Truth Magazine

By William C. Sexton

Here are two sides of a problem. However, one side may never be recognized as a problem – that of riches. The common response, jokingly of course, is: “I’d like to have that kind of a problem for awhile.” Yet, seriously, if one has riches, he is responsible for the proper use of them. The other side, poverty, is not desirable either. One is likely to misbehave on either side, in either case.

First, if one has riches, he is tempted to be satisfied and see no real need for God. Yet, one has the need for God’s guidance, protection, and strength to be fair, just, and caring. The Scriptures warn against such:

1. In the Old Testament. To the children of Israel, Moses exhorted, when you come into the land and have “houses full of all good things, . . . wells digged, . . . vineyards and olive trees, . . .; then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Dent. 6:10-12). The key word here is “forget.”

2. In the New Testament. 1 Timothy 6:17, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all thing to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” The key word here is “trust.”

3. The rich young man (Mk. 10:17-27; Matt. 19:16-22) seemingly wanted to serve God – However, when it came to a test of who or what came first, he chose money and went away sorrowful, “for he had great possessions.”

4. The “love of money” is the downfall of many a person. 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Secondly, if one is feeling the pain of being in poverty, he is tempted to be so dissatisfied that he fails to depend on God and truth him. All his time and effort is spent thinking about how unjustly he is treated, etc. Perhaps, he develops bitterness in his mind which eats away at him and manifests itself toward others in such a way that he harms himself and others, too.

Thus we see that neither riches nor poverty is the ideal state to be in. Responsibility is associated with each. The state of being in either, however, is not necessarily destructive. There is danger associated with each.

If one finds himself in poverty, then let them search for the reason and the key for getting out of that state with integrity, maintaining one’s relationship with God and his Son. If one finds himself with riches, instead of being puffed up, proud, uncaring, and self-sufficient, let him ask how he can use these riches to help others and benefit God’s people.

Beloved, we cannot escape the fact that we are responsible individuals, regardless of the state we are in, relative to riches and socio-economic status. We are responsible for using whatever goods that we are permitted to possess in this life.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 9, pp. 259, 280
May 3, 1990

By Lewis Willis

It would be a blessing if we were able to see the end of a thing at its beginning. This would be especially valuable regarding moral or ethical behavior. For instance, if a person could see at the time he takes his first social drink that he would end up being an alcoholic, he probably would gracefully decline the drink. If he could see himself as the alcoholic losing his job, abusing his wife and family, the break up of his home, the loss of his self-respect and his respect in the community, the loss of his health, perhaps committing a crime or killing someone in an auto accident – I say, if he could see this as the end of the seemingly innocent social drink, he would not imbibe. However, like so many other things, someone else is always the alcoholic.

The same thing could be said of numbers of other things. When a young person first experiments with drugs, he does not think for a moment he might become a drug crazed addict who commits crimes to support his addiction. The person who sees something laying around that can so easily be picked up without anyone knowing, does not consider himself becoming the common convicted and imprisoned thief. If the married man, telling suggestive little jokes to the girl in the office or on the job, could see ultimate adultery and divorce, he would refrain. As I said, if we could only see the end of a thing at its beginning, we would not make so many mistakes and get into the fixes in which we often find ourselves.

But this is not an article about moral issues as such. I intend it as an article on spiritual concerns. I have been teaching a class on Wednesday night, studying the book of Luke. We are now at that point where we have just studied the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. We see him in company with the Lord and the other apostles. Next we see him leading a mob through the darkness of Gethsemane, coming to Jesus, betraying him with a sign of deep affection – a kiss. I read this statement recently: “It is a sad little line that tells us of Judas slipping away from holy company to betray his Lord. No truer statement was every penned than the few words in John 13:30: Judas went out ‘…and it was night.’ It was night and the darkest night of Judas’ life. What was the poor man thinking of? The Lord himself called him a friend; surely Judas loved this wonderful man with whom he had companied for 31/2 years. Was it the money? Was there some sort of personal notoriety he longed for? I doubt that we can know the whole of it; only that he was motivated by the Devil. But his night did not come suddenly. There is always a certain twilight preceding such a dark hour” (Jerry Johnson, The Light [Vol. 20,

No. 2] pg. 15). Judas is the classic example of the point I seek to make. Would he have done what he did had he known the end that would befall him? Would the story have been the same if he could have envisioned his own disgrace and suicide? His fall did not happen in a moment – it happened slowly!

I preached a sermon recently in which I looked at some of the ideas and actions now found in Churches of Christ. It is hard to imagine that these things are the result of a decision several years ago to send $25 a month to some human institution doing what was considered to be such a good thing, or the decision to have an innocent little congregational dinner in the classroom section of the building. How could this possibly lead to some of the things we now see in liberal churches? It happens slowly!

Well, as Christians, most of us could hardly imagine that we might fall away completely from the Lord. We would never consider just getting up and walking out of the assembly, never to return again. However, the sad truth is that some do walk away, never to return. You see, it happens slowly. We may not really know all of the factors that entered into it. Perhaps they seem so small and imperceptible at the time. Perhaps it was the demands of our job, school activities, or, something that needed to be done around the house or on the car. It really does not matter what it was. The sad truth is, the troubles and cares of life were given priority over the things of God so many times that suddenly we realize that God has slipped from our lives. Did we intend it? No! It just happened – slowly. We missed a few Wednesday nights. Then it was all Wednesday nights. Then, a few Sunday nights – then all Sunday nights. Lo and behold, then it was a few Sunday mornings until it became all Sunday mornings. It happens slowly but we wake up one day to realize that we have fallen away from the Lord. Had we seen this end when we started this process months before, we would have stopped it immediately. Now there is not enough faith left to even care. Apostasy is the sad and tragic end to a handful of small, seemingly meaningless little carelessnesses.

One has to remember the words of Paul at all times: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Is it not the course of wisdom to pause occasionally and ask ourselves: “What is more important than God and our service to him?” If anything comes before God, the twilight of ultimate darkness has set in around us. It is time for alarm!

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 9, p. 260
May 3, 1990

By Clinton D. Hamilton

Question: The following question had been received by brother Houchen and passed along to me: What is the “Restoration Principle”? Is it still valid for men today?

Reply: One lives through a generation before he sometimes may realize it. Time passes quickly. One learns something and tends to project that same knowledge to others. Many in the body of Christ hear terms that mean little to them but to older members of the body the terms may be perfectly clear. The “restoration principle” is such a term.

Simply, the restoration principle means that the effort is made to bring back the original condition. It involves putting things back as they were in the beginning. In relation to the religion of Christ, the meaning is to teach and to practice what was revealed to be the teaching and practice of the New Testament.

Several ideas are involved: (1) the gospel is to be taught as it is recorded in the New Testament without addition or subtraction; (2) men are called upon to obey the commands of the Lord as was the case of those who did so as recorded in the New Testament; (3) working together in congregations and individually those who obey the gospel are to practice what is revealed in the New Testament; (4) whatever men may now believe or practice is to be discarded if it cannot be found revealed in the New Testament; (5) one is to be governed only by the testament or will of the Lord as that is revealed in the Scripture and, therefore, no human authority is to be accepted as the binding agent and no human arrangement is to be substituted for the Lord’s to regulate the practice.

Jesus charged the apostles to teach men to observe whatsoever he commanded them (Matt. 28:20). He sent the Holy Spirit to bring to their remembrance what he had said to them in order that there might be no error in their recall and record of what he said (Jn. 14:26). What had not yet been revealed that nevertheless needed to be revealed, the Holy Spirit was to guide them so that they would have all truth (Jn. 16:13). The Holy Spirit was not to speak from himself but was to declare what he heard from Jesus (Jn. 16:13-14; 15:27). It is the New Testament record that the Holy Spirit gave and to which we should give heed (1 Cor. 2:12; 1 Thess. 2:13). What is revealed is what the Lord wants men to know and to do. Wherein men have erred from this, it should be the aim of godly people to reject it and to restore what was in the beginning. This is what is involved in the restoration principle.

Is it valid for men today? Valid has several synonyms such as sound, cogent, convincing, and telling. In a legal sense, it refers to having force or efficacy. The central idea relates to argument which is convincing, based on solid ground and impeccable reasoning. In logic, the argument is valid if the form or structure is correct. No doubt, the meaning of valid in this question means sound. Obviously, the thrust of the question is whether men should now be committed to the restoration principle. In this last decade of the twentieth century, should men concern themselves with restoring New Testament religion?

The answer to the question is an emphatic yes! Jesus promised that he would be with the apostles to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). The idea is that his authority would be as relevant later even to the end of the age as it was when he gave commandment. Going back to the meaning of “restoration principle” as set forth in preceding remarks and in the light of the authority of Jesus, it follows conclusively that the restoration principle is as relevant today as it has ever been. The principle is clearly in complete harmony with the Lord’s instructions.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 9, p. 261
May 3, 1990

By Ronny Milliner

Introduction:

A. Text: Jn. 13:1-7.

B. Many Pentecostal churches practice footwashing as a part of their worship services.

1. Footwashing was never done as an act of worship to God in the New Testament.

2. It was done as an act of service to man (cf. 1 Tim. 5:10).

C. In spite of some twisting of this passage of Scripture, there are many important lessons regarding service which we can learn from this passage.

I. Service From Emotion (13:1).

A. Before Jesus engages in this act of service, John reminds us of the Lord’s love for his disciples (Jn. 13:1).

B. The service we offer to God must be with the proper spirit.

1. We are to do “the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6-7).

2. When it comes to “serving the Lord” we should be “fervent in spirit” (Rom. 12:11).

C. Our service to one another is to be with love (Gal. 5:13).

II. Service Toward Evildoers (13:2).

A. In this group was the one who would betray Jesus, yet he was willing to wash the feet of this traitor (Jn. 13:2).

B. We, too, must be willing to serve even our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48; Rom. 12:17-21).

III. Service in Spite of Exaltation (13:3).

A. The one washing feet:

1. Had been “given all things into his hands.”

2. “Had come from God.”

3. “Was going to God.”

B. Even though Jesus was equal with God, he humbled himself on our behalf (Phil. 2:5-8).

C. It doesn’t matter whether you are a bank president or CEO, as a Christian you are a servant.

D. Remember “God resists the proud” (Jas. 4:6).

IV. Service by Emptying (13:4-5).

A. To serve, Jesus “laid aside his garment” (Jn. 13:4-5).

B. To serve, Paul was willing to lay aside his “rights” (1 Cor. 9:19).

C. To serve, we must be willing to lay aside self (Phil. 2:3-4; Eph. 5:21; 1 Pet. 5:5-6).

V. Service to Encircle (13:6-11).

A, Peter objected to Jesus’ washing his feet.

1. But Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me” (13:8).

2. This act of service showed the togetherness of this group.

B. Our ministering or serving is to be “to one another” (1 Pet. 4:10).

C. When the disciples were divided because of some seeking preeminence over others, Jesus showed them the way to togetherness was by service (Matt. 20:20-27).

VI. Service for Example (13:12-16).

A. By this act of service, Jesus said, “I have given you an example” (Jn. 13:15).

B. His life was a life of service (Matt. 20:28).

C. By serving others we let our light shine so others may come to glorify God (Matt. 5:13-16).

VII. Service of Enrichment (13:17).

A. Jesus promised reward to those who serve others by saying, “Happy are you if you do them” (Jn. 13:17).

B. Earlier Jesus had promised reward to those who serve him when he said, “Him My Father will honor.”

C . Reward also comes when we serve other people (Acts 20:35).

D. The final and ultimate reward comes when Jesus returns (Matt. 25:34-40).

Conclusion:

A. Is your life a life of service?

B. If you are not serving God, then you to need crucify self and submit in obedience to his will (Gal. 2:20).

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 8, pp. 230-231
April 19, 1990