By Tim Smith
MATTHEW 7:13-14 Our Lord said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth unto destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gait, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it" (Matthew 7:13-14). The path we take in this life is of the greatest
importance. If we make a mistake in choosing the right one, we will
suffer eternally for it "where [the] worm dieth not, and the fire is not
quenched" (Mark 9:46). What are some of the markers on the right path?
Are you on it?
THE RIGHT PATH IS MARKED BY FAITH We cannot please God without
faith: "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for
if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). There is adequate reason for us to
believe, for God has revealed the perfect New Testament to that end:
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name" (John 20:30-31). So, we must believe,
and the Bible is believable.
Belief that saves is always connected with the gospel of Jesus
Christ. After his resurrection Jesus told the apostles: "...Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). Now, they were not to go and preach
denominational doctrines or religious error of any kind, but the gospel
of Jesus Christ. This is what they were to believe. If one believes the
doctrines of men in the place of the gospel of Christ, he has not
satisfied this requirement. When Philip preached, the people believed
"...the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, and they were baptized..." (Acts 8:12). The preaching he did
moved them to become citizens in God's Kingdom, not members of man-made
churches. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God" (Romans 10:17). It is the truth that frees from sin (John 8:32),
and the word of God is the truth (John 17:17). When we preach false
doctrines to the world, they cannot believe the truth, and therefore
they cannot be saved. If you were taught denominational doctrines before
"being saved", you were not saved, as salvation is in the truth (I
Peter 1:22-23).
THE RIGHT PATH IS MARKED BY REPENTANCE When the forerunner of the
Lord came preaching, he preached repentance (Matthew 3:1-2). When Jesus
began preaching, he preached repentance (Matthew 4:17). He said,
"...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
According to Luke 17:3-4, repentance precedes forgiveness. When the
apostles preached the first sermon in the name of the risen Christ, they
preached repentance before salvation (Acts 2:38). When Peter reasoned
with the Jews in Acts 3:19 he placed repentance before forgiveness.
Simon, an erring Christian, was told to repent before he could again be
saved (Acts 8:22). Paul warned about a time of restitution at the hands
of the Lord, stating that God has commanded "...all men everywhere to
repent" (Acts 17:30-31).
To walk in religious error is sin (Matthew 15:9). Therefore, if you
walked in the doctrines and commandments of men in denominationalism
prior to "being saved", you were not saved. To fellowship those in
religious error is sin (Romans 16:17-18; II John 9-11). Therefore if you
were "saved" in a church of men, you never really were saved, for all
churches of men are in competition with the church of the Lord and shall
not stand in the end (Matthew 15:13). Repentance must come before
salvation.
THE RIGHT PATH IS MARKED BY CONFESSION Jesus said that those who
would confess him before men would be confessed by him before the Father
(Matthew 10:32-33). Some refused to confess Christ because it was
unpopular before the world, and they "loved the praise of men more than
the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). Paul said that confession is "unto
salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). The classic example of confession is to be
found in Acts 8:37 when the Eunuch said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God."
Many today confess that they "believe that God for Christ' sake
has" forgiven them, but such a confession is foreign to the Bible. Some
confess their sins, and whereas we are all sinners (Romans 3:10, 23), we
are not to merely confess this prior to salvation, but the Lord Jesus
Christ. If you made an erroneous confession prior to "being saved", you
were never saved.
THE RIGHT PATH IS MARKED BY BAPTISM Jesus was baptized to fulfill
all righteousness (Matthew 3:16-17). John the Baptist was a baptizer
(Matthew 3:6). Before his ascension to heaven Jesus instructed the
apostles to baptize the believers (Mark 16:16). Some were said to have
rejected the counsel of God by not being baptized (Luke 7:29-30). When
Peter answered the question of the heart-pricked Jews on Pentecost he
told them to be baptized (Acts 2:38). Ananias told Saul to be baptized
(Acts 22:16). The Romans were told that it was when they obeyed from the
heart the form of doctrine that they were saved (Romans 6:17-18). The
form of doctrine was baptism, being like the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3-4). Baptism is not for the purpose of
joining a church of men, but "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38);
for the "washing away" of "sins" (Acts 22:16); to be saved: "The like
figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us..." (I Peter 3:21).
If one was baptized for any reason other than this, his or her
baptism is not Bible baptism and does not stand to save the one so
baptized. The denominations of men do not baptize for this purpose,
therefore one baptized in them is still in need of Bible baptism, and is
not saved.
THE RIGHT PATH HAS ONE ADDED TO THE CHURCH There is nothing in the
Bible about "joining the church". On Pentecost those who "gladly
received the word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto
them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). "The Lord added to the
church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). One cannot join the
church, the Lord adds one to it.
THE RIGHT PATH LEADS ONE INTO THE ONE CHURCH There is only one
church which pleases God. Jesus promised to build only one (Matthew
16:18). The saved were added to only one (Acts 2:47). The church is the
body (Ephesians 1:22-23) and there is only one body (Ephesians 4:4),
therefore there is only one church. "For we have many members in one
body...we, being many, are one body in Christ..." (Romans 12:4-5). We
were called into one body (Colossians 3:15). Paul, by inspiration,
wrote: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,...For the body is
not one member, but many...But now are they many members, but one body"
(I Corinthians 12:12-14; 20). The church of Christ is singular. Jesus
warned that all other churches were to be cast into the fire (Matthew
13:15). One church is not as good as another. The Bible clearly teaches
that there is only one church, and it is our duty to find it.
ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH OF LIFE? If not, why not obey the
teachings of the Bible today? If we have written words of truth in this
article, will you not obey them? If we are wrong, will you do us the
service of pointing out the error of our way? Call the church of Christ
in your community and ask to study the Bible with them today.
- via the Belvedere Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere Church
of Christ, Belvedere, SC. Ken Chumbley preaches for this congregation,
and he may be contacted at their website:
http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org
By Bill McCormick
Prayers are often led in our
assemblies lamenting the deplorable state
of morals and spirituality in our country. The ones offering
the prayers sometimes express the hope that “somebody will
do something about it,” or that there will be a return to
biblical standards in our nation. Rarely do these prayers
specify who that somebody is, or what would motivate the
nation to return to its religious foundation.
We need to clearly understand
that there is only one valid system of morality and
spirituality, and that it is found in the New Testament. We
also need to realize that Jesus has given His church the job
of making that teaching known at home and abroad (Mt.
28:19,20; Mk. 16:15, 16). The church is the
God-ordained institution that is supposed to “do
something about it.” through the preaching of the gospel, we
are the ones whose job it is to motivate the nation to
return to its religious underpinnings.
In I John 3:18. John said,
“Little children, let us not love with word or tongue, but
in deed and truth.” It is perfectly legitimate to pray for
the spiritual welfare of the nation. But let us also pray
that the church will perform its divine mission to promote
that welfare. Let us also individually and congregationally
become more active in applying the only solution to the
problem.
- via
The Encourager,
the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ,
Calvert City, KY. Lance Cordle preaches for the
congregation. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com
By Bill Smith
I was preaching in a gospel
meeting at a rural church in southern Oklahoma, and
staying in the nice farm house of an elder of that church,
and his good wife. One morning while I was awaiting the
arrival of the local preacher so we could make some visits
in the community, I was enjoying a cup of coffee with my
hostess. I asked her if she had been reared in the Lord’s
church and she said she had not. Then she volunteered the
story of her conversion.
When she was a little girl,
probably five or so, a neighbor lady asked her mother if she
might take her to Bible school with her. Her mother didn’t
mind her going to church but she did not want to be
inconvenienced by it. So this good neighbor would keep her
Saturday night, bathe and dress her, take her to church
Sunday morning, and feed her lunch before returning her to
her home that afternoon. This continued until one or the
other moved away after several months, or maybe years.
After this she said she
joined her family in a religionless life, and later married
a man who was also disinterested in spiritual things. But
when their first child was born, her husband decided he did
not want to rear their child a heathen, and he suggested
they start going to church somewhere. He had no preference
and asked her if she did. She told him about the good
Christian neighbor who was so kind to her, and had taken her
to the church of Christ in their little community. He was
impressed by her story and they decided to visit the local
church of the Lord. They found a group of good, friendly
people who took an interest in them. They studied the Bible
and were eventually baptized into Christ. Now her husband
was an elder, and they were the backbone of that church at
which I was holding the meeting. They had several sons who
were deacons in churches elsewhere, and daughters whose
families were faithful workers for the Lord.
All this was the result of a good
Christian woman showing love and concern for the soul of a
little neighbor girl. And the woman never knew her efforts
had turned out. This story convinced me that I should never
underestimate the value of doing little things for the Lord,
and then leaving it up to the Lord to make them big. “I have
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1
Corinthians 3:6)
- via
The Encourager,
the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ,
Calvert City, KY. Lance Cordle preaches for the
congregation. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com
By Bob Clardy
I heard about a man who once
promised the Lord that he would sell one of his calves and
give the money to the church to be used in mission work. But
he disregarded this promise and never followed through.
Every time he went to church services his conscience would
remind him, ‘The calf must be sold!’ Still he did nothing
about it.
One Sunday he decided to go to an
outdoor meeting in the rural community where he lived. As he
approached, the people were singing an old familiar hymn,
“The half has never yet been told.” Since the man’s
conscience was still bothering him, he misunderstood the
words and he thought he heard, “The calf has never yet been
sold.” Running toward the group, he shouted, “Stop! Please
stop singing! I know the calf has not yet been sold, but it
will be tomorrow.”
A conscience trained in accordance
with God’s will can be of great help to us in many
situations. It has prevented many a person from lying,
cheating, stealing, etc.
It is also wonderful to have a
clear conscience. If your conscience is not clear you need
to take the necessary steps to make it so.
But you can reach the point in your
life when your conscience no longer bothers you. It can
become hardened or seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:2-
“Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron” This is a pitiable condition! Where it no
longer bothers one that he is lost and in need of salvation.
The dishonest person can get to the
point that his conscience doesn’t bother him. The cheat,
liar, adulterer, or meddler in other men’s matters can reach
the same sad state.
Be thankful for your conscience and
always keep it trained correctly. Keep it clear by being a
faithful Christian.
- Bob Clardy; via
The
Contender, the weekly bulletin published by the
Walnut Grove Church of Christ in Benton, KY. Kevin
Williams preaches for the congregation. He may be
contacted through the church's website:
http://walnutgrovechurchofchrist.org/
By David R. Ferguson
Man has had to deal with sin and its consequences since the
beginning of time. When sin first entered the world in the
Garden of Eden the initial reaction was for those who sinned
to blame others.
"And the man said, `The woman whom You gave to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.' And Jehovah God
said unto the woman, `What is this you have done?' And the
woman said, `The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.'"
(Genesis 3:12-13)
When others are confronted with the sin in their lives they,
too, wish to play the blame game, and sometimes they point
their finger at God. But James disagreed with this tactic,
for he wrote, "Let no man say when he is tempted, `I am
tempted of God'; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He
Himself tempts no man: but each man is tempted, when he is
drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when
it has conceived, bears sin: and the sin, when it is full
grown, brings forth death." (James 1:13-15)
Other issues start to come into play when we try blaming
others for our own behavior. Suddenly, we recognize the
reality of sin. Even before God approached Adam and Eve they
knew they had done wrong for they tried to hide from the
Lord. Their relationship with the Creator had already
changed due to their choice to defy the Father. They felt
shame for what they had done and what their sin had brought
to them.
God confronted Adam and Even when they sinned in the Garden,
and He will still confront us today. His word confronts and
condemns us, according to Jesus in John 12:46-49: "I am come
a light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me may
not abide in the darkness. And if any man hear My saying,
and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and
receives not My sayings, has one that judges him: the word
that I spoke, the same shall judge him in the last day. For
I spoke not from Myself; but the Father that sent Me, he has
given Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should
speak."
Paul let it be known that all are condemned and fall short
of the glory of God because of our own sin in Romans 3:23,
but in the very next two verses he tells us that those of us
who are in Christ are justified through the grace of God and
the redemption that comes through His Son: "…being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus: Whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through
faith, in His blood…." (Romans 3:24-25) And being justified
by God's grace we become joint heirs of Christ: "…that,
being justified by His grace, we might be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7)
- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Lakeland Church of Christ in
Mattoon, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's
website:
http://lakelandchurchofchrist.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
By Wayne Polk
How often have we seen people who got so involved in fighting for a
cause they lost sight of the true essence of the cause for which they
were fighting? Not too long ago a political advocacy group was standing
in behalf of what they perceived to be a free speech issue. In their
opinion their point of view was not being heard on the radio by enough
people. Their solution was to take those with the opposing point of view
off the air. When asked how silencing the opposition would further
free speech, they had no real answer—just “it’s fair.” They had become
so involved in their agenda that they had lost sight of the real issue.
Sadly, as foolish as such may sound, many a sincere Christian has made
that same mistake. In the early verses of Revelation chapter 2 we read
of a church that did that very thing. The church at Ephesus was as
dedicated to the cause of keeping the doctrine of Christ pure and to
actively doing the work of God. Such is indeed laudable, but the
problem was, they were so involved in the battle, they forgot the
objective of the war. In silencing false teachers, they had
accomplished very important objectives, but while doing so, strayed from
the primary goal.
When the Apostle Paul last met with the elders of the church at Ephesus ,
he warned them to be on guard against false teachers who would come in
during his absence (Acts 20:28-30). Indeed they gave heed to the
inspired warning and remained vigilant. Likewise when the Apostle left
Timothy, his young assistant, in Ephesus , his instructions were to
teach those who were straying not to teach any other doctrine, and
Timothy was successful in completing that assignment. However, though
that battle was won, the overall goal was missed, for Timothy was also
instructed that “…the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart
and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Tim. 1:5). The tragic
result was a warning from Jesus, “Repent, or I will remove you as My
church.”
The church at Ephesus was not at all rebellious: in fact, they were very
eager to please God, but they were not doing so. They had started off
as a loving church (Eph. 1:15), but they had become so involved in
defending the truth that their love had taken a back seat to what today
we often refer to as “faithfulness.” For certain, doctrinal purity is
important, but in the absence of love, it will be of no avail. The
truth must be tempered with love (Eph. 4:15).
When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus did not
hesitate in His reply: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then Jesus
volunteered the second most important command: “The second is like it.
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:36-40). The
Apostle John quotes our Lord as telling His disciples what would be the
thing that most clearly distinguished His followers from those who were
not: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another’ (John 13:35).
While no one would dispute that it is of vital importance that
Christians teach no other doctrine than that which was once for all
delivered to the saints, it is noteworthy to observe that Jesus did not
say that we would be known as His disciples by the doctrine that we
teach. Likewise, He also did not say that the most important thing was
to teach pure and undefiled religion. Pure and undefiled religion is
practiced as well as taught. (James 1:26-27) In the same vein, love is
not a doctrine that we teach with words only, but is reflected in the
way we care for one another and for those in need. (James 2:14-26; 1
John 3:13-23)
The message of Jesus to the Ephesian church is a lesson for us all. The
failure to love makes all else in our Christian endeavor of little or
no value, for without love, Jesus Himself will remove our lampstand.
“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed
and truth” (1 John 3:18).
- via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur Church of Christ,
Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be
contacted through the congregation's website:
http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
By Warren E. Berkley
I was a musician for several years. In junior high
school and high school I enjoyed some achievement playing a
trumpet. I played in the Fort Smith Symphony for two
seasons, then served in the Army Band for about three
years. In those days, musicians would tune with a
device called a tuning fork (the predecessor of the pitch
pipe and the new digital devices). The conductor of
the orchestra or band would strike the tuning fork with his
hand, and let a clarinet player or violin player tune to
that standard. Once the musician tuned his instrument
to the tuning fork, the rest of us would listen to that note
and tune our instruments accordingly. Today, if you
attend an orchestral performance (and you get there a little
early), you may hear the piano player striking a note like
“C,” and all the musicians listening, then tuning to that
note (up or down). In this process, do you realize the
tuning fork was the standard of authority and therefore
unity.
Can you imagine the unmusical results if the conductor said
to his musicians: “For tonight’s performance, we will not be
using a tuning fork. It will be our purpose to
illustrate the beauty of individuality and diversity.
You find your own “C” according to your own desires, or tune
to a neighbor if you like. We do not want anyone to be
stifled or limited by the authority of a single
standard. We will perform tonight without tuning to a
standard.” What do you think the performance would
sound like? What would the reviews say? But why
not take it further (this suppression of authority and
exaltation of individualism)? The conductor says,
“Each one of you can play your favorite piece; ready, 1, 2,
3...”
But you know what? The very presence of a conductor
requires submission to leadership. Fire the
conductor! Let the musicians show up whenever they
want to, play whatever instrument they want, whatever piece
they like, in tune or out of tune; and let them start and
finish whenever they desire. Let individualism prevail
and authority die. What has happened? You have
nothing left of any musical value. No authority, just
unattractive chaos that nobody would want to hear. It
would sound awful!
Yet this is exactly what we observe in modern religion
today. There is resistance to Bible authority, praise
for human plurality, unity in diversity and the growing
deception that this is what God wants!
- via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg Church of Christ
in Harrisburg, IL.
