Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

Therefore all things whatsoever would that men should do to you, do ye even solo them: for this is the law and the prophets (Malt. 7:12).

There are many things which demonstrate the deity of Christ, such as his miracles, resurrection from the dead, and sinlessness. The superiority of his ethical code to that developed by any other person also manifests his deity. There has never been a superior code of ethics to the Sermon on the Mount. in Matthew 7:12, in what is commonly called the Golden Rule, Jesus summarizes the section between Matthew 5:20 and 7:11.

The Superiority of Jesus Rule of Conduct

The world has generally recognized these following codes of ethics:

I. The Iron Rule. This rule is “might makes right.” Sometimes it is expressed, “Do unto others before they do it unto you.” One expressed this rule when he wrote, “Have a good time and hurt as few people as possible in the course of so doing. Notice the rule: have a good time. If you have to hurt some people along the way, have a good time- Try to minimize the number you hurt, but above all things have a good time. This is the law of the jungle. Leroy Lawson wrote,

– in a little village in Africa, an anthropologist trying to learn about the people asked a native the difference between good and evil. It was all very simple, he discovered. Evil is when somebody steals my wife and cattle; good is when I steal somebody elses wife and cattle. The law of the jungle  and of most of human society. Do unto others before the~ do it unto you” (Matthew 109).

The gangs in our cities live by the iron rule. If a person has the ability to steal a car and not get caught, he should do it. If he can beat a person or kill his enemy without suffering much harm, he should attack. If he can steal an old persons purse, he should. This is the iron rule.

2. The Silver Rule. This rule is generally expressed as follows: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you-” This ethical rule was taught by several Jewish writers before Christs day (see a list of those who taught this rule in Alan Hugh MNeiles The Gospel According to St. Matthew 93). This rule is negative. It is the ethical rule of modern suburbia, “Ill leave you alone, if youll leave me alone.” Though it is a decided improvement over the iron rule, it is far below the golden rule. It would stop a person from stealing your car, but it would not cause him to help his neighbors wife change a flat tire.

3. The Go/den Rule. This rule may not be original with Jesus. Whether original with him or not, it teaches a moral code which obligates a person positively to do for others what he wishes they would do for him (the rule presupposes that a person would do for himself what is right). Let us use the rest of this study to make Some applications of this lesson:

Applications

In the home. What tone of voice do I want my mate to use in speaking to me? If I want her to have the “law of kindness” on her tongue (Prov. 31:26), then I should speak kindly to her. What would I want her to do for me if she saw me busy with a hundred chores? If I would want her to get up and help me, then I should get up and help her with her chores instead of sitting in my Lazy-boy and drinking Diet Pepsi. What role would I want her to play in the discipline of our children? If I do not want to always to come across as the “heavy,” then I should be sure to take an active part in the correction of our children so that she does not come across as the one constantly condemning and criticizing.

On the job. Sometimes I have to hire someone to repair a washing machine or refrigerator. He starts charging me $35-40 an hour from the time he leaves his office. I would be angry if he stopped at McDonalds and got a cup of coffee while he read the paper, intentionally prolonged his job for whatever reason, or in any other caused my bill to be higher than it had to be. I expect him to do his work efficiently and as quickly as he can. If this is what I expect from those who work for me, then this is the kind of work I should give to my employer.

If I do not want someone to come into my garage and steal my tools, I should not steal the tools which my employer provides. If I would desire everyone to cooperate with me, if I were the supervisor of the shop, I should cooperate with my supervisor.

In personal relationships. Sometimes a person goes around the country telling lies about his brother, maliciously slandering his name and character. If I do not want others to gossip and slander me, then I should not be guilty of doing that to them (Lev. 19:16; Prov. 18:8; 26:22). Many church problems have been created by those who did not practice the Golden Rule. If there are some things which have occurred to me that I do not wish to have broadcast to everyone, then I should not broadcast ever juicy tidbit of gossip I hear about others.

Many churches are troubled by self-willed brethren who are so bent on having their own way that they are willing to disrupt the peace and harmony of the local church to get their way. In matters of personal judgment, do I want to work with a group of self-willed men (Tit. 1:7; 2 Pet. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:4)? If not, I should learn to be as flexible as possible on matters of personal judgment.

Sometimes brethren make severe, harsh judgments on one another. They are censorious, guilty of evil surmising in the meticulous examination of every word written or spoken. If I do not want brethren to use such harsh, severe, critical judgments of my every move, then I should not do that to them.

In ministering to the needs of others. There are some fine examples of saints who have ministered to the needs of suffering saints (such as Dorcas, Acts 9:36-39). What would 1 want my brethren to do if I were so sick that I could not work for 2-3 months and had no income? If I would want them to help me financially, stop by to visit me, help me with my chores, and otherwise show concern for me, then I should react in the same way when announcements are made about those who are sick in the congregation.

What would I want brethren to do for me if I lost a child or mate in death? Would I want to be ignored and neglected? Would I want someone coming to me when I was depressed and harshly saying, “You’ve got to toughen up”? However I would want to be treated should be the measuring stick I use to gauge how 1 should treat those in the local congregation who need comfort and consolation.

In teaching others. I am thankful to God for my Mother and Father who lived a good example before us children, taught us the word of God, took us to church, worked with us through our problems, and otherwise helped us to start on the road of life in obedience to the will of God. If that is what I wanted for myself, then this is what I should pro-vide for my children.

I am thankful for the gospel preachers who drove from Lufkin and Houston, Texas to Groveton to teach us the gospel. They sacrificed their time, energies, and money to be sure that young folks like me heard the gospel. If I appreciate their efforts to teach me, I should make similar efforts to teach others.

What would I want others to do for me when I stumble into sin and error? If I wish that they could come to me in the spirit of brotherly kindness and show me my error, that should be my conduct toward them. If I desire to go to heaven so much that I would prefer the pain of being corrected over going to hell, then I should assume that they have the same intense desire to go to heaven and would prefer the rebuke of their friend rather than continuing in sin which eventually would lead to eternal death. I would no more deprive a spiritually hungry person of the bread of life than I would deprive the physically hungry person of bread.

This Is The Law and the Prophets

Jesus said that the Golden Rule summarizes the Law and the Prophets. He did not mean that practicing the Golden Rule releases one from obedience to the law of sacrifices; rather, what he said was that much of the Law, such as “Thou shalt not kill, . . . steal, . . . commit adultery, .. . bear false witness, . . . covet,” would be obeyed if one simply followed the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is a clear, concise, and simple summation of Christian ethics; it restrains our evil actions and demands positive conduct toward others. Let us learn to live by its demands on our lives.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 2
May 6, 1993

By Shane Carrington

Like most denominations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have premillennial ideas about Jesus’ second coming. Their entire belief system is tied to a literal one thousand year reign of Christ over this earth, believing it is necessary to the “endless life and happiness of the world,”‘ and that Jesus will be “the one whom Jehovah employs to reestablish Paradise here on earth.”‘ We will here explore some of their beliefs about Jesus’ second coming and the end time.

Premillennial Predictions

Jehovah’s Witnesses are more speculative than most denominations when it comes to the second coming of Christ. They believe the millennium is to “shortly happen,”‘ “within this generation,”‘ and that “a literal millennium fits in harmoniously with the proved timetable of God.”‘

Several times they have predicted this advent. They said Jesus would come again in 1874 (which they explain as a miscalculation to be blamed on The Emphatic Diaglott and the King James Version0). Later, believing God’s people who survive Armageddon “will be favored with the privilege of literally seeing the resurrected `Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets’ back here on the Paradise earth and in royal service under the Kingdom of God,’ they said, “Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection.”‘ But this event did not happen either.

The most often promoted of their predictions is 1914. They believe Revelation 6 depicts World War I (1914), which “marked the time when . . . Jesus Christ, received the heavenly crown.’ But since the church was not glorified in heaven on Oct. 1, 1914, they said, “Something must have been miscalculated.”i0 They now say that “since that time (1914 when they believe he was enthroned”) Christ has turned his attention toward earth’s affairs and is . . . educating the true Christians in preparation for their survival during the great storm of Armageddon, when all unfaithful mankind will be destroyed from the face of the earth.””

They still believe Jesus came and was installed king, but invisibly so. “Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the kingdom is a real government from heaven, that it will rule over the earth, and that Jesus Christ is its appointed invisible king”” (Isa. 9:6,7, KJ). “Although it occurred invisibly to our human eyes in the heavens, yet it was in the year 1914 . . . that . . . there were given to the `son of man’ all that `rulership and dignity and kingdom.”‘” So they believe that in 1914 Jesus received his crown and began to reign invisibly from heaven as a prelude to the millennium which will come in our generation. Premillennial Proofs Their proof for all of this?

Jesus foretold that this would take place within the generation of those who would witness an extraordinary upheaval in human affairs. Concerning his “presence,” Jesus gave a composite “sign” involving such developments as unparalleled warfare, earthquakes, famines, pestilences — yes, and the worldwide preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom (Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13; Lk. 12). Jesus’ prophecy involves events taking place right now in our 20th century. Hence, it will not be long before God’s kingdom brings grand blessings to mankind. You can be among those to en-joy the benefits of kingdom rule.”

Premillennial Proof Texts Examined

While Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 speak of “extraordinary” events and the “presence of Jesus,” they are not predicting the coming of Jesus to destroy the world and usher in the millennium, because nineteen hundred years ago Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled” (Matt. 24:34). Jesus was speaking to the people then; it would happen in their generation, not some future period like ours!

The verses they quote in these chapters are not referring to the prelude of some millennium but to the destruction of Jerusalem On 70 A.D.) during the lives of many of those Jesus addressed! In Matthew 23 Jesus condemns the Jewish leaders for their hypocrisy and closes that speech by sentencing them to destruction for persecuting and killing God’s prophets (vv. 29-35): Saying “See! Your house is left to you desolate” (v. 38); and “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come on this generation” (v. 36). In Matthew 24 the disciples show Jesus the glory of the temple (v. 1), and he declares it will be destroyed (v. 2). Then they ask him when Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed and how they will know the time (v. 3; see especially Mark’s ac-count, 13:4). Then Jesus tells them, in apocalyptic language, of calamities that will precede Jerusalem’s destruction (v. 33). He further said these events would occur during the first century (Matt. 23:36-39; 24:32-34). Jesus was speaking to first century disciples about a destructive event that would occur in their day, not nineteen hundred years later! Jehovah’s Witnesses misuse these chapters just as do most premillennialist!

The Nature of the Book of Revelation

Another text they use to “prove” their millennial misconceptions is the book of Revelation. But if all premillennialist would simply study verse one they would see that their end-time ideas of this book are erroneous. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants — things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John” (Rev. 1:1). Two points: first, whatever events this book predicts, they would “shortly take place”! How can anyone stretch that to cover nineteen hundred years? Jesus revealed something to John about what Christians were facing then! Any interpretation of Revelation that does not take this into account is wrong, including premillennialist! If premillennialist is true, it must be proven so from some source other than Revelation.

Second, the Revelation was written in highly symbolic language: “He sent and signified it… ” This, too, shows the fallacy of believing in a literal one thousand years, literal 144,000, etc. Often, in the same context, and without con-textual reason, people will interpret one thing literally and another figuratively. Jehovah’s Witnesses do this with the 144,000 saying the number is literal, but that they were not necessarily literally beheaded as per Revelation 20:4.’0 I also doubt they believe only literal virgins can become part of the 144,000 (but in Rev. 14:4 they are so described). If you are going to say Revelation is literal, at least be consistent: interpret everything in the book literally! Don’t hop from literal to figurative whenever it suits your leanings on the book! Verse one declares the book’s figurative nature, so we must have strong contextual reasons before accepting part of the book’s imagery as literal. Since Revelation is figurative, where will premillennialist get their literal one thousand years?

The King and Kingdom Have Long Existed

Besides these things, Jesus’ kingdom has been in existence since the first century (Matt. 3:1,2; 4:17; 10:7; 16:18,19; Mk. 9:1; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9) with him presiding as king (Acts 2:29-36; Eph. 1:17-23; Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 6:14,15). These events occurred long before 1874, 1914 or 1925. Jehovah’s Witnesses gave “prophecies” of events that took place long before they made their predictions!

Conclusion

Finally, Peter declares that when Jesus comes again the world will be destroyed by fire, not turned into a Paradise like Eden:

But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. . . But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2 Pet. 3:7,10-12; emp. SC).

The Witnesses say this means the earth will be cleansed by fire and prepared for Paradise on earth, but Peter’s inspired language makes their conviction impossible! No earth will exist to possess for Paradise after Jesus returns, for he will usher in the final judgment, not a millennial reign of peace over the earth (2 Pet. 3:7,11,12; 2 Thess. 1:4-10).

Footnotes

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 19, 1973.

“‘The Watchtower,” “Opening Up the Way Back to Paradise,” August 15, 1989, pp. 13,14.

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, p. 18.

‘Ibid., p. 44.

‘Ibid., p. 19.

`Ibid., pp. 206-211.

‘”The Watchtower,” “Paradise Restored Glorifies God,” August 15, 1989, p. 18.

‘Millions Now Living Will Never Die, pp. 89,90, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1920.

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, pp. 164,165. “Ibid., p. 188.

“Ibid., p. 319.

‘Make Sure of All Things, p. 319, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1953.

“”What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?”, by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 3.

“God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, p. 259.

“”The Watchtower,” March 15, 1992, “What God’s Kingdom Can Mean To You,” p. 6.

“God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, pp. 31-34. Gr

“The Witnesses say this means
the earth will be cleansed by fire and prepared for
Paradise on earth, but Peter’s inspired language makes their
conviction impossible! No earth will exist to possess for Paradise
after Jesus returns, for he will usher in the final judgment, not
a millennial reign of peace over the earth (2 Pet. 3:7,11,12;
2 Thess. 1:4-10).”

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 8, p. 12-13
April 15, 1993

By Donald P. Ames

Recently my wife made a call to her mother in Aurora, Illinois. After a ring or two, the phone was lifted off the receiver. Then she heard it hit the floor, and a few seconds later a crash followed. She was sure she also heard a groan. Knowing her mother was in very bad health, she became uneasy  especially when there was no response to her calls into the receiver. Finally, she hung up and tried again. The line was busy. Ten minutes later, it was still busy. She was by now very concerned. After several moments discussion, it was agreed to call her nephew in nearby Naperville and have him go over and see if her mom was OK. After all, he had a key to the house, and he could get in to see what had happened. Certainly her intentions were good in her concern for her mother.

David, in his sudden haste to get there, dashed out of the house so fast he left his keys behind. Now, he had no way to get back into the locked house, nor to get his car started. He had no way to get to her mom’s! As he worried about the situation, he decided to call a friend who had a set of keys to his house. Meanwhile, what about Miram’s mom? He decided if she was hurt, she could not afford delay, so he called 911. Again, his intentions of helping were good, and so was his concern.

The police, fire truck and ambulance all arrived at her mom’s house in a matter of just a few minutes, but there was no way to get in. The house was dark and locked up. A car was parked next to the drive way in a crooked fashion  it was not her folks’ car! They looked through the windows with a flashlight, and saw the telephone lying in the middle of the floor, but could not see anyone. They too were now quite concerned what was going on in the house. Having David on the phone, they asked for permission to kick the door in. (Recently we had purchased a new lock for the door, as Miriam’s mother was uneasy about the security of the house.) David granted it, worried about what might have happened. The door did not yield! They broke the glass, the lock still would not yield! They kicked hard, but the lock would not budge. Finally, they used an ax and cut the door to pieces (being an over-sized door, it has to be special made to replace, but by now all were concerned about what may have happened). The lock still would not yield! But access was ultimately gained into the house. They quickly searched the rooms to see if they could find anyone. Everyone was concerned, and all were working with good intentions of helping anyone who may be hurt, but no one was there!

It turns out Miriam’s mom and dad had gone to a gospel meeting (apparently the phone had just vibrated off the table when it rang), and they drove up about that time to see glass and wood all over, the house broken into, and all the vehicles everywhere. They were shocked and a bit scared. But, they were OK! (And she will keep that lock!)

The point of all this is that many times we may be working with nothing but the best of intentions, but that doesn’t mean we are right in our assumptions! Too many have good intentions, but have not asked God what he thinks about it (cf. Rom. 10:1-3). They too may be as shocked as those in Matthew 7:21-23. In religious matters, we cannot afford to act on “good intentions,” and assume the results will be good, even if others are equally convinced! We need, in-stead, to check into all the facts (via the Bible), and make sure we are right before we proceed. Assumptions do not make “good intentions” right regardless!

“… we cannot afford to act
on ‘good intentions,’ and assume the results
will be good, even if others are equally convinced! We
need, instead, to check into all the facts (via the Bible), and
made sure we are right before we proceed. Assumptions do
not make `good intentions’ right  regardless!” I’

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 9
May 6, 1993

By Connie W. Adams

Christians near the end of the century, especially those in Asia Minor, were undergoing severe persecution. Satan was behind it all and had found two allies to afflict God’s people. They were symbolized in Revelation 13 as a beast rising out of the sea exercising a great political power and as a beast coming off the land, symbolizing false religion. The two powers merged in emperor worship and used false wonders to deceive people. The saints did not and could not receive the mark of this beast. Under such trying circumstances they needed instruction and hope. The book of Revelation was intended to pro-vide both.

As the visions unfold, John is allowed to see the ultimate fall of these two beasts who are to be cast into the lake of fire where Satan himself would finally be cast. The persecuting power is symbolized as Babylon the great because that had been the great power which led God’s people into captivity in Old Testament times. As God brought down that Babylon, so he would bring down this Babylon which afflicted his New Covenant people.

Revelation 18 describes the fall of these evil powers and sounds a warning to the people of God of that day not to be caught up in the sins which characterized the citizens of Rome. “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye not be partakers of her sins, and that ye not receive her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). The spirit of the world has often infiltrated the lives of God’s people. That spirit is seductive. Sin and rebellion against God is made to look attractive. It sparkles and sizzles. It shimmers and shines. It promises real living and delivers death. We are warned, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 In. 2:15-17). We are commanded to “come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:17). “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshy lusts, which war against the soul” (I Pet. 2:11).

The reason God would judge that great harlot was that “her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities” (v.5). She had become arrogant and said, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow” (v.7). But God said, “she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (v.8). God judged ancient Tyre and brought it down. It was a center of commerce and of great immorality. Her sins reached unto heaven and God said, “Enough!” God judged Nineveh and brought it down. Her sins had reached unto heaven. God judged ancient Babylon which thought it was invincible. It also said there is “none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow” only to be told by God that “they shall be as stubble” (Isa. 47:7-15). Her sins had reached unto heaven. Through the prophet Daniel, Belshazzar was told “the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 5:21).

In the case of Rome, John saw in vision the kings of earth, the merchants, the shipmen  all mourning the fall of this vast giant of power and evil. Theirs was not the mourning of patriots. They saw the hope of their gain lost. Revelation 18 closed with the silence of the tomb. The bustle of commerce, the sound of music, the noise of the craftsmen, the quaint scenes of home and hearth and the light of the candle, and the excitement of the wedding feast  all of this is stilled forever.

I thought of this when I visited the Rome Forum. What once was the boulevard of an empire, which witnessed the triumphant processions of the legions of Rome as they returned with slaves and the plunder of conquest, where elaborate and ornate temples to the gods dazzled the eye, was now a sad spectacle of crumbled ruins. You see, her sins reached unto heaven and God, who was stronger, judged her. Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, came in remembrance before God.

What About Our Sins

The downward plunge of our own nation is cause for deep concern for all who have learned from the word of God that God will not tolerate evil in a nation forever. We once spoke of “trends” toward national decay. But now the evidence of such national rot are stamped across the stage of action as we watch with disbelief. Disdain for God’s marriage law is rampant. Murder, arson, rape, malfeasance of public officials, children passing through metal detectors at school to screen out knives and guns, these and more are the staples of daily news in the U.S.A. Raw language and explicit scenes are becoming common place of the evening news both locally and nationally. TV shows like Phil Donahue, Joan Rivers, Geraldo, and Sally Jesse Raphael feature every form of aberrent behavior. Any moral objection or statement based on biblical principles is held up to ridicule. What passes for entertainment in prime time television is an exercise in moral debauchery. We have a president who said in his election campaign that he would make abortion a litmus test for any appointee to the Supreme Court of this nation. His official act was to remove the “gag rule” at federally funded abortion clinics. Our nation has seen 28 million legal abortions (translate that murders) since the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision handed down by the highest court in the land. The blood of the innocents cries out for vindication. The president is trying to change the rules about homosexuals in the military. Many denominational churches are on record as endorsing homosexuality even among the “clergy.” Public schools have become public enemy number one when it comes to morals and family values. Every subject of study has been subjected to a humanistic approach which desensitizes the rising generation to sin. Moral judgments are being neutralized. Every form of perversion has become “an alternate lifestyle.” Public schools are becoming distribution centers for condoms and sex education classes have become crash courses in how to commit fornication without shame, without contracting some disease and without getting pregnant. Shall I go on?

How Long, Oh Lord?

The longsuffering of the Lord does not endure forever. He has judged Egypt, the Amorites, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Israel, Rome, the empires of Napoleon and Hitler. God has always allowed space for repentance. But the time comes when God has seen enough and has had enough. He is still the governor among the nations.

The hope of the millions of lost souls in this land is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16-17). But what if the salt loses its savor? What if the light of righteous people is under a bushel? What if preachers of the gospel wink at sin and dilute the message? What if elders seek out preachers to scratch itching ears? What if Christians prefer fables to truth? What if Christians are themselves seduced by the siren call of the sins of the age and are overcome by the temptations? We must not lose this battle, folks! We are going to have to work harder just to save our own children. We are a definite minority. Our voice sounds so strange to the ears of so many. Our children are made to feel out of step with the spirit of the age and if they are pleasing God, they are out of step.

But we are not without strength and influence. Who knows but that we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? It is a time to watch and pray. It is also a time to boldly, clearly and faithfully proclaim the good news that a Saviour came from heaven, died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and sent the gospel message into all the world that the lost might be saved. His disciples have marching orders and we must be about our Father’s business. There is no time to waste. Let’s get on with it!

Applications

In the home. What tone of voice do I want my mate to use in speaking to me? If I want her to have the “law of kindness” on her tongue (Prov. 31:26), then I should speak kindly to her. What would I want her to do for me if she saw me busy with a hundred chores? If I would want her to get up and help me, then I should get up and help her with her chores instead of sitting in my Lazy-boy and drinking Diet Pepsi. What role would I want her to play in the discipline of our children? If I do not want to always to come across as the “heavy,” then I should be sure to take an active part in the correction of our children so that she does not come across as the one constantly condemning and criticizing.

On the job. Sometimes I have to hire someone to repair a washing machine or refrigerator. He starts charging me $35-40 an hour from the time he leaves his office. I would be angry if he stopped at McDonalds and got a cup of coffee while he read the paper, intentionally prolonged his job for whatever reason, or in any other caused my bill to be higher than it had to be. I expect him to do his work efficiently and as quickly as he can. If this is what I expect from those who work for me, then this is the kind of work I should give to my employer.

If I do not want someone to come into my garage and steal my tools, I should not steal the tools which my employer provides. If I would desire everyone to cooperate with me, if I were the supervisor of the shop, I should cooperate with my supervisor.

In personal relationships. Sometimes a person goes around the country telling lies about his brother, maliciously slandering his name and character. If I do not want others to gossip and slander me, then I should not be guilty of doing that to them (Lev. 19:16; Prov. 18:8; 26:22). Many church problems have been created by those who did not practice the Golden Rule. If there are some things which have occurred to me that I do not wish to have broadcast to everyone, then I should not broadcast ever juicy tidbit of gossip I hear about others.

Many churches are troubled by self-willed brethren who are so bent on having their own way that they are willing to disrupt the peace and harmony of the local church to get their way. In matters of personal judgment, do I want to work with a group of self-willed men (Tit. 1:7; 2 Pet. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:4)? If not, I should learn to be as flexible as possible on matters of personal judgment.

Sometimes brethren make severe, harsh judgments on one another. They are censorious, guilty of evil surmising in the meticulous examination of every word written or spoken. If I do not want brethren to use such harsh, severe, critical judgments of my every move, then I should not do that to them.

In ministering to the needs of others. There are some fine examples of saints who have ministered to the needs of suffering saints (such as Dorcas, Acts 9:36-39). What would 1 want my brethren to do if I were so sick that I could not work for 2-3 months and had no income? If I would want them to help me financially, stop by to visit me, help me with my chores, and otherwise show concern for me, then I should react in the same way when announcements are made about those who are sick in the congregation.

What would I want brethren to do for me if I lost a child or mate in death? Would I want to be ignored and neglected? Would I want someone coming to me when I was depressed and harshly saying, “You’ve got to toughen up”? However I would want to be treated should be the measuring stick I use to gauge how 1 should treat those in the local congregation who need comfort and consolation.

In teaching others. I am thankful to God for my Mother and Father who lived a good example before us children, taught us the word of God, took us to church, worked with us through our problems, and otherwise helped us to start on the road of life in obedience to the will of God. If that is what I wanted for myself, then this is what I should pro-vide for my children.

I am thankful for the gospel preachers who drove from Lufkin and Houston, Texas to Groveton to teach us the gospel. They sacrificed their time, energies, and money to be sure that young folks like me heard the gospel. If I appreciate their efforts to teach me, I should make similar efforts to teach others.

What would I want others to do for me when I stumble into sin and error? If I wish that they could come to me in the spirit of brotherly kindness and show me my error, that should be my conduct toward them. If I desire to go to heaven so much that I would prefer the pain of being corrected over going to hell, then I should assume that they have the same intense desire to go to heaven and would prefer the rebuke of their friend rather than continuing in sin which eventually would lead to eternal death. I would no more deprive a spiritually hungry person of the bread of life than I would deprive the physically hungry person of bread.

This Is The Law and the Prophets

Jesus said that the Golden Rule summarizes the Law and the Prophets. He did not mean that practicing the Golden Rule releases one from obedience to the law of sacrifices; rather, what he said was that much of the Law, such as “Thou shalt not kill, . . . steal, . . . commit adultery, .. . bear false witness, . . . covet,” would be obeyed if one simply followed the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is a clear, concise, and simple summation of Christian ethics; it restrains our evil actions and demands positive conduct toward others. Let us learn to live by its demands on our lives.

“Without Are Dogs”

A few weeks ago, one of our families was having car trouble. Unable to drive their car, the Shane Hall family had no choice but to drive their pickup. The pickup is one of those which is so high off the ground that a person needs a small step ladder to get into it. This is the pickup which Shane drives when he is working around the home place. Every time he cranks the pickup, their pet dog Feller jumps in the back, whether invited or not. You guessed it! Feller came to church. We had been encouraging our members to bring their friends and neighbors to church with them, but this was not one of the “creatures” to whom the gospel was sent (Mk. 16:15). About the only Scripture I could think of which had application to these circumstances was Revelation 22:15  “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

As I was introducing my sermon that evening, I asked Shane if he had brought Feller back for evening services.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 3-4
May 6, 1993