Truth Magazine

By Philip Thomas

Introduction

The greatest possession anyone can have is salvation from his past sins and the hope of eternal salvation after awhile. Salvation is available to all who desire it. The scriptures plainly tell us all we need to know about obtaining this salvation.

The Need of Salvation

An insurance man begins to sell his policy by showing the needs of the prospective policyholder. If the need is not recognized, no policy will be sold. The need of salvation must also be shown if we are to convert souls unto Christ. This need can be shown in Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Peter told the crowd on the day of Pentecost that with their wicked hands they crucified the Son of God. The need of salvation was evident. Since the sins of Adam and Eve, mankind has been in need of salvation. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). We can also see, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Salvation in Christ

God recognized the need of man’s salvation and made the provisions necessary for man’s salvation. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord said to Abraham, “. . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God has promised Abraham that He would bless all nations in his seed; that seed is Christ (Gal. 3:16). Therefore God has fulfilled his promise and His blessings are enjoyed in Christ (Eph. 1:3). The hope of an eternal life in heaven can only be enjoyed in Christ, “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:11).

God sent his only begotten Son into this world so that all may have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Jesus came into this world “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10). The divine side of salvation has been completed. God has done his part, Jesus has done his part, now men must do their part if they are to have salvation. It is not enough just to live a good life, or try to be saved by the law of Moses (Acts 13:39). God has given us his plan of salvation.

The Plan of Salvation

Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” The “and” in this passage shows that two conditions must be met: faith and baptism. If we transposed this verse into a mathematical formula, it would read: Believe + Baptism = Salvation and Not Believe = Damnation.

The crowd asked the apostles on the day of Pentecost, “What shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38). Once we believe and repent, the next step is confession. An example is found in Acts 8:37, where the eunuch said to Philip, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

After Saul was struck down by a great light, the Lord spoke to him saying, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 22:16). This is what he was told he must do: “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

At this point our Christian life has just begun. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). Also in Revelation 2:10, “. . . be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” In summary the plan of salvation consists of hearing and believing the gospel, repenting of our sins, confessing that Jesus is the Son of God, being baptized for the remission of sins, and remaining faithful until death.

The Great Salvation

Hebrews 2:2-3 states, “For if the word spoken by angel was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” As humans we cannot earn salvation, but we can escape the punishment that is justly due us by the great salvation which the Lord has offered. Why is it a great salvation? (1) God gave his only begotten Son (Jn. 3;16). (2) It was purchased by the blood of Jesus (Acts 20:28). (3) It is an eternal salvation (Heb. 5:8-9). (4) It saves man from an everlasting punishment (Rev. 20:12-15; Matt. 25:41).

The Common Salvation

God is no respecter of persons. His plan of salvation is therefore available to all men everywhere on the same conditions. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). If we could be saved by the doctrines of men or by the law of Moses, Jesus died in vain (Gal. 2:21). Jesus died to offer the hope of salvation to all men equally. Jesus is the common sacrifice (Heb. 2:9). The common salvation is needed because all have sinned (Rom. 3:23). The Lord did not design multiple plans for salvation, but one common plan. Ephesians 4:4-6 lists items that God in-tended to be only one: body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God and Father. There is only one hope of salvation, which is God’s plan.

The Conditional Salvation

The plan of salvation has been offered to all men on the same terms. If man accepts the conditions, eternal life in heaven will be the reward. If man rejects the conditions, everlasting torment will be the punishment. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). We must obey the will of God to obtain an eternal heavenly home. Revelation 2:10 says we must be faithful unto death. Hebrews 5:9 speaks of Jesus saying, “. . . being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:9). The alien sinner must obey the plan of salvation stated previously to become a Christian. This is God’s plan. Man says that one can be saved by “faith only,” but this phrase is used only once in the Bible. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). It is also possible for a Christian to turn away from God. Galatians 5:4 ends with the phrase, “. . . ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians 6:1 states, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” When the erring Christian realizes his lost state, he must repent for forgiveness of sins and pray that his sins be forgiven.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 8, p. 12-13
April 21, 1994

By Michael McClary

(Brother McClary is one of the elders of the Ellettsville church.)

Preacher training is nothing new for the Ellettsville, Indiana church of Christ. Brother W.H. Krutsinger lived, preached, and taught a preacher training school in Ellettsville in the 1800s. He edited a religious paper called The Ancient Landmarks. We have a copy of volume one, number one, dated September 1879. This preacher training program was conducted for about twenty-five years and a good number of preachers came from this school, including such men as A.G. Freed, later of Freed-Hardeman College; W.M. Davis, long-time front page editor of the Firm Foundation; and Fred Rowe, publisher of the Christian Leader, to name just a few.

A Complete Program

The Preacher Training Program at Ellettsville is a very complete program. It is designed to teach young men how to study, memorize, deliver lessons and sermons, do funerals and weddings, do research on various religious topics and begin a library and filing system. The program is lead by Johnie Edwards and his son, Johnie Paul Edwards. Many of you already know that these two men are two of the best preachers in the country and both are in demand for meeting work all over the country. They have the knowledge, zeal and patience to handle this type of preacher training. We at the Ellettsville church love and appreciate them very much and give them our heartfelt thanks for all the work they do. The training program is the most helpful tool any young man could receive who is interested in proclaiming God’s word. It is not only essential for the men in the program, but it is also very good for the local church here in Ellettsville. Here are some reasons why:

Strengthens The Local Church

When we hear how many hours of hard work these men put into learning God’s word, it makes us work harder to learn. These young men, and we had a dozen of them in 1993 and have ten in the 1994 session, study hard and it is great to see them develop so rapidly. The program helps all of us “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord” (2 Pet. 3:18).

Encourages Other Young Men

Knowing how hard all the men in the program work encourages the local church to do the same. As Joshua was “encouraged and strengthened,” so are we (Deut. 3:28). It sure is encouraging to a local church to see a young man grow from hardly being able to stand before a group, to speaking the truth with zeal and poise.

The Need For Gospel Preachers

The program helps the local church see the need for gospel preachers. There is a great shortage of good, sound, gospel preachers today. We need to help men to be able to say, as did the apostle Paul, “so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel ” (Rom. 1:15). Men must be ready to preach and our program does that very thing. Our young men preach about every week in the area. They were afforded a rare opportunity of preaching in a gospel meeting last year, and more are planned for 1994. Hardly a week goes by without a local congregation who needs a gospel preacher calling.

Helps In Converting The Lost

The young men preach here at Ellettsville different times when brother Edwards is away preaching in gospel meetings. They have been taught to always teach the plan of salvation at the close of every sermon. This enables folks the opportunity of learning what to do to be saved. Romans 10:13-17 teaches that preaching, hearing, believing and obeying are essential to being saved. The young men do this so very well.

Encourages The Local Church

The fact that we have so many young men interested in preaching and doing the Lord’s will sets a good example for others. It has had a good effect on a number of other young people. The church, where the young men preached in a gospel meeting recently, saw a profound influence on the young people as well as the older ones in the church. There is still power in good influence (Matt. 5:13-16). Christian living is taught by these preachers, not only in the preaching but by their lives. Many of these young men are still in high school or work full time, yet, still find the time to study and do all the work demanded by our Preacher Training Program. We are thankful to God for all of this work.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 8, p. 5
April 21, 1994

By Marc Shotts

For what saith the scripture about sin? This is a question that mankind needs desperately to ask. Nations have turned away from the word of God to the wisdom of men, searching in vain for answers to the problems sin creates. As in all things, the answers to our problems may be found by drawing near to God and his guiding word which the Psalmist described as “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psa. 119:105). Consider what the scriptures says about sin:

God’s Definition of Sin

God delivered his definition of sin by the hand of John who wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 Jn. 3:4). The scriptures indicate clearly that sin is a violation of God’s law. Man may sin, or violate God’s law, in many different ways. We may sin in what we say. David said, “I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue” (Psa. 39:1). Sin may also be committed in our thoughts. Jesus taught, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). We can also sin in deed or action. Paul penned, “I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed” (2 Cor. 12:21). Sin may also be found in not doing what we know is God’s will. James wrote, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17). Any action or thought not in harmony with the will of God, is by God’s definition a sin.

God’s Attitude Toward Sin

God’s attitude toward sin is dramatically revealed in the scriptures. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals God’s attitude toward sin by writing, “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him” (Prov. 6:16). Later he recorded, “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 12:22). Zechariah wrote, “Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord” (Zech. 8:17). God’s inspired writers revealed that God hates sin and views it as an abomination. “Hate” can be defined as “to feel animosity or hostility toward; a strong feeling of dislike; detest.” The definition of “abomination” is “an extremely disgusting thing.” God views sin with strong feelings of hostility, disgust and dislike.

God’s attitude toward sin may be seen in the way he describes it in the Scriptures. Sin is described as a putrefying disease (Isa. 1:2-6), a heavy burden (Psa. 38:4), defiling filth (Tit. 1:15, 2 Cor. 7:1), a binding debt (Matt. 6:12-15), darkness (1 Jn. 1:6) and a blemishing stain (Isa. 1:18).

Consequences of Sin

What saith the scriptures about the consequences of sin? Sin produces earthly consequences such as disease, broken homes, and sorrow. God revealed by Solomon that “the way of transgressors is hard” (Prov. 13:15). But, the greatest consequence of sin is the death of the spirit. Paul declared, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The death which Paul speaks of is not physical death for “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27). As physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, spiritual death is the separation of the spirit of man from God. The prophet Isaiah cried out to the people of his time, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isa. 59:2). John wrote, “Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20;14-15). The second death John described is the death of the spirit, separation from God in torment forever, the greatest and final consequence of unforgiven sin.

No Sin Today?

The attitude of many is that sin no longer exists. This attitude is displayed when things which the scriptures say are sin are renamed and declared no longer to be sinful. An example of this can be found concerning the sin of homosexuality. People today say homosexuality is caused by genetics, or simply an “alternative lifestyle.” Anything but a sin! Many who claim to be religious have recently said that homosexuality is no longer a sin. Openly homosexual preachers and members are accepted, and some denominations have changed their creeds to allow the sin of homosexuality. The attitude of no more sin can also be seen when sins such as murder (abortion) is called a “choice or right,” alcoholism is called a “disease,” pre-marital sex (fornication) is called a beautiful expression of sexuality. It seems that society no longer considers any-thing a sin.

The most worrisome aspect is that many members of the church are also relaxing their attitudes toward sin. Members of the church are openly engaging in or tolerating sins such as unscriptural marriages, false teaching, fellowshipping error, immodest apparel, mixed swimming, dancing, absenteeism, materialism, social drinking, impure speech, improper entertainment and such like. Even those in the church who believe these things to be sins are not speaking out against them as God requires. God proclaimed by His prophet Isaiah, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20)

How Should We Deal With Sin?

Paul told Timothy, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim. 3:1). These perilous times were to be characterized by the increased sinfulness of the times (2 Tim. 3:2-5). Timothy was then instructed to continue in the things which the scriptures taught (2 Tim. 3:14-15). Paul shows the value of the scriptures by writing, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Paul encouraged all Christians to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). The weapon Christians must use to combat sin is the word of God. The need for preaching and teaching, which without blinking or apology, exposes sin and its consequences is great in our society and even in the church. God has provided the weapon, but needs loyal soldiers who are willing to combat sin wherever it may be found.

The answer to society’s problems will never be found in the wisdom of man. The downward spiral of morals in our time will continue unrestrained until greater numbers of people once again begin to ask, “For what saith the scriptures about sin?”

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 8, p. 8-9
April 21, 1994

By Harry R. Osborne

Are you shocked by the rapid movement of our society to an approval of behavior previously rejected as immoral? Are you ready to accept the label of “narrow-minded, religious-right bigot” when you stand for values of morality? Anyone reading or watching the news events of the past few months has seen the pace of movement away from biblically defined values of morality. It has been almost unbelievable to me how many ungodly concepts have been pushed in such a short time. Worst of all, however, is that there has been no major uprising from the people of this country to reject such rank immorality.

Time magazine (24 May 93) had a cover with the picture of a teenage boy and girl with the heading, “Kids, Sex & Values.” The story inside documented and defended the demise of moral codes in sexual conduct. The article was entitled “How Should We Teach Our Children About Sex?” The main concentration was on the topic of sexual activity among teenagers and sex education in the public schools. However, it overlooked the obvious facts regarding the issue.

The article did correctly relate the symptoms of the problem. Among the statistics and statements included were the following:

”By the time they are 20, three-quarters of young Americans have had sex.”

 “One-fourth of teens contract some venereal disease each year.”

 “Kids are continuing to try sex at an ever more tender age; more than a third of 15-year-old boys have had sexual intercourse, as have 27% of 15-year-old girls  up from 19% in 1982.”

 “Teenagers typically watch five hours of television a day  which in a year means they have seen nearly 14,000 sexual encounters.”

”Many social scientists argue that there is nothing wrong with increased sexual expression among teens.”

”There is a fishbowl full of condoms in the nurse’s office, help yourself.”

The fact that sexual activity, pregnancy, abortions, and venereal disease among teenagers is increasing was noted in the article. What was the reason given? Who is responsible for such a tragedy? I could not believe the answer given in the article by Joycelyn Elders, President Clinton’s Surgeon General and one of the leading advocates for condom distribution in schools. Here is what this high government official said:

We’ve spent all our time fighting each other about whose values we should be teaching our kids. We’ve allowed the right to make decisions about our children for the last 100 years, and all it has brought us is the highest abortion rate, the highest non-marital birth rate and the highest pregnancy rate in the industrialized world.

How in the world can anyone seriously make such a charge? Our problem with the huge increases in such statistics does not go back a hundred years. It can be traced directly to the permissiveness of the so-called “sexual revolution” of the past few decades, especially since the 1960s. That was the decade when people like our current President were organizing marches where such thoughtful slogans as “Make love, not war” and “Turn on, toke up and tune out” advocating free love and drug use were in vogue. After refining their ethical code at such bastions of morality as Woodstock, they began to help institute the liberal sex education curriculums presently cursing our public schools. The fact is that all of the rates Elders mentioned have gone and continue to go up with the introduction of the explicit sex education curriculum in the schools.

A study commissioned by Planned Parenthood in 1986 showed that teens who have a sex education course that discusses contraceptives have a 50% higher sexual activity rate than those who have a sex education course omitting contraceptives or who have not had any sex education (American Teens Speak: Sex, Myths, TV and Birth Control, Louis Harris & Assoc., 1986, p. 50).

Despite the fact that repeated studies confirm these findings, we hear an increasing cry for such sex education in Texas schools. The attempt to introduce a mandatory sex education program for kindergarten through 12th grade has become a monthly effort in the state legislature. Our governor has repeatedly stated her support for school based clinics to hand out birth control devices in the schools without parental consent. Any thinking person can see that many of the places with the highest teenage pregnancy, sexual activity and venereal disease infection rates are the same places that have the most explicit sex education courses and birth control distribution in the schools.

Where will these attempts to reshape accepted values and behavior lead? They will not only result in increased physical problems (disease, pregnancy, etc.), but will cause a further weakening of families in this country. Since the family is the basic institution of society, its weakening will inevitably lead to the destruction of our society. When values are not taught and exemplified in the home, they will not be respected or practiced in daily life. As the family goes, so goes the nation.

This analysis is not unique to this writer. The fact was stated long ago in these words: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). Whether it be that the ungodliness naturally eats away the strength of a nation until it crumbles under its own valueless weight, or whether its destruction be the result of God intervening through providential action, the result is the same. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). That is so for individuals, but it is a principle true for nations as well.

The righteous standard of God regarding sexual conduct is stated simply in the following words:

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also fore-warned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:3-8).

What is the difference between sexual morality and immorality? The Hebrew writer said, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). God provided for lawful marriage as the only place wherein a man and woman can rightfully be joined in a sexual union for mutual fulfillment and procreation (Gen. 2:20-24). Fornication is condemned as a sin against God and one’s own body in that it violates the purpose for which the sexual aspect of mankind was created (1 Cor. 6:18-20).

Efforts to use public schools and tax dollars to demolish the standard of morality declared in the Bible may alter the values of many in this country, but they will not change the will of God nor the effects of disobeying such. If we are to endure as a nation, we must stand up to the current efforts to reshape moral values and go back to the standards given by God in the Bible. As Christians, we must speak up in an effort to let government and school officials know that we oppose the efforts to introduce ungodliness at our expense. We must also warn our children against the evils being accepted today and teach them God’s standard for morality. Silence is not an option!

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 7, p. 18-19
April 7, 1994