Truth Magazine

By Billy Ashworth

Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” had warned Israel of a coming desolation because of her sins in turning away from the living God to serve heathen idols. While the prophet warned with tears flowing from his eyes and words of love and warning flowing from a broken heart, he felt the total rejection of not only himself, but of Jehovah also. Having warned the people in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is found in the introduction to his book of Lamentations mourning over the once mighty city of Jerusalem which now was reaping the bitter fruits of her rejection of God and his prophet.

As Jeremiah sat in the rubble of that once great city and observed the sacking of the city and the ravishing of her people, he cried out in his grief: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” (Lam. 1:12). I am sure that to Jeremiah it was incredible that these people who were once the people of God could be so calloused as they went their way without feeling any pain or regret for the fall of this once mighty city. What was wrong with these people?

The reason for the captivity of God’s people by a heathen monarch is found in the first part of chapter 1. “How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people!” (Note: That is not a question; it is an exclamation.) He continues: “she that was great among the nations, and princess among provinces, how is she become tributary! . . . Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children are gone into captivity before the enemy . . . Jerusalem hath grievously sinned” (Lam. 1:1, 5, 8a). Yes, Jerusalem had forgotten God, sinning grievously, and reaping the bitter fruit of her own wickedness. Remember Paul’s solemn warning to the churches of Galatia: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7, 8). But the people of Jeremiah’s day, of Paul’s day, and the people of our day, did not/do not listen! Sinful man closes his eyes to the dangers that lie ahead because he wants to do whatever he wants to do! And he resents any faithful servant of God who dares to warn him of impending doom.

The writer of the book of Judges revealed a very important fact concerning how soon succeeding  generations turn away from the religion of their fathers and turn away from God. “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers (the generation that followed Joshua, BA) and there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers . . . and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and provoked the Lord to anger” (Judg. 2:10-12). Think of it — only two generations removed from Joshua’s time, there arose a generation that knew not the Lord!

Alas, history repeats itself. Over and over, the people of God have apostatized from him only two generations removed from faithful grandfathers and grandmothers. And, their attitudes have been as calloused as in the days of Jeremiah. I cry aloud today as Jeremiah did in his day to my brethren and fellow-Americans: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” I grieve at the sight of a generation that is only one generation removed from me; how many do not hold rigidly to the sound doctrine that is plainly set forth in God’s holy Word. The attitude of liberalism has set up in many professed Christians concerning purity of heart and life that is required of God as laid down in the New Testament. Why is this true? I hasten to add that I am not indicting all of the succeeding generations. But I am concerned about those who hold a “more liberal attitude” toward the supremely important things mentioned above.

The answer as to why it is that the “new generation” is being affected by liberalism is manifold. First, God’s people are always adversely affected by the people of the world around them. This happened to the Israelites who went after the “gods” of the heathen around them. Today, we live in one of the most affluent and worldly countries ever known. Yet we, as well as our children, live daily in grave danger of being contaminated by the world around us which has invented so many ways of seducing God’s people to the heathen “gods” of our day. The “gods” of gold, pleasure and modern technology have devastated a large portion of God’s people in our generation.

I love this great country (yes, still great) we call America. I thrill when the flag is waved and people sing the National Anthem and such songs as “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” But, will God continue to bless this great country of free people who live in a land that is becoming not so beautiful? Will we continue to be free when there has arisen a generation, some of whom do not appreciate the sacrifices of millions to give them a free country, some of whom would not fight to defend this freedom, some who would capitulate to a heathen aggressor because they have become rotten in their lives and ideals?

. . . To those fellow-Americans who think “it could not happen to us” and who take personal freedom for granted, I ask: “Is it nothing to you that daily this country is sinking into a quagmire of its own filthiness; that the horrible disease of AIDS, which is a disease usually resulting from immorality on the part of godless people who have tried to mock God, is rampant? It is nothing to you that the frantic attempts at fighting AIDS in this country are not aimed at the cause of the disease — i.e., sexual perversion — but at trying to find a cure? Is it nothing to you that the public school systems have been taken over by the Federal government and the Humanists are controlling what must be taught — organic evolution — and what must not be taught — the Genesis account of creation? The American Civil Liberties Union is an atheist front, having been formed by communists, whose goal is to eradicate the idea of God from the consciences of our children who are “the next generation.” The ACLU is the legal arm of the Humanists and together they control the Federal Judiciary which  rules that “creationism” cannot be taught in public schools while the godless concept — evolution — will be taught as true science! Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by?

While I love this great country in which we live and enjoy civil freedom, I love the kingdom of God more and value my citizenship in it far more than the earthly one. For thirty-four years I have been preaching the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23) as it is revealed in the gospel of Christ, God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16). I have engaged in the battle over human institutionalism which resulted in the apostasy of the majority of God’s people. We saved a remnant of God’s people form apostasy, but now we find these people in far too many places engaged in worldliness, bitter fightings among themselves, condemning any preacher who dares call their ungodly lives and practices in question. Many no longer want plain, powerful gospel preaching, preferring “smooth words and fair speeches” from time-serving “preachers” who love themselves more  than the souls of men.

As I look around and observe the current status of churches of Christ and the shameful actions of many individual members plus the ungodly activities of the saints collectively (church action), I feel as Jeremiah did in the long ago. I want to cry out, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” While it is good to have a “positive approach” to all matters, including spiritual things, we need to get our heads out of the clouds and come down to reality. There are many things going on that are destroying the churches’ influence for good, plus destroying the hope of heaven for many, if not all, members of those churches.

What can we do? The only answer I can think of is Paul’s instruction to Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). And to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13). And finally, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:16).

From Guardian of Truth, May 21, 1987

By Mike Willis

The title of this article comes from a very familiar story, the story of Cain and Abel. Briefly recounted, the Bible text states that two sons were born to Adam and Eve, Cain who tilled the ground and Abel who shepherded sheep. In the process of time, both of them brought their sacrifices to God. Abel’s was accepted and Cain’s was rejected. Cain’s reaction was sinful. Instead of changing his sacrifice so that God would accept it, Cain burned in envy and anger at his brother. God approached Cain, trying to warn him of the danger that his sinful anger created for him. He said, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” (Gen. 4:7). But Cain allowed sin to conquer him. Cain met his brother in the field and slew him.

God again tried to redeem sinful Cain. When God asked Cain where his brother was, he lied saying, “I know not.” Then he said to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). There may be a play on words in Cain’s reply. “Am I the keeper of Abel (who is the keeper of sheep)?” grasps the idea. Cain’s implication is that he is not his brother’s keeper.

We Are Not Our Brother’s Keeper

There is a sense in which one is not his brother’s keeper. Paul said, “For every man shall bear his own burden” (Gal. 6:5). That may be understood in the sense of each person bearing responsibility for his own sin (see Rom. 14:10-12), but it is also a true statement from an earthly point of view. God has given each individual the responsibility to provide for his own. Paul wrote, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8). He even added, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). God has not given one man the responsibility to take care of another able bodied man.

Furthermore, there are certain spiritual responsibilities that every man must take care of for himself. One cannot be baptized for another, have faith for another, pray in place of the other, etc. Every man is responsible to God for his own spiritual development. This is implied in those passages that exhort every man to grow spiritually (Heb. 5:11-14; Eph.  4:15-16). However, there is another sense in which one is his brother’s keeper.

We Are Our Brother’s Keeper

1. The watchman is responsible to warn his brother. The Lord spoke to the prophet Ezekiel saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezek. 3:17-19).

This is the sense in which Paul wrote, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27). To the degree that one has the ability to warn his brethren of spiritual dangers to his soul, he is his brother’s keeper.

2. One is responsible to restore his brother. Paul wrote, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:1-2). James added, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20).

In this respect, one is his brother’s keeper. Christians are to watch out for each other.

3. One is responsible for the physical needs of one who needs our help. The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this point. 
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise (Luke 10:25-37).

Were the Levite and priest right? If one is not his brother’s keeper, what was wrong with their conduct? They did not strip the man of his garments, wound him, and leave him half dead. They passed by without doing him harm. However, they were responsible to help him. Why? Because one should love his neighbor as he loves himself!

The same truth is taught in the Parable of the Separation of the Sheep and Goats (Matt. 25:31-46). Those who received the invitation to heaven gave drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, etc. One is his brother’s keeper.

Conclusion

No doubt there are other ways in which one is his brother’s keeper. However, these should remind us of our obligations one toward another, lest a spirit like that of Cain arise among us.

6567 Kings Ct., Avon, Indiana 46123 mikewillis1@compuserve.com

By Bobby Graham

A few days ago in Canada the following saying appeared on a church sign: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” It is difficult to know always how far people intend for such sayings to be taken. If the saying was meant to convey the idea of flexibility in personal relationships, the saying is well taken. On the other hand, if it included the current idea of being open to new truth, then the religious humanism demonstrated in the saying must be rejected. According to Bible teaching, there is a time when tolerance is no virtue. Fairness   demands that we admit that we do not know which of these ideas was intended; however, the two possibilities open the door for profitable study of the Scriptures.

Some Flexibility Commendable

It is a poor attitude that inflexibly refuses to look not only upon one’s own things, but also on the things of others. Such is the mind of Christ described in Philippians 2:3-11. Prejudice is that enemy of the soul which decides before hearing the situation or the facts and apart from a weighing of the matter on the scales of God’s Word. The Bereans were commended by the Lord for their willingness to hear what was taught them and to search the Scriptures to ascertain its acceptability (Acts 17:11).

James said that the wisdom coming down from the Lord is marked by a willingness to yield (Jas. 3:17), but the Gentiles were said to be guilty of being implacable (unmerciful, unwilling to be agreeable) in Romans 1:31. The reason for such unconcern for others and the associated refusal to consider them is self-centeredness. Jesus said we are to love neighbor as self (Matt. 22:33). Surely we can see that we must remain flexible in relation to others and in relation to God’s will for us, so that we might practice what he desires.

Some Flexibility Not Good

The attitude that recognizes no certainties, no absolute truth, no finality in what the Lord has revealed is one of unbelief, for the Lord has assured  us of these matters. One who wishes to remain aloof from the idea of absolute truth, maintaining a tentative approach to all things, does so because of the shaky ground that he occupies. On the other hand, the firmness desired by God is the result of the firm foundation erected by God in his sure Word. For one to be flexible in relation to the Bible is to manifest uncertainty about God’s credibility. Three reasons explain why this kind of flexibility is not desirable.

1. God’s Word is not subject to change. Because God has indicated the finality of Scriptures in passages like 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Jude 3, Matthew 28:19-20, we have no basis for expecting any additional word from the Lord. No latter-day revelations, dreams, visions, or gentle nudges are in store for anyone. 

2. Truth is narrow and unyielding. Its nature demands this be said. Truth in any field, mathematical, geographical, or religious, does not change because of whim, official decree, or changing conditions. What Peter declared regarding the exalted position of Jesus the Son of God is yet true. Paul’s affirmation of the one body (church) is still true. Nor has it stopped being true that obedience is the path to God’s favor (Matt. 7:21-23). Regardless of man’s changed view of these matters, God-given truth does not change.

3. The pure gospel of Christ suffers no other gospel (Gal. 1:6-8). Efforts to please men are responsible for all changes imposed by men. Not only is God not pleased by such attempts, but he declares his anathema (consignment to destruction) upon those doing so.

4. The Divine pattern is irreplaceable. Under whatever arrangement God has instituted in his dealing with human beings, he has always made it clear that his way is the only way. It is the role of God to show man the way, and it is the role of man to walk in that way. Passages earlier noted suffice for this point.

Flexibility is good in yielding to put others ahead of self and to practice God’s will, but it is evil when it leads us to abandon the certainty of biblical teaching and to look for something else. Are we flexible in those ways that we should be? Do we remain steadfast in belief and practice of the truth of the Lord? May we remember that the highly honored “god” of tolerance must also bow before the great God of the universe.
                                     
24978 Bubba Tr., Athens, Alabama 35613

By Lewis Willis

I saw an article in the March 2000 religious journal The Christian Chronicle which prompted me to write this article. Let me begin by telling you about that Christian Chronicle article, and I shall then make the application I want to make based on it.

Miss USA was recently crowned! The girl who won the beauty contest is Lynnette Cole, of Columbia, Tennessee. The Christian Chronicle was so impressed with this news that they wrote about it on page 1 of their March issue. Readers are informed that Lynne, as she is known at home, is now qualified to enter the Miss Universe Pageant.

What’s so unusual about this? Why would I think to write an article based on this information? Well, Lynne is a member of the West Seventh Street Church of Christ in Columbia, Tennessee! Her preacher, Ted Burleson, says of her, “Lynne is as genuine as she can be. She is the real thing.” 

A Disclaimer

I want you to know that I did not watch the pageant! I do understand, however, that a part of the contest is the “swimsuit competition.” Now, you know why this article is being written, don’t you? What in the world is a young Christian girl doing participating in a contest that is designed to see which contestant is the most beautiful in a skimpy bathing suit? Has she never heard of “modesty”?

Still more mysterious to me is her preacher, brother Burleson. Has he never read the New Testament? If so, how did he miss the passages that prohibit such exhibitions of sexuality as is practiced in ungodly beauty contests?

Consider what the Scriptures teach on modesty. 

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works (1 Tim. 2:9-10).

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed (Tit. 2:3-4).

Now, what do those expressions mean? Let’s just list and define them:

• Modest apparel: “orderly, well-arranged, decent” (Vine 79). 
• Shamefacedness: “a sense of shame, modesty, is used regarding the demeanor of women in the church ” (Ibid.)
• Sobriety: “. . . sound judgment . . . it is that habitual inner self-government, with its constant rein on all the passions and desires . . .” (Ibid. 45).
• Discreet: “. . . of sound mind, self-controlled . . . is translated sober-minded” (Ibid. 317).
• Chaste: “. . . signifies (a) pure from every fault, immaculate . . . (b) pure from carnality, modest . . . holy, pure” (Ibid. 183).

There is no way for a Christian to be decently dressed, manifesting a sense of shame, using sound judgment regarding the subject of sinful passions and desires, while parading herself or himself in skimpy attire to win a beauty prize. The same can be said of wearing such immodest apparel while working on the lawn, shopping, or on vacation. I have even seen women wearing shorts in the worship! 

There is a desperate need to rediscover the sense of shame associated with decisions having to do with the way we dress ourselves, or allow our children to dress. We are approaching that time of year when most people (including many Christians) seem to think they are at liberty before God to undress themselves in public. One’s senses are shocked to see what many members of the church think “modest apparel” means. It seems to mean to many folks just do whatever worldly minded people do. Paul said, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” (Rom. 12:2). Do you suppose, Mom and Dad, that “be not conformed to this world” might have anything to do with the way you dress, or with the way you let your children dress? If not, how about telling me what it does refer to.

491 E. Woodsdale, Akron, Ohio 44301