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The Conversion of Saul
by Donnie V. Rader
The Bible says more about this case of conversion than any of the others. The story is not told in just one text, but it is found in Acts 9:1-22, Acts 22:1-16 and Acts 26:4-18. Let's consider Saul's former way of life, the appearance on the road, the messenger and the message that was sent to Saul.
Saul's Former Way of Life
All three texts tell something about how Saul lived before his conversion.
1. He was a Hebrew a Pharisee (Acts 22:3; 26:5; Phil. 3:5). Before Agrippa he testified, "according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee" (Acts 26:5). He later referred to himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews.
Saul was a very religious man. But, he was wrong in his religion. Even though he was living a strict religious life and was a descendant of Abraham he was not a child of God.
The Suffering of Jesus Prior to His Death
by Irvin Himmel
In the stillness and ebony of night, following the keeping of the Passover with His disciples and a period of lengthy discussions, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At a place called Gethsemane, He told the tired and weary apostles, "Sit ye here, while I go yonder and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with Him to go a little farther into the garden. He "began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy" (Mk. 14:33). His soul was "exceeding sorrowful" (Matt. 26:28). He went forward a short distance and fell on His face in prayer.
In Gethsemane
The prayer of our Lord in Gethsemane reflected His human feelings as He faced the reality of death. "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Human nature shrinks "from the dissolution of the bond that binds to soul" (Edersheim). Jesus had taken upon Him the nature of man. He was nearing the time when He must bear the iniquity of us all. The prospect of death brought the deepest kind of agony to His soul. The physically exhausted disciples had now fallen asleep. "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Lk. 22:44).
I confess that my mind cannot fully fathom the horror and agonizing grief which our Master suffered in Gethsemane. It was a foretaste of Calvary. He who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, and was found in fashion as a man, "offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying tears unto him that was able to save him from death" (Heb. 5:7).
Night, with ebon pinion, Brooded o'er the vale; All around was silent, Save the night-wind's wail, When Christ, the Man of Sorrows, In tears and sweat and blood, Prostrate in the garden, Raise His voice to God. - L.H. Jameson
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The Dark Path of Bitterness
by Larry Rouse
How is it possible for Satan to defeat and capture a child of God who has previously escaped his grasp? In conversion Satan is exposed for the deceiver that he is. Jesus described him as having “no truth in him” and as being a “liar and the father of it (John 8:44).” While it is inconceivable for a Christian to ever imagine himself as willingly placing his life under the control of the “evil one,” Satan in fact has a strong track record of accomplishing this very thing. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).”
Satan’s goal is to cut off the word of God from your heart and then drive you by your emotions. The Bible frames this struggle in this way: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)” Over the years I have witnessed many of my brethren destroyed in this manner, and the vast majority were overcome with bitterness and anger.
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Love It or Leave It
by Ed Harrell
It is difficult to keep one's thinking truly undenominational. Proud, carnal attitudes constantly make their way into spiritual affairs. The sources of jealousy and strife today are the same carnal attitudes that plagued the Corinthian church. (1 Cor. 3:1-5)
I think few people have complained more about the mental and spiritual shortcomings of modern churches of Christ that I have. I intend to continue to do just that. We must guard against party factions, against denominational conceptualizations, against becoming simply another sect. The concept of undenominational Christianity must be treasured by us and taught to the world. But ....
But I am troubled. Sometimes I am troubled when I hear others criticize (or admonish) because I wonder if our motives are the same and I wonder if our solutions are the same. I reprove my brethren because I love them, not because I find them unattractive. I am concerned about the inadequacies in churches of Christ because I consider them to be precisely that — churches of Christ, the hope of the world.
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From Where I Stand
by Irven Lee
My high school class celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in May of this year. As I look back down the hill it seems that that diploma was given to me only a little while ago. I lacked a few weeks being sixteen, and I weighed about sixty-five pounds less than my present weight of one hundred eighty. Money and jobs were not in abundant supply since the indescribable depression had settled down on every community in the land. I cannot now remember where I laid some object that I had in my hands a few minutes ago, but many of the events of those school days at the Murray High School are easy to see as I look back over my shoulder.
When I marched by to be given that diploma I had a future and now I have a past. It would have been impossible to describe my future on that big day fifty years ago. I now know what my future was in 1930 because it has become my past by this time. Nashville, Tennessee, Valdosta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee were to be called home at intervals along the way, but most of my years were to be spent in northwest Alabama. You young people who are finishing high school this year might also be surprised if you could see your future.
When the forty-eight seniors at Murray came to the big day, we made plans for a commencement service. We had finished something, and we were about to commence something else, but we did not know what we were commencing. We were pushed out into a world that knew poverty and hard work. What we would do or become was determined more than we knew by our parents, teachers, intimate friends, preachers, and habits of those days. Who knows how much the providence of God may have helped us? I wish I had known how great my debt of gratitude was in 1930 and had been more thoughtful and skilled in expressing it. I think I just took things for granted.
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Membership in a Local Church
by Robert F. Turner
You became a member of the church that belongs to Christ when you were baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). The Lord added you to the number of His followers, metaphorically assembled, when you became obedient to the faith (Acts 2:36-41, 47). As a member of the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23) you accepted certain obligations: to submit to His leadership revealed in His word; and to give yourself freely to the service of your Lord (Rom. 6:17-18; 1 Pet. 3:15). This is your status whether you become a member of a local church or not. But the Scriptures clearly teach you to work and worship with other brethren (Heb. 10:25). Their presence and accessibility, present both privilege and obligation to all who would be faithful to Christ.
Saints who have agreed to function as a team, under overseers and through servants, become a "church" in the local organized sense (Phil. 1:1; 4:15). This "church" is made up of members of the universal body of Christ, yet has some distinctive roles - is not to be confused with the whole body of Christ, nor with individual members thereof. Believers are to care for their widows, "and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed" (1 Tim. 5:16). A distinction is made between a plurality of saints engaged in a spiritual work, and "the church" (Matt. 18:17). Elders are to shepherd the flock "which is among you" - they have local church obligations (1 Pet. 5:1-3; Tit. 1:5; Acts 14:23). Letters to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2:3) show clearly the distinctive nature of local churches. In becoming a member of a local church you accept obligations there also. You should not enter into local church membership without understanding the obligations and responsibilities that go with that relationship.
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Let's Not be Narrow
by Roy E. Cogdill
One of the most dreadful things many people can imagine is that they will be accused of "narrow mindedness" in religion. That literally scares them to death; the very thought that they might be considered narrow drives them completely away from the truth. Yet it should not. Truth is narrow. There is nothing liberal or generous about truth; it all narrows down to just one fact. The proper answer to the mathematical summation of two plus two is four. There just isn't any other answer on earth that is right save that one. Out of all the infinite number of answers that might be given, only one is right. Every other is necessarily false. The answer is not "five"; neither is it "three." Two plus two gives "four" — no more and no less.
At what temperature does water freeze? If we use the Fahrenheit scale, it begins to freeze at 32 degrees at sea level. Of all the answers that might be given to this question, one is right; every other is wrong, just as wrong as wrong can be. What direction is Dallas, Texas, from Lufkin? If you wanted to be exact, you could take a compass and determine exactly and precisely how many degrees west of north the one city is from the other. There is only one correct answer to that question.
Suppose somebody wants to argue the question as to the temperature at which water freezes, or wants to dispute the geographical relationship between Dallas and Lufkin? Is it "narrow mindedness" to insist that there is only one right answer to each of these questions? If someone should prefer to believe that water will freeze at 34 degrees, or 36, or even 33, and should accuse me of being "narrow minded" because I insist on 32 degrees, would not everybody know that truth has no alternative save to be "narrow"? It seems like many people go almost stone blind, and lose all the good judgment they ever had, when it comes to the subject of religious truth. They will accept principles in religion which they would laugh to scorn in any other area of life.
The very same man who has no difficulty at all in understanding why there can be only one right answer in scientific, or mathematical, or geographical problems, glibly assures everybody that there can be a hundred right answers to religious questions — and those answers can contradict one another in the most open and obvious fashion possible. He says, "You answer the question your way; I'll answer it mine, and we'll be brethren, and everything will be all right for both of us."
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Calvinism
by Edward O. Bragwell, Jr.
When we talk about Calvinism, we are talking about a theological system formulated by John Calvin. John Calvin (1509-1564) was a key figure in the Reformation. While his followers developed into what we now know as the Presbyterian church, very few Christian denominations have not been influenced by his teachings. Calvin's teachings were by no means completely original. He borrowed much from Augustine, Martin Luther, and others. But he was able to put the teachings of all those before him into a concise theological system. While Calvin's teachings entailed much, they can be summarized into five tenants (often called "Calvin's TULIP"): (1) Total Depravity; (2) Unconditional Election; (3) Limited Atonement; (4) Irresistible Grace; and (5) Perseverance of the Saints. We want to look at each of these closer:
Total Depravity
Calvin taught that we all have inherited sin from Adam and are therefore sinful in nature from birth so that we are completely inclined to do evil. One cannot do good even if he wants to because of his depraved nature which he inherited from Adam. This doctrine, however, raises several questions:
(1) If man is totally depraved, how is it possible for him to get worse? To be totally depraved does not leave man any room to get any worse. Yet the Bible says that it is possible for some men to "grow worse and worse." (2 Tim. 3:13).
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Maturity
by Irvin Himmel
All of us are babes when born into God’s family, but maturity should be our aim. A mature person is fully developed, grown up, seasoned, experienced; he has attained spiritual adulthood or wholeness.
The word “perfect” sometimes is used in the Bible in the sense of mature or complete, rather than meaning flawless (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28; 4:12; Heb. 6:1; Jas. 1:4).
The following are some indications of maturity:
Childish Things Are Put Away
Paul once remarked, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11). His illustration of a point about the duration of spiritual gifts may be applied to our subject.
Childish speech is put away. A child’s speech may be broken, incoherent, and confused. Clear speech requires clear thinking (1 Cor. 14:20). Childish attitudes and reactions are discarded. Grown men and women who whimper and whine to get attention are childish. Reacting to a problem like a spoiled brat is a childish thing. Arguing as if to get in the last word is a childish thing. All such actions are put away by the mature.
Ability to Take Solid Food
Some Christians who ought to be teachers still need first principles; they need milk, not solid food. “For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:12-14). Many church members prefer spiritual pablum to divine T-bones! Growth comes through use or practice.
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Courageous Faith
by Paul Earnhart
For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God…" (2 Timothy 1:7-8)
The Prussian king Frederick the Great was widely known as an agnostic. In striking contrast, one of his most trusted officers, General Von Zealand, was a deeply convicted believer. It is reported that during a very festive gathering of his general staff, the king created uproarious laughter with his crude jokes about the Son of God. Finally, after enduring this with much patience, Von Zealand arose quietly and addressed the king: "Sire, you know that I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into the presence of one greater than you, the mighty God who saved me from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming. I salute you, sire, as an old man who loves his Saviour, on the edge of eternity."
The room went deathly still, and with a trembling voice the king replied, "General Von Zealand - I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!" and with that the party quietly ended.
It took courage for an old Prussian general to stand alone before his king and amidst his scoffing fellow officers and announce boldly and without shame his own deep faith in that God and His Son whom they were blaspheming, but that is just the kind of faith which being a follower of Christ requires. We cannot serve Him and be ashamed of Him, no matter what the odds or the dangers.
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How to Fire Your Preacher
by Forrest D. Moyer
As Christians we never reach the point where we are completely satisfied with the accomplishments of the past. However, when the whole congregation is working together as it should, we can feel that we are making much progress. Many times a congregation realizes that it is not accomplishing nearly so much as it is capable of doing. Eight times out of ten the preacher is blamed for the lack of progress. (And sometimes it is his fault). Elders and members often think that the best thing to do in such a case is to "fire" the preacher. I will agree with them that such should be done. "How should it be done?" It is the purpose of this article to point out how to "fire" your preacher. But when I use the term "fire," I do not mean "to get rid of." Many times the need is to "fire" the preacher INSTEAD of getting rid of him.
"Fire" him with new zeal and determination to do more for the cause of Christ. Engender within him the desire to work harder and more profitably in the saving of souls. How can this be done?
The first thing I suggest is this: "Sit in the preacher's place." Look at the work from the preacher's point of view. Try to realize the great and solemn charge that is given him. "Preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2). Remember that if he should fail to warn the wicked of his way, his blood would be required, Ezek. 3:18. Or should he fail to warn a righteous man who turns to iniquity, it would also be required, Ezek. 3:20. By understanding these principles, you can see why it is necessary that a preacher teach on certain things. Too many times all of us (preachers included) look at things only from our own point of view. Each of us needs to sit in the other fellow's place and see things as he sees them. In the words of Ezekiel, "I sat where they sat." By applying this principle in the work of the church, we can understand and appreciate one anther's place and work in life. So, look at the Lord's work from the preacher's viewpoint. It will help you to "fire" him.(click here for the entire article...)
Is It Nothing to You?
by Bill Lambert
“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.” (Lamentations 1:12)
Many have referred to Jeremiah as the “weeping” prophet because of his plaintive pleading with the people of God to forsake their ungodliness and return to Jehovah. God sent him to his people to deliver unto them God's warnings, God's impending judgments, and God's appeal to them to return to the ways of righteousness. In the passage above, the words are used as if the people as a whole were speaking from their desolation. These words do not indicate any intention to change, but simply a bewailing of their condition.
God Was Not at Fault
Their wounds were self-inflicted. Their sorrow was a result of their own ungodliness. The real problem at this point was that they really did not see their true condition, and much less did they acknowledge any misbehavior. They were much like those so often depicted as drunks or addicts who do not think they have a problem. As these often shrug off any warnings or pleas from those who care about them, so did Israel reject the attempts of the Lord, through the prophets, to call them away from their sin. Insensible to their condition, they regarded the true prophets as nuisances, mere pests, who just wanted to cause trouble. In their self-delusion, they perceived the work of the prophets as that of catering to their whims. Feeding their self-deception, they steeped themselves in pretense. Moreover, they required of the prophets that they not speak of God's displeasure, but speak smooth things, prophesy deceits, so they could drift along on their placid sea without guilt. (Isaiah 30:9-11) If a prophet should refuse to cooperate, he met stiff resistance, and put his life in jeopardy. Jesus accused the Jews of his day of having the same attitude that their ancestors had. Their fathers killed the prophets and stoned those who brought the word of God to them. (Matthew 23:29-37)
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Glorifying God
by David V. Hurst
Have you ever been involved in a discussion as to whether parents have the ability to motivate their children to obey God or not? I have and I know there are brethren who teach that we cannot really do that. Basically, they teach that all we can do is put the truth before our little ones and it will be each child who determines his own destiny. This is a comforting remark to those who have children who never obey the Gospel. Certainly, none of us deny that our children will have to make their own decision of salvation; i.e., it cannot be forced. But is it true that all we can do is to put the truth before them? I wonder what is meant by that.
Parents (normally young parents) have often asked me questions concerning raising children and there are usually two or three points of priority that I stress. One of them is in being consistent. Consider that principle as we study.
Do you recall that Jesus, as He came to the end of His life, prayed to the Father (John 17:3-4). He knew He would die the next day and He summarized what His life had meant to God. "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." Have we ever meditated over the way in which Jesus glorified God? Remember, He was getting ready to die. It was just a few hours away and at this moment He is able to say, "I have glorified Thee". How did He know He had glorified God?
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The Providence of God
by Thomas Thornhill
Anyone who studies the Bible carefully comes face to face with the providence of God. His hand is seen in events that unfold throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. If one really believes the Bible one will also believe in the providence of God. Yet, many who see God's hand in past events will deny that God is still active in the affairs of His universe and His people. The problem is that God's providence has been cast into mysterious and unexplainable terms, resulting in many unwarranted and false claims of special divine providence. Admittedly it is not easy to understand how God does what he does but does one really need to know HOW God does something in order for it to be accepted and believed. God may be INVISIBLE to us, but He certainly is not INACTIVE. He has not ceased to provide for that which He has created.
What is Meant by the Providence of God?
One of the difficulties encountered in understanding the providence of God is that the word "providence" appears only one time in the scriptures Acts 24:2, and is not used in reference to God's providence, but man's. The Biblical use of the word in reference to God is not present, but the doctrine of "divine providence" is very real in the scriptures.
The word "providence" is defined in the dictionary as "the care or benevolent guidance of God." The English word comes from the Latin, "providere" which in turn is made up of two words, "pro" (before) and "videre" (to see), thus "to foresee." The corresponding Greek word is "pronoia" (forethought). Thus, the idea "to see before," which expresses the idea of foresight and forethought, implies a future end or goal with a definite purpose and plan for sustaining that end. In exercising forethought and foresight, God created a universe that He could control for His own purpose. God's control cannot be denied, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16-17). Paul declared to the Athenians, "God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth ... gives to all life, breath and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and bounds of their habitation ... for in Him we live, and move and have our being" (Acts 17:24-28). How can one believe in the God Paul proclaimed on that day and deny His providential care today?
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The Time Given Us
by John R. Gibson
In his epic novel depicting a great struggle between good and evil, J.R. R. Tolkien narrates the following conversation about the evil threat of Sauron.
‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.
‘So do I, said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.' Lord of the Rings, p. 50
Do we not often find ourselves like Frodo in wishing we lived in a different time, under different circumstances? Those who struggled to support their families during the Great Depression surely longed for the "good old days" of economic prosperity. With our current economic situation, how many young people are wishing they could have entered the work force at a different time? It can be depressing to think about the cultural and moral decline that has taken place in this country over the last fifty years or so. Despite the clear teachings of Scripture, fornication, adultery, divorce, and illegitimacy are everywhere (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Matthew 19:3-9). Like the Gentile world of the first century many Americans have refused to retain God in their knowledge, thus paving the way for the grossest forms of immorality to become accepted (Romans 1:20-32).
Technologically there has never been a better time to live, but there are so many things around us that we wish had not happened in our time. One can hardly leave the house without being bombarded with sensual dress, coarse language, and a general lack of respect for what was once known as common decency. Even among the most devoutly religious today, the truth of God that can set one free from the bondage of sin (John 8:32; 17:17) has been replaced with a subjective standard that encourages people to "serve God" by doing whatever seems appropriate to them. For many, religion is a product of the human mind (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-33) to be enjoyed on Sundays with little real impact on morals, business ethics, politics, family life, etc.
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Either/Or and Faith Only
by P. J. Casebolt
God made man a creature of choice, with the ability or power to choose, and for good or bad, to accept the consequences of his choice. In his dealings with man, there are times when God uses the either/or principle, and gives man only one choice that is right and good. At other times, man may be given more than one choice, either or all of which may be acceptable. But man often invokes this either/or principle when there is no need for it, and to his own destruction.
The doctrine of justification by faith only is a good example of this either/or principle. God has decreed that man is justified by faith and works, but man has decided that he must choose between faith and works. Martin Luther made this mistake, and ended up rejecting the Book of James as "spurious" because it contradicted his conclusion that works had nothing to do with salvation.
The Methodist Discipline states that "we are justified by faith only" (Art. IX). The Baptist Manual says that "the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace" (Art. IV), yet says that justification is "solely through faith in Christ" (Art. V). God saves man by grace, faith, repentance, confession, baptism, works - a combination of God's grace and man's obedience, but man decides that salvation must be by faith only or grace only, contradicts himself, confuses people, frustrates the grace of God, and deprives himself of the salvation which God offers.
God invoked the either/or principle with the first of the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3). Joshua exhorted the people to make this choice (Josh. 24:15), and Elijah said, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Ki. 18:21). Jesus says, "No man can serve two masters ... ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Mt. 6:24). The Lord told the Laodiceans, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:15, 16).
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"A Jewel of Gold in a Swine's Snout"
by Truman Smith
It would not be uncommon, when passing a hog farm to see one or more pigs with a metal ring in its nose. The reason is, these animals use their noses to dig or root-up things. They also find that their nose is quite handy in digging out a place in the mire in which to wallow. But because some are a little too handy at rooting under the fence and getting out, the owner will often have them “ringed” as a preventative; all of which brings us to the words of Solomon: “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion” (Prov. 11:22). Thus, while it would not be out of the ordinary to see a ringed pig as we’ve described, what would be very highly inconsistent would be to see “a jewel of gold” in the nose of a pig. If we were to see that, we’d probably think that farmer fell up a tree!
At the end of a normal school day, an attractive and healthy looking girl, evidently barely in her teens, is walking across the school campus with some other girls toward the parking lot; she walks with grace and dignity, then suddenly lights up a cigarette, takes a puff, and blows the smoke away from her with much force, trying to appear smart and independent; then they ride away toward town. Here is a girl with such promise! She has not yet experienced the damage the smoking will do to her health, how it will effect her skin complexion, wrinkle her face, rob her of a feminine voice, shorten her breath, ruin a possibly beautiful singing ability, etc. Such a sight is “as a jewel in a swine’s snout”!
A young, reasonably attractive lady, a member of the local church whose parents and grandparents are doting on her to grow up and some day meet a fine young man, a faithful member of the Lord’s church, is gradually drawn into the company of her peers and begins to experiment with illegal drugs; the sight of which is “as a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout”!
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"I Alone Am Left"
by Andy Sochor
After contending with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and proving to the people the power of God, Elijah was forced to flee from the wrath of Jezebel. He then spoke to the Lord at Horeb about what was troubling him.
“Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away’” (1 Kings 19:9-10).
Elijah had just been a part of a decisive victory for the Lord over Baal on Mount Carmel. But despite this, he was in such a depressed state that he wished the Lord would take his life (1 Kings 19:4). He was focusing on the challenges, hardships, and persecution before him, while being convinced that there was no one else who was of like-mind, striving to serve the Lord.
As Christians, we may also feel isolated from others and, as a result, face what seems to be a daunting task of enduring the hardships that will come for servants of God (2 Timothy 3:12) without aid, comfort, or encouragement from others. We may feel as though we are alone in standing for the truth while everyone around us seems to be compromising, apostatizing, or wholly apathetic about contending for the faith. During such times, it is important to remember a few points.
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Is Only One Church Right?
by Sewell Hall
Probably no charge creates more prejudice against a group of people than the charge that they think there is only one church that is right. This fact clearly indicates that most Americans consider all churches right. Is it possible that only one church is right?
At least three other questions must be answered before this one can be answered intelligently.
1. Is there such a thing as right and wrong? Many who complain so bitterly about such a claim do not believe that anything is absolutely right or wrong. If there is no right and wrong, then obviously any claim to be the only right church would be ridiculous. However, if there is a God and if He created us, then He is the standard of right and wrong (Romans 3:4). His word is truth (John 17:17).
2. Is there a right and wrong in religion? Some who accept the concept of right and wrong in the realm of morals exclude it from religion. They seem to think that God is so loving and good that He will accept anything man may do and dedicate to Him. But Jesus warned of false teachers who would come in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). He stated that worship was made vain by teaching the doctrines of men (Matthew 15:9). Paul informed the Galatians that anyone who preached any other gospel than what he had preached would be accursed (Galatians 1:8), and Peter predicted that there would be false teachers among us (2 Peter 2:1). So religious teachings can be false and religious practice can be wrong. Jesus also said, ``Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted'' (Matthew 15:13). This is equal to saying that churches not planted by the Lord will be rejected.
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Three Salvations
by J. D. Tant
In the word of God we find at least three salvations promised to man, located at different points and given to man under different conditions.
First, there is what we might term a temporal salvation, located in the kingdom of nature, and coming alike to all men.
Second, there is a salvation from sin, or spiritual salvation, located in the kingdom of grace or the kingdom of God's dear Son.
Third, there is an eternal salvation of the soul, located in the everlasting kingdom of God, and given to the faithful who die in the Lord. It is to each of these salvations that we now call special attention.
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