By Thomas B. Warren
1. The Christian ethic is a revealed — not a speculative
ethic.
2. The Christian ethic is a unified —not a
self-contradictory one.
3. The Christian ethic is a metaphysical one.
4. The Christian ethic is an absolute ethic.
5. The Christian ethic is an ethic which recognizes the
roles of (1) intrinsic and instrumental good (2) intrinsic
and instrumental evil.
6. The Christian ethic is a religious ethic.
7. The Christian ethic is one which involves the thoughts
of the mind (“heart”) as well as the deeds of the body.
8. The Christian ethic is one which involves the
conscience of each individual person.
9. The Christian ethic is one of self-denial and
self-sacrifice.
10. The Christian ethic is one vitally connected with the
free will of man and with the responsibility which
accompanies such freedom.
11. The Christian ethic is an ethic of social
consciousness.
12. The Christian ethic is one of striving for perfection.
13. The Christian ethic is one of grace.
14. The Christian ethic is one of helpfulness (in the
living of the Christian life) on the part of God.
15. The Christian ethic is one which involves love in both
directions (from God to man and from man to God).
16. The Christian ethic is one of continued growth
throughout life.
17. The Christian ethic is one of showing mercy and
kindness to one’s fellowman.
- Thomas B. Warren (Deceased); Adapted & Abbreviated;
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
Last week we were blessed to visit
with many dear family members and friends. One of the
friends was Garrett, age 7. We have known Garrett
since he was a baby. Ever since he started talking,
Garrett has been known for his forthright way with
words.
Garrett goes to school with a
friend named Zach. Zach has been to Bible class and
worship with Garrett, but he generally finds other
things on Sunday mornings a lot more fun. One Monday
morning Garrett and Zach were riding to school
together. Zach had gone hunting with his dad Sunday
morning while Garrett and his family gathered with the
church. Garrett informed Zach: “We’re supposed to want
to go to heaven, and we learn about going to heaven in
Bible class. I’m supposed to tell you about it. So
there—I told you!”
Why was it so important for Garrett
to tell Zach and for you and me to tell others? “I’m
Zach’s preacher,” Garrett told his parents one day.
“What do you mean?” they asked. “Zach doesn’t go to
church and have a preacher, so I’m his preacher.”
Whose preacher are you?
Risen from the dead, Jesus charged
disciples: “Go into all the world and proclaim the
gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe
will be condemned” (mark 16:15-16).
Be someone’s preacher!
- 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
(adapted)
By Tyler Boyd
The existence of so many
denominations and sects of those who claim to be
“Christian” has led to a belief that the Bible can be
interpreted differently. Is this a true statement? Can the
Bible be interpreted differently?
First we must understand that it
is a truth that the Bible must be interpreted. But what
does it mean to interpret the meaning? Does “interpret”
mean to assign the meaning, or to learn the meaning? God
has given us His word, and His word has a meaning. There
is only one meaning to God’s word. There is “one faith”
(Ephesians 4:5). Man does not have the authority to assign
his own meaning to what God has said.
It is impossible to interpret the
Bible differently. It is possible for someone to interpret
the Bible, and for someone else to “misinterpret” the
Bible. But because God’s word has one true meaning, if two
people disagree on the meaning, both cannot be correct.
For example, it is a fact that the Indianapolis Colts won
the Super Bowl in 2007. If you were to say “the
Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007,” but I
said, “the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl in 2007” we
could not both be correct. I would not be interpreting the
game differently, but rather I would be misinterpreting
the game.
John 8:32 reads “And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” From
this verse we learn two facts. The word “truth” is
singular; therefore there is only one truth. We also learn
that the truth is something we can know. From the
preceding verse we learn we can know the truth by abiding
in His word. When we encounter difficult passages, we
cannot simply assign our own meaning, but rather we study
to understand the true meaning. “Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God…rightly dividing the word of
truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
- Tyler Boyd; via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg
church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL. You may visit
their website at
http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
By Jerrie Barber
Working is a part of God’s plan for
man’s fulfillment and happiness. After creating the
world and making man of the dust, “the LORD God took the
man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it”
(Gen. 2:15). Paradise was not then nor is now a
place of constant leisure and no responsibilities.
Whether we are thinking of work by
which we provide a living for our family or a task we do
in the Lord’s service, there are some biblical principles
that will help us.
1. Find a work suited for you. Because of
background, natural ability, education, experience, and
interest, we do some things better than others. “For
as we have many members in one body, but all the members
do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one
body in Christ, and individually members of one another”
(Rom. 12:4-5).
2. Do your best. Whether we are doing “church work”
or whether we are on the job, we are working for the
Lord. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to
the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve
the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24).
3. Schedule times of rest. God set the example by
resting on the seventh day after creating the world in
six. When the apostles had completed some work and
reported to Jesus the results, Jesus said, “Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark
6:31).
4. Be training others to do your work. It is no
compliment to anyone’s effectiveness and leadership for
any work to show a decline after he or she moves, is
promoted, or retires. Paul gave the principle to
Timothy when he wrote, “And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).
5. Prepare for work in the future that will call for
growth. The challenging task of an elder is being
addressed when Paul wrote to Timothy, “If a man desires
the position of a bishop, he desires a good work” (1 Tim.
3:1).
Work is designed by the Lord to be a
blessing - not a curse. How do you plan to be
blessed in your work?
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
- Jerrie Barber; via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg
church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL. You may visit
their website at
http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
Since the dawn of the Restoration,
we have been trying to get the world to recognize us
as the people of God. We have reminded them that “We
speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the
Bible is silent.” This is a good slogan and is true to
the scriptures.
But what does the Bible say about
convincing people that we are the disciples of Christ?
Let Christ answer; “A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another; as I have loved you, that
you also love one another. By this all will know that
you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another.” (John 13:34-35). Could this not be the main
reason that we have not been able to convince the
world that we are the people of God?
Look at the situation in John 13.
Christ is standing in the shadow of the cross. The
disciples have been full of resentment toward one
another. At times they had fought and quarreled about
who would be the greatest, and were still doing so
(see Luke 22:24). Such action might be expected from
people of the world, but surely not from the Lord’s
disciples. Christ knew that the difference in
temperament and the jealousies which He had witnessed
would alienate them from one another unless some
powerful cohesive force was found to hold these in
check. This mutual love would be a badge of
discipleship and a foundation for unity. The disciples
were ready to fight for a throne but not for a towel.
The point here is clear and is of
great value for us today, also. A lack of love for one
another has caused too many in the church to fight for
positions of recognition rather than places of
service.
Another thing to note in John 13 is
that purity of faith by itself will not bring unity.
The men to whom Christ gave this example and command
would be infallible in their instructions, as they
would be guided by the Holy Spirit and would not be
subject to error in their teaching (cf. John 14:26;
16:13). Christ realized that infallible men in
teaching, if lacking in love, would not be able to
save or to convince the world that they were His
disciples.
So, another point for us to glean
today is the reminder that if such as the disciples
who were with Christ needed love for one another to
insure unity, how much more do we today need it? Let
us always endeavor to teach the truth, but also to
practice brotherly love, for only this will convince
the world that we truly are people of a loving God.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a
clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1).
- Franklin Camp (adapted by Edd Sterchi); via the
weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of Christ in
Harrisburg, IL. You may visit their website at http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
Someone once said that God answers our prayers one of four
ways:
- If the request is wrong, God says, “No.”
- If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.”
- If your maturity is at the wrong level, God says,
“Grow.”
- But if the request is right, the timing is right, and
you are right, God says, “Go!”
- via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg church of
Christ in Harrisburg, IL. You may visit their
website at http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
By Ancil Jenkins
During World War II, as allied
armies marched into Germany on their way to Berlin,
retreating German soldiers often switched road signs and
destroyed landmarks in an effort to confuse their enemy.
And, to an extent, it worked, for many a GI followed a
false marker only to end up in the wrong place. Also,
today, those giving spiritual wrong directions are
abundant. There is a need for godly people to challenge
and oppose those giving incorrect directions.
The book of Jude is one of the
more obscure epistles to many. Though only one chapter, it
contains powerful truths. Jude is a letter, written in
response to teachers, who came along within the church and
set up false markers, leading people astray by distorting
the Christian faith. The result was that many were
influenced to accept false doctrines and were led away
from God.
Jesus spoke of blind guides
leading others into spiritual destruction (Mt. 23:14;
23:24). Sometimes it is ignorant teachers who lead others
in the wrong way. Far more tragic are false teachers who
know better and still lead some along the broad way.
How are we to react to those who
give wrong spiritual directions? Jude calls for us to
“contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints”.
To earnestly contend means to
strive for, to struggle for the faith. Albert Barnes
wrote, “The reference here, of course is only to
contention by argument, by reasoning, by holding fast the
principles of religion, and maintaining them against all
opposers.” The tense of this participle in the Greek
indicates we are to take a stand and to continue firmly
against all opposition.
All members of the Lord’s church
should be able and willing to defend the truth of God.
Situations often present themselves as opportunities to
take a position consistent with God’s truth. We must
defend the teaching of the Bible, not only on doctrine but
also morality.
- Ancil Jenkins; 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
