Truth Magazine

By Steven Deaton

Today it seems like there are a million “causes.” Save the whales, save the earth, “Just Say No,” conservativism, and so on. While none of these in and of itself is wrong, it can endanger our soul’s eternal life.

How? When we put more energy, time, thought, and devotion into them, than into the only true, righteous cause  the cause of Christ!

It is true that we, as Christians, are to teach, preach, defend, yea, even go on the offensive for what is right and true (Jude 3). But when one of the above mentioned becomes our focal point in life, it is sinful.

Some of you may have heard of Rush Limbaugh. He is a conservative radio and TV talk show host. He has many good comments, points and arguments for the “cause” of conservativism, as related to the American political system. I used to listen to him and enjoyed his candid comments. He gives insightful analysis into many important topics. It is sad, though, to see a Christian become more upset, energized, even on fire, at his show being taken off the air, than when confronted with false doctrine, attacked upon a religious point, or just simply urged to wield the sword of truth (Rev. 3:15). How sad, so sad.

I urge you to think about where your heart lies (Col. 3:2; 2 Cor. 13:5). How do you spend your “off ” time (2 Tim. 2:15)? Do you get excited about humanism, multi-culturalism, abortion? Be-fore someone says, “What’s wrong with getting excited about these issues? These are things we should fight against.” I agree! We must stand for what is right (1 Thess. 5:21), but we must not let anyone of these be our purpose in life! We are “charged” to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:1,2), thus saving souls by presenting the word and letting it “prick them in their heart” (Acts 2:37). If we spent as much time studying God’s word (Acts 17:11), refuting error (Gal. 2:11), and spreading the gospel (Rom. 1:16) in all its purity and simplicity, the rest of these problems would be taken care of, yea, maybe even extinguished!

We need to stand up and stop being slothful toward the true cause, stop misdirecting our energy and become a “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1,2) for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. This must be done in order to “overcome” (Rev. 21:7,8).

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 11, p. 15
June 2, 1994

By Larry Ray Halley

What does it mean to preach Moses? “For Moses .. . hath … them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day” (Acts 15:21). To read Moses’ writings is to “preach” Moses. The preaching of Moses is not limited to preaching about Moses’ life, his work, his person, his giving of the law. While the preaching of Moses includes those things, it is not restricted to them. Likewise, what does it mean to “preach Christ”? When we read and teach the New Testament, we are preaching Christ. The preaching of Christ is not limited to his life, his work, his person or his death. It includes those items, but it is not restricted to them, for Paul said, “the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). To preach the Old Testament economy is to preach Moses. To preach the New Testament system is to preach Christ, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:17).

Every law and lamb of the Old Testament was ratified and sanctified by “the blood of calves and of goats” (Heb. 9). No matter how obscure the ordinance, it was “given by Moses” and sealed with “the blood of goats and calves” (Heb. 9). To preach it was to preach Moses. All grace and truth of the New Testament was ratified and sanctified by “the blood of Christ.” No matter how obscure the ordinance, it “came by Jesus Christ” and was signed, stamped and sealed with the blood of him who is the true “lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world” (in. 1:29; Heb. 10:29).

Imagine an ignorant Israelite who would say, “We need more preaching about Moses and the lambs and less about washings and the tabernacle.” Can you see how preposterous such a proposal would be? Were Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel ever told:

You are a great preacher of the truth, but we believe you have a misplaced emphasis. All you do is “rake the brethren over the coals.” You and your legalistic guardians of the party of the prophets are always preaching about corruptions of the organization and worship of the priests. You criticize every little thing that sincere brethren want to do in the temple. You challenge the scripturalness of some of our methods of work and worship. You threaten us with “negative” sermons which predict our overthrow because of our innovations.

Gentlemen, we are tired of hearing your exhortations about doing things “according to the pattern.” We need less preaching about the law and scriptural worship in the temple. We need to hear more positive preaching about the loving, life of our beloved Moses; we need more preaching about the precious blood of our sacrificial lambs. We want more preaching about the life of Moses and less about his law. We want less preaching about the qualifications of priests and the laws about an acceptable animal to be offered (no sick, lame, blind, etc.) and more preaching on the blood of the lamb itself.

If our modem situation is any example, the prophets surely heard such things as described above. If you can absolve the prophets of the imaginary charges above, you should have no problem in answering critics in the church today who make similar, parallel indictments. (See chart on next page.)

(In the last segment of this extended series, we discussed the first three points on the chart above. Hence, we begin here with the fourth section of the chart.)

4. 1 Corinthians 2:2; 4:15; 15:1-4 (Christ Grace); Acts 18:8;1 Corinthians 1:13; 12:13 (ChurchBaptism): Though it is not specifically stated that Paul preached “the grace of God” in Corinth, there can be no doubt that he did so (cf. 2 Cor. 6:1). Paul preached the cross; he preached nothing except “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:2). While “the blood of Christ” is not attributed directly to the forgiveness of the Corinthians, there can be no doubt that it cleansed them (1 Cor. 15:3, 4; 2 Cor. 5:21; 8:9). Assuredly, all who would “preach Christ crucified” must preach grace through Christ our Lord! The Corinthians were “born again,” begotten by the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15; 1 Pet. 1:23). Did the preaching that Paul did include or exclude preaching about baptism and the church?

What occurred when the Corinthians heard nothing except “Jesus Christ, and him crucified”? “And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). If all they heard were the facts of the death of Jesus on the cross, how did they know to be baptized? “Every one” of the Corinthians had been baptized (1 Cor. 1:12, 13; 12:13). How did they learn of this duty to be baptized? Remember that all that Paul preached was the gospel, so how did they know to be baptized when they heard what he preached? They knew to be baptized because the preaching of the gospel includes baptism.

How do we know the gospel includes baptism? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15, 16). Shall we separate Mark 16:15 from Mark 16:16? The Corinthians were “baptized in the name of ” Christ (1 Cor. 1:13; 6:11). If all the Corinthians had heard was the story of the cross, how did they know to be “washed” or baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? They were taught it, that is how! But taught what? Namely, two things (1) “Neither is there salvation in any other (nameLRH): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). (2) “All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:18, 19). The Corinthians, therefore, were taught that there is salvation only in the name of Jesus Christ and that they must be baptized into that name in order to be washed, cleansed, sanctified and justified by the grace of God and the blood of Christ.

Did the Corinthians hear any preaching about the church when they heard the preaching of the cross? Paul said they were “all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). That body is the church (Eph. 1:22, 23). They were baptized “into” the kingdom, the church (Col. 1:13; Jn. 3:3-5).

In Acts 18:27, the Spirit says that the Corinthians “believed through grace.” Those who believe and are baptized into the church of our Lord, are the ones who believe “through grace.” “Evangelical, fundamentalists” claim that they are leading men to Christ “through grace.” They are deceived. Men who “believed through grace” in the New Testament were men who had heard the gospel story of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. They were men who had “all” been “baptized into one body,” or church. The spirit of compromise wants to believe that the good-hearted, sweet-spirited people of denominational-ism are somehow recipients of redemption, though they have never been “washed” and “baptized into one body.” Our sorrow and sympathy for their delusion and damnation must never cause us to diminish the demands of the cross. Rather, it should, if we truly love and trust in God’s grace, cause us to press the terms of gospel obedience even more ardently in order that they, too, may truly believe “through grace.”

5. Acts 20:24 (ChristGrace); Acts 20:21,25,28 (Church Baptism): What did Paul preach in Ephesus? He told the elders of the church in Ephesus that his ministry was “to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). He commended the church “to God, and the word of his grace” (Acts 20:32). Critics of the church today claim that we need more such preaching about “grace” and less about the church and baptism. We must determine the nature and content of “the word of his grace” if we want to know what it means to “preach the grace of God.” Undoubtedly, Paul preached “grace” in Ephesus. Of what did the preaching of grace consist? Undeniably, it chronicled the events concerning the cross of the Christ at Calvary (Eph. 1:7), but did it contain anything else?

First, “the word of his grace” had a “negative” edge to it. “Grace” condemned false religion ”Moreover ye see and hear … at Ephesus . . . this Paul hath persuaded much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands” (Acts 19:26). Some brethren contend that we are not preaching the grace of God when we confute and refute religious error. However, Paul was preaching “the word of his grace” when he said there “be no gods, which are made with hands.” Thus, if a gospel preacher today says that there “be no churches made with hands” (Martin Luther, John Wesley, Joseph Smith), he is preaching “the word of his grace.” The church and gospel preachers have been rebuked for not preaching “the grace of God” when they identify and expose the churches and doctrines of men. Such criticism shows that the critics do not know what it means to thoroughly and completely present the grace of God.

If controversy arises due to the condemnation of a denomination, some will say, “That is just like the Church of Christ; they are always running down other churches and saying they are the only true church.” Paul, in preaching “the word of his grace,” preached that there was only one true God. In preaching “the word of his grace,” one may preach that there is only one, true church. “But what if it offends people? What if it makes people mad? What if they `storm out’ and refuse to listen?” In Ephesus, many “were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude…. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. . . . And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out” (Acts 19:9, 23, 28). What was “the uproar” in Ephesus all about (Acts 20:1)? It was all about Paul’s preaching of “the word of his grace.”

Are you hearing such preaching today? If not, you may be worshipping with the wrong church, or you may have the wrong preacher, or both.

Second, Paul preached the conditions of salvation as he preached “grace” in Ephesus. How do we know this? He preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21; Eph. 1:13). Paul preached water baptism in Ephesus. “When they (the Ephesians) heard this (“the gospel of the grace of God”), they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5). What is baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus” for? What is its purpose? Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). In preaching “grace,” Paul preached faith, repentance and baptism. How, then, can critics say, “We are not preaching God’s grace when we preach baptism”? The truth is that the critic either does not know what it means to preach the grace of God, or else he loves religious error and is ashamed of the truth. With the information above, the critic is without excuse. Now, he knows. If he remains critical, he exposes and condemns himself On. 3:19-21).

Third, Paul preached “the kingdom of God” in Ephesus (Acts 20:25). To preach the kingdom of God is to preach the name of Jesus Christ, his headship “over all things to the church” (Acts 8:12; Eph. 1:22, 23). The saved are translated “into” the kingdom (Col. 1:13). The Ephesians were reconciled “unto God in one body,” the church. The saints at Ephesus, the church, were sanctified and cleansed “with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:26). They were called “unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12). “Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:21). (A) The new birth, “ye must be born again,” (B) entrance “into” the kingdom by water baptism, (C) redemption and reconciliation by the blood in the church  all of these things were a part of Paul’s preaching of “grace” and “the kingdom of God” in Ephesus (Acts 19:5; Eph. 1:7; 2:16; 5:26). One is not “neglecting grace” when he preaches the kingdom of God and the things that “pertain” to the church of our Lord (Acts 8:12; 20:28).

Fourth, Paul preached redemption “through his blood” (Eph. 1:7). This redemption “purchased” the church of God (Acts 20:28). (A) Redemption by the blood was “in Christ” (Eph. 1:7; 2:13). Reconciliation was “in one body by the cross” (Eph. 2:16). Gentiles at Ephesus were “aliens” until they were “accepted in the Beloved,” in Christ, and “reconciled . . . in one body,” the church (Eph. 1:6; 2:12, 16). They were “strangers” (i.e., “aliens”) until they were “of the household (church) of God” (Eph. 2:19; 1 Tim. 3:15). Therefore, Paul preached that one is not redeemed and reconciled unto God by the blood outside of the church. This is a part of what it means to preach “the gospel of the grace of God” and “the kingdom of God.” Do not be deceived by “despisers” who degrade such preaching. With feigned words they piously proclaim their love for grace while they deny the very words of grace in the New Testament. If one alters his preaching to suit his concept of grace, he will “fail of the grace of God” and do “despite unto the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29; 12:15).

6. Galatians 1:6 (ChristGrace); Galatians 3:26, 27 (ChurchBaptism): The churches of Galatia were “called into the grace of God” (Gal. 1:6). As such, they were called “unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:9), “called . . . to glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3), “called . . . out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9), and “called . . . unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12). Critics of the church of the Lord say that we should emphasize the calling of men “into the grace of God” and give less stress to calling men into the church, the kingdom. They say that we are preaching “ourselves” rather than preaching grace when we call men unto fellowship with us in the kingdom of God.

Those “called . . . out of darkness into his marvelous light” were “built up a spiritual house”; they were “the house of God” (1 Pet. 2:5; 4:17). What is the “spiritual house of God”? “The house of God . . . is the church of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). Thus, those “called” into God’s light and grace are called into his church and kingdom. If one is not calling men into the church, the kingdom, he is not calling them into the grace of Christ!

Jesus Christ had been “set forth” and “crucified among” them as Paul preached the word of the cross unto them (Gal.1:4; 3:1,13). By the faith, by the gospel, the Galatians had been called “into the grace of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-8). They were not justified by works of the law, but by faith in the faith of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16). The gospel is the faith (Gal. 1:8, 23). Sinners obey the truth, obey the gospel, obey the faith (1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Thess. 1:8; Acts 6:7). The Galatians had obeyed it (Gal. 5:7). What did that entail and include? “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For (the reason that you are now children of God by faith) as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26, 27).

Paul saw no inconsistency with saying that men who were “called into the grace of Christ” were “baptized into Jesus Christ,” so why should we feel uncomfortable when we say the same thing? Paul gloried in nothing except “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). Still, he preached that men are called “into the grace of Christ” when they are “baptized into Jesus Christ” (Rom. 6:3,4, 17, 18). Any man who makes you feel uncomfortable when you preach the truth on water baptism is not an advocate of the grace of God.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 10, p. 19-22
May 19, 1994

By Mike Willis

About the time that you read this, the Lord willing, my family will be attending the wedding of our daughter Jennifer Lynette to Robert Mann of Phoenix, Arizona. They are to be married on June 10th. I have just one daughter, so her wedding day is a special day for our family. I hope that our readers will not feel that these following remarks are an imposition. I recognize that this day happens in every family, but I have just one daughter to give away in marriage.

A Daughter Is A Special Treasure

I do not altogether understand why fathers and daughters bond the way they do, but I recognize that they do. From the beginning of her life on June 15, 1971, she has been so very precious. She and I are so much alike. We have the same brown eyes, serious nature, drive to succeed, temperament, and so many other similar qualities. I have learned so much about myself watching her mature.

There are moments in her life indelibly impressed on my memory. I shall never forget her sitting on the big rock at the end of the driveway waiting to catch the bus on her first day of school, while her mother and I fought back tears in the garage. We enjoyed snow sledding together and she has persuaded me to risk my life on every roller coaster within driving distance so that she could watch me cringe. Her sensitive nature made watching movies together a tearful experience, much to her embarassment and her brother’s delight. Her participation in school plays always caused a lump to come into my throat and a tear in my eye. I’ll never hear “The Rose” without thinking of her singing it in a program at junior high school.

Teaching her to drive was an unforgettable experience. Her mother never had the courage to undertake the task. Consequently, Jennifer learned under my guidance and she drives as aggressively as most men. Aside from several scares, a damaged gas pump and one dented door, we came through learning to drive without much damage.

Her baptism is recorded on audio cassette. Brother Harold Smith was leading “I Am Coming Home” as the invitation song at the Knollwood congregation in Xenia, Ohio when she came forward to be baptized. I knew she was coming forward and had some remarks prepared to say, but I never got them out. Tears began to trickle down my cheeks and I don’t remember much else that happened that Sunday night. I do understand the significance of what happened  a commitment to the Lord that impacted every aspect of her life.

Soon the days came when she began dating and there were a new set of concerns in the hearts of her parents. We worried about her marrying a Christian and have prayed about it so many times. She met her future husband while she was dating his roommate. When she concluded that relationship was not going anywhere and realized that she wanted to date his roommate, she called me and asked, “Dad, how long do you think I should wait before dating Robbie?” I replied, “Two or three weeks.” Not hearing the answer she wanted, Jennifer exclaimed, “Two or three weeks! Let me talk to Mom!” They started dating later that week and have been together ever since.

Sandy and I thank God that our future son-in-law is also our brother in Christ. Jenny and Robbie’s commitment to Christ has been such an encouragement during the four and one-half years they have dated. They have conducted themselves in a way becoming to a Christian during these years. Their innocence has sometimes been humorous, but always appreciated.

So Richly Blessed to Have Christian Children

Our home has not escaped the turmoils and conflicts of rearing children to adulthood. However, we have been richly blessed not to experience so many troubles common to American families. We have never experienced such troubles as drugs, drunkenness, an illegitimate baby, and other troubles common to godless children. We did not have a battle royal over the prom  she never asked to go. Jennifer has a personal faith in Jesus that has guided her moral decisions. Her purity through her teenage years is what motivated me to dedicate the workbook which I wrote on the book of Proverbs to her. We have been blessed to have a daughter who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are millions of parents who would gladly trade their set of troubles with their children for the small problems with which we have had to wrestle.

As the father of the bride, I can assure you that our way has been easier because of our decision to live according to the commandments of the Lord as revealed in the Bible. Without reservation, I commend the Bible to other parents who are seeking guidance in establishing their home and in rearing their children.

Her Wedding Ceremony

When the decision was made about whether or not I would conduct the wedding ceremony, Jennifer and her mother decided that choosing me to conduct the wedding would be inappropriate because I would break down in tears and become a distraction. Consequently, everyone agreed that we should ask H.E. Phillips to perform Jennifer and Robbie’s wedding ceremony. And why not? While attending Florida College, they worshiped at Fletcher Avenue, where brother Phillips served as an elder. He became their close friend. Recently, brother Phillips wrote Jennifer an 8-page letter about their upcoming wedding and signed it, “Your adopted grandfather.” And besides that, in 1966 he performed the wedding ceremony for two eighteen-year-olds who became Jennifer’s parents. Sandy and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary just eight days after Jennifer’s wedding.

Remember Me

So, if our family of readers will kindly remember my family in your prayers on June 10, I will appreciate it. I will be consumed in activities related thereto between now and then. Bear with me for she’s my only daughter. We’ll keep this magazine rolling right on through these times. Perhaps these moments of my nostalgia will evoke a few warm thoughts and stimulate some kind words and deeds toward those whom you love.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 11, p. 2
June 2, 1994

By Dan King

Jude, when he wrote his short epistle, was deterred from his original intention of writing about the “common salvation” (Jude 3), and forced to address the pressing issues raised by false teachers who were “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 4). After having introduced the problem in the early part of the letter, Jude offers a series of “these are” clauses which give different aspects of these heretics’ behavior. For example: “These are spots in your feasts of charity . . . clouds they are without water … trees whose fruit withereth . . . raging waves of the seas … wandering stars” (vv. 12-13). Each of these phrases tells us something about them, in each instance a disreputable quality of their way of life.

Near the end of this list, Jude says: “These are murmurers, complainers …” (v. 16). Clearly, then, the writer identifies these characteristics as descriptive of wicked men and women, and not of the righteous. Several thoughts are apparent in this text:

1. Good people were the objects of their murmuring and complaining. Those who stood for truth were made the target of their destructive complaints. Bible students will be aware that Moses and Aaron were often murmured against by people of this ilk: “And the people murmured against Moses, saying What shall we drink?” (Exod. 15:24); “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness; and the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger …” (Exod. 16:2-3); “And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Where-fore is this that thou halt brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst” (Exod. 17:3). God’s severe displeasure at the people’s persistent murmuring and complaining is made plain after they challenged the leadership over entrance into the land. They feared that the land’s inhabitants were giants and that they could not overcome them. It was the last straw! The Lord pronounced a curse upon them: “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me . . . Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me” (Num. 14:27, 29).

Jesus and his disciples were often the target of malicious murmuring and complaining. The leadership of the Jews rejected Jesus’ claims about himself and looked for reasons to destroy him. In the mean time, they sought excuses to accuse him of a whole host of things of which he was not guilty. They hung on his every word, looking for him to make a mistake. Behind the scenes of his teaching, whether in the synagogue or in the streets, they were ever there seeking to cause discontent. One such instance occurred after the selection of Matthew (Levi) the publican. Levi made a great feast and invited all his friends. Naturally, about the only friend a publican had was other publicans (Lk. 5:27ff.). So, he had them come out to meet Jesus. Luke records the public reaction: “But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” (v. 30) This gave Jesus the opportunity to teach his lesson on why he had come: “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (vv. 31-32). This is only one of the many cases recorded in the New Testament. Jesus was often the object of murmuring and complaining, even at times from his own disciples (cf. Lk. 15:2; 19:7; Jn. 6:41, 61; etc.).

2. Such criticism will come our way also. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12), and one element of that persecution will come in the form of criticism. And, it may even come from members of the Lord’s church. Moses and Aaron were criticized by Israelites. Jesus and the disciples bore the brunt of criticism which came from within the Jewish community. The pagans paid them little heed at first. Jude deals with slander which comes from within the church itself. We ought not, therefore, be shocked that Satan is able to manipulate members of the church, at times, to his purpose of destroying the household of faith from within.

3. Such criticism can take the form of malicious lies. Jude accuses the “murmurers and complainers” of his day of making “hard speeches” (v. 15), of speaking “great swelling words” (v. 16), and of being “mockers” (v. 18). Such folk cannot be expected to have much respect for truth.

All sorts of rumors circulated about Christians in the first century. The emperor Nero accused them of burning Rome. The normal charge against them in the courts of law was “hatred of mankind.” They were accused of child murder; of drinking blood in their assemblies; of the blackest sins of adultery and fornication when they met in secretive assemblies at night. All these were malicious lies. Peter was struggling with this problem when he wrote his first letter: “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Pet. 3:16).

4. Such criticism must not be taken too seriously. It is natural for us to have hurt feelings when we are criticized. But we spend far too much of our time concerned with what someone may say about us, how they may criticize or second-guess us. It is certainly true that we may face some criticism in life, especially if we dare to step out of the rut of spiritual complacency or the long line of souls indifferent to the things that really matter in life. In fact, we ought to expect it  even expect that it will smart when it comes. But it ought not to deter us from our goal if that goal is worth reaching in the first place.

I remember reading a memorable quote from Theodore Roosevelt, who said: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” Let us remain in the arena, in spite of whatever criticism may be directed our way. Remember, there have always been plenty of “murmurers and complainers,” but far too few out in the arena facing the fight!

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 11, p. 12-13
June 2, 1994