Truth Magazine

By Marc Shotts

I am 28 and have been involved in “full time” preaching for almost two years. Many people wonder what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but I think I have figured it out! It was some of his fellow preachers! I do not say this lightly so please let me explain.

Discouragement and disappointment has come more of-ten by the actions of some of my fellow preachers than from the actions of the world. I have heard of a preacher threatening to go to law with a brother over charts. Others have openly threatened to sue in articles because of some perceived offence. As Paul said to some who were doing the same, “I speak to your shame . . . Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (1 Cor. 6:5-7)

Then I see some who think more highly of men than they do of Jesus or the gospel. For years a beloved friend might be publicly teaching error and even writing articles or books trying to spread the error, but many will still defend him. They may not agree with what he teaches, but they still want to fellowship him. Evidence of this is when you see statements such as “brother so-and-so is not teaching the truth on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, but he is not a false teacher!” What is he then?

Then I see some who are obviously motivated by greed and covetousness. Statements have been made such as, “I wouldn’t move for less than $50,000.” Soft preaching and ear tickling to please those who provide the paycheck is sinful. Then some “full timers” neglect their ministry be-cause they are too involved in being a businessman.

Then the straw that broke my back was preachers refusing to answer Bible questions and citing as their authority men such as Alexander Campbell! It appears that some preachers have felt wronged in the past, carried a grudge, and have personal vendettas against other preachers. I am ready and willing to answer any question about what the Bible teaches on any subject no matter who asks. I think that is the proper attitude of not just a preacher, but any Christian. “Be ye ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).

I am just a young preacher who views things simply and wants to serve the Lord “with all humility of mind” (Acts 20:19). I believe in the advice given to me when I started preaching by a wise man: “Don’t let yourself get in the way of the gospel.” Most preachers I know are self-sacrificing servants of Christ, but some are not. Preacher’s beware, you will be judged on that great day too!

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 19
December 21, 1995

By Donnie V. Rader

Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). Self-denial is one of the most basic attributes of Christianity. Yet, it is one of the most difficult to attain. One reason for that is that it requires great strength of will.

Man has a great problem mastering himself. Those who willfully engage in sin have not learned to control them-selves. Those who are overcome in a moment of temptation have a problem (at least for the moment) with self-control. When we get angry and let our tempers flare and our words fly, our character is then flawed due to not practicing self-discipline. We exhibit a lack of will power when we overeat, are lazy, or are addicted to alcohol, tobacco or some other drug. Thus, mastering self requires constant work for all of us. The difference in us is that we may need to work on it in different areas of our lives.

Shakespeare wrote, “Brave Conquerors! for so you are, that war against your own affections and the huge army of the world’s desires.” John Sterling said, “The worst education which teaches self-denial is better than the best which teaches everything else, and not that.”

There are more passages that imply the principle of self-denial than we may think at first. To learn and grow in self-denial is to grow in heart, in soul, and in character. This is one quality that we can use every moment of every day in every place.

With this article we begin a series of five articles on mastering self.

Defining Self-Denial

1. Different words used in the New Testament. There are three different words or phrases used in the Bible that point to the same concept of denying or controlling self. (a) Jesus used the phrase “deny himself ” (Mark 8:34). (b) The NKJV uses the words “self-control” in 2 Peter 1:6, Titus 1:8. (c) The word “temperance” or “temperate” is used in the KJV in 2 Peter 1:6, 1 Corinthians 9:25, and Titus 2:2.

2. “Deny self” means “to forget oneself, lose sight of oneself and one’s own interest” (Thayer, p. 54). Liter-ally it means to say “No!” to yourself. It is hard to say no to others, but even harder to say no to ourselves.

3. “Temperance” means “self-government” (Thayer). Strong’s says the original words translated “temperance” comes from a word that means “to be strong in a thing (i.e., masterful).” It means dominion, power or strength.

Thus, temperance means to have power of dominion over self. William Barclay suggests that it is the “ability to take a grip of oneself.”

4. Aristotle proposed that there are four states of man with reference to the battle between reason and passion. (a) Perfect Temperance: This is where reason rules over passion. The fight is won. (b) On the other end of the spectrum is Unbridled Lust: This is where passion rules over reason. The fight is lost. In between these two states is where the battle within ourselves takes place. (c) Incontinence: This is where reason fights, but passion prevails. The battle is on, but at the moment reason is losing. (d) Self-Control: This is where passion fights against reason, but reason prevails. The battle is still on, but at the moment reason is winning. (Taken from Barclay’s comments on 2 Pet. 1:6.)

The principle of self-denial or self-control deals with the reality of life. The Bible does not picture the Christian void of all passion, drained of all desires or detached from all temptation. Rather, it envisions that all of his appetites, and desires remain, but he keeps them under control and mastery. With self-control man becomes the master and not the slave of his passions.

Passages That Require Self-Denial

1. Passages that specifically mention self-denial or self-control. Jesus said that those desiring to be his disciples must deny self (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). Paul preached to Felix about righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come (Acts 24:25). Peter lists “temperance” as one of the “Christian graces” which we are to add to our faith (2 Pet. 1:6). The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control (Gal. 5:23). Those who run the race and compete for the crown must be temperate in all things (1 Cor. 9:5). The comparison in this text is that we are to be self-controlled and self-disciplined just as athletes are. Elders are to have self-control (Tit. 1:8) and aged men should be temperate (Tit. 2:8).

2. Passages which deal with self-denial and self-control in principle. Paul urged the Romans not to continue in sin (cf. Rom. 6:1) by telling them not to let sin reign in their bodies (Rom.6:12ff). That requires self-control. The same writer said that it was no longer himself, but Christ who lives in him (Gal. 2:20). He had said “No!” to himself. Those who are God’s people willingly submit to Christ in everything (Eph. 5:24). That implies self-denial.

3. Any passage that forbids the following requires self-control: lust (2 Tim. 2:22; Matt. 5:28), lying (Eph. 4:25), immorality (1 Cor. 6:18), covetousness (Col. 3:5), retaliation (Rom. 12:17-21), laziness (Rom. 12:11; 2 Thess. 3:10), self-willed (Tit. 1:7) and hatred (Gal.5:20).

4. Any passage that commands the following requires self-control: meekness (Matt. 5:3), gentleness (2 Tim. 2:24), patience (2 Tim. 2:24), soberness (1 Pet. 1:13), contentment (Heb. 13:5), and chastity (Tit. 2:5).

This Is An Area In Which We

Need To Grow

The Christian life is a continual growing process. We should always be growing in grace and in knowledge of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:18). Each day and each year we should be gaining more and more spiritual maturity (Heb. 5:14).

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No.24, p. 12-13
December 21, 1995

By Irvin Himmel

Many of us get worked up in our daily lives over things that are relatively inconsequential. If one is given to anxiety, the chances are that he worries over a lot of such things.

To some, social events are highly important. Others are much involved in sporting events. There are people who spend many years earning academic degrees. A business executive may set his goal on reaching the top rung of the corporate ladder. Others consume long hours and large sums of money on entertainment. Some are very fashion conscious. They like to keep up with the latest styles and newest customs. Some relish extensive travel. Then there are people who buy all the new electronic gadgets they can afford, and perhaps some which they really cannot afford.

Self-control is a relative matter. That is, there are varying degrees of temperance (self-control) just as there are with all of the “Christian graces” found in 2 Peter 1:5-10. None is perfect (without a flaw  cannot grow any more) in temperance. Furthermore, we never will be. The key to being acceptable to God is to work on self-control with “all diligence” (2 Pet. 1:5).

There are some areas of life where this quality is more easily practiced than in others. Easy or not, we must grow in self-control.

The greatest battle you will ever fight is fought within yourself.

When we stand before the Lord in judgment, as all of us will, the things that loom before us now as having such absorbing interest will not matter at all. In that day it will not matter how many degrees a person has, nor what kind of house he lived in, nor whether he wore plain clothes or the latest fashions, whether he drove an old clunker or a shiny new auto, and whether he was underpaid or earned a top salary. And the team that he rooted for will have no more fascination.

The things that will really matter then are the things that ought to matter now. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Cheerful obedience. Righteous living. Submission to divine authority. Love. Loyalty in worship and service to God. Eternal hope based on the grace of God.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 13
December 21, 1995

 

By Jeff Himmel

There are many people who believe that Jesus was a good man, one of the greatest moral teachers who ever lived, but not the Son of God. Perhaps you have encountered some folks like these. Perhaps you are one. These people agree that Jesus taught principles which are undeniably good and right; but to say that he was God in the flesh is just too much to swallow. They say instead that after his death, Jesus’ followers made him out to be God’s Son, as is evidenced in the things they said and wrote about him.

Was Jesus a good man and nothing more? I believe the Bible, the book that tells his story, can answer that for us. All we need to do is examine Jesus’ own claims  not what others said about him, but what he said about himself.

Jesus claimed equality with God. In John 5:17-18, Jesus equated his own work with that of the Father. He professed to be something more than a man: “You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). In fact, Jesus even claimed to be God. During a discussion about the heritage of Abraham, he remarked, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). His opponents surely recognized “I AM” as the name by which God identified himself when he sent Moses to Egypt (Exod. 3:14). On another occasion Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). If he was just a man, then his words were nothing short of blasphemy!

Jesus claimed power to forgive sins. In front of a large crowd, he said to a paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven you” (Lk. 5:20). Jesus wasn’t pardoning this fellow for some personal offense; he was pronouncing forgiveness for all the man’s transgressions against God. This angered the Jewish leaders, who knew that no one but God himself could forgive sins (v. 21). Jesus’ statement would have been laugh-able, had it not been so serious.

Jesus claimed to be the path to salvation. In contrast to many religious philosophers, Jesus bluntly said that only he could bring people into a right relationship with God. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He claimed to be the sole source of truth in the world: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Very arrogant statements for a mere man!

Jesus claimed sinlessness. He asked his enemies, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46) Jesus professed to have no moral defect. For any ordinary man to do so would be impossible; to say so would be openly hypocritical.

Jesus claimed to be the Christ. God’s prophets had promised Israel a deliverer, his “anointed one.” The Jews called him “Messiah.” Jesus said, “I who speak to you am he” (John 4:26). Many people who heard Jesus believed that he was the prophesied Savior. His closest disciples believed it. When he asked them who they thought he was, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Jesus blessed him for saying so. If Jesus was not the Messiah, then he played falsely on the dreams of an entire nation.

Jesus claimed to be atonement for sin. Jesus said that when he died his life would be “a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28), and his blood would be shed for many for the re-mission of sins (Matt. 26:28). He declared that his death would be the sacrifice before God that would make possible the forgiveness of all men’s sins. Imagine a man saying that his life could atone for the wrongs of the whole world! Surely such a man would be a fanatic. Yet Jesus not only said it, but apparently believed it himself, because he willingly died for his claim.

Conclusion

Now, it is not hard to see that if Jesus was nothing more than a man, then none of these statements could possibly be true. That means one of two things: (1) Jesus was a liar. He knew his claims were false, yet continued to deceive people with them. His act has fooled millions into placing their faith in him. (2) Jesus was a madman. He was so deluded that he actually believed these in-credible claims, and even died for them.

If Jesus was either a fraud or a lunatic, then it would be grossly incorrect to call him a great moral teacher. Likewise, if we reject the notion that he was either lying or insane, then only one conclusion remains: he was who he said he was! So to all those who would demote Jesus Christ to the status of “great moral teacher,” I offer the evidence of his claims and the conclusions to which they must lead. And, in the words of C.S. Lewis, I offer this choice: “You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.”

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 8
December 21, 1995