Truth Magazine

By Joe R. Price

On August 16, 1993, Robert Wayne La Coste, evangelist with the Wonsley Drive church of Christ in Austin, TX, departed this life to be with his Lord. At the age of 44 years, Bob’s earthly tabernacle of flesh could no longer contain his spirit, and so he flew away (Psa. 90:10; Eccl. 12:7; 2 Cor. 5:1). He leaves behind his devoted wife Carolyn, and two sons, William Gary and Robert Timothy, whom he dearly loved. A memorial fund has been setup in his name, and tax-deductible contributions may be made out to the “Robert W. La Coste Memorial Fund,” and sent to Carolyn La Coste, 7300 South Ute Trail, Austin, TX 78729: or Dennis Scroggins, 8903 Jesse James Dr., Austin, TX 78748. Your contributions of financial assistance in memory of brother Bob La Coste would be most appreciated.

It was my privilege to have been associated with Bob La Coste for the past 19 years. He was my father in the faith, having taught me the gospel and baptized me into Christ during the summer of 1974. He was my fellow-laborer in the gospel of Christ, and I had the privilege on several occasions of working together with him in preaching the gospel. He was also my friend, having enriched my life with his kindness and caring in so many ways. He touched the lives of many people during his abbreviated life on this earth. All whose lives he touched are better today for having known him.

Bob La Coste died with the Christian’s hope of heaven. And, he also lived that hope. Just over one year ago, he wrote an extensive article in which he spoke about life and eternity. It reveals the faith of this good man and his interest in pleasing his Lord:

One day, all of us will lay our spiritual armour by and our race will have been run. One day we shall be reunited with the Redeemer and the redeemed of all ages. When this finally happens, eternity will not remember our infirmities and how we died. Eternity will only know how we handled life and how we lived (La Coste, “Living With Infirmity,” Guardian of Truth, July 16, 1992, p. 435).

It is appropriate for us to learn from and imitate the lives of fellow Christians. Timothy was urged to be an example to believers (I Tim. 4:12). Paul taught that we should imitate him and take note of others who walk according to the apostolic example (Phil. 3:17). The Hebrew writer tells us to remember those “that spoke unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their life, imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). It is right and useful, then, to reflect at this time upon the life of this faithful soldier of the cross who has left behind a legacy of labor and devotion to the Lord and His cause. I know that Bob would say, “Look to Jesus, not me,” and that is as it should be (Heb. 12:1-2). Nonetheless, by considering the issue of his faith, we can imitate him even as he imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).

A Christian

Bob La Coste lived in faith as a Christian. Nothing was more important to him than being right with his Lord. Consequently, he loved and obeyed the gospel plan of salvation, and then he gave himself to a life of learning from and following his Master  the essence of a disciple of Christ (Jn. 8:31-32). Being a Christian was his life’s endeavor, not an occasional diversion. From his youth he strove to exemplify godliness to those with whom he associated (1 Tim. 4:12). As a result, many people today are stronger and more committed to obeying Christ be-cause of his influence in their lives.

Bob was proud to be a Christian. To be a child of God was to him the greatest privilege that could be bestowed (1 Jn. 3:1). His Christianity was not a cloak for self-indulgence, it was a badge of honor. Consequently, the characteristics of a true disciple were a part of his life  things like diligence, faithfulness, steadfastness, courage and hope.

Bob understood the value of being a Christian. Like the man seeking goodly pearls who found and bought the “pearl of great price,” Bob willingly sacrificed all that he had in order to be a Christian. His constant exhortations to others was to press toward the goal of heaven, for he knew that God’s reward would be waiting there. Surely, we can learn to more carefully “walk by faith” as a result of the life of Bob La Coste.

Was Bob La Coste without sin? Of course not. But he set an example of devotion to family, of care for his fellow man and of humility before God and man which is worthy of imitation. On one occasion he wrote:

I would be a liar indeed if I said that I have always trusted God as I should, never felt sorry for myself and am the man one should look to as a perfect example of how to live with infirmity. Not hardly! I am a weak and sinful man who needs the mercy and grace of my God like everyone else. However, I have learned to trust him more, pray more, study more and live better all the way around because of his sufficient grace that is continually nigh (Ibid.).

Would to God that our Christian walk will mean as much to us as it did to our dear brother.

An Evangelist

Bob La Coste loved to preach the gospel. For twenty-eight years Bob devoted his life to telling the old, old story. At the age of sixteen he already knew which direction his life would take him. That is when he held his first gospel meeting. His work as an evangelist took him to many parts of this country, including Texas, Missouri, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, as well as Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He worked as the local evangelist for churches in Hereford, TX, Cooper, TX, Refugio, TX, Tompkinsville, KY, San Antonio, TX and Austin, TX.

Unquestionably, Bob loved the souls of men. His compassion for the lost and his sincerity in attempting to save the lost with the gospel are indelibly etched in my memory. These memories include being with Bob as we discussed the word of God with others. Without exception, his genuine concern for people came through. One could never question Bob’s honest caring for the spiritual well-being of others. I also remember this tenacity for the truth of the gospel. Some may have described Bob’s fervency in preaching as “harsh” or “arrogant,” but in reality, it was his zeal for Christ which compelled him to strain every fiber of his being so that others might know and obey the truth of Christ which he preached.

The divine charge of preaching which was given to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:1-5) was borne out in his life. Bob’s preaching was plain: “Preach the word” (v. 2). He believed that God’s word is plain and understandable. He knew that if people were to be saved from their sins they had to understand the gospel message. Therefore, Bob made it a point to be plain in his preaching. You did not have to wonder what Bob said after he said it. And to me, that is a great compliment to a gospel preacher. The sound he sent forth was clear and certain. He did not preach a “feel-good,” “positive mental attitude” sort of gospel, neither did he preach the opinions of men. He knew that the soul of the sinner is saved by the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, and so he plainly taught God’s plan of salvation whenever he had an opportunity to preach. Preachers of the gospel today would do well to follow his example of plainness and clarity as we preach.

Bob’s preaching was urgent: “Be urgent” (v. 2). Life, with its pain and its uncertainties had taught him the importance of never delaying to preach what needed to be preached. Even when his physical condition made it necessary for him to be on oxygen twenty-four hours a day, Bob preached the word. He took his oxygen with him into the pulpit. He took his oxygen with him as he traveled on gospel meetings. I saw him give himself breathing treatments thirty minutes before time to preach and then immediately after worship services were over  just so he would have the strength to preach. When Bob did not have the strength to stand behind the pulpit, he used a stool beside it  and continued to preach. His last gospel meeting was preached just three months before his death. Just a few months ago he wrote the following:

It is my earnest desire to return once again and preach in that part of the country (the state of Washington, jrp) the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. I’m confident I shall. With my chronic lung condition it’s a simple case of “have oxygen tank, will travel,” but rather than slowing down, I am speeding up! Time is of the essence (La Coste, “Preaching Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the State of Washington,” Guardian of Truth, June 3, 1993, p. 336).

Why such urgency? It would have been so easy for Bob to slow down or even stop preaching  and everyone would have understood. But he could not. He would not. He used every ounce of strength he had to seek to persuade men and women to obey the gospel and be saved in Christ. What an example to follow as we consider the issue of his life.

Bob’s preaching was uncompromising: “In season, out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (v. 2). His love for truth and the souls of men caused him to train himself in the use of formal debate as a means of persuasion. And, Bob had several public debates with the opponents of truth. His willingness to take a stand for the truth and to stick by it brought its share of suffering to Bob’s life, just as the apostle said it would (2 Tim. 4:5). Some would not endure the sound doctrine preached by this servant of the cross. However, Bob preached on. He preached against the innovations of the past and the compromises of the presents. He called people back to the “old paths” (Jer. 6:16). I am sure that if Bob were here today he would encourage preachers of the gospel in the strongest terms possible to never, ever compromise the precious gospel of the Lord. Bob often quoted Galatians 1:8-9 as he urged men to heed the Lord’s warning against preaching and receiving a different gospel. What better example to follow than the one he set of preaching the gospel in plainness, urgency and purity? These are the lessons I have learned from the life and work of Bob La Coste, fellow-evangelist of the gospel.

The Lord gave an increase to Bob’s labor (1 Cor. 3:6). Throughout this land there are many today who are saved because of the work of Bob La Coste. This author is grateful to be counted among that number. His willingness to share the hope of Christ with the lost has resulted in many, many others sharing in that same hope and salvation. Bob often told me that it was his hope that he would live long enough to see his sons grown and faithful Christians. His oldest son, Bill, is grown, and the night before his father’s death, Bill obeyed the gospel of Christ. Although racked with pain and nearing death, I am told that a grin from ear to ear came to Bob’s face when he learned of his sons baptism into Christ, With Bob it was certainly true that “greater joy have! none than this) to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4).

Physical Adversities

Bob lived by faith in the face of physical trials. Bob had more than his share of physical ailments in this life, Since he was a small child, when continue bouts of pneumonia limited his breathing capacity, Bob struggled to breathe (making the most of the one and a half lungs which remained after surgery removed much of one in his eighth year). Asthma and other chronic respiratory conditions were a part of life for Bob, and they also became the eventual cause of his death. A few years ago, his life was nearly extinguished in a motorcycle accident, but the Lord was merciful and he recovered. Yet, through all of these trials, I never heard Bob complain about his lot in life (a lesson all of us can learn and apply!). Instead, I often heard him speak of Philippians 4:13, one of the truths of Gods word from which he drew comfort: “I can do all things in him that strengthened nm. What an influence we could have by approaching lifes trials in a similar manner (1 Pet.1 :6-9).

The apostle Paul was one of Bobs heroes. Bob learned from Paul to trust in the grace of God and to thereby share in the strength of God in spite of his physical weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:7-10). The courage of faith with which he confronted the physical ordeals of his life has made countless others stronger in their own faith. I urge anyone who is struggling with an infirmity to read Bobs line article, “Living With infirmity” which appeared in the Guardian of Truth (July 16, 1992, pp. 432-435). It will certainly help to bolster your faith and anchor your hope in Christ Jesus.

(Write me, and I will be glad to send you a copy jrp). The faith of Bob La Coste in the face of physical trials and adversities is worthy of our imitation.

A Friend

Bob La Coste lived his faith by being a friend to others. He truly exemplified Proverbs 17:17: /&friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.” He gave himself to the principle of loving his neighbor as himself (Matt. 22:19).

His brand of friendship was not the self-serving, get- something-in-return approach many take when forming friendships. To him, being a friend meant doing whatever he could help, whenever that help was needed. It meant giving an encouraging word to one who was discouraged and praising a job well done. Oh, how we need more friends like that! My friendship with Bob reminds me of what Paul said of Timothy, For l have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state” (Phil. 2:20). Such a fricndship provides the person so blessed with companionship, security and strength (Eccl. 4:9-12). Many people counted Bob as a friend.

Bob leaves behind his wife, Carolyn, whom he loved very much. She stood beside him and supported him in all the years of his work and through all the difficulties of his physical ailments. Her loving and faithful devotion to her husband is an honor both to Bob and to her, Carolyn, may the Lord bless you with the strength you will need to sustain you in the days ahead,

Bob La Coste lived and died in hope. He is now at rest from the physical agonies he endured in this life. He has gone home to be with the Lord. We thank God for his life of faith and his work of service as we look forward to the time when we will never have to say good-bye again.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 18, p. 22-24
September 16, 1993

By Ron Halbrook

“Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard” (Prov. 13:15). Temporal hardships may continue long after the transgression has been for-given. Sin always has spiritual consequences such as separating us from God and making us slaves to Satan, but some sins also have consequences which are temporal, earthly, or physical. These unintended results may fall on many people in addition to the sinner himself. Adam’s sin not only separated him from God spiritually, but also brought the pall of physical death down upon himself, his immediate family, and all the human family until the end of time (Gen. 3:19; Heb. 9:27). God offers all men forgiveness of sins, and yet all men must die physically whether they accept or reject God’s offer. When God forgives our sins and restores us to a right spiritual relation-ship with himself, this does not remove the temporal consequences of certain sins.

For instance, the converted murderer cannot claim that since God has forgiven him, he is now exempt from the death penalty. Paul said, “If I… have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die” (Acts 25:11). Further-more, the sin of murder affects and afflicts many people beyond the immediate murder victim, and these results cannot be removed. The convicted thief who repents of his sin must still pay the penalty required by civil law as the “due reward” of his deeds (Lk. 23:40-43). Even after he repents, many people may continue to suffer from both his stealing and the penalty he must pay. When the prodigal son returned in genuine penitence to his father’s house, and was forgiven and received, he still could not recover the money wasted in such sinful conduct as gambling (Lk. 15:13).

The violation of God’s law on marriage, divorce, and remarriage may result in pains and sorrows which cannot be removed even when the sin is forgiven. The Jews who married foreign wives contrary to the law of Moses could be forgiven but faced the temporal consequence of separation from their wives (Ezra 10:11). Herod could have been forgiven for marrying his brother’s wife but he could not have kept her (Mk. 6:17-18). When a man who has been living in adultery is converted to Christ, all of his past sins are forgiven, but baptism does not sanctify his adulterous marriage and he faces the difficult temporal consequence of having to end his adulterous relationship (Matt. 19:9; Acts 26:20). The hardships which follow fall upon an ever-widening circle of children, relatives, and other loved ones.

Cain and David

Cain was not forgiven for his sin; David was forgiven; yet, both men faced temporal consequences of their sins from which there was no escape. Consider the case of Cain. God legislated the death penalty for murder after the time of Cain, but does this mean that Cain escaped the temporal consequences of his sin (Gen. 9:6)? In Cain’s case, God executed a penalty approaching death if not worse than death, a sort of living death. God said that the earth would not yield its bounty to Cain and that he would suffer the desperate life of “a fugitive and a vagabond.” “And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Gen. 4:9-15). Cain was to be driven from pillar to post, under the constant threat of death, doomed to an empty life of misery and despair! Men living under such a sentence often invite or welcome death in their reckless despair, either by conduct or by conscious decision, hoping that death will be release from their suffering. Imagine their consternation in finding at death they have stepped from one horrible world of torment to another more horrible still! “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:21).

Consider the case of David in 2 Samuel 11-12. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then was driven to cover his sin by causing Uriah’s death in a military operation. After David’s forgiveness and restoration to a right relationship with God, he remained married to Bathsheba and was not put to death. Does this mean that he escaped the temporal consequences of his sin? As to the marriage, Uriah was dead when David married Bathsheba. Therefore, the marriage of David and Bathsheba was not an adulterous union (Rom. 7:2-3). Why was David not executed for his role in Uriah’ s death? Perhaps there were difficulties in administering the law in this case because David himself was the head of the civil government and because of the difficulty of producing witnesses who could and would testify against him and be the first to act in executing the death penalty (Deut. 17:6-7; 19:5). The woman taken in adultery in John 8:1-11 similarly was not stoned because it was not possible to produce competent witnesses. Furthermore, God himself issued a special dispensation of clemency through Nathan the prophet, saying explicitly to David, “Thou shalt not die” (2 Sam. 12:9-14).

Does this mean that David “got away with murder”? No, not at all. The temporal consequences of David’s sins were terrible indeed! Because of David’s role in the death of Uriah, the child conceived in adultery died, a punishment worse than death for David. Furthermore, David’s conduct weakened his moral leadership over the nation so that he henceforth struggled to protect the throne and unite the nation. Perhaps worst of all, he lived to see the disintegration of his family through immoralities, insurrections, and deaths. These consequences were virtually a living death, a death penalty carried out over and over, giving rise to heart-rending cries recorded in the Psalms. It is a tribute to David’s faith that he accepted and endured these consequences without a single word of complaint against the justice of God.

The Moral Government of the Universe

There is much about the moral government of the universe by God which we do not understand, but we know that his administration of this government is wise, just, compassionate, for our good, and ultimately for the fulfilling of his own holy purposes. With Job we stand in awe of God’s government of the universe, and we are ashamed to think that we have ever questioned it in any way.

“Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:3-5). God is not responsible to justify all of His ways to man.

We may wonder what there is in the righteous and holy character of God that caused him to not give the murderer the right to live (Gen. 9:6; Isa. 6:3; Rom. 13:4). We may wonder why God did not give the divorced fornicator the right to many a new mate, or give the adulterer the right to continue in his adulterous marriage (Gen. 2:24; Isa. 6:3; Matt. 19:4-9). In other words, why are such temporal consequences of sin necessary to the moral government of the universe? There are sufficient reasons known to God, and he is no more obligated to satisfy our curiosity about such matters than he was to answer the probing of Job.

This much we can know about such matters. Divine law established a moral order and justice in the universe to which man ultimately must submit, either willingly or unwillingly, and all of God’s laws and ordinances sustain this moral order somehow. We can understand that God restrains evil by making it impossible for the murderer to murder again when he is executed, and God restrains evil also by providing this means of warning others against the evil. God restrains the evil of sexual immorality by every phase and particular of his law on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, and the temporal consequences of breaking that law serve as a warning to others not to break it. We can understand that God’s laws on murder and fornication are designed to protect the good, and that the temporal consequences of breaking these laws remind us that one victim is enough. God has so designed all of his laws in these matters so as to reinforce the message that he intends for these sins to stop.

The Ruler of the universe is all-wise and all-powerful, and it is he who has ordained the temporal consequences of sin. This ordinance is revealed in Scripture and reflected in life, if we only have the eyes to see it. We destroy ourselves by questioning and re-belling against any part of God’s government over life. Our transgressions bring many hardships, some of which we suffer even after our sins are forgiven. Even after we are forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God, we may face the temporal consequences of abusing alcohol and other drugs, marital infidelity and a broken home, incest, homosexuality, disrespect toward husband or wife, failing to discipline children, stealing, lying, cheating, an acid tongue, and other sins. Though the consequence is not always physical death, it may be a living death as we see the innocent suffer physically, emotionally, economically, psychologically, and in other ways because of our sins.

It is an act of faith in God to endure these consequences with-out complaining about his government of the universe. If we truly live by faith in him, such suffering will draw us closer to him, as happened in the case of David. The Psalms provide wonderful balm for these wounds which we have inflicted upon ourselves and others. If we live by true faith in God, we will tell others of his justice and mercy even as we suffer earthly consequences from our sins, and we will point to these consequences as a means of warning others not to make the mistakes we have made. Even while suffering the consequences of his sins, David expressed his trust in the mercy and grace of God, and declared that all the judgments of God are just and true.

Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest (Psa. 51:1-4).

“If we live by true faith in God, , We will tell others of his justice and mercy even as we suffer earthly consequences from our sins, and we will point to these consequences as a means of warning others not to make the mistake we have made. Even while suffering the consequences of his sins, David expressed his trust in the mercy and grace of God, and declared that all the judgments of God are just and true.”

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 18, p. 14-15
September 16, 1993

By Norman Midgette

There are those today who would like for you to think that the events recorded in Genesis 19 are fiction not fact. The record shows that these cities were cremated by God overnight with fire and brimstone because of their wickedness, including homosexuality. The sodomites and lesbians today, who want religious respectability and church membership, try to claim this story is fiction not fact. It is their claim that their lifestyle is not an abomination to God but is acceptable to him. After all, this story is buried far back in the book of Genesis and has questionable authenticity. This is what they would have you believe.

If this story if fiction, Moses did not know about it just before his death. He said God overthrew those cities with brimstone and burning in his anger and wrath (Deut. 29:23). Neither did Isaiah believe it was fiction. He referred to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah three times and speaking of the brazenness of their sin said, “they hide it not” (Isa. 3:9; see also 1:9, 10, 13:19). Jeremiah also referred to this event three times, likening the wickedness of Israel and Judah to that of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jer. 23:14; see also 40:18, 50:40). In Lamentations 4:6 he speaks of Sodom again. Ezekiel elaborated on Sodoms sin and destruction in 10 verses of Ezekiel 16 and there is no hint of him believing it is fiction not fact. He says they committed, “abomination” before God and he, “took them away” (16:50). And the prophet Amos records Jehovah as saying, “I have overthrown cities among you as when I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Amos 4:11). Then finally Old Testament testimony comes from Zephaniah who affirms, “Therefore, as I live saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation” (Zeph. 2:9)

The first three books of the New Testament record Jesus talking about Sodom and Gomorrah as fact not fiction and saying in Luke 17:29,”but in day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” Peter said, God, “turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow” (2 Pet. 2:6). And, Jude writes with this devastating conclusion: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal life” (June 7). The last biblical reference to Sodom is in Revelation 11:8.

From Genesis to Revelation God affirms this story of the homosexual character and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as fact. No religious respectability can be given this sin.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: No 19, p. 4
October 7, 1993

By Connie W. Adams

More and more we are hearing that “we need to major in the gospels and minor in the epistles.” What is that all about? What it is about is the so-called “new hermeneutic.” It places greater importance on what Jesus said and did than on what the apostles said and did. It is a part of the scheme to rid ourselves of the restraining influences of finding a direct statement, approved apostolic ex-ample or necessary inference to authorize our teaching and practice.

We have some among us who are terrorized by the ghost of tradition. Never mind that traditions are sometimes approved and other times condemned. Paul wrote, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Phil. 3:17). He also said, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15). The church at Thessalonica was charged to “withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). So, all traditions are not to be rejected.

The Source of Apostolic Teaching

Those who worry about putting too much emphasis on the epistles need to be reminded of the source of the message in the epistles. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into all truth, bringing to their remembrance what Jesus had taught them, and revealing to them truth which Jesus had not expressed while with them in person. Read John 16:7-14. Paul said, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” and then added, “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:13,16). “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (I Cor. 14:37).

Now, if the apostles were guided by the Holy Spirit, had the mind of Christ, and what they wrote were the words of Christ, how say some among us that we need to minor in the epistles?

New Testament congregations which received and obeyed apostolic instruction in the epistles were following the will of Christ. That is why Jude wrote, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 17). Those words were a pattern to shape our thinking and practice.

A “Better” Way?

Some of those who are weary of precept, approved apostolic example and necessary inference, tell us that this is not all bad but they have found a “better way,” that in addition to these means of establishing divine authority, we may add the three “P’s”  principle, purpose and perception. Older brethren will recall the time when E.R. Harper was trying to find divine authority for the Herald of Truth sponsoring church arrangement and came up with “principle eternal.” He had no precept, no approved apostolic example and no necessary inference from the word of God, so he found it in “principle eternal.” But how do we know what principle to follow except in terms of what the word of God actually says? How do we know what purpose is to be served apart from divine instruction? How do we know what perception or perspective was present except from what is said in the text?

It is being argued that the only pattern for us is what we think Jesus would do. That is a subjective approach to religion. We “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Faith rests upon solid evidence, not subjective feelings and perceptions. The truth of the matter is that Jesus taught by the use of commands and precepts. What do you make of the Great Commission if that is not so? He “left us an example that we should follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). He also drew necessary conclusions (Matt. 22:23-33) or left it so that his hearers would do so.

There seems to be a terrible dread among some (especially some younger men) that they will do something which brethren have done before and therefore will fall into some theological rut from which they will not be able to extricate themselves. So they tinker with the order of the worship until it borders on disorder. They fear that worship will not be exciting enough. But exciting to whom? To us, or to our God? They must deliver us from boredom. But who is bored? Are we bored, or is God? Certainly worship ought to be offered from the whole heart. We ought not to go through empty rituals. But God has ordained certain acts of worship and who am Ito say that he is bored when his children perform these acts in harmony with what God himself instructed us to do?

These are dangerous times. The only safe guide to see us through these times is the inerrant, eternal word of God. It is a perfect guide. Our eternal destiny is too important to entrust to the shifting sands of human opinion and subjective religion. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa. 11:3) Let’s hear what Jesus said in the gospels but let’s not minimize what he said in the epistles through Holy Spirit-guided apostles. That is also a part of the word that will judge us in the last day (Jn. 12:48-49).

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: No 19, p. 3-4
October 7, 1993