Truth Magazine

By Anonymous

We are our brother’s keeper. Not only does the parable of the Good Samaritan tell us so in Luke 10:30, but the Bible is a reference book on caring. We are to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2,5), bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom. 15:1), and weep with them that weep (Rom. 12:15). Yet in the midst of our caring, we must be aware of ourselves and the position in which we put ourselves by having that concern.

Those of our number who are troubled, lonely, or depressed and who come to us for counsel are vulnerable. Any professional counselor is trained to respect that fact. And if there is a difference in gender involved, it is the wise care giver or friend who will be cautious.

Anyone who becomes a confidant to a person of the opposite sex must be aware of the dangers. Dangerous to be “a friend” to someone in trouble? Yes. There are too many documented cases of sexual involvement and the resultant broken marriages which grew from what started out as innocent friendships. The tone of the relationship can change from casual to intimate at the point of the sharing of a personal problem with which one of the parties is struggling.

How Vulnerable Is the Helper?

At times, we who would reach out to help a friend over estimate our strength and self-control. Not only is the perplexed friend at risk of being vulnerable, but so is the helper. The need to be needed is basic. It fulfills us. We may be overwhelmed by the appreciation shown us for our understanding and complimented by the trust our friend has in us. A bond can easily develop. There may be a sense of security in this new relationship we share.

Though we may recognize the dangers involved in an alliance for assistance, we can allow ourselves to feel obligated. Thoughts such as the following may haunt us: “He/She needs me – I wouldn’t be a good Christian if I desert him/her,” or “If I reject this person, it may be the last straw for him/her and I’d be responsible.”

The Nature of the Problem

All too often people are innocently pulled into relationships, not suspecting that the temptations can pull them under. Like a whirlpool that traps them unexpectedly, their resolve to resist temptation can be swept away before they are even aware that it is gone.

Mark (not his real name) worked in a store with an attractive married woman. She began to talk to him about her problems at home. Her husband drank too much and her life was miserable. He sympathized. She confided and he listened, giving her the understanding she was not getting at home. He told his roommate about her terrible plight. He warned him not to get too close to the situation. Mark agreed and said it would never happen. It was just not that kind of relationship. The friendship grew. The roommate warned more vehemently. By now Mark was miserable. He knew this was a relationship that was becoming dangerous. He even said he knew that it would be wrong and that he was going to stay away from her. The attempt to leave her and her problems alone lasted only days. The next development that his roommate heard about was the first time Mark spent the night with her. Devastated by his fellow Christian’s adulterous act, his roommate moved out. Mark was not inspired to leave the woman who was now his lover.

Practical Solutions

So what is the answer to what can become a problem leading to sin? The solution is probably as simple as using common sense and a dose of assertiveness.

Mark knew when the tenor of his relationship with his female friend at work was changing. All of us can feel it when temptation is there. Joseph knew when to leave his cloak in the hands of Potiphar’s wife and run away from her as fast as he could. The price he paid for the right decision was high. But he retained his honor and the Lord rewarded him. There are still sacrifices that must be made for doing that which is right.

Being worried about hurting the feelings of your friend or offending them may block your appropriate responses. Be aware that even if you are the only one who feels uncomfortable, your feelings count. You would be naive to overlook those feelings. You have spent years in Bible study trying to train your conscience. Don’t turn it off now when it strives to protect you. You can still be kind, but with that kindness you must also be assertive. Responses such as the following are completely appropriate:

“I am no longer comfortable with this. . .”

“You need more help than I can give; you need to talk to one of the elders (older church member, see a counselor)

who is more equipped to help you.”

“I have to be honest with you, I feel like I’m becoming too emotionally involved with your problems. I need to step back.”

Overcoming Over-Involvement

If your friendship with someone of the opposite sex has reached the realm of over-involvement, you need to be keenly aware of that. Many times the fact that you may have to deal with that person at work or at school or at church places the burden on you to be watchful. Innocent comments to or routine involvement with your friend may now take on different connotations than they once did. Now everything is seen through different eyes and may be distorted in importance in your friend’s mind.

Wisdom would lead you to be cautious. It would be to your advantage to consider the following:

1. Don’t be alone with your friend. This can be misconstrued by your friend as well as others. It puts you in jeopardy of being misunderstood. It leaves you open to accusation for which you have no defense because you have no witnesses.

2. Don’t allow your space to be violated. Your home is your space. Your car is your space. The area around your person (most say, a radius of two feet) is your space. If you are uncomfortable admitting someone into any of those areas, say so. It may take courage, but steel yourself and speak up. If someone comes to your home and you are not comfortable inviting them inside, either say so or step outside with them and carry on a brief conversation there. It is a public area. They will feel that and qet the idea. You are not being rude, you are simply maintaining your comfort level.

3. Don’t make that person a part of your life to any greater extent (and don’t be afraid to pull back your involvement when something inside, call it conscience if you will, tells you to do so). Again we’re talking comfort level. There will be shared activities that may not be avoided at work, school or church, but scheduling activities in which your friend is involved may be asking for too much interaction. Certain invitations need to be kindly rejected. Yes, you risk hurting that friend’s feelings. But the greater risk may be more familiarity and an increased sense of intimacy between you and the friend you are trying to distance.

4. Do stay busy with other people and other activities and say that you’re busy. Absence may be just the thing needed to cool the fires or extinguish the spark before the flames erupt. You may in this manner encourage your troubled friend to get help that is appropriate. Taking away the prop that you have provided will often force a person to stand on his or her own or to lean more heavily toward a more appropriate helper.

Don’t beat yourself up for caring. We must love one another. It is required by God. The scriptural references in a concordance under the word “love” fill the page. In each of our lives there are opportunities after opportunities for helping. There are friends in various stages of development physically, spiritually and emotionally who need our understanding. All we have to keep in mind is that we do not do anything in a vacuum. There are factors to consider in any relationship we undertake.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 560-561
September 17, 1992

By Brooks Cochran

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:12,13).

The word temptation (peirasmos) “is used of (1) trials with a beneficial purpose and effect [cf. James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6]; . . . (2) Of trial definitely designed to lead to wrong doing; . . . (3) Of ‘trying’ or challenging God, by men” (Vine, Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words, p. 622). The first definition has to do with trials which test and/or prove a person; i.e. how real, sincere, or true is his faith. The second deals with that which entices a person to do evil. In this sense, God does not tempt us (Jas. 1:13,14). It is with this meaning that we shall direct our thoughts.

1. Temptation is a universal experience. Adam was tempted in the garden of Eden and fell (Gen. 3). Christ was tempted in the wilderness and overcame (Matt. 4). Christ, because of his experience as a man, is able to help us as we meet with trials in life (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16).

2. No one is secure from temptations. Paul, in the above text, warns not to be lead into a sense of false security. When we think or assume that we are secure, we are in danger. The presumptuous individual disarms himself and becomes an easy target for the “fiery darts of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). The devil often strikes unexpectedly, often finding us unaware and unprepared (1 Pet. 5:8).

3. Temptations should not cause one to become discouraged. Again, in the above text, Paul states that God “is faithful” and will not allow us “to be tempted” beyond that which we are able to bear. He also will provide us with a way of escape. How often do we use the way provided by God?

4. Overcoming temptations requires effort. It may require resistance (Jas. 4:7,8); meditation, prayer, and watchfulness (Psa. 119:11; Matt. 26:4 1); or running away from the evil (1 Cor. 6:18; 10:14; 2 Tim. 2:22; Gen. 39:12).

In the temptations we face, there are two possibilities: (1) We yield and thus we sin (Jas. 1:14-15); (2) We resist and overcome Satan and the world (1 Jn. 5:4,5; 5:18-21). By doing the latter we gain strength and prepare ourselves for Satan’s next attack (cf. Lk. 4:13).

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, p. 557
September 17, 1992

By Larry Ray Halfey

Even though Ezekiel 33:12,13,18, says it is not true, Catholicism teaches that at death erring children of God go to Purgatory, but afterward they are admitted into heaven. But if the “righteous” who die in sin are purged and punished and then allowed into heaven, what about the “wicked” who slip up and actually do some good? Could we not say taht the wicked enter into a pre-heaven paradise because of the good they did? If the righteous are punished in Purgatory and then sent to heaven, why not reward the wicked for a little while for the few good deeds they did, and then send them on to Hell for the duration of their condemnation? If we may have one, why not the other?

1 John 2:1, 2, is a death blow to the Catholic Confession booth – “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous,” “We” included John, the apostle. Even those who sinned in John’s day were not pointed toward the apostles, nor to any other group of men. Our “advocate,” “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (is) Christ Jesus” (Heb. 3:1). There are no Catholic toll booths on the highway to heaven.

To “see” or “enter the kingdom of God” is to be saved (Jn. 3:3,5). At least, the Lord and the apostles thought so. In Matthew 19:16, the rich, young ruler asked about “eternal life. ” Jesus told him how to “enter into life, ” and how to “have treasure in heaven.” When the rich man went away, Jesus discussed how difficult it was for a rich man who trusts in his riches to “enter into the kingdom. ” When the disciples heard it, they asked, “Who then can be saved?” To be saved, to enter into life, to have eternal life, to have treasure in heaven, is to be in the kingdom.

One error that blinds many to the truth is the concept that conditions equal merit. If a blessing has terms or conditions that must be obeyed, it is considered as being earned, deserved, merited. But conditions do not equal merit! Our “daily bread,” our food, “is the gift of God” (Eccl. 3:13; Matt. 6:11). Yet, there are conditions to be met before we receive it. Eating, drinking and enjoying the benefits of “labor” are called “the gift of God” (Eccl. 3:13; cf. 2 Thess. 3: 10).

Note another example of the point above. God gave Jericho to Israel, but there were conditions attached (Josh. 6:2-5; Heb. 11:30). Israel had to be obedient in order to be blessed (Deut. 28-32; cf. Matt. 7:21-28). God said, “I have given into thine hand Jericho,” yet “they took the city” (Josh. 6:2,20). After meeting the terms, the conditions necessary to secure it, the land was not earned. Conditions do not equal merit. Years later, God said:

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them. . . . Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou has saved us from our enemies (Psa. 44:1-3,5-7).

Despite required acts of obedience, the blessings were not earned. So, too, of spiritual blessings. “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jon. 2:9); “It is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 6:23). Though one must believe, repent and be baptized in order to be saved (Heb. 11:6; Jn. 8:24; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38), these terms of pardon do not nullify grace. “Conditions equal merit” is a monstrous lie!

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, p. 553
September 17, 1992

By Harry R. Osborne

Jesus spoke in clear terms about the task of sowing the seed and its effect upon those with differing kinds of hearts. In the parable of the sower, He said this:

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred (Mk. 4:3-8).

After Jesus had spoken this parable to the disciples, they did not understand its intended meaning and application. Thus, Jesus gave the following explanation to them:

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred (Mk. 4:1420).

The parable as given and explained by Jesus presents three ingredients in the process of teaching.

First, there is the seed which is the word of God. That word always has the power to save (Rom. 1:16). That power is undimmed by time or circumstances (1 Pet. 1:22-25). Hence, the seed of God’s word is a constant in this process – as constant as the God who gave it.

Second, there is the sower who is the teacher of God’s word. The sower has the responsibility to teach that truth to “every creature” just as Christ commanded in the first century (Mk. 16:15; 1 Pet. 3:15). The sower is not responsible for the reaction to the seed, but he is responsible to sow it (1 Cor. 3:5-9). Thus, the sower should also be a constant in this process. He is not to pick and choose beforehand who will or will not receive the word of God – he is simply to preach it to all within his reach.

Third, there is the hearer. The one variable in the process as Jesus designed it is the heart of the hearer. Obedience or disobedience will be chosen by the hearer based upon the preparation and suitability of the heart.

Regarding the Sower

No doubt, we mentally know these facts about the sower. The question is this, do we believe them to the point that we act in such a way that conforms to Christ’s design? Are we the kind of sowers we should be? Are we spreading the seed of God’s word as widely as we can or are we excusing ourselves from that obligation by deciding that various people will not obey the truth before we ever tell them about it? I must be the first to confess that I have done too much of the latter and not nearly enough of the former. The trip to Lithuania taught me some valuable lessons along that line.

My mind goes to a young man named Ardvetis who served as my interpreter during several studies. When I met Ardvetis, it was our first full day in Vilnius. He was in the English department of Vilnius State University where we had gone to locate interpreters. He was a rather unkempt looking fellow who came across as a rebel of sorts. He manifested an interest in working as an interpreter so we took down his name and phone number. We then asked him if he had read the Bible and whether he was interested in studying it. He shrugged his shoulders and replied that he had not read the Bible, nor was he much interested in it since he did not believe in God.

Within two weeks, I had used him in interpreting for me in several classes. After one of them, he told me he would like to ask me a few questions. It was cold and getting dark so I thought he would probably want to stay only a few minutes. By the time we finished, we had discussed the Bible for over two and a half hours and I had to leave so that I could catch a trolley bus home before they ceased running for the night. If we had eliminated him from hearing the truth by our first meeting, it would have been a tragic mistake. Ardvetis has since come to believe in the God of the Bible and my prayer is that he will one day obey the Gospel. We had many other similar cases.

Regarding the Soil

We are also well aware of the facts regarding the differing soils for the seed, the varying hearts of men. However, we sometimes fail to get the application of the principles. For instance, we sometimes think of ourselves as failures when the one we teach does not obey the truth. We have not failed when we teach the whole counsel of God and the hearer does not obey. The failure is the hearer’s who has not properly prepared his own heart. Sometimes we are tempted to assure the favorable response of the hearer by altering the message in a way which eliminates or minimizes the factors we perceive as “negative”‘ elements. In both cases, our problem stems from a failure to see that the response to the message is not our responsibility, but the hearer’s. We must simply preach the word in its fullness, thus meeting our obligation.

The various soils were there in Lithuania. Some would come by our table on the square and wave their hands in disgust when they saw that we were offering Bible literature. Some older Catholics would react with anger when they saw that we stood opposed to Roman Catholicism.

Others were ready to hear at first, but unwilling to obey in the end. One lady named Margreta was especially memorable. She saw the need to be baptized rather quickly, but delayed and then began to make excuses to avoid action. Ultimately, she decided that she really had been baptized when she was in the water every day preparing to deliver her oldest child in a water birth. (I had never heard that one before!)

Jonas was a young man who had a heart choked by the cares and pleasures of the world. He wanted to be baptized, but he could not bring himself to give up alcohol and stealing. The young lady I baptized, Jurgeta, turned out to be of the same heart though over different concerns. After her baptism, her family and her Catholic priest turned her against the truth and back to religious error.

But the parable of Jesus did not end with those who refused. There are always those with good and honest hearts who will hear and obey the gospel. It was a true joy that changes your life to see people hungering for the truth who have never heard it before. I am convinced that there are many in Lithuania who will let the word sink into their honest hearts and will obey if they are granted time. Leslie and I were watching the video tape made by Steve Wallace while in Vilnius and I told her the story of several who seem so deeply interested in God’s word.

You Cannot Improve upon the Seed

More than anything, it was clear that packaging the truth in less “offensive” and more “positive” terms did not help, but actually hurt! When we began teaching, we tried to lay a good foundation. We showed that the Bible was the sole authority to guide us in serving God. Very few had any problem with that, at least in principle.

Yet, when we started to apply that principle to show the error of the Catholic Church, the Pentecostals, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others, many of those in the various groups did not like it at first. However, the more plain and forceful we became in opposing error, the more we had people wanting to hear what we were saying. I am more convinced than ever that people will hear and heed the word of God if we will only have the courage to preach it clearly and fully, Attempts to take away the conflict between it and the religious error around us will mask the truth from honest hearts who are seeking it.

Some brethren today do not want denominational churches to be named from the pulpit and their error exposed. But people who are honestly seeking the truth in those denominations want to hear the differences between truth and error explained so that they may obey the truth. Failure to teach the whole counsel of God masks the very truth which is able to purify their souls (1 Pet.1:22). Let us through off the cloak of timidity which dulls the sword of the Spirit and boldly proclaim the saving truth of our glorious Savior!

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 18, pp. 550-551
September 17, 1992