Truth Magazine

By Steve Willis

Calling the Kettle Black

Here’s an item, where the Roman Catholic church has ruled that a particular woman is not giving divine revelations:

“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the theological watchdog for the Roman Catholic Church, ruled last month that Greek Orthodox seer Vassula Ryden communicates “private messages” that are “not divine.” Ms Ryden claims she takes dictation from Jesus Christ for six hours a day. The Vatican said Catholics should not regard Ms. Ryden’s writings and speeches as supernatural ….” (Alberta Report, Nov. 13, 1995, p. 43).

When will Catholics see that their Pope should not be regarded as giving supernatural speeches when he speaks regarding faith and morals from “the chair” of Peter?

Hell Hath No Fury

This is from a review of a review of their new publication: The Mystery of Salvation. The book has not been available to the reviewers time of writing, but this is based on interviews and reports from England:

“On the 11th day of January, Anno Domini MCMXCVI, the Doctrine Commission of the Church of England published a 220-page report, The Mystery of Salvation. There the theologians of the `middle way’ declare there is indeed a Hell. But it’s not a place of suffering, physical or other-wise. It is `total non-being.’

“`Total non-being,’ marvels a sceptical [sic] Peter Kreeft, a philosopher at Boston College and author of A Handbook on Christian Apologetics. `Hell exists, but if you’re there, you don’t. They endorse the existence of what isn’t, the being of non-being. How very inclusive.’

“Two weeks after its publication, The Mystery of Salvation is still non-existent at the Anglican Church of Canada’s headquarters in Toronto. But according to media reports from London, the document treats the bare-bones existence of hell as a logical necessity. `No one can be compulsorily installed in heaven,’ it is quoted as saying. `The possibility remains for each human being of a final rejection of God’ (Alberta Re-port, “Hell hath no fury  at all” [Jan 29, 1996], p. 32).

Some of this doctrine seems similar to the Jehovah’s Witness teaching on hell, and not a lot different than that presented by Edward Fudge in his book The Fire that Consumes. Fudge is mentioned and answered in a book, Repent or Perish (With a Special Reference to the Conservative Attack on Hell) by John H Gerstner. Note: Gerstner holds to the Calvinist doctrine that children are born in guilt and in sin and he denies baptismal regeneration.)

Guardian of Truth XL: 7 p. 26
April 4, 1996

By Connie W. Adams

God, as creator, has ultimate authority over everything created. Paul said on Mars Hill that “God made heaven and earth and all things therein”: and then concluded by saying “he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world”(Acts 17:24-31). When we say “God created” we must include Jesus Christ in that. “Let us make man” (Gen. 1:26) is in the plural. Elohim (God) is plural is form. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3). “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16).

That “word” which was with God and was God, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). “Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). The greatest evidence for the existence of God is the fact that God came in the person of Jesus Christ. The historical Jesus can be explained on no other basis than the fact that he was divine, as he claimed to be. While he took upon himself the form of a servant, he did not give up the qualities which made him deity. He was “Immanuel, God with us” (Matt 1:22-23). Two things are of note in that statement. (1) He was “with us.” He dwelt, or tabernacled among men and they beheld his glory (John 1:14). In the flesh he was subjected to the experiences common to flesh. He “suffered in the flesh.” But (2) he was God in the flesh. He did not cease being deity. He was at once the “Son of man” and the “Son of God.”

The Promised Lawgiver

Peter said, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23).

Peter was quoting Deuteronomy 18:18-19. No wonder on the mount of transfiguration the voice of the Father sounded and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt 17:5). And no wonder that when the three apostles with him heard this “they fell on their face, and were sore afraid” (v. 6). In Christ, the lawgiver had come and the challenge went forth, “Hear him.”

The Superior Spokesman

There is a progression in the book of Hebrews which begins in the first verse and reaches a climax in 12:25. “God, who at sundry times and divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). What a blessing that the God who formed the world has spoken. The natural world testifies to his “eternal power and Godhood” (Rom. 1:20), but without God speaking to man, he could not know what direction God wanted him to take. How did God speak? He spoke to the fathers in direct terms, in dreams and visions. He spoke to the Israelites through prophets. They were often referred to as “My servants the prophets.” What a noble lot they were: Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and a number of lesser known men who faithfully spoke God’s word to the people of their time. But great as these were, none was equal to God’s spokesman in these last days.

Leaving the realm of human spokesmen and entering that of a heavenly sphere in which angels serve as divine messengers, even there, God’s spokesman now is far above all of these. The law of Moses was given by the “disposition of angels” (Acts 7:53). It was “the word spoken by angels” (Heb. 2:2). Whether Michael, Gabriel, or unnamed heavenly messengers, all diminish in grandeur when placed beside God’s spokesman for these last days. Never to an angel did the Father say “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (1:5). When he brought his Son into the world he said, “And let all the angels of God worship him” (1:6) It was the Father who said of the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (1:8). It was of the Son that the Father said that when the world is ready to be folded up like a garment, God’s spokesman will remain the same. His years shall not fail (1:10-12). It is that same spokes-man who is now seated at the right hand of the Father (1:13). He has “all power in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).

No wonder the warning is sounded about giving heed to what he said and not drifting away from it (2:1-4). Then in chapter 12:25, the climaxing appeal is made: “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.” “God has spoken in his son.” Don’t refuse what he said! Such refusal comes at the peril of the soul. Jesus said, “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). The Confirmed Word Jesus said “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not” (John 10:37). John said of the miracles of Christ which he recorded, “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). On Pentecost, Peter preached, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22).

It is not enough to declare Jesus Christ a good man, an able teacher, a noble philosopher. If he was not the Son of God, not the word made flesh, then he was a false prophet for he claimed all that and more. Good, noble teachers do not practice deception. Any philosophy built on deception and fraud is useless. No, my friends, Jesus Christ was Emmanuel – God with us. The creator condescended to live for awhile among the creatures. What he said will judge us in the last day, that day of judgment to which Paul referred in Athens and to which he connected the thought that “God made the heavens and earth and all things therein.”

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). You cannot refuse Christ and his word and still honor the creator of everything. (More To Come)

Guardian of Truth XL: 8 p. 3-4
April 18, 1996

By P. J. Casebolt

When a rich ruler inquired concerning eternal life, Jesus answered, “Yet lackest thou one thing” (Luke 18:22). Jesus identified that one thing which stood between the ruler and eternal life, and the importance of that one thing is clearly demonstrated in the words, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich” (v. 23).

We often wonder today why people don’t obey the gospel, and we are sometimes tempted to compromise the terms of eternal life, or feel guilty because we cannot convert such souls. But this example in the life of Jesus and some contemporary examples should help us to understand why some folks are not willing to pay the price for eternal life.

Material Possessions

In one place where I lived, I had occasion to contact an insurance salesman. I invited him to a meeting, and he accepted the invitation. Then he asked how long I preached, and almost backed out of his promise when I told him about 45 minutes. But he came, he leaned forward in his seat, and seemed to be drinking in every word. Later, the man told me he was used to twenty-minute sermons which included social announcements and maybe a quotation from Psalms, which put everyone to sleep. He said that he had heard more Scripture in that one sermon than he had heard in twenty years as an official board member of the denomination where he attended.

I assured this man that my sermon was typical of any gospel preacher, and that if he attended all of the time he would hear a similar amount of Bible. He said that he would like to do that, but some of his best customers were members of the denomination where he attended. I do not know if he were as rich as the young ruler in our text, but he indicated that he was in the category described by Paul when he said, “But they that will be rich . . .” (1 Tim. 6:9).

Whether we are rich, or just desire to be rich, that temptation is often greater than our desire for eternal life.

Preeminence

Another man who was convinced that many of the practices of the digressive Christian Church were not in harmony with the Bible, attended the assemblies of the church where I preached a few times, and indicated that he would like to make a change. But there was one hitch.

This man was a deacon in the church where he attended, and wanted to transfer his “deaconship” from the Christian Church to the church of Christ. I told him that the Lord’s church needed deacons, and that if in time he proved to be qualified for that office, that he could be selected and appointed. He went away sorrowful.

Jesus encountered rulers who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God, and were fearful of being “put out of the synagogue” if they confessed their belief in Christ (John 12:42,43). Saul of Tarsus never let such things stand in his way of following Christ (Gal. 1:14), but we still have some today who do. And they aren’t all in the denominational world.

Tradition

One family became disillusioned with the church where they were members, mainly because there was little spirituality preached or practiced in that particular denomination. The man was the janitor, and he said that all he seemed to get done was clean up after some church supper or party. I guess some brethren haven’t become that disillusioned over their kitchens, dining rooms, recreation rooms, and other facilities couched under the respectable-sounding heading of “fellowship halls.”

When the man and his wife indicated to their denomination that they were thinking about leaving, they were told that if they did leave, they would lose their burial plot in the church cemetery. The man and his wife turned away from the truth sorrowfully, for the break with tradition would be a greater price to pay than what they were willing to pay. I, too, was sorrowful.

In the same town, a business man renounced some of the errors of Catholicism, and when the priest came to the man’s place of business to collect money, he told the priest to leave and not come back. I happened along about this time in the man’s life, invited him to meeting, and the man said that everything he saw and heard seemed to fit his concept of what religion ought to be. But he went away sorrowful.

He could acknowledge errors in Catholicism, acknowledge what truths he had learned about the Lord’s church, and said that he would never attend the Catholic Church again. But he was afraid that if he formally renounced Catholicism that he would go to that fictitious place called purgatory. Tradition was so instilled in his heart that he could not bring himself to violate it. Jesus also encountered that obstacle, and rebuked those who allowed tradition to keep them from following the commandments of God (Mark 7:1-13). But this “one thing” is still a powerful deterrent to those who think that they want eternal life.

Maybe someone else could have persuaded these people to give up their desire for riches, preeminence, and the traditions of men, but I couldn’t. And looking back, I still can’t see how that I could offer them a “deal” and compromise the requirements for following the Lord. There are too many affiliated with the Lord’s people now who allow these and similar things of the world to hinder their service to God.

We need to keep inviting people to hear and obey the truth, and pray for wisdom that we might be able to persuade them to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow the Lord. Some will, but most won’t. And when they won’t, there is generally at least one thing, identifiable or not, that stands between them and eternal life.

When some rejected Paul’s efforts to point them to eternal life, Paul said, “seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). And whether these people be Jews, Felix, Agrippa, the young ruler of Jesus’ time, or people of our time, one thing is certain: eternal life is not the thing that is unworthy, it is the person who rejects it.

Guardian of Truth XL: 8 p. 6-7
April 18, 1996

By Adria Edwards

It was about nine or ten months ago that I had decided it was time for me to start looking for a job. I was fifteen and was ready to start making my own money and to save some for college and have a little spending money.

I was interested in some type of restaurant work, and that is where I headed first. I filled out an application at a nearby family style restaurant, that was close and very easy to find. Two weeks had gone by and I didn’t hear from them. I called them and they told me that I was a little bit young for the job, but they had not fully decided yet. This process went on and on for about a month. I made up my mind that I would call one more time, and it was a success! The manager told me to come in so she could talk to me about the job position. The interview went well and I began my job as bus girl/dish room helper shortly after that day.

My first evening went extremely well. All of the other employees showed me around and took time to explain everything that I needed to know. One of the things that I noticed immediately was that everyone helped each other out. I was pleased that I had found such a nice job where everyone worked together like a family.

The schedule that I was given was just enough work for me to do and not be so worn out by the end of the week. On my application I wrote that I could not work any Sundays or any Wednesday nights because I attended church services. They told me that they wouldn’t have a problem with that.

As the months went by, I became attached to my job and all of the other people that I worked with. I was getting quicker and beginning to feel comfortable. The owner and the manager told me often that I was doing well and that they liked me a lot. Shortly after that I got a raise in pay. The owner took all the employees out for dinner a few times and gave us presents and gift certificates. I greatly enjoyed those times being with them and getting to know them better outside the work place.

About a month before New Year’s Eve we were all told that it was mandatory that everyone work that night. At the time I didn’t think much of it until I found out that it was on a Sunday evening. I wrote the manager a note asking her if I could have off an hour and a half for church. She told me that I would have to write the owner of the restaurant and ask him. I wrote him a similar note, but I used stronger words that I thought would be appropriate. Shortly after he read the note, he told me that there was no way that he could let me off. He said that it would not be fair to just let me off and no one else. He told me that if I didn’t show up I would be fired! At that moment my emotions went crazy. My heart was pounding so hard and fast, that my tears wanted to come out, but I tried my best to hold them in.

I went home with mixed feelings about my job. I knew that I had already made up my mind that I wasn’t going to work, but I hated to lose my job. I had a very hard time understanding why everything was going so well and it had to come to a sudden stop. I realized that I had an extremely tough decision to make. I knew what my mom and my dad wanted me to do and they told me it had to be my decision.

I went in shortly after this and told them that I would not be able to work on New Year’s Eve. They were extremely upset and they tried to talk me out of it. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I’m glad it’s over.

Several passages helped me make my difficult decision: Hebrews 10:25, which reads, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (I knew that if I worked I would break this command and might be forever lost.) In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” From this I learned that I needed to put God first in my life and let no one cause me not to keep him first. I also read in Matthew 5:11-12 that we are blessed when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you and falsely accuse you for Jesus’ sake. I realized that throughout this life there will be many obstacles in our way and things will get tough at times. If we didn’t have obstacles such as this one most of us probably wouldn’t be as strong as we are.

I hope that you never have to go through an experience like this. But I hope that if something like this comes up that you will make the right decision and be stronger because of it. Always remember that if you stand up for Jesus that God will bless you more than you’ll ever begin to imagine.

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen you, yea I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Guardian of Truth XL: 8 p. 5
April 18, 1996