Truth Magazine

Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs. “I pray for a new bicycle. I pray for a new play station. I pray for a new VCR.” His older brother leaned over and nudged him saying, “Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn’t deaf.” To which the little brother replied, “No, but Grandma is!”

Men who lead prayer in our public assemblies need to pray to God, not to the audience. Jesus said, “And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matt. 6:5-8).

There is a real temptation, when leading public prayer, to pray to people rather than to God. We have all heard public prayers that preached a sermon. Another temptation is to make long prayers. The effort to extend a prayer will cause one to repeat the same things over and over. I believe Jesus referred to this as vain repetitions.

To avoid these temptations, do we stop having public prayers? The answer is no! We should pray at every opportunity and what better opportunity than when the whole church is come together in one place? The solution is to always remember that prayer, public or private, is a means by which Christians approach the throne of God. The nature of prayer is not for preaching lessons. It certainly isn’t a time for self-aggrandizement or to appeal to personal vanity.

It makes me wonder if men who lead public prayers haven’t forgotten that it is God who answers prayer not other men. I fear we are like the boy in our little story. We think if we are to get what we want, it must come from the people who hear us. God and God alone can grant our petitions provided they are within the scope of his will.

After giving the aforementioned warning, Jesus then gives a model prayer. After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil (one)” (Matt. 6:9-13). The prayer is profoundly simple.

We don’t need to only confine ourselves to the model. For example, we cannot pray, Thy kingdom come, for it has already come. It is the church. We do need to pray from the heart to God, not from the street corners to be heard by men.

By Wilson Adams

It is a good question. No, it’s the greatest question anyone could ever ask. The jailer asked it in Acts 16. The penitent of Pentecost asked it in Acts 2. The Ethiopian nobleman asked it in the form of a negative inquiry, “What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36). Jesus read the question in the heart of Nicodemus before it could ever be voiced by his lips (John 3:1-3). And the rich, young ruler asked it. Sort of. He asked it thinking he already knew the answer.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

There cannot be a more important question that anyone could ever ask. And the answer? Oh, how quick and simple we make it. We must (1) hear, (2) believe, (3) repent, (4) confess, (5) and be baptized. And you know what? We must! Fact is, I would affirm without fear of successful refutation that each of those is absolutely required by God before anyone can be saved. Anyone. There is ample scriptural command and instruction behind each of those five responsibilities in the converting process. And none of those five things denies salvation by faith but rather they are all a part of salvation by faith. Likewise, none of those five things denies salvation by the grace of God for even when one has done everything required of him by his Creator, he still doesn’t place God in his debt. When all is said and done, we are saved by his mercy and loving kindness.

But is that it? Hear — Believe — Repent — Confess — Be Baptized — is that all God asks of us? Hardly. I suggest that one can comply with each of those requirements and still fail to see heaven. I say again each of those is absolutely essential and I do not and will not belittle God’s commandments nor condone anyone who does. But there is more. And sometimes we fail to see the “more.”

Consider five other responsibilities we must meet in order to be saved.

1. I must forgive my brother. Jesus said plainly, “If you do not forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:15). Wasn’t that the point of the story of the unmerciful slave (Matt. 18)? “So shall my heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (v.35). And John adds that anyone who claims Christ but hates his brother “is a liar” (1 John 4:20) and “walks in the darkness” (1 John 2:11). People whom God will not forgive, people who are liars, and people who walk in “darkness” will not be saved.

That makes me think. A lot. Sometimes I’m tempted to go pretty easy on myself while coming down harder on others. Sometimes I can think smugly. Sometimes I’m tempted to hold a grudge and count offenses. My guess is that I’m not alone. I bet you struggle, too. But it’s something we must face and conquer if we want to go to heaven. You can’t be saved and fail to forgive your brother. It is essential to salvation.

2. I must do good unto all men. Galatians 6:10 is written in the context of eternal life. “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:9-10). Galatians 6:10 is a passage perverted by our institutional brethren who misuse it to justify the church involvement in private enterprise. The church, it is argued, has a right to fund private businesses and to underwrite education, health care, etc. because Galatians 6:10 says to do good unto all men. Careful students of the Word have correctly countered that the context of Galatians 6:1-10 is a discussion of the responsibilities of individual Christians and not the church as a collectivity.

But may I voice a concern? How many of us live in violation of the very argument we make? Yes, “doing good unto all men” is an individual responsibility but how many individuals take that seriously? Do you? For example, are you involved in any kind of charity work? Do you devote any time to the needs of others? Do you help financially with someone you learn is struggling? There are many different ways that we as individuals can sow good deeds unto all men. But we must sow if we expect to reap.

3. I must bear fruit. “I am the vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away . . .” (John 15:1-2a). God requires that we bear fruit and fruit-bearing occurs in two ways. First, we bear fruit by leading others to the source of light. As Andrew brought his brother (John 1:40-41), as Phillip brought Nathanael (John 1:45-46), and as the Samaritan woman brought her friends (John 4:28-30), so must we invite, encourage, and lead others to Jesus to the best of our opportunity and ability. That is fruit-bearing.

Second, we bear fruit by adorning ourselves with the characteristics of the one we follow. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control . . .” (Gal. 5:22-23). Truly if we belong to Christ then we will strive to bear the fruit of a Spirit-led life. It’s a must.

4. I must bring Jesus home. Matthew met Jesus at work (Matt. 9:9). One moment he’s sitting in his office and the next moment he’s invited Jesus into his home to eat at his table. And Jesus came. And Jesus will come home with you, too. Has he been invited?

Peter says that a husband must treat his wife with honor and if he doesn’t his prayers won’t make it past the ceiling (1 Pet. 3:7). And Paul said that a man who doesn’t provide for his own “has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.” He may claim to be a Christian. He may teach a Bible class or be a deacon, preacher or elder . . . but if he doesn’t live as a Christian at home, he will not be saved. And wouldn’t the same be true for the wife (Tit. 2:3-5)?

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus doesn’t live at the church building. He lives in us. So do as Matthew did: invite him to come home with you and see what a difference he will make.

5. I must study my Bible. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 4:15). Yes, I know that Timothy was a preacher but doesn’t God expect all of us to study his word (Acts 17:11)? From this passage I learn that God approves of those who read and study his word and disapproves those who do not. Can a person be saved who is disapproved by God?

Do you breathe every day? Do you eat and drink every day? Do you read your Bible every day? There are some things we just do every day and reading the word should be one of them. I am convinced the reason many Christians aren’t as strong spiritually as they should be is because they don’t take in enough “milk of the word” (1 Pet. 2:2). It is the best preventative against spiritual osteoporosis. Heaven approves of those who live not by bread alone, “but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4b).

Conclusion

There are specific acts of faith with which one must comply in order to be saved. We must give ear to the good news of Christ, we must believe it, repent of our sins, confess Jesus as the Son of God, and be baptized for the remission of our sins. But that is only the beginning. The true servant of the Savior seeks to adhere to all that is taught. And he continues to grow. And learn. And each day brings him one step closer to home.

By Mike Willis

During my thirty years of preaching, a goodly number has been spent opposing the loose fellowship stance that was propagated and promoted by Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett. The influence of this movement among faithful brethren was apparent in the early 1970s when Edward Fudge, Bruce Edwards, Arnold Hardin, and a number of other brethren moved way from the truth into a broader fellowship.

Over the years, we have witnessed these brethren accepting the logical conclusions of their position on fellowship. These brethren asserted that the unity of Christ could be maintained in spite of serious doctrinal differences, justifying this position by such arguments as (a) the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account to cover his imperfections; (b) continuous cleansing which cleanses the sinning Christian “even as” he sins; (c) Romans 14; and other such positions. At first, these brethren were only interested in a broadened fellowship that included all of the heirs of the restoration movement, that is only those who have been scripturally baptized. Soon, these brethren realized that, if the grace of God could save the sincere man who was worshiping with instrumental music, that same grace of God could save the pious unimmersed. At that juncture, their platform of fellowship broadened to the point that they could have unity with denominational folks, our “brothers-in-prospect” who did not understand the place of water baptism in the grand scheme of God.

The logical implications of this position were not exhausted by the acceptance of the pious unimmersed, because there also are many good, honest, and sincere religious folks who believe in God but do not yet understand the role of Jesus Christ in the grand scheme of God. In reviewing the positions held by our unity advocates, we called attention to the logical implications of their position. Ultimately it would lead to universalism and fellowship with any sincere person without regard to what he believed.

As the years have passed, we have witnessed this evolution of the unity-in-diversity advocates. At first, some of them would attend the Christian Church but would not sing with their instruments. Later, they joined them in singing. Soon they were condemning those who believed that singing with an instrument was sinful. Over the years, they began speaking of what great spiritual folks some denominational preachers were. They were spiritual giants being attacked by our pygmy brethren, when brethren challenged their teaching on baptism. Reviews appeared in their papers about the good in such denominations as the Baptists Methodists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and others.

Their fellowship was broadened to join hands with the denominations in evangelistic conferences.

Now comes a new development. In the latest issue of Once More With Love, Leroy Garrett, editor of Restoration Review, tells us that faith in Jesus Christ is not essential to salvation. He tells us what the essence of faith is:

The essence of faith, as I see it, is a sincere disposition of heart to seek diligently after God and to respond to whatever knowledge God has made known (No. 38, August 1999).

What that means is that the sincere man who has never heard the gospel of Christ is just as saved as the believer in Christ. As proof of this, brother Garrett referred us to Cornelius. He reminds us of the virtues of Cornelius — “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). Then he said, “He was justified while still a pagan.” To make sure that I have not misrepresented by brother, let him speak for himself:

It was the likes of Cornelius that led the apostle Peter to say, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears God and works righteous- ness is accepted by him (Acts 10:34-35). Peter is saying that wherever there are people like Cornelius there are people acceptable to God.

Peter names two conditions: fearing God, like Cornelius; doing what is right, like Cornelius. Such ones are accept- able to God, even if they are not yet part of his covenant people, even if they are not yet Christians.

Our brother continued to say, “The source of this faith for those without revelation is ‘the law written in the heart, the conscience also bearing witness’ (Rom. 2:15).” He continued,

This is why it is wrong for us to presume that all heathen/pagans are lost, for they too have the promise of eternal life if they do “by nature” the things that the law requires, “their thoughts accusing or excusing them.”

The evolution of this brother’s grace/unity movement has yet one step to go to reach its full universalism. Our brother needs to work himself to the conclusion that the pious atheist who “responds to whatever knowledge God has make known” to him is just as saved as any other pagan. If brother Garrett lives enough years, I am confident that the logic of his position will take him to that position.

Conflicting With Scripture

The problem of brother Garrett’s position is simply this: it is contrary to what the Scriptures teach about salvation. Let’s consider just a few things that pose problems for brother Garrett:

1. The Conversion of Cornelius. The record of Cornelius reveals that he was indeed a morally virtuous man. We know this because the inspired account tells us as much. That same inspired record clearly states that Cornelius was lost, even though he was a good moral man. The angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius and instructed him, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:13-14). For the conversion of Cornelius to help brother Garrett, this text should read, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; whom the Holy Spirit shall convince that thou and all thy house already are saved.” But the latter is not what the text says. The text plainly states that Cornelius would hear words from Peter that would of man who needs to be saved is a lost man! One cannot save a saved man!

 2. The argument of Romans 2:15. My brother surely twisted the passage Romans 2:15 when he used it to state that good, moral Gentiles would be saved without obedience to the gospel or belief in Christ. The first sub- division in Paul’s argument to the Romans is 1:16-3:31. Every commentary that I have read identifies this sec- tion with some such as description as “Paul establishes the need men have of the gospel” or “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 1:16-32 is designed to show that the Gentiles are “without excuse” (Rom. 1:20) in their sins and Romans 2:1-3:20 is designed to show that the Jews are “inexcusable” (2:1) for their sins. The conclusion of this section is summarized for us: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”(Rom.

3:23). The conclusion is that every man has sinned, has fallen short of the glory of God, and stands condemned as “guilty” before God. That was the reason Cornelius needed to hear words whereby he and his house could be saved — because he was lost! To cite Romans 2:15 to show that Gentiles were saved without the atoning blood of Christ is contrary to the whole thesis of Romans.

3. The plain statements of Scripture that make faith in Christ a condition for salvation. There are a host of Scripture that make faith in Christ a condition for salvation:

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).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

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 (Heb. 11:6).

And he said unto them, 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).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Rom 1:16)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1).

Any thesis that is contrary to so many Scriptures is obviously not the revealed will of God.

Conclusion

One of my purposes in reviewing this material of brother Garrett’s is to remind brethren who might be inclined to use Romans 14 to justify an on-going and never-ending fellowship with those who teach and practice many different doctrinal and moral errors where the logical conclusion of this position leads. At one time, brother Garrett was taking the position that he could not fellowship anyone who disagreed with his position on the located preacher. Once he accepted his new fellowship position, his view of fellowship changed and has continued to evolve over 30 years to the point that now he believes that God will save those who are mistaken about Jesus. And, in the words of his friend, Carl Ketcherside, one should not make anything a condition of fellowship that is not a condition of salvation! Thus, brother Garrett’s umbrella of fellowship is broad enough to include pagans and infidels.

Others who accept the same thesis as brother Garrett will not be more successful in stopping the evolution to.

By Jonathan L. Perz

Throughout time, man has departed from God’s ways. The Israelites, God’s people of old, continually departed from God’s teachings and had to repent and restore God’s ways. They faced judgment after judgment for perverting the ways of God, yet they never learned. The Bible teaches us that these things were written “for our learning” (Rom. 15:4) and “for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11). Therefore, we must learn from their errors and stand fast in the truth of God’s word.

The Israelites are not the only people who ever departed from the truth. Even among first century churches, apostasy ran rampant. In Galatians 1:6-9, we read of Paul’s amazement that the churches in Galatia had accepted a perverted gospel so soon after acknowledging the truth. The New Testament is filled with warning after warning that apostasy will take place and God’s ways will be departed from. Consider the following passages:

1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-2; Jude 3-4; Revelation 2:4-5. In every instance of apostasy, repentance was commanded. Hence, only a fool would deny the possibility of apostasy today!

The Need For Restoration

In Jeremiah 6:16, the great prophet of God prophesied, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Now more than ever, there is a need to restore the “old paths” of Christianity where the “good way” is. A quick look at today’s religious world reveals complete mayhem. It is difficult to find two churches in one city that teach the same thing. It is even more difficult to find a church that is like the church described in the first century. When these circumstances exist, something has gone terribly wrong.

Is this sectarian religious world, with all its different names, creeds, doctrines, teachings, ministries, and ideas what the Lord prayed for in John 17? I think not! Are those proclaiming Christianity today fulfilling what Paul spoke of in Ephesians 4:3 where he wrote, “. . . endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?” Definitely not! We must ask ourselves, “Is Christ divided?” just as Paul asked the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:13). Obviously, our answer must be, “Of course not!” Yet, judging from the appearance of today’s “Christian” world, you cannot tell. Why? Simply stated, everyone has gone his own way, and turned crooked the straight paths of the Lord!

The Plight of First Century Christianity

In the majority of “Christendom,” first century Christianity has been abandoned today! Sure, the core of the Gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, remains intact. It is the plan of salvation, the apostles’ doctrine, the pattern of the first century church, among other things, that have suffered perversion. Unfortunately, many souls have honestly and sincerely been deceived by such perversions.

Through time, many different people have taught various notions of Christianity. Some teachers have tried to make the word of God too simple. Some have made it too difficult. Some felt that our worship to God required innovation and modernization, thus they changed it. Some obviously believed the organization of the first century church was not good enough, so they tried to make it better. Some believed that the gospel of Jesus Christ was irrelevant to today’s modern society, so they adjusted it to make it “relevant.” The turns, twists, and forks in what is supposed to be the “straight and narrow path” to salvation are too many to mention and were definitely not put there by God. Some happened long ago and carry through to today. The rest are added day by day. Overall, “Christianity” has changed without God’s permission. God’s perfect Way has been deemed imperfect. That is why we must repent and seek to restore first century Christianity today!

How Do We Restore First Century Christianity Today?

First, we must find the pure seed. The Bible has likened the Word of God unto a seed — an incorruptible seed (1 Pet. 1:23). This seed must be planted in the hearts of men. If the soil is right, it will grow and bear fruit. If the soil is poor, it will not bear fruit (consider the parable of the sower, Matt. 13:24ff ). We know that a seed will bear fruit after its own kind. The pure seed of God’s word will produce true Christians and nothing else. What happens when the seed is perverted, warped, manipulated, and changed? The result is what we have today: hundreds of different flavors of Christianity. We have division, sectarianism, and denominationalism! This is why we must get back into our Bibles and imitate the first century church in doctrine, worship, organization, labors, and purity (1Thess. 2:14). We must find the pure seed and begin planting it. Only then, will we reap pure Christianity!

Second, we must learn to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). This must be a diligent effort. So many today, depend upon the “clergy” to do the studying and interpreting for them. This is a dangerous practice to say the least. The Lord commanded that “we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Knowing we all will give answer for ourselves on the Day of Judgment, we cannot leave our salvation in the hands of someone else. We must learn to study God’s word for ourselves, test the spirits, and prove all things (Acts 17:11;

1 John 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21). When we do this, “we are workers that need not be ashamed.” But when we trust another to do our studying for us, we could likely be the “blind following the blind” (Luke 6:39). That is why we must all learn as individuals to study our Bibles for ourselves and rightly divide the word of truth.

Third, we must seek Bible authority (a book, chapter, and verse) for all that we say and do. The apostle wrote in Colossians 3:17, “and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord.” We can know by faith, which comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17), that if the Lord Jesus commanded us to do it, we must do it. God gave him all authority (Matt. 28:18). We can also know by faith, that if the apostles did something or commanded us to do something, we can and must do it. The Lord gave the apostles authority (Matt. 16:19; 2 Cor. 10:8). Thus, we have our means of establishing authority for what we do. If we have a direct command, an approved apostolic example, or we can necessarily infer that it was a practice of the first century Christians, we can know by faith it is acceptable for us to do. To do anything else is to act without the Lord’s authority and thereby sin. It is really that simple! We must seek God’s approval for all that we say and do (Col. 3:17).

Fourth, we must re -establish the pattern for the church set forth in the New Testament. The Bible says, in 2 Timothy 1:13, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” The work, worship, and organization of some churches have become secular and carnal in nature. Instead of saving souls, churches are feeding bellies. In- stead of coming together to worship God, churches come together for entertainment and socialization. Instead of autonomous local congregations overseen by a plurality of qualified elders, churches have become institutionalized conglomerates led by one man oftentimes not qualified to be an elder or many men holding titles and positions nowhere designated in Scripture. We must get back to the arrangement the Lord has designated for a local church, and accept no substitutes.

Finally, we must stand fast in the truth and never ever compromise it. It is written in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” God’s word offers no compromise because compromise is the door to apostasy.

Compromise of truth involves giving into something other than truth, and inevitably departing from God’s word. This is why “Christianity” is in the mess that it is in today. Men have not only opened the door for com- promise, they let it swing freely both ways. Sadly, all we have left to show for it is division and more division. Instead of restoration, people call for “unity in diversity” and “ecumenism,” neither of which are pleasing to God. This is why we must stand firm in the truth and never compromise it.

Conclusion

Let us all demand the truth of God’s word, the whole truth of God’s word, and accept nothing but the truth of God’s word. If the church you are part of does not resemble the church you can read of in the pages of the New Testament in every way, shape, and form — demand restoration! If they “will not walk in the old paths,” as Jeremiah wrote of in Jeremiah 6:16, then find a group who will.

There is indeed a great need to restore first century Christianity  today. This is the plea of the church of Christ.  We hope you will make it your plea too!