Truth Magazine

By William V Beasley

While a recruit in the Army taking basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky our platoon sergeant let all the recruits know that one of the great “sins” of a recruit was that of “anticipating the command.” In marching a preparatory command, such as “Left Flank,” “Column Right,” etc., was given followed by a command to execute. Usually the command to execute was given one step after the preparatory command. Sometimes, to test us, “Sarge” would hold off giving the command of execution for several seconds. If we were not on our toes we would, anticipating the command, execute before the command. This, of course, raised the ire of our platoon sergeant.

What does this have to do with the type material generally found in Truth Magazine? Simply this, -I believe that our denominational friends who teach the doctrine of salvation by faith only are guilty of anticipating the command. They see the need of salvation (Rom. 3:23), and know that Jesus Christ is the means of salvation (Rom. 6:23; John 14:6). At this point they, like I and my fellow recruits of some years ago, anticipate the command or the receiving of salvation. Some are no doubt dishonest and know the truth, but most, I am convinced, simply have anticipated the receiving of salvation, and have not waited for the command to execute (baptism, Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; I Pet. 3:21).

Truth Magazine, XVIII:2, p. 12
November 8, 1973

By William C. Sexton

The Psalmist said: “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” (Psa. 19:8). The meaning of this statement needs to be understood and its accuracy believed. A failure to understand and/or believe the declaration results in many living a miserable life now and making sure that they shall do the same in the world which is to come.

God has given many rules by which man is to be governed. Each of these rules is for man’s own good. They are practical, and they will lead to man’s pleasure in this world as well as in the world which is to come, when applied. God gave these rules knowing man and the true nature of all things! Knowing what man really desires, what it takes to produce, He gave rules and principles by which one can achieve his objective.

There are various ways to illustrate the fact that God’s rules will always achieve the desired objective. Nevertheless, I have chosen only one area of man’s activities to show the superiority of God’s way over any devised by man. That area is regarding man’s sexual activities.

1. God’s Law: He forbids either pre-marital or extramarital sexual activities. Fornication and adultery are sins that separate man from God and will deny him a place in heaven, unless such is forgiven. (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21). Marriage is the only relationship in which two persons can engage in sexual activities and enjoy the blessings of God. This is the place in which and the person with whom this basic need is to be fulfilled.

Observations will, I believe, reveal that when any rule of God is violated in this area, as in all other areas, the results are undesirable and against the best interest of man. Trouble comes in various ways to all who engage in the activities that God forbids. The troubles are many, and we cannot explore them all now. Probably no one can see them all. However, we shall look at some.

2. Society: In today’s society, there are various views regarding permissible sexual activities. The tendency, however, among many “young people” and a segment of “educators” is toward what is called “sexual freedom.” This philosophy called “sexual freedom,” I suggest however, is mis-labeled! It affirms that people can follow their emotions and engage in sexual activities outside the relationship required of God and with persons other than the one whom God designated, with immunity from the consequences. Consequently, therefore, we have many idealistic people practicing this philosophy. What are the results?

Statistics

I point to one source of statistics. In the July 28, 1970 issue of Look Magazine, there is an article by Thomas and Alice Fleming, called, “What Kids Still Don’t Know About Sex.”

The following statistics are given: There has been an “explosion” in illegitimacy among young people in the last five years. In Oregon-1 out of 12 babies born is illegitimate. In 1950 there was 1 out of 53; and in 1960, there was only 1 in 30. Thus, we see the increase. In New York-illegitimacy has quadrupled since 1946. There are 300,000 cases for this state a year, and it is estimated that by 1980 there will be 400,000 cases a year for this state. In California-in one half of all teenage-marriages, the girl is already pregnant. In our nation-there are 2 million cases each year of women becoming pregnant out of wedlock.

Resultant Problems

This aspect of these activities create Social Problems. First, it creates a problem of caring for the child, in an unnatural way, without the father-mother relationship which is desirable to produce a well adjusted person. When a child is reared in such a setting, he lacks the socialization that is necessary to equip him to be a contributing participant in society. Herein lies the secret and limit of social concern. Financially, the state usually has to provide the material for this child, and many times his mother.

There is a Personality Problem. The persons engaged in these activities usually are disturbed, that is they become such, and they suffer mental and emotional agonies as the aftermath of their actions. The woman cannot feel totally guiltless in her mind, and such will always trouble her to a degree; the father will not have the mental and emotional satisfaction that the natural father would have. He will never see in the mother of his child the purity and high ideals of motherhood that should characterize this member of the family. The family relationship will not be as happy and holy as otherwise it could have been. The type of personal satisfaction that God would have reside in such a relationship, and the kind that man needs, will be missing.

There are, also, Spiritual Problems. One may Engage in such and be forgiven, to be sure. This is one of the wonderful aspects of the religion of Christ. The terms of forgiveness are clearly set forth in the New Testament, and they are available to all. However, when one steps into the river of immoral degradation, the temptation seems to increase for him to continue to bathe in the stream and resist the call of God to cleanse one’s self by washing in the blood of Christ. The conditions of God’s plan to cleanse are usually ignored. Some learn the lesson when they taste the bitterness of filth and abandon it and turn to God for His cleansing power and strength to keep themselves in the stream of God’s love. For all such, we are grateful.

To all who have bathed in the filth of sexual activities out of wedlock, I would send and appeal: Be washed in the blood of Christ, and then consciously walk with Him in assurance that He is willing and able to keep you in His love, if you will heed His voice, (Lk. 6:47; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

The thrust of our argument, however, is directed to parents and young people, to the married, both old and young and all in between. See the wisdom divine as well as the practicality of God’s instructions and do not be swept away with the flood of this philosophy of the “New Morality.” Resist the appeals of the commercial world to arouse the basic drive in you. Keep yourselves in the purity of God’s way.

I recognize that in every normal person-male or female-there is the sexual drive, and that drive is the strongest of all drives. All are tempted at times to violate and disregard God’s law, too, I feel. Nevertheless, while we understand and appreciate the normality of this drive, let us restrain it until it can be fulfilled in the way that the Maker designed that it be satisfied. With His help, all can succeed. This we need to be convinced of. Watch for those situations wherein you will be tempted to go beyond your ability to resist and avoid them. Ask yourself, beloved, if the so-called “sexual freedom” is not in fact “sexual slavery.” It imprisons one’s soul, destroys his ability to maneuver in the world legitimately, and exchanges his purity for a bath in the stream of filth! Such is not freedom, beloved! Such will be recognized for what it is by the wise, I believe.

Much is at stake: social participation; personality development and happiness; and most of all-eternal life. Understand the nature of God’s statutes. Rely on Him. His word is accurate. His instructions are for our good. His power is sufficient! So, let us draw near Him, believing the declaration of His holy word: “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart,” (Psa. 19:8).

Truth Magazine, XVIII:2, p. 11-12
November 8, 1973

By Donald P Ames

One cannot turn through the pages of the New Testament without being impressed with the nature of the miracles performed by Jesus while here on this earth. In contrast to those performed by so-called “faith healers” of today, they did not fail “for one’s lack of faith” and were able to stand the test of investigation. They did not have to be drug out until the person eventually was “healed,” but were instantaneous in their very nature. They did not deal with those things no one could see, but were obvious to all who saw what had happened. (See also 1 Cor. 13:8-10).

In fact, these miracles were so overwhelming that they readily bore evidence to the Jews of the power of God. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). In John 9, as the blind man disputed with the Pharisees, he said, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes…. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that any one opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (Jn. 9:30-33). The Pharisees themselves were forced to admit He was performing many signs (John 11:47-“miraculous acts”-Vine), and the people asked, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” (Jn. 9:16-here implying they did not believe such a man could be a sinner, but had to be from God). The disciples were constantly amazed as they saw the power of Christ manifested in the miracles He was performing.

But the sad fact remains that not all of the Jews believed. Did they deny that a miracle had been performed? Did they deny that someone had actually been healed? No! Just the opposite is true: they denied that such a miracle had taken place by the power of God, and instead attributed it to the power of the Devil (Matt. 12:24). They accused Him of being a false teacher and a sinner (John 9:16), but still asked how the miracle had actually been performed (Jn. 9:26). They could not deny that such had actually taken place (Jn. 11:47-48, Acts 4:16), or they most gladly would have produced that evidence to refute and expose Christ.

But let us note here another feature about these miracles that were being performed by Christ. That is, that by doing these things, He was also making some rather bold claims, namely, that He was the Son of God. In fact, Jesus repeatedly turned to His miracles as direct evidence of this fact. In Matt. 11:4-6, He sends answer by John’s disciples that the miracles He did were all the testimony He needed to demonstrate He was the Christ. In John 10:37-38, He appeals to the miracles as clear evidence that will stand-even if they reject His spoken word. In John 10:25, He calls on them as clear evidence God was with Him. In John 15:24. He not only notes that the miracles He performed were of such a nature no man could reproduce them, but goes so far as to claim that because of them, those who rejected them would be lost in sin. Indeed these were some rather bold claims to be made as a result of what He was doing.

Many today are willing to come along and admit Christ was a great man, who did some great teaching, but like the Jews, they refrain from admitting He was the Christ. They claim the miracles were mere figments of the disciples’ imaginations. However, the disciples not only recorded them during the life-time of those who were eye-witnesses of them (and could thus have easily refuted them), but called upon them as testimony of the deity of Christ (Acts 2:22), and through the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated what they preached was the truth (Acts 4:16; Mark 16:17-20; Heb. 2:1-4). That which was revealed is too well established for modern day deniers to dismiss that easily.

And what is the consequence of all this? What do these miracles tell us regarding the claims of Christ? Either He was what He claimed to be, or God bore witness through His miracles to what was a boldfaced lie! Since we know God does not lie (Titus 1:2), and would not substantiate a lie with such miracles which were appealed to as proof Jesus was the son of God (if the claim was false, God himself would have turned against him in refutation of that which was claimed. Acts 12:23), then we are indeed forced to accept the conclusion presented by Nicodemus, “We know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). And since He claimed, and confirmed, to be the Son of God, why will we not heed that which He has set forth (Luke 6:46)?

Truth Magazine, XVIII:2, p. 10
November 8, 1973

By Larry R. DeVore

The word “Hypocrisy” is from the Greek word “Hupokrisis” meaning literally, “To answer- play-acting, hence, pretence.” (Vine, page 241).

Quite often when visiting an unfaithful member of the church, his or her favorite excuse is “There are too many hypocrites in the church.” And I suppose they are right. For even one true hypocrite in the church would be one too many. But I believe there are a whole lot more hypocrites in man-made churches, and in the world in general; and brother, there will be a whole lot of them in hell, and I do not want to go there to be with them.

But it seems to me, in about every case where this excuse is brought up, the one using it as an excuse for unfaithfulness has never gone to any of these “hypocrites” in the church to try to get them to do right. This is “Phariseeism” of the worst sort, as Jesus said “they say and do not.” So it is with unfaithful members. They will accuse others of being hypocrites, but they will do absolutely nothing to talk to them and teach them to do right. This they do not want to do, because if others did right, then their excuse would be gone! This makes such unfaithful members the biggest hypocrites of all. Paul said, “Let love be without dissimulation.” (Rom. 12:9) Dissimulation is another word for hypocrisy. The unfaithful member does not really love his brethren or else he would urge them to do better and repent. He is the biggest hypocrite of all, and he will end up in hell with that hypocrite in the church he refused to have anything to do with in this life. What a waste and useless tragedy. Think, Brethren, Think!

Truth Magazine, XVIII:2, p. 9
November 8, 1973