Truth Magazine

By Steve Wolfgang

During the week of October 24-30, 1977, members of the Expressway Church of Christ, 4437 South Sixth Street. Louisville, Kentucky, had the privilege of hearing Brother Roy Cogdill speak by invitation of the elders in a gospel meeting. The meeting was well attended by Expressway members and by a number of community visitors who are not members of the Lord’s church. Truth Magazine readers who have known Brother Cogdill through the years will rejoice to know that Brother Cogdill has regained a measure of health and strength and came preaching with the same fervor, force and clarity which has been characteristic of him through the years.

We do not wish to turn the pages of this paper into an “adulation sheet” for the worship of any man (as some publications among our liberal brethren have become), nor to think more highly of any man than we ought to think, but we do feel that good news regarding those who have fought long and valiantly in the Cause should be reported. Although Brother Cogdill’s health has not been the best in the last few years, at this time he appears to be in better health (and seems to feel much better) then he has for some time. He spoke each night for nearly an hour, sometimes more, to above-average crowds (which puts the lie to the idea that brethren will not abide lengthy sermons; they will, so long as the preacher has something to say!). At a special Saturday morning session on the Charismatic Movement, Brother Cogdill spoke for nearly two hours and answered questions from the audience. He spoke three times on Sunday, and participated in the call-in radio broadcast with this scribe and Jamie Sloan of Douglass Hills (where Brother Cogdill held a meeting last fall). Brother Cogdill went from Expressway to Danville to conduct a meeting there, and we have received a good report of his continued good health and forceful preaching to good audiences there. While we do not wish to fall victim to the wrong of thinking of men “above that which is written” (1 Cor. 4:6), we feel that Brother Cogdill’s long experience (he marked his 55th anniversary of preaching on November 20) and his evident ability make him an exceptional proclaimer of God’s word. His love for the souls to whom he preaches is manifest in the earnestness with which he preached the gospel. The saints at Expressway were truly edified.

In our opinion, one of the main contributions Brother Cogdill has made in his efforts to teach the truth as widely as possible has been the numerous books, debates, and tracts which he has authored. Perhaps the best known of these has been The New Testament Church, first written nearly forty years ago (1938, to be exact). Besides going through nearly twenty printed editions of perhaps nearly a quarter of a million copies, the book has been translated into nearly a dozen foreign languages and, in Brother Cogdill’s own words, “Has done a lot of preaching at places I could not or would not be allowed to go.” While Brother Cogdill was here, he replied to a recent request from the American Braille Society in Los Angeles to grant permission for them to publish The New Testament Church in Braille so that even the blind may now have access to this thorough and scriptural study of the Lord’s church.

This scribe counts it a,rare privilege and honor to have been associated with Brother Cogdill in this effort and to have had the benefit of sitting at his feet during this period. We bid him Godspeed and wish for him continued health and many more opportunities in preaching the gospel.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 103-104
February 9, 1978

By Gene Warman

In Rom. 16:25, the apostle Paul said, “Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” Rom. 1:5 states, “through whom we received grace and apostleship unto obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake.” We have seen that in these verses of Romans Paul uses the expression “the obedience of faith”. Now, what does Paul mean by such an expression? The term simply has reference to the obedience which is produced in the Christian life by faith. Paul tells us that the purpose of his apostleship was unto the obedience of faith. The apostle refers here to the proclaiming of the word; he is attempting to get people to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. On the basis of this faith, he is moving them to be obedient to the commands of God. We are not to have the obedience that is pleasing to us, but the kind of obedience that pleases God. That is the kind of obedience that springs from our faith in Him.

In this world in which we live, we walk by sight. You go to the bank to borrow money and the banker wants to be assured that you are able to repay the debt. That is the way we live in our everyday life. And yet, when it comes to being a Christian, we understand the words that our God has spoken, and we propose to do the thing God has required of us. To say that we are saved and justified by the obedience of faith, is not at all to say that we are justified by faith only. Some are afraid of the word “obedience”. We are not saved by faith only. But one is saved when he has enough faith in God that he will do whatever God says. It is an active faith that pleases God. Our faith must be strong enough to do the thing that God requires.

James 2:24 records, “You see that by works a man is justified and not only by faith.” James speaks of the example of Abraham in the days of old and the offering of Isaac by Abraham. Was it by faith only? James 2:24 gives us the answer-that it was by both Abraham’s offering and by faith; nevertheless he did something and his works, therefore, were but a manifestation of the faith that he had in the Almighty God. When we have enough faith in the Lord that we ate willing to follow Him and do what he says, it is that faith that is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Let us examine the kind of faith that produces obedience in the individual. The kind of faith that you and I must have is the faith that pleases the Lord. If we have that faith in the Lord, He is the sovereign of our lives. What think you of Christ? Is He the Son of God, or is He a mystery. The world agrees that He was a good man but not the Son of God. The answer to that question itself determines where we will spend eternity. In John 8:24 Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” God has given enough evidence to produce faith in our hearts. A person who is honest and conscientious, and who really wants to go to heaven when he dies, will find enough evidence to prove that Jesus is the Christ. Mark 16:15, 16 records, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” We see then that one must be obedient to the faith that is revealed in God’s Word.

So our faith must be centered in the right object, if we are going to be guided in the right direction. Our faith must not be centered in Moses or one of the prophets. When Jesus took His disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration, there appeared Moses and Elijah-Moses, the great law giver, and Elijah, the prince of the Prophets. They said, “Let us build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Then Moses and Elijah disappeared and there remained none save Jesus only. Then the great God of heaven spoke saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). This especially teaches us that we are not to follow Moses or the prophets, but we today are to follow Jesus Christ. We have confidence not in man but in the Lord. Then as we turn to the words of our Savior, and we have followed what He says, we will be, therefore, on the way to heaven. A faith which is centered in the word of God will save us.

But again, may we emphasize the kind of faith that produces obedience? Whatever God tells us to do is right. -I must be right. Like the apostle Paul, when our thoughts and minds come to the place where they are conflicting with God’s commands, let us surrender our own thoughts. Let us put our words down as false teaching when they come in opposition to God. God will not tell us to do anything that we ought not to do or that will not build us up spiritually. With that kind of confidence, we can go forward in the will of God, knowing that whatever we do is in harmony with His will and we will not be wrong.

May we go a step further and raise the question as to the kind of obedience that faith produces. I think we are impressed with the thought that the obedience which , faith produces is the obedience that is always prompt, which always does the thing that God tells the person to do. In Genesis, the 12th chapter, God told Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees. When Jehovah spoke, Abraham left and did what God said. God told him to get out of that country; Abraham went out not knowing whither he went. That is the kind of faith that the Bible holds up as an example. Abraham did not ask questions; he did not begin to apologize and give excuses. When Abraham understood what God wanted him to do, he proceeded to do it. His was the obedience that was prompted by faith.

In the New Testament, in the 16th chapter of Acts, Paul and Silas were put in prison in the city of Philippi. While they were there, an earthquake occurred and the doors of the prison were opened; the jailer supposed that the prisoners had escaped, and was about to kill himself. But Paul and Silas saw him and called out, “Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.” The jailer sprang in and fell down and said to them, “What must 1 do to be saved?” It was then that Paul began to preach unto him the word of the Lord. And the Bible says that the same hour of the night, this Philippian jailer and his household were baptized. We see in this, that he did not put off obedience. Paul preached to him about Jesus and told him what Jesus wanted him to do. When the jailer understood, he obeyed in the same hour of the night. That is the way it ought to be with all of us. When we know the will of God, we ought to do it, not begin to make excuses for not doing it.

But again, if we have the right kind of faith, that faith will produce in our life obedience that is unwavering. It is the sort of obedience that is continual. This faith will not be a matter of having religion only on Sunday, then the rest of the week forget about it. We are going to be constantly and everlastingly obedient to the commands of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, Noah is held up for our example. Noah was a righteous man. God looked down and recognized the righteousness of Noah. God determined to destroy the people of the world by a flood, but he determined also that He would not destroy Noah, because of his righteousness. So it was that God told him to build an ark. He told him what kind of wood to use and what size to make it, and furthermore what should be done in preparation for the flood that was to come. People went on unconscious that their life was about at an end. Many scoffed at Noah. Nevertheless, Noah went on with his work in obedience to God. But his faith in God rested on the promise that God made. You and I know the result. He was rewarded. His life was saved while the lives of the others were destroyed, all because of his obedience toward God.

Likewise, Abraham was told to take his son and offer him on the altar. That was a strange request. He understood that he was to be the father of a great nation. He had only one son, through whom this promise could be fulfilled. How then could he kill Isaac? Abraham rightly deserves the name of the father of the faithful. We are told that Abraham thoroughly believed that he would have to kill Isaac and that God would raise him from the dead. Abraham staggered not. That is the kind of obedience that all of us must have.

Throughout the New Testament the same principle prevails. Paul is a classic example of one who was obedient to faith. Though he was often persecuted, he was always obedient to the faith that he had in Christ Jesus. Now some men preach that if you have once been saved, you cannot be lost. They refer to this as the eternal security of the believer. No doctrine could be farther from the truth of God’s will. Just as one may cease or discontinue believing, one may stop living as God would have him to live. If it is, or was, impossible for a man to be lost after he has been saved, why are there so many warnings in the writings of Paul, Peter, and other inspired men concerning the danger of falling? ‘Take heed lest ye fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Paul warned the Gentiles that they would be cut off if they did not continue in belief (Rom. 11). Paul recognized the possibility of his being lost for he says in 1 Cor. 9:27, “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” No friends, the doctrine of eternal security of the believer, is just another false doctrine that is being set forth by men.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 102-103
January 9, 1978

By Mike Willis

Let me again remind you why we are spending so much time studying the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the account of the believer. Some of my brethren are wanting to use the Calvinist doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the account of the believer (which is used in the system of Calvinism as theological justification for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints or “once saved, always saved”) as theological justification for fellowshipping those brethren who are actively propagating false doctrines among us. They want to use the Calvinist doctrine to cover the sins of the baptized believer in order that they can fellowship every baptized believer, regardless of what doctrines he is teaching. They believe that Christ’s perfect obedience is transferred to the believer and, therefore, God does not see that brethren are involved in using mechanical instruments of music in worship, supporting human institutions (schools, hospitals, and orphans homes), perverting the organization of the church through the sponsoring church arrangement, premillennialism, etc. Hence, God is going to save these brethren who are engaged in these sins because the perfect obedience of Christ has been applied to the account of these believers. The next step is this: if we are going to live together in sweet fellowship in heaven, should we riot also be in fellowship on this earth? Consequently, those who are teaching the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account are using this as theological justification for fellowshipping brethren who are teaching and practicing sin and who refuse to repent of these sins.

We must not become so involved in the argumentation of these doctrines that we forget the practical application which is being given to them. Some brethren are trying to establish some kind of justification for fellowshipping the Christian Churches and those who are in the liberal churches. Because this is being used as their justification for this fellowship, we must carefully examine their doctrine.

Let me briefly remind you of what we have done already in this series on the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account. In my first article, I showed the relationship of the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience to Christ to the believer’s account as being a part of the system known as Calvinsim. In my second article, I showed that the Greek word logizomai offered no support to this doctrine. In the third article, I showed that the various passages ,used to support this doctrine offer no support for it. The texts must be perverted to make them mean that Christ’s perfect obedience is applied to the account of the believer. Let us move on in our study by making the following criticisms of the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account:

I. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account depreciates our dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. Instead of the believer’s salvation resting solely upon the blood of Christ as the grounds for salvation, the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s perfect obedience to the believer’s account minimizes the blood of Christ. In fact, it cuts in half our dependence upon the blood. Rather, we are told that we are saved by two things: the blood of Christ and the perfect obedience of Christ. Hence, this doctrine cuts in half our dependence upon the blood of Christ. Lest you think that I am misrepresenting those who teach this doctrine, read the following quotations:

“There are two elements blended together in God’s redemptive act in Christ. These elements are righteousness and blood. Paul not only ascribes salvation to the blood of Christ but also to the righteousness of Christ . .. . The gospel is about Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:3) — His righteousness and blood. If Christ to our Sun, then half of this Sun’s luster is dimmed when we fail to rivet our attention on the grand theme of the righteousness of Jesus” (Robert D. Brinamead, “The Righteousness of Christ,” Present Truth, Vol. VI, No. 2, p. 16).

“And no sinner is going to be justified other than on the basis and merits of that perfect life and death. Therefore imputation of righteousness is not to transfer the holy and moral life of Christ (infused into sinners) but faith in Him brings to the sinner’s account the merits of his perfect obedience (satisfaction of lw) and death (satisfaction of penalty for the broken law)” (Arnold Hardin, “Imputation of Righteousness # 4,” The Persuader, Vol. XI, No. 11, April 3, 1977).

“We are saved, therefore, by both the doing and the dying, a fact foreshadowed by the Law itself and specifically stated by the apostle Paul (Rom. 5:10, 19). The two elements of the Lord’s Supper remind us of both elements of our redemption: the bread signifies the body in which a perfect life was lived on our behalf (Heb. 10:5ff); the cup signifies the blood shed in atonement for oar remission” (Edward Fudge, “Which Sins Matter?”, Firm Foundation, Vol. XCI, No. 40, October 1, 1974, p. 3).

Notice that all of these quotations show that these men believe that salvation rests for its grounds not exclusively upon the blood of Christ but half upon the blood and half upon the perfect obedience of Christ.

This raises some questions in our mind. If man is saved by the blood of Christ, why does he need His perfect obedience? If my sins are washed away by the blood of Christ each time I repent and pray for forgiveness, why do I need to have perfect obedience imputed to me? My sins are removed and I stand before the law of God without guilt. Why then do I need Christ’s perfect obedience? On the other hand, if Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to me, God sees Christ’s perfect obedience instead of my sins. Therefore, I ask, why do I need the blood of Christ to forgive me of my sins? The two systems are such that if one of them works I do not need the other. Why do I need both of them?

Hence, the first criticism which I make of the doctrine that Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to the believer is that it depreciates our..dependence upon the blood of Christ. It cuts in half man’s dependence upon the atonement of Christ!

2. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account depreciates one’s duty to obey the Lord. The doctrine states that Christ does not see our faults; rather, He sees Christ’s perfect obedience attributed to the account of the believer. The logical conclusion from this is that I can be saved without repenting of my sins.

Those brethren who preach imputed righteousness are protesting that this doctrine does not undermine the need for obedience. However, let us judge the tree by its fruits. Those who are involved in fellowshipping those who are in the Christian Church and those who, are liberals among us have far more opportunities to speak to those in apostasy than I do, But, how many have they led out of apostasy? How many brethren have Leroy Garrett and Carl Ketcherside led out of the Christian Church? How many.: brethren has Edward Fudge persuaded to renounce the instruments of music or the sponsoring church arrangement or the church support of human institutions in his many years of writing for the Christian Standard and Firm Foundation? In recent years, how many has Arnold Hardin persuaded to leave the liberals and take a stand for truth. I venture to guess that he has not led any out of these apostasies since he has become convinced that the perfect obedience of Christ is imputed to the believer. And, why should he lead them out? They are saved where they are, according to these men!

My brethren, the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account undermines the restoration plea. The restoration plea is a plea to go back to the Bible-to do Bible things in a Bible way. This is understood to be necessary for salvation. Man must go back to the Bible in order to receive the blessings of the gospel — the promise of salvation. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account states that one can be saved without returning the Bible. It teaches that the man who has departed from the organizational pattern of the New Testament church can be saved without restoring the organization of the church; it teaches that the man who is involved in perverting the mission of the church can be saved without restoring the mission of the church. Hence, it altogether undermines the restoration plea. Both logically and practically, the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account has depreciated the necessity of obedience to the Lord.

3. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account puts a premium on ignorance. Our brethren teach that Christ’s perfect obedience will be imputed to the account df the believer so that God does not see the sins of ignorance committed by those sincere, honest brethren attending liberal churches and Christian Churches. If this is so, then we should not tell them that what they are doing is wrong lest we cause them to go to Hell. So long as they are saved in the condition they are in, why inform them of the things which they are doing which are wrong? (Maybe this is why some of our brethren write for those publications circulated by Christian Church men and liberal brethren but never get around to telling those brethren about the things which they are doing which are wrong!) Hence, the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s accounts puts a premium on ignorance.

4. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account states that a man can continue in sin and yet be righteous in the sight of God. These brethren teach that those who are involved in the “sins” (they give this word a special definition sometimes) of instrumental music in worship, the sponsoring church, recreation as a part of the work of the church, premillennialism, etc. can be saved without repenting of their sins and asking God’s forgiveness. Rather, they say that God will simply impute the perfect obedience of Christ to the account of these brethren resulting in them being saved without ever- leaving the Christian Churches or liberal churches among us. In this respect at least, the doctrine of my brethren resembles the first century gnosticism which John opposed; those early gnostics also said that brethren could walk in sin and maintain fellowship with God (1 Jn. 1:6).

5. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account is nowhere taught in the Scriptures. Because it is not taught within the Scriptures, it is without divine authority. The propagation of this doctrine is the propagation of a doctrine devised by man which renders worship vain (Mt. 15:8-9).

4. The doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account is inconsistently applied. My brethren will not tell me why the perfect obedience of Christ covers sins of ignorance and sins of the weakness of the flesh but will not cover wilful sins. And, of course, this raises another question: which sins do I commit that are not “weaknesses of the flesh”? When I rebell against God, is this “strength of the flesh”? Actually, all my sins are weaknesses of the flesh. If this doctrine can cover one sin which a man does not repent of, it can cover all sins. The Calvinists are more consistent than my brethren. They admit that the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account applies to all sins and, therefore, that the sins which a Christian commits do not affect the salvation of his soul. My brethren say that this is so with reference to only a certain kind of our sins! I guess that some of our sins are venial and others are mortal.

Conclusion

These criticisms of the doctrine of the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer’s account make this doctrine more than an innocent belief of some among us. It is a departure from the one faith that was revealed by God. Its logical consequences are devastating to the Christian. It implies that one can be saved while continuing in sin. Consequently, those who are faithful to the Lord must oppose this doctrine with every ounce of their being.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 99-101
February 9, 1978

By Leslie Diestelkamp

In very generic terms Peter admonishes husbands regarding their treatment of wives. He says, “Ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7). Paul very specifically states that “the head of the woman is the man” (1 Cor. 11:3). This is God’s arrangement. It was not imposed upon humanity by some despotic ruler nor by some backward society. Neither was it imposed by some religious system. Indeed it is clear that “neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (1 Cor. 11:9). In God’s infinite wisdom he arranged that “the husband is the head of the wife” (Eph. 5:23).

But before some modern women are completely “turned off” by the above remarks, let us be reminded that “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:11). God’s arrangements for man and woman are not arbitrary or one-sided. It is His desire that our relationship be bi-lateral, that is reciprocal. So we can briefly outline the husband’s duty as follows:

1. The husband is the head of the family circle and must not neglect nor decline his responsibility. Let him think of this arrangement as an assignment of duty, not just a grant of power. He must not rule his house as an autocrat, a dictator, or a tyrant, but he is to rule by guiding, by giving direction to the family, by good stewardship of his opportunity. He should exercise exemplary and dynamic leadership in the home: that is, he should guide his household by his own model behavior and with enthusiasm.

2. In his treatment of his wife he will recognize that she is indeed physically weaker than he. He will therefore not impose undue hardship upon her that would unnecessarily burden or break her body. Thus, he will nurse her when she is sick, he will shield her before and after child-birth and he will guard and protect her against evil people and wicked ways. He will treat her as a tender and fragile plant, as a delicate and precious flower. He will give her strength to lean upon and courage to imitate. He will try , to satisfy her every emotional need and will not withhold from her the joys and satisfactions that are a very real part of the marriage relationship (see .1 Cor. 7:3-5).

3. The husband will recognize that he and his wife may share the most precious relationship of all: their mutual fellowship with God. They are “heirs together of the grace of life.” He is not superior to her in God’s sight. For her Jesus dies, as well as for him. They have an equal hope for eternity. Their God-given responsibilities are not identical, their physical capacities are different and their functions in the family circle are definite and distinguishable. But in a very real and significant sense they are truly equal. They are full partners in God’s design for human development and happiness. Neither is superior nor inferior; neither is better nor worse; neither is more or less important. They are equal beneficiaries of God’s grace of life and equal participants in his plan for humanity.

Christ: The Husband’s Example

Yes, Christ is married, too (Rom. 7:4). The church is the bride of Christ, and He loved the bride so much that He gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:25). Paul says that husbands should love their wives even as Christ loved the church. But some may say that wives are not always so loveable. It is true. In fact, they are so much like husbands in that respect! Indeed, we are all human beings, and often hard to love because we become quite unlovable. But Christ loved all of us, even though we are human and even when we deserve no love. In spite of our un-loved natures, He loved us, so surely we can love our companions even with their imperfections, and especially when we realize we have so many imperfections ourselves.

If husbands would love their wives as whole-heartedly and as totally as Christ loved the church, this attitude alone would probably solve most of the difficulties in family circles. Out of his love for her, and as a consequence of his devotion to her, would probably come a reciprocal affection from her. Thus, both would demonstrate mutual love, and not merely declare it; thus, peace and joy would be reflected in the home. The parade to the divorce courts could be significantly decreased, I believe, if each companion would nourish and cherish the affection of the other instead of taking it for granted.

Most discontented husbands who complain of too little attention from their wives and who yearn for more affection from their companions would probably not need to see a lawyer if they would recognize the principles of this chapter and would give cheerful response to these ideals. Just as he desires his wife to continue to be attractive to him and to charm him with affection, romance and love, he must respond to her needs and appeal to her emotions with gentleness, kindness and with expressions of appreciation for her. If a husband counts his marriage precious, then he will not be wasting time when he frequently shows the same tenderness in later years that he did on the honeymoon. One woman expressed it like this:

“I know your love is greater now,

Than ever in our courtship days:

Somehow you show it in a thousand different ways;

But sometimes I think wistfully,

Of how nice it was when you loved me less,

And told me so more frequently.”

In our next chapter we shall consider some pitfalls that vex many families and that thus become very real factors in the crisis at the crossroads. Next: “Home Wreckers.”

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, p. 98
February 9, 1978