack the total commitment he requires.

As Christians, we must always let our lights shine that we may glorify our Father who is heaven. Our conduct and speech should reflect our Father. Sometimes in our daily lives we forget that Jesus Christ truly is our Lord and Savior. Our friends and family are slighted from God’s word simply because we fear rejection and a possible end to our friendship. Apparently, we love them so much that we would allow them to follow the pathway that leads to a burning and torturous hell rather than cause any personal discomfort. After all, we are looking out for their best interests not ours. The next time we see our friends out in the world, we should consider whether we have fulfilled our duty of professing Christ. Will we be as Abraham and walk by faith, or will we crumble at the first test of our Christianity? Among the most interesting and admirable traits that Abraham possessed was his perspective on life. He looked to his Creator rather than himself for answers. He had far-sighted vision because he knew that God kept his promises. Our greatest blessing is the love of God. Whatever misfortune may befall us in life, we can take full assurance and comfort knowing that, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our focus should be placed in our future promises. Like Abraham, we should be, “looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Abraham knew that his sacrifices were necessary. He had seen the instability of this world of heartache and sorrow in his own life. On the other hand, God has built a city that will last forever. Because of Abraham’s faith and resulting outlook on life, he willingly obeyed God even in the face of adversity. Consequently, God greatly blessed Abraham and his family. come by chance. Abraham received favor in God’s sight because God promises to stay faithful to his obedient servants. God fulfilled every blessing guaranteed to Abraham. Our greatest comfort is in the knowledge that God remains immutable. He is the same now and forever. In Malachi 3:6, God said, “For I, the Lord, do not change.” Thus we believe wholeheartedly, “the promise which he himself made to us: eternal life” (1 John 2:25). To receive this promise, we must free ourselves from sin and enslave ourselves to the service of God to receive our sanctification and ultimately a home in heaven (Heb. 7:25): a home built by God, a house not made with hands. Heaven contains the most extreme bliss imaginable. We shall with a joyful heart escape the tears, death, mourning, crying, and pain that plague us in this life (Rev. 21:4). Most importantly, we will have a chance to join our greatest friend  a friend who has always cared about us, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 13-14
April 3, 1997

By Eric Norford

Editor’s Note: Several months ago, we ran a special issue edited by Marc Gibson, entitled “Bring the Books.” This article was accidentally left out of that series.

The preacher’s library is not complete unless it has the book about J.D. Tant: Texas Preacher. It is important that young preachers not lose sight of those preachers who taught God’s Word in the ruff and rugged America of the late 19th and early 20th Century.

J.D. Tant entered this world during the Civil War in 1861. When he was fourteen years old he joined the Methodist Church. He began preaching the Methodist doctrine at the age of nineteen. However, a year later his life changed when he heard the preaching of the true gospel by a preacher named W.H.D. Carrington. Young Tant obeyed the gospel on August 14, 1881 and began preaching on August 21, 1881.

J.D. Tant began preaching in East Texas. He often did physical work when he wasn’t preaching. He worked on farms, he was a hired hand at times, and he even worked in a music school. Regardless of where it was, he worked hard. Late at night when everyone was asleep, J.D. Tant would stay up reading his Bible or another book. If there was a preaching appointment Tant would ride to it. He sometimes traveled all night and often on a horse to get to the church where he would preach. There were times when he had to swim across a river to get to a preaching appointment. Preaching the word of God meant a lot to brother Tant and he worked hard at preaching it. The results were thousands of people brought to the Lord.

His greatest single work may have been debating. He began debating denominational preachers in 1886. From that time in his early years, J.D. Tant would often hold two or three debates a month depending on his schedule. He thought that debating was a good tool to use to get people to see error and change their lives. Many times after his debates he would stay and preach for the church there and the results could be seen from the debate by the conversions that took place. Contrast that with today’s attitude among brethren that we shouldn’t waste our time debating denominationalism and our liberal brethren.

J.D. Tant lived during a time when two major issues con-fronted the church The society issue and instrumental music issue. The society issue was the same as the missionary society issue, in fact it was growing in popularity during brother Tant’s day. The Instrumental Music Issue was also gaining popularity. Both these inventions were contrary to the Scriptures. It was these two issues that were causing division in the churches of Christ in Texas in the 1890s. By the late 1890s the rate of division among Texas churches was accelerating. J.D. Tant wrote at the time that brethren should not be standing on the defensive side any longer, but to take the offensive and “invade the churches.” Brother Tant was thick in the fight. He was one of the Texas preachers who tried valiantly to save churches from digressing from the truth into error. However, when the division came, about one in five churches was estimated to be saved from digression. When he went to Tennessee in 1898 to hold gospel meetings for various churches, he met many gospel preachers like David Lipscomb and T.W. Brents. The churches there were not dividing over the issues that Texas churches were. Brother Tant seemed relieved to know that there were brethren still willing to stand up for the truth and defend it. If he could see how things have changed in Tennessee in the late 1990s, he would be saddened.

J.D. Tant wrote articles for two brotherhood papers  The Gospel Advocate and Firm Foundation (when both stood doctrinally sound on the right side of the issues). He was field editor for the Gospel Advocate from 1894-1898. It was one of his articles in the Gospel Advocate that he addressed the young preachers of his day. He wrote, “To those boy preachers I would say: Much experiences and observation have taught me that it will be hard for you to succeed by preaching only once or twice a week at some stated places. Go out and preach all the time; stay at a place as long as you can do good; preach at least six times a week for the first four or five years; preach in the highways and school houses and among private families; do not wait till Sunday for a big crowd. If you can get as many as Philip had, preach the word, and rest assured God will give the increase” (Gospel Advocate, 15 April 1897).

It was also during his early writing years and his later years that he usually ended his writings with a phrase we often hear today, “Brethren, don’t forget, we are drifting!” If brother Tant could see many concoctions that exist today in the Lord’s church, he would no doubt say that “we have drifted and sunk!” However, his phrase expressed his feelings at the time when the brethren were studying and debating the Society and Instrumental Music Issues. Many were following the false teaching at the time or were leaning in that direction. This caused the division to occur in the Lord’s church.

Brother Tant had the ability to tell people they were wrong straightforward. It seems he often spoke what he thought was appropriate to say. This got him in trouble once with his future mother-in-law when he addressed a letter entitled “Old Lady Yater.” He noted one time about a congregation in Golden Lake, Arkansas that they had thirty in number. He said “ten of them were Christians in faith and practice; the others impressed me as being Christians in faith, but very little practice.” He said once of a church in Tennessee that they had indifference, backbiting, envy, hatred, and covetousness existing among the members. He said he found the devil to have the upper hand with some of those members. Brother Tant spoke what brethren needed to hear always. He said he always spoke the truth to all in the spirit of Christ.

While living in Tennessee the problems that Texas churches had faced thirty years earlier were beginning to creep in. For example in January 1910, the West Tennessee brethren called a meeting to convene at the church in Henderson, Tennessee. They called on elders and preachers to attend in order to evangelize the western part of the state. J.D. Tant went merely as a visitor and did not speak at the meeting. David Lipscomb was very apprehensive about this meeting. He wrote that nothing good comes from these meetings and that brethren should individually and collectively stand on the solid ground. The plan that came of this meeting was Henderson would send out a preacher to West Tennessee and various churches send money to them to support this work. This was the old plan that brother Tant confronted in Texas called “receiving, managing, and disbursing church.” We know it today as the “Sponsoring Church Arrangement.” Both us-ages of the terms are unscriptural works.

In the mid-1910s, another problem began to arise with more frequency  the Pastor system. Some had the idea to hire a young preacher to come in, build up the church, and preside over it. Apparently brethren believed at the time that if a young man received a degree from a “Bible College” then the church should hire him. Brother Tant opposed this invention of men. Unfortunately, some brethren today have the same ideas that brethren had in those days. The West Virginia School of Preaching is about 35 miles from my house and is supported by many liberal churches of Christ in the area. They are doing a work that the church alone can do.

Brother Tant opposed the Bible Colleges. He believed schools could teach the Bible. However, he did not believe that they should take the place of the church and its work to teach the Bible. He did not believe that the church could support the college with its own funds. He feared that the colleges might lead churches astray from the truth. He did not believe that the church could support any human institution. This principle applied to orphan homes. Yet it seemed that he contradicted himself on this issue. The Board of Directors of Tennessee Orphan Home employed Tant to travel over the country telling brethren about this Home and to solicit support for it. The orphan home was taking the place of benevolence just as the Missionary Society had taken over in the realm of evangelism. Why would he compromise on this issue? Yater Tant wrote, “To understand his thinking on this, it is needful to keep in mind his own emotional feeling for the poor, the distressed, the unfortunate of the earth.” Brother G.C. Brewer thought there was inconsistency between Tant’s teaching and his practice. In the later years when the orphan home issue came to light more fully, it seems that brother Brewer’s criticism is justified, although brother Tant probably never fully realized the impact orphan homes would have on the church.

Tant spent the last years of his life in Texas. He passed from this life June 1, 1941. Brother Tant had the distinction of becoming a legend in his own time. He loved the Lord and loved to teach the gospel., a trait that all preachers, including young preachers, should have. He was arguably “under paid” for his work, but he continued preaching the word. What a lesson this is for us. As a preacher, I don’t preach for the money, I preach to reach lost souls and to build up my brethren; however, there is nothing wrong in a preacher receiving adequate support from the local church and brethren.

J.D. Tant didn’t speak long sermons, in fact he rarely went over 35 minutes. He said what he needed to say and then sat down. A wonderful lesson for us, we should say what is needed and then sit down. The results of his preaching the Word of God only could be seen in the thousands of conversions that took place by that preaching. God had granted the increase.

I would encourage any young preacher just starting to get the book J.D. Tant  Texas Preacher by Fanning Yater Tant, read it, learn from it, and see how preachers like brother Tant endured during prosperous and sorrowful times between the brethren and how he kept on preaching the Word of God. Then when we pass from this life maybe we can say like Paul, “I have fought the good fight . . . “

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 5-6
April 3, 1997