Truth Magazine

By Ray Ferris

“The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he would never be found out,” said Thomas Babington Macaulay. There are many people in our world of today who are entirely willing to take a chance on man never discovering their crimes. Many of these people are caught, however, and are punished by man for their misdeeds. There are many more who are able to fool men all the days of their lives, and thus get by with their evil works so as to be able to live among men with a good name in society.

There are many other people in the world who refrain from doing many things only because they know that society does not approve of it, and they are afraid to take the chance of being discovered in their evil schemes by the public. As the standards that are acceptable to the majority vary, so will the standards of such people change. Think of what is practiced now in the way of immorality that causes hardly an eye-brow to be raised, but would have provoked the strongest kind of censure just a few years ago. The individual who permits society to establish the standard will never be anything but an advocate of the status quo.

Fear Of God Deters Some

There are still others who would be willing to take the chance of doing many of the things to which we have reference, even though they might be apprehended by society, if it were not for the fear of God. Everyone who has any knowledge at all of the principles contained in the Bible knows that God has taught us that all sin will be found out and judged. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Eccl. 12:14). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5: 10). “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29). Surely the principle expressed to Israel in the long ago is correct: “. . . be sure your sin will find you out.” (Num. 32:23b). In the language of Hebrews 4:13, ” . . . all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

We often commend the people who refrain from doing that which is wrong just because they know it would displease the Lord, and truly they are to be commended. In Job 28:28 we read, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Again we read: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments … ” (Psa. 111: 10). The Wise Man said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13). The man who does good and refrains from evil because he fears God is beginning to “get smart!”

God Desires More Than Fear

However, surely the man who has trained himself to follow the Lord will do many of the things that are right just because they are right. The religion of Jesus does not encourage men to do all they think it is possible to “get by with” ii. questionable deeds. It rather teaches that men are to become good in their hearts. The Wise Man again stated the principle: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he . . . ” (Prov. 23: 7). He also said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4: 23). Jesus said, “. . . those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart-; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man . . .” (Matt. 15:18-20). Here the Lord shows the heart to be the wellspring of actions: evil proceeds from the heart.

God has commanded us to become God-like in our manner of life. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1: 16). Peter uses this, a quotation from Leviticus, as reason for the admonition, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” The word conversation means manner of living, and is so translated in the ASV.

A Noble Goal

Our aim ought not to be staying away from evil only because we are afraid of punishment, but rather to be holy even as God is holy. The supreme goodness of God is seen in James 1: 13: “for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man . . ..” Note that verse 14 shows that temptation comes because of lust toward that which entices. God is so completely good that evil is not an enticement to Him; He is not even tempted! Now since temptation comes because one is drawn by his own desires toward that which entices (verse 14), then the impossibility for God to be tempted must he because He has no desire for anything that is evil.

Can you think of something, which you once practiced that was sinful, but that you have now discarded? Can you think of something of this nature that does not even appeal to you at all now? This is an illustration of our point. How great to be able to reach a state where one had no desire to sin in any way. But that is not a condition to be reached in the flesh. It would seem I however, to be a fitting goal for us to work toward regarding any particular sin that besets us. What a tremendous goal for us with regard to every sin – to try to conquer the lust for that which entices!

Self-evaluation

Just how far have we gone toward real goodness? In the language of Mr. Macaulay at the beginning of our article, “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” What do you do when you think none of your fellowmen is looking? What would you do if you believed you could hide it from the Lord? Surely honest answers to these questions will help us to evaluate ourselves properly as we walk before our Holy Father. Such answers ought to enable us to see the progress we have made; to realize more fully that our own goodness is very meager, to say the least, and that great challenges are before us; and to appreciate with deep humility our own unworthiness and God’s abundant love and grace. The secret to good character is a converted heart. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2).

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 50, pp. 6-7
October 25, 1973

By Ron Halbrook

(EDITOR’S NOTE: For the Preface to this series of articles, please see the Introductory article in the Sept. 20th issue of Truth Magazine.)

POINT 7. Last, we consider our brother’s concept of grace. He is teaching that the work of Christ, in addition to the blood sacrifice, was to obey perfectly for us. Christ is “a representative law-keeper, who justifies others by his obedience.” “Because of His obedience, those who are in Him can be saved although they never do achieve perfect obedience themselves.” Once we are in Christ, the obedience of Christ is imputed to us rather than sin being imputed to us. “There is a sphere where sin is not imputed to the sinners and that sphere is ‘in Christ.’ ” This is “the righteousness which is by faith” referred to “in Romans 4:6-8” (quotes from G.G., Vol. 21, No. 44). (He wants us to emphasize that he believes imputed obedience is conditioned on true faith.)

REVIEW: Attitudes, principles, and concepts have consequences. Does our brother not see what follows from his premise of imputed obedience? The result is: even if we do violate the silence of God, practice unlawful opinions, and add to God’s Word, even if these are actual sins, God will not impute these to us especially in cases of misguided or false piety (as distinguished from flagrant pride). He will rather impute the obedience of Christ to us who are in him. In this fashion, God’s grace accepts brethren who use instruments, socialize the church’s mission, and centralize. Since God accepts them, so should we.

The foundation is faulty; thus, the conclusion, which results, is unfounded. The Old Law does not cast any shadows concerning our need of one to keep the Law perfectly for us–which obedience would be imputed to us. The Law is replete with shadows concerning our need of a perfect sacrifice a blood sacrifice for removal of sin, upon faith. “The law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.” The Old Law could not save because man did not perfectly obey. (Man’s paramount problem was not that he might break the law without knowing it and thus be lost, though the law recognizes a man might break the law and learn of it later. The supreme problem was that once a man broke the law when tempted to choose the wrong. the law couldn’t grant final and complete forgiveness. Heb. 10:4.)

What solution did God intend: one to obey for us or one to die for us? “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing . . . might come . . . through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:11-14). Which is foreshadowed: one to obey for us or one to die for us? See Heb. 10:1-14.

If the work of Christ was not as “a representative law-keeper who justifies others by His obedience,” what is the meaning of his perfect obedience? Our brother says, “Because Of His obedience, those who are in Him can be saved although they never do achieve perfect obedience.” If that is not it, what is the meaning of Christ’s obedience? In the first place, his death could not be accepted on our behalf if be owed life for his own sins.

Also, notice Heb. 2, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that bad the power of death, that is, the devil. . . . Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Christ “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (4:14-16). The perfect life was lived to make him perfect in sympathy and understanding of our struggle with sin.

And, again, we emphasize the perfect life provided a perfect sacrifice. The perfect priest, “without sin,” did not offer a life-long obedience to be counted in place of our disobedience; he culminated a life of obedience in a perfect sacrifice for our sins, and thus saves us. “Through death” he saves us. See Heb. 5:8-9; 9:28; 10: 12. Yes, his obedience is full of meaning for us.

The idea that God imputes the obedience of Christ to us leads our brother to say, “But there is a sphere where sin is not imputed to the sinners and that sphere is ‘in Christ.’ ” So, as long as we’re in Christ, God keeps imputing his obedience to us and so does not impute sin to us. (Again, Ed says this is conditioned on true, continuing faith.) This is a misconstrued allusion to Rom. 4, especially vv. 4-8. God does not impute past sins to those justified by faith. Such is the meaning of Ps. 32, from which Paul quotes, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” “The Lord imputeth not iniquity,” not in the sense that sin is not imputed in the first place, but in the sense that imputed sin was “forgiven” to one who “acknowledged” and confessed his sin unto God (Ps. 32:1-5). Sin, once forgiven, is not imputed or remembered any longer. So it is in Heb. 8:12, “Their sins . . . will I remember no more.

In the Old system of sacrifice, “there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.” In the New, God doesn’t remember the post sins for which we have sought forgiveness (compare Heb. 8:12 and 10: 3). If we sin again, we may go on in hardness; “there remaineth no more sacrifice” (Heb. 10 – 26). Or, “we may confess our sins , ” “he is faithful and just to forgive” (1 Jn. 1). We could not confess that which is not imputed to us in the first place. “If we walk in the light” and “if we confess our sins,” the blood of Christ cleanses us. Nowhere is it taught that our sins are not imputed because his obedience is imputed to us.

We emphasize again, the Law did not foreshadow (1) one to perfectly obey for us, so (2) his obedience could be imputed to us, and (3) so our present sins would not be imputed to us. The people were never taught to look on the thousands of lambs as perfectly obedient ones, foreshadowing One who would perfectly obey for us-nor are the other two points just mentioned foreshadowed. The lamb without blemish did emphasize that Christ would be a sinless sacrifice. Every man broke the Law and then stood under the sentence of death (Gal. 3:11-12; Heb. 2:15). They saw in the rivers of blood that sin requires death, and yet that animal blood is insufficient (Heb. 9-10). But the shadows, the sacrifices they offered, served to bring them unto “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world” through one perfect sacrifice (Jn. 1, Gal. 3, Heb. 10).

Dear brother, we appeal in love: clarify please.

Appeal In Love

CONCLUSION: Our brother Edward Fudge is loved of many, including his brother Ron Halbrook, who is extending this appeal to him. Love, patience, and a desire to help each other on the way to heaven must characterize us all.

We have tried to present this study in proper balance and perspective. For instance, I recognize temperament may differ according to individual make-up; our concern here is not with temperament, which may vary, but with teaching, which must conform to the divine standard. My own precautions and delays in presenting this material bear witness to my love of Ed. My conviction that Ed needs a specific occasion to clarify some specific matters has finally moved me to write. I cannot desire to hurt him, if I were to do so. Neither do I “throw the baby out with the bathwater; ” I rejoice in every talent Ed has, in his every effort for truth, and in every success of worthy endeavor that is his.

Believing basic principles are crying for attention, I cannot withhold these lines any longer. This appeal is written in love. Ed’s response, reaffirmation, rebuttal, or explanation will be received in love. Even should he deem it best to ignore this appeal, I shall love him still. I believe Ed and Ron are united in believing we must and can strive for the balance of attitude and truth required in 1 Cor. 16:13-14. “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” May God help us both to do exactly that.

(Series Concluded)

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 50, pp. 3-5
October 25, 1973

By Cecil Willis

With this issue, seventeen years of publishing Truth Magazine have been completed. Well over eleven of these years, it has been my privilege to serve as Editor. This issue also completes four years of publication on a weekly basis.

The editorial chair, I have found, to be a hot seat. An editor is criticized if he does, and criticized if he does not; it seems to make little difference what the issue is. I have ducked many of the rocks thrown in my direction, and gotten plastered by some of the others. Many of the very critical letters have been very helpful to me. Though some would never believe it, I have profited by the criticisms made. Some of them validly have been made. Experience has taught me where some of the editorial pitfalls are, and I shall hereafter try to avoid falling into them. I have no delusions about my editorial infallibility from this point onward. Surely other editorial mistakes will be made, but I shall try to make fewer of them, and not to repeat ones previously made.

Next week a new phase in the history of Truth Magazine will begin. Some changes are going to be made in the size and make-up of the paper. Some will approve the changes, and others will think we made a backward step. We have sought to publish a paper for brethren that has some “punch” in it. It has been our deliberate intention to make Truth Magazine a literary forum where issues that need discussion among brethren may be discussed. Truth Magazine has never been a paper designed for non-christians, or for babes in Christ, though we have sought to maintain a moderate balance in the content of the paper.

While Truth Magazine is undergoing some changes, its Editor also will be undergoing some. I have resigned my work as regular preacher for the Westside church in Marion, Indiana. My experience with these brethren has been entirely pleasant, from my point of view. It will be my intention to continue to work and worship with the Westside church. My friend, Brother Norman Midgette, is moving from the South Marion church to Westside to serve as local evangelist, effective January 1, 1974. It is our hope that some definite improvements can be made in the work of the Westside church in Marion, and certainly I intend to lend every effort that I can toward the accomplishment of this objective.

It will be my intention to devote about half of my time in 1974 to writing, both for Truth Magazine and hopefully in some other media also. We hope to be able to expand our publishing effort in order to make it possible for competent brethren to leave for succeeding generations a legacy of worthwhile religious articles, books, and booklets. Considerable of my time will therefore be devoted to trying to help to prepare for publication articles and books written by others. It has been the hope of those of us connected with the Cogdill Foundation that we can perpetuate the capability to publish needed religious books, tracts, journals, class materials, etc.

The remainder of my time will be spent in preaching wherever the opportunity presents itself. Though I have enjoyed my work with Truth Magazine, I (and a couple of other brethren) primarily look upon myself as a gospel preacher. During two years of my preaching life, I was not engaged in full-time work with a congregation. During those two years I preached more sermons than during any other two years of my life. I certainly do not intend to be less involved in the work of preaching and teaching. During recent years I have tried to do too many different things, with the result that I did not do anything as well as I would like to try to do it. With this altered arrangement, it will be my hope that Truth Magazine can be made into a better and more profitable journal. For several years, I have held about twenty meetings a year. The Lord Willing, I shall continue to hold about that many yearly.

As we close this volume, it is essential that a considerable portion of this final issue be devoted to the publication of an author and title index. Though an index is worthless to those who do not preserve their weekly issues of the paper, it is invaluable to those who keep permanent files, and hundreds of our readers do so. Beginning next week, a larger Truth Magazine will begin coming to your home. We hope to pack it full of good things, which will build you up in the most holy Faith.

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 50, p. 2
October 25, 1973

By Floyd Chappelear

Human philosophers of every stripe have argued that God is not real but that He is a creation of mere man. A product of man’s imagination. It is argued that primitive man had a “need” for some supernatural force and therefore “created” the idea of a controlling spirit which somehow governed the unexplainable events of nature. This new concept, it is said, tranquilized man’s fears and thus led some to say, “religion is the opium of the masses.” Believers have long denied that man predated Deity and insist, as the facts themselves indicate, that Deity existed prior to man’s entrance into history. Nevertheless, we shall in the course of this article insist that the nonbeliever is in a measure correct in his assertion that men have created god.

By way of removing all doubts, we state emphatically that we believe in the existence of God and that the evidence supports that contention. The very orderliness of the Heavens “declare the glory of God and the firmaments His handiwork” (Psa. 19:1). It is truly the fool who says “there is no God” or that “God is dead” (Psa. 14:1). At the same time we insist that man has created god and/or gods to satisfy his own whims and to alleviate his own fears. Let us examine the evidence.

What Man Has Done With God

In His benevolence, God has never left man to his own devices. Man is incapable of ordering his life without Divine guidance (Jer. 10:25). Even in the Garden, the Lord prepared the way of Adam and gave him instruction. Needless to say, as Adam did, all men do. Adam “did away with” God. For a moment, in the life of the first man, God was dead; God did not exist. And so it has been from that day to this – man has rejected the Creator.

Stephen insisted that the conduct of the Jews of his day was typical of them as a people. They, and their fathers before them, “resisted the Holy Spirit” and dismissed the prophets who had been sent by the Righteous Judge to warn them of their wicked ways (Acts 7:51-53). Jesus told the Jews that the Father had been denied and that their “father was the Devil” (Jno. 8:42-47). The Paternity of the Holy One had been displaced by the paternalism of the wicked one. Upon their realization of their hypocrisy and their rejection of God, they were forced to either repent or destroy this, the “Son of God.” They chose the latter course (Acts 2:36). The pattern of history had been repeated.

Having put away God, mankind was left with a void. The philosopher says a “need” existed for a deity. Thus, understandably, man began to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator who had formed him (Rom. 1:25). In his zeal, or perhaps in his competitiveness with others, he began to fashion a replacement god for every situation that might arise. Paul referred to the Athenians’ “very religious” nature and called attention to their prolific deities (Acts 17:22-23). Men had “progressed” to the point where their idols were everything, in spite of the fact that they were nothing at all (1 Cor. 8:5-7).

Why did the primitive feel that they had to supplant Jehovah when they already had Him? Because with the knowledge of the true God, man stood condemned. Men do not well receive the rebuke or the chastening of others.

Having denied the Lord of Heaven, men replaced Him with gods that pleased their carnal nature and gave themselves to licentious worship (1 Pet. 4:3-5). The evidence suggests that even the Jews gave themselves to phallic worship and embraced with fervor the debaucheries of the Gentile world. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes” (Prov. 16:2). The gods of the people approved of the people. Or, to phrase it more accurately, the people approved of their gods. Thus, when men seek to remake God, and form gods of their own, they always fashion a concept, which pleases them and one, which panders to their appetites.

Modern Man and the Creation of Gods

Modern man is not immune to the practice of the ancients. As our forefathers did, so do we. As they rejected the truth of the Word, so do mortals today. As they fashioned comfortable views of the Eternal One, so does the twentieth century man.

The “Jesus freaks” have developed an image of the “horn of salvation” which the Lord raised up, not at all in harmony with the revelation of scripture. “Christ was a casual wanderer who did not concern himself with the amenities of life such as working and washing.” The scripture says that Christ labored with his bands to provide the necessities of life (Mark 6:3). Some suggest that Christ did not condemn sin but rather condoned it. These call forth the example of the woman taken in adultery as proof (John 8:1-11). It matters little that Jesus told her to “sin no more.” Such is lost among those who have preconceived notions and who insist that Jesus is to agree with them.

Others suggest that the Lord was not interested in the form our worship takes. Do they so soon forget that the money changers were driven from the temple with scourges (Matt. 21:13)? Some say that the “long hairs” of today resemble the Savior who most assuredly bad long hair. Not so. By revelation it was said that “long hair is a shame to a man” (1 Cor. 11:14). The Prince of Peace knew that.

Sectarian Concepts of God

Sectarians regularly state that the church of God is an unnecessary institution and that one can be saved out of it. Do they really believe that Jesus shed His blood for that which is unneeded (Acts 20:28)? The truth of the matter is that sectarians have rewritten the gospel to conform to their already held notion concerning what God will or will not do. What they need to do now is to adopt the lustful practices of the heathen worshippers, and they will be in every respect like their barbaric ancestors.

The Practice in the Church

Even the community of the saved is not free from the practice of the ancients. There are those who for the sake of popularity are restructuring the facts of the gospel to conform to their concepts of what Jesus should be. It is said that Christ was a “radical” who went around “having special influence among the young people.” It is further stated that He is not concerned with the “letter” but rather with the “spirit” of our service. Such heathenism in the church should disgust but not shock anyone.

Modernism is as old as man. As for the character of Jesus, let us examine the facts. Is it radicalism to call for repentance (Luke 13:3)? Was it disrespect for authority, which led the son of David to insist that men keep the commandments of God (Matt. 7:21)? And other than the instance of Jesus speaking to the very little ones (Matt. 18:1-4), where does it say He had any special influence among young people? He warned of those who would subvert the souls of others and it is obvious that such is most easily done among the young whose “senses are (not) exercised to discern good from evil” (2 Tim. 2:14; Heb. 5:14). Thus, the heathens among us find youthful minds to be fertile fields for their nefarious plantings.

Some have said that the church is not an organized entity but rather a loose coalition of the children of God. Does it matter that God in His infinite wisdom organized and ordered it according to the dictates of His desires (Eph. 4:11,12)? It seems that it does not. Such is par for the course for those whose task in life is to fashion for themselves a Jesus who approves of their works of iniquity.

Conclusion

It would behoove every informed child of God to recognize that the spirit of compromise which has invaded the church is not just a little liberalism gone to seed but that it is the ancient heathenism revived and restored to respectability. The revealed Godhead is sufficient for all who love it. The faithful will not rend the fabric of Deity and try to force it to cover the distorted shape of a restructured Jesus. Rather, they will obediently and humbly transform themselves into such as who respect the will of the Most High (Rom. 12:1, 2). It should be our fervent hope that all who professes to believe will also willingly submit themselves to His care who died for us. In so doing, unity will result, souls will be saved, and none will run off preaching “a different gospel, which is not another except some would trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-9).

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 49, pp. 11-12
October 18, 1973