Truth Magazine

By Steve Willis

Limits for Some Kinds of Abortions

There has been a legislative effort going on in the States to limit certain types of abortions, even though the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973. Notice the efforts by the House and the Senate to limit “partial-birth” abortions:

“The U.S. House of Representatives last week [week of Nov. 6spw] passed a bill banning the practice of ‘partial-birth’ abortions. The technique, used in late-term pregnancy abortions to collect brains for scientific experiments, involves pulling the baby partly out of the uterus so that its skull is exposed. The abortionist then punctures the skull, inserts a catheter and sucks out the baby’s brain tissue. The bill passed by a margin of 288 to 139. Pro-life groups in the United States hailed the vote as the first step to rolling back the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortions in America.” (Alberta Report, Nov. 13, 1995, “One less stomach-turning option,” p. 44).

Further, on December 7, 1995, Sue Kirchhoff reported for Reuter’s new service: “The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved landmark legislation to outlaw a rarely-used, late-term abortion technique after narrowly defeating an amendment allowing its continued use to protect a woman’s health.” The same article went on to say, “The abortion technique in question, medically known as intact dilation and extraction, is used in second and third trimester abortions. Under the procedure, a fetus is partially delivered feet first until just the head remains in the womb. Scissors are then inserted and the brains suctioned out…. The National Abortion Federation estimates about 450 abortions are performed each year using the contested technique. About 90 percent of the 1.5 million abortions performed annually occur in the first trimester of pregnancy and fewer than 600 in the third trimester ….The legislation would impose up to two years in jail and a possible fine for doctors who perform the contested abortions. The grandparents or father of the child, if married to the mother, could sue the doctor if the abortion were per-formed.”

The question now is whether President Clinton will sign the bill into law. On December 14, according to PR Newswire, Focus on the Family president, James Dobson, has issued a press release indicating that the White House is not interested in hearing from the public. It said, in part, “Today Dr. James Dobson charged the White House with `flagrantly abandoning its responsibility to serve the American people’ in its mistreatment of concerned Americans who have made phone calls to the White House this week.” Dobson had requested people call the White House encouraging them to sign the bill in to law, but “Focus on the Family has received numerous complaints from people who have tried to call the White House on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, but were either rudely treated by White House phone operators or could not even get past White House phone recordings.”

“Gary Bauer, president of Family Research Council, gave numerous examples of telephone mistreatment of White House callers on the December 13 Focus on the Family broadcast.” Mr. Bauer then said, “This kind of White House mistreatment is unprecedented,” said Bauer. “On all the occasions when controversial issues occurred in the past  whether during the Carter, Reagan, or Bush Ad-ministrations  this is the first time the White House has taken steps to distance itself from the American people.” “Unbelievably, the White House has cut itself off from the people it was elected to serve,” said Dr. Dobson.

We should remember to pray for all in authority as they consider such laws that “we may lead a quiet and peace-able life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2).

Are Abortions Medically Necessary?

Canadian Province Alberta, which is trying to limit its health care expenses, has stopped funding a few procedures. So far abortion is still funded by the health care system, but the argument has been made that if they can’t cover adult eye-examinations, why can Health Care still fund abortions? This has brought the debate down to whether abortions are “medically necessary.” Premier Klein would like to drop abortion-funding decisions into the doctor’s lap by having them determine which are medically necessary. They don’t want to define it. In fact, some wish to keep it federally and provincially funded; see this quote by the Canadian doctor who has led the fight to make abortions legal, Dr. Henry Morgentaler: homosexual, “speculated that biological factors . . . cause the brains of homosexuals to become `feminized.’

“All abortions are medically necessary in the sense that they have to be done by a doctor.”

I guess I wonder if cosmetic surgery is “medically necessary” using the same logic?

Listen to the Public When They Are Right

Daniel Yankelovich, of the “think-tank” Yankelovich, Skelly and White, has written a “four-step strategy to re-gain liberalism’s moral authority.” I’ll not go into all four steps, but there is one that addressed moral positions: “Internalizing the Public’s Point of View” listening to the concerns of the voting public.

Yankelovich said, “From the point of view of moral leadership, the worst thing liberal leaders can do is promote government policies that the public sees as encouraging immoral behavior, giving the opposition the opportunity to attack liberal doctrine.” As applied to dealing with the present welfare system, he said, “In making reforms, voters have two concerns: cost and moral rightness. Of the two, research shows the public is turning away from the moral relativism that took hold in the 1960s toward more strict, absolute forms of social morality. The public increasingly supports a moral principle of reciprocity rather than entitlement  that is, when people receive a public benefit they should give something back unless they are too aged or infirm to do so.”

Yankelovich also said that if liberals wanted “the nation to bear the costs of a strong safety net for those in need, they can persuade the public to support it financially only if they are willing to change its moral underpinnings. This includes obliging fathers to be more responsible, discouraging teenage out-of-wedlock births,” among other things.

What are some of the indirect costs of current welfare legislation? “A culture of drugs, crime, violence, and dependency.” As it stands now, he said that the system “frustrates the majority of Americans: People feel they are being obliged, through their taxes, to pay for the very violence that threatens their security (Mother Jones, December 1995, “Restoring Public Trust”).

“Facts” on Homosexuality Called Into Question

The November 1995 Scientific American reported that recent claims of a biological basis for homosexuality are flawed and perhaps even fraudulent. John Horgan writes that Simon Le Vay of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego “asserted that a minute region of the hypothalamus called the interstitial nucleus was smaller in male homosexuals than in straight men and similar in size to the nucleus of females.” Dr. Le Vay, who is himself John Hogan, writing in “Gay Genes, Revisited” said, recent attempts to replicate Dr. Le Vay’s research have failed, perhaps because the brains he studied may have been damaged by storage.

In 1993, “a group led by Dean H. Hamer of the National Cancer Institute linked male homosexuality to a gene on the X chromosome, which is inherited exclusively from the mother.” But, Mr. Horgan revealed, “one study has contradicted his results [and] more disturbingly, he has been charged with research improprieties and is now under investigation by the Federal Office of Research Integrity.”

Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 14-15
January 18, 1996

By Jim McDonald

The Filipino child with his large brown eyes and usually small stature is a lovely child. He is reticent and shy, often afraid of foreigners and strangers. But he quickly “warms up” to Americans who come to preach in his village. One of my most unforgettable pictures (etched forever into my mind) is that of a long line of these beautiful children frantically waving goodbye to us after we had spent two to three hours in their midst. In that particularly poverty stricken area where even the children are aware of how hard life is, our hearts were wrenched within us when several of these begged us to carry them home with us to America.

Still there are happier, cheerier thoughts. On one of our journeys Ken Marrs brought large bags of candy, and in these remote villages with all the children gathered around him, he threw the contents of the bag into the air and all those present laughed with delight to see the children (and sometimes their mothers!) scrambling to snatch the coveted candy. From personal experience I learned that dozens of children can materialize from nowhere. Once when I paused to purchase a soft drink from a “side-store,” I also bought a few pieces of candy to give to the two or three children standing there. Almost instantly, two or three dozen other children were ready for their piece of candy too!

The wise man wrote: “Lo, children are an inheritance from the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” He also said, “Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart there from.” Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” As parents we are commanded to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children are our heritage; the future of the church lies in their hands and in ours who either teach or fail to about the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The teaching of children is neglected in some of the places we visited in the Philippines. The children could be seen playing about, even when we were in the period called “class.” Still, most Filipino churches do have classes although few buildings have separate rooms for these classes. I can remember only two different buildings where separate rooms were provided for children’s classes. The usual “classroom” will be under a nearby shade tree or perhaps a porch of a dwelling close at hand.

Classes are not as “sophisticated” as are ours. Besides the adult class, there will likely be two others, one for the young people; the other for the children. This means that the teacher will have to cope with several different ages in either of these latter two classes. When we preached at Escoda, Marcos, Ilocos Norte (one of the largest of the Filipino churches we saw upwards to 175 worship there each Lord’s Day), we arrived late and classes were in progress. We could hear the happy voices of children in a nearby building, and out of curiosity walked over to survey the class in progress. There were nearly 100 children in that class room that day!

We were impressed with the knowledge and effectiveness of the women who teach these classes. Nieves Sibayan (wife of Materno Sibayan, Sr.) is a very quiet woman who is excellently trained in music and her students sing with enthusiasm and gusto. These children learn far more than “songs,” however. This past September about twelve of sister Sibayan’s students were baptized into Christ.

Another effective teacher is Magdalena (?) who was a Pentecostal preacher before her conversion to Christ some years ago. Her desire to teach the word was not frustrated, however. She simply changed her role in teaching and began training children. Today there are a dozen or more young preachers in Ilocos Norte whose faith in God and in the Bible was planted and nourished by Magdalena. An-other teacher worthy of mention is Conchita Yoro. Her love for the word and for children make her a very effective teacher. The list could be expanded to include dozens of worthy Filipino women.

These women need help in their efforts to instill faith in God and respect for the Scriptures in the hearts of these children. Since class procedures and methods are unlike those in the States, the most practical help to be rendered is providing good Bible story books. Flannel graph material also is helpful. And, since these women frequently travel along with the men that they might teach the children, financial help for transportation is in order. How good it would be for American sisters to write Filipino counterparts, for these women long to hear from American sisters with whom they may share not only ideas of their mutual interest in teaching children, but forge friendships and become a living link across the sea. Benefit from such correspondence would not be one sided: sisters here would gain an invaluable insight of our Lord’s people in the Philippines they did not previously possess. They also would be enriched by the unashamed declaration of faith and hope these sisters express. Names and addresses of some of these women will be supplied upon request to interested sisters here who wish such.

Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 8-9
January 18, 1996

By Gary C. Kerr

“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29).

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:19).

Brethren have come to understand down through the years that Bible authority, or a lack of it, is at the root of most every religious question. As Christians, we understand that the Bible is our only authority in religion. We challenge those we believe to be in error to produce Bible authority for their practice. However, what do we mean by “Bible authority”?

“Authority” (exousia) is “the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)” (Thayer, 225). Concerning the word “authority,” we also find this: “As regards the church, this derives its authority from Christ. Believers receive their right as such from him (Jn. 1:12; Rev. 22:14). The Lord gives the apostles their authority (2 Cor. 10:8); hence they must use it responsibly (cf. Mk. 13:34; 1 Cor. 9:4ff)” (Kittel, TDNT, Abridged In One Volume 239). Thus, by claiming to have “all authority,” Jesus was claiming the right to rule; the right to command and expect our submission and obedience. When we talk about “Bible authority,” we are really talking about the authority of Christ.

Did Jesus Come to Have All Authority?

Based on the definition of the word, the authority that Jesus claimed was absolute, that which belonged to God alone. Christ received this authority from the Father, and the Father confirmed it by raising him from the dead (Eph. 1:20-23).

The authority of Jesus was different from that of the prophets, or the scribes. They were restricted to a “thus saith the Lord.” Christ’s teaching was authoritative because he said it. This is a part of what amazed the listeners at the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout he said, “You have heard that it was said,” and contrasted that with “But I say to you.” It is not surprising then to find the officers who had been sent to arrest Jesus returning empty-handed and saying, “No man ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46)

Therefore, we need to acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ in everything that pertains to our lives as Christians. Paul admonished the saints at Colosse, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (3:17). To do something “in the name of’ Jesus is to do it by his authority. And, since Jesus claimed “all authority,” there is none left for men.

We Must Recognize the Authority of Christ

Concerning the Plan of Salvation

The “authority” of man admits to many ways to come to God. In fact, since “all roads lead to Heaven” (according to man’s reasoning), any way that you choose to come to God would be allowable. However, if we accept the authority of Christ, we will recognize that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Christ taught that to be saved, we must “believe and be baptized” (Mark 16:16). If we truly respect the authority of Christ, we will not tamper with his will in this matter.

We Must Recognize the Authority of Christ

In Our Everyday Lives as Christians

Paul said that when we were baptized, we arose from the water to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). He goes on in that same chapter to describe our new relationship to Christ as one of a bond servant or a slave (vv, 18-22). That means that we have agreed to submit ourselves totally to the authority of Christ. A slave is not free to make his own decisions regarding how he conducts himself in his daily life. The authority of the world says that immodest clothing is acceptable, especially under certain circumstances. If we accept the authority of Christ, we will obey his will regarding the kind of clothes we wear (1 Tim. 2:9-10). The world says that it is all right to cheat, or to be dishonest from time to time. The authority of Christ says, “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles” (1 Pet. 2:12). The world says that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle. The authority of Christ still calls it “uncleanness,” “vile passion,” and “shameful” (Rom. 1:24-27). The world says that you may divorce your mate for any reason. The authority of Christ says, “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and who-ever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9). As we live our lives from day to day as Christians, possessions of Christ, we must always remember that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

We Must Recognize the Authority of Christ

In the Work and Worship of the Local Church

Most denominations abandoned the authority of Christ concerning the church a long time ago. Men decided that we could change the worship, alter the work, and completely revamp the organization of the church to suit our own wants and needs. Faithful Christians have always opposed this departure as a violation of the authority of Christ, and rightly so. Thus, it is distressing to find brethren, those who profess to have respect for the authority of Christ, altering the work and worship of the church in the same way.

The Authority of Christ Provides

For the Organization of the Local Church

The largest working body or organization that we read about in Christ’s word is the local church. It is to have its own elders and deacons (cf. Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1). The New Testament knows nothing of synods, councils, or popes exercising authority over the local church. The authority of Christ does not authorize the elders of one local church to oversee the work of another local church (cf. 1 Pet. 5:1-2). Nor does the New Testament permit women to serve as elders in local churches. According to men, this may be politically correct, but it is a violation of the authority of Christ.

By the Authority of Christ

The Local Church Offers Worship

That worship includes partaking of the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26); giving of our means (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8:12; 9:6-7); singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16); teaching (Acts 2:47); and prayer (Acts 2:42; 12:5; Eph.6:18). The Lord’s supper consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine (Matt. 26:26-29), and we observe it each first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

The authority of man says that we may change this worship by adding to or taking away from the things prescribed by Jesus. We can add playing on musical instruments to the singing; we can take the Lord’s supper on any day of the week, and substitute other elements in place of the ones authorized by Christ; “passing the hat” on any day the church assembles; we can raise money for the work of the church by conducting fairs, rummage sales, and other social activities; and on and on it goes. If we really respect the authority of Christ, we will offer only the worship that he as required in his word.

The Authority of Christ Dictates

The Work of the Local Church

According to man, the work of the church is to meet the social and recreational needs of people. However, if we respect the authority of Christ, we will understand that the work of the church involves something entirely different. Christ’s authority decrees that the church preach the gospel (2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 4:14-18; 1 Thess. 1:8). Christ also instructs the church through his word to provide for its own needy (Acts 4:34-35; 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 5:16). Christ has taught his church to edify itself (Eph. 4:11-16). This is all that the authority of Christ allows for in the work of the local church. To change this in any way, either by adding to it or taking away from it, is to show contempt for the authority of Christ through his word.

Conclusion

Christ claimed all authority. We are taught to do every-thing in the name of (i.e., by the authority of) Christ. Do you submit to the authority of Christ on the plan of salvation? In your daily lives as Christians? In the worship and work of the local church? Those who respect and obey the authority of Christ are promised every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Remember the admonition of James, when he said, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” To fail or refuse to submit to the authority of Christ in all things will cost us our souls in eternity. Are you willing to pay that price?

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 15-16
January 4, 1996

By Roger Hillis

Hell. What an awful sounding word. It brings up all kinds of bad thoughts. Many prefer to ignore it, never think about it, and act like it really is not there. But hell is real and people need to be warned about this other “home of the soul” that awaits the unrighteous.

It is easier to be lost than to go to heaven. More people will spend eternity in hell, separated from God and his glory than will gather around that heavenly throne. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

There are 234 references in the New Testament to hell, punishment, and God’s judgment on the wicked. Jesus had much more to say about hell than he did about heaven.

Hell is not some unpleasant experience we have here on earth, it is not merely a condition of an unhappy mind, it is not simply a person’s anguish, sorrow, and trials in this life. It is a real place of torment. It was said of Judas Iscariot, after his betrayal of the Master and subsequent suicide, that he went “to his own place” (Acts 1:25).

The Description

Please carefully read this series of passages about hell and notice both the descriptive phrases that are used and the absolute certainty with which the writers spoke of its existence.

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, “You fool!” shall be in danger of hell fire (Matt. 5:22).

And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profit-able for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell (Matt. 5:29-30).

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:41-42).

Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:13).

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “De-part from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt. 25:46).

… where “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44, 46, 48).

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thess. 1:9).

In summary, these verses teach us that hell is a place of fire, wailing, gnashing of teeth, weeping, outer darkness, prepared for Satan and his followers. But, perhaps the worst thing about hell is that it is eternal! Just as heaven is de-scribed as unending bliss and glory for the saved, hell is unceasing torment for the lost.

Notice these verses.

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name (Rev. 14:11).

And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15).

The fires of hell are unquenchable. Hell is a place of misery, confusion, and honor, forever and ever. There is no comfort, not even if some of your earthly family and friends are there with you. And in 50 million years (that’s accommodative language; time will not be measured in eternity as it is now), God will not change his mind and bring everyone up to heaven.

Some have tried to lessen the honors of hell by suggesting that the fire will consume rather than punish the ungodly and after a brief period, they will feel no more pain. But there is nothing in the Bible that justifies such a conclusion. If God could speak to Moses in a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire, he has the power to create such a place as hell, the unquenchable lake of fire and brimstone.

The Inhabitants of Hell

Who will be in hell? This is perhaps the most important part of this study. We should do all we can to make certain that we will not be in this place of eternal torment.

Satan and his servants (Matt. 25:41). Hell was never intended for man, but those who serve the devil will spend eternity with him.

The ungodly (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8). The wicked people of all time will be there. From the Bible, it includes people like Cain (the first murderer), the homosexuals from Sodom and Gomorrah, Jezebel, Judas Iscariot, the Roman Caesars, Nero, and Domitian. From secular history, it includes such people as Benedict Arnold, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, and many others.

Some religious people (Matt. 7:21-23). There are many who care nothing for biblical authority and have substituted the teachings of men for the doctrine of Christ (Matt. 15:9; Col. 3:17; 2 John 9-11). In spite of their sincerity, such will be lost because they have not obeyed God.

Lukewarm Christians (Rev. 3:15-17). God will not accept any less than our very best. If we have been apathetic and lukewarm in our service to him, we will hear him say, “Depart from Me, I do not know you.”

All those who have not obeyed the gospel (2 Thess. 1:6-10). This includes all of those who were good, moral people but who did not become Christians  moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, dentists, school teachers, neighbors, doctors, friends, classmates, and spouses. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death . . .” (Rom. 6:23). Sin separates man from God and, unless one is cleansed by the blood of Christ, sin will cause that one to be lost eternally.

The good news is that no one HAS TO go there. By the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and our obedient faith, we can escape the fires of hell and enjoy eternal life in heaven. May we all have the courage to obey the Lord and then share that message of salvation with a lost and dying world.

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 18-19
January 4, 1996