Truth Magazine

By Harold Fite

Guilt is a heavy burden to bear. It caused Peter to weep and drove Judas to hang himself. It prompted David to say, “Make me to hear joy and gladness” (Ps. 51:8). Guilt removes joy, peace, and tranquility. It can destroy our physical and mental health. To continue in guilt over a prolonged period is to lose respect for self, and not having a self to live with is tragic.

Guilt feelings may be justified or may not be justified. You may feel guilt because of a failure to measure up to what people expect of you. You may also feel a sense of guilt because you didn’t measure up to self-imposed goals. The greater problem is a failure to measure up to God’s law. This is what this article is all about.

Guilt is, “trouble arising in our mind from a consciousness of having done contrary to what we are verily persuaded was our duty” (Oxford Dictionary). It is a failure to live up to the “ought.” Where there is no sense of “ought,” there is no sense of guilt.

Guilt comes as the result of breaking law. To violate God’s law is sin (1 John 3:4; Isa. 53:6; 2 John 9; Rom. 3:23). Sin produces guilt. Conscience also comes into play. There is no guilt without conscience! Conscience is “the sense within us by which we approve or disapprove for having followed, or failed to follow a standard known by us.” In speaking of the Gentiles, Paul said, “they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thought one with another accusing, or else excusing them” (Rom. 2:15). Our standard is the word of God and our conscience excuses or accuses us when we follow or fail to follow that standard. We must not ignore conscience.

There are two kinds of guilt: (1) Subjective, (2) Objective. In most states a person who commits a crime must be examined by a psychologist to determine whether the defendant is mentally capable of standing trial. The psychologist is not concerned with “what” he has done but “why” he did it. What were the circumstances? What pressure was he under at the time? What in his background would cause him to commit the crime? The prosecutor, on the other hand, is not concerned with why the person committed the act, but that he violated the law and must pay the penalty.

Many look to God as the psychologist. They think explaining to God why they sinned against him — outlining the circumstances; the tremendous pressure they were under at the time — that God will understand and rule in their favor. Saul pursued this course without success. Saul didn’t destroy the Amalekites and tried to blame the people for his failure: “the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen . . . I feared the voice of the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:15, 24). God was not concerned why Saul disobeyed him, but that he did, and he removed him from being king. While transporting the Ark, Uzzah touched it, violating God’s command. God killed him on the spot! Uzzah could have argued that the oxen shook the Ark and it looked as if it were going to fall and he instinctively reached out for it. God’s concern was that his commandment had been broken and Uzzah had to suffer the consequences of his action, circumstances notwithstanding. God is not concerned with the circumstances surrounding our sin, but that we have sinned and must bear the guilt of sin.

The Jews under the law could not remove the guilt of sin. It was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin (Heb.10:4). Their sacrifices reminded them daily of their sinful state (Heb. 9:9). It took the blood of Jesus Christ to “cleanse your (their) conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14). Guilt is expiated by punishment or atonement. Thanks be to God who chose for us the latter. “Him who knew no sin was made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Modern man is trying to flee from guilt. The word “sin” has almost become archaic. A new vocabulary is being created to negate guilt: abortion, alternate life-style, love baby, unacceptable, etc. Renowned psychologists flippantly announce to the world, “You can have it all without guilt.”

Only the blood of Christ can remove the guilt of sin. For the blood to be viable it must be applied. The blood is the remedy for sin; the word is the applicator. Jesus said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Peter, how- ever, told those gathered on Pentecost, “Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins . . .” (Acts 2:38). Without the blood of Christ one cannot be saved. Jesus shed his blood for all men, but we will never receive the blessings that God intended for us to receive unless we apply the word.

The sinner might reply, “That’s too easy! I must suffer for my sins.” Here is the good news: Jesus has already done the suffering for you and atoned for your sins.

Dear reader, why go through life burdened with the guilt of sin? Purify your soul in obedience to the truth (1 Pet. 1: 22).

By Steve Wallace

Luke 16:19-31 contain an inspired account of life after death. Both Lazarus and the rich man died. The Bible re- cords what happened to them afterwards. We, by faith, look at this and other inspired accounts to learn God’s teaching about the afterlife.

We are presently experiencing an explosion of information regarding another supposed source of knowledge about life after death: The Near Death Experience or NDE. In 1994 the recent history of the NDE was chronicled from the standpoint of books in print:

As a publishing phenomenon, it all began with Closer to the Light, written a few years ago by Melvin Morse. That book sold well and so was soon followed by his sequel, Transformed by the Light. Mr. Morse did not claim an otherworldly encounter himself but soberly catalogued the stories of hundreds of near-death cases. Next came the classic of the genre, Betty J. Eadie’s 1992 Embraced by the Light, so successful that even now it tops the bestseller lists. Then Saved by the Light, by Dannion Brinkley, also a bestseller. He sees Mrs. Eadie one up by having died not merely once but twice, returning each time with various prophesies we ignore, he warns, at our peril. And now we have Beyond the Light, by Phyllis Atwater, who has trumped Mr. Brinkley with a third trip to higher realms (The National Review, September 12, 1994).

Suffice it to say that it will help us if we prepare to confront the NDE phenomena in people to whom we try to teach the gospel. We will likely meet people who have been in some way influenced by it.

While NDEs of many people contain similarities it must be pointed out that researchers have found differences in almost every story in spite of similarities. Cases have been found where people had negative NDEs in which they imagined themselves in hell or in a very unpleasant place. Others have had NDEs that are compatible with the teachings of Hinduism. An atheist reported having an NDE and continued on in his unbelief after being resuscitated. In another case, a criminal who confessed to having killed two people had an NDE where he saw himself among saved people. Still another woman who had an NDE said that she now believes in reincarnation but not in God. Others have switched religions or become more religious. There is no consistent message from NDEs.

By contrast, the Bible speaks against the NDE as a source of knowledge about matters pertaining to God, the afterlife, and salvation. To show this we offer the following points:

1. Near death, not dead. People who have had NDEs were brought back from being clinically dead. They were clearly not dead in the Bible sense of the word (Jas. 2:26; Eccl. 12:7). Biblically, a person only dies once (Heb. 9:27). The Bible teaches that we go to the afterlife after death, not near death (Luke 16:19ff). Hence, reports from NDEs are similar to someone coming back from a ride in a balloon and telling what they saw on the moon!

In light of the above facts, the next point logically follows.

2. NDEs are born of one’s subjective feelings. They are not found in the Bible. The NDE is our age’s contribution to the “religious experience” common among denominationalism. For centuries, people have claimed to have had some sort of “salvation experience.” Today, people are simply going a step further, claiming not only to have been saved, but to have gone into the spirit-realm of saved beings. The same verses that answer the claimed “religious experiences” of our denominational friends answer the experiences claimed by those resuscitated from near death (Jer. 10:23; Prov. 16:25). God’s people should not let NDE claims bother them anymore than the traditional claims people have made in past. They all come from the same source: the mind of man.

3. People who claim to have had NDEs are not Christians! Do you know a N.T. Christian among the people claiming to have had a “positive” NDE? (I do know that one man who had such an NDE had killed two people!) How can a person who has had an NDE claim to have the comfort of the knowledge of salvation when God has said he has fallen short of what it takes to enter heaven (Matt. 7:21)?

4. Reports from NDEs are inconsistent with Bible cases of people returning from the afterlife. Paul was forbidden to reveal what he heard in “the third heaven!” (2 Cor. 12:1-7). Further, there is no account of any resurrected person — in either the O.T. or N.T. — telling what he experienced while dead! This is especially noteworthy when we consider the number of people raised from the dead in the Bible (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:18-37; 13:20-21; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 7:11-16; John 11:1-54).

5. There is no value in those really dead returning. The rich man thought it would be a good thing if Lazarus went back from the dead and spoke with his five brothers. Abraham told him otherwise (Luke 16:26-31).

6. God communicates to us today through his word. The many books being written about NDEs and the messages of comfort they contain are like so many denominational creed books. They represent another gospel, separate and apart from that found in the N.T. (Gal. 1:8-9; 2 John 9-11). It is the gospel of Christ that holds the power of salvation for all men today (Mark 16:15; Rom. 1:16). Let us do our best to turn people away from the message of the NDE and to the inspired word of God.

Conclusion

There is only one credible testimony regarding what happens when we die. It is the Bible. In a precarious world, we are all potentially “near death.” Are you near heaven or hell? The Bible will both answer this question for you and tell you how to prepare to go to heaven and avoid hell.

There are people who go to church and talk as good a story as anyone; they contend for following the Bible in church work and worship; they may even preach from time to time and preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else, yet be as crooked as a barrel of snakes in their business dealings and seemingly have no compunction of conscience whatsoever. We have all known of church members, even preachers, who appear to be sound, but cheat on their wives, seemingly with no feeling of guilt, lie, don’t pay their debts, and otherwise violate God’s word. I have to say that preachers have told me more lies than anyone else! We read and hear of preachers and priests who molest little children, engage in homosexualism, steal money, fail to pay their debts, and commit other acts of ungodliness. Some of our own brethren seem to be model Christians, but abuse their wives and children, if not physically, mentally, by selfish- ness and unkindness. We see this and wonder: how can it be! Do these people not know better? Can they not see their inconsistency? What such people are doing is compartmentalizing their lives, whether they call it that, or realize what they are doing. They see their church work as one compartment of their lives, and their business, or private lives as another, and one does not interfere with or govern the other. I had a very able preacher friend who did excellent work. We worked together in gospel meetings and other projects on many occasions. Once he held an excellent meeting where I was preaching, and during that very meeting a woman other than his wife was pregnant with his child! How he could stand in the pulpit, much less preach, is a mystery. How he could associate with me, stay in my house, eat with my family, and talk of spiritual matters is difficult to understand unless he was compartmentalizing his life.

A brother wrote a well-known book as a professional historian in which he referred to the church of our Lord as a sect. When asked about it, he said he was writing as a professional historian. Many brethren were upset about it. I asked him would he have done it had he known the brethren would be so upset? He said, “Yes, he would, because he was writing as a professional historian.” Here is a concrete case of compartmentalizing. He stepped out of his role as a Christian and wrote as a professional historian. He didn’t take his Christianity with him. He thought he could do something as a professional historian that he couldn’t do as a Christian. He very likely would not stand in the pulpit and call the Lord’s church a sect, but he could sit at his typewriter as a professional historian and call it such! Compartmentalizing.

Pat Boone grew up as a Christian in Nashville, Tennessee. His family were all members of the church. He did some preaching as a young man. He recorded a song that made a hit, and he was off and running as an professional entertainer. As usual, Hollywood put him in the movies. Soon they wanted to cast him in a role where he would have to kiss the leading lady. He was reluctant to do so, but eventually justified it on the basis that he was not being disloyal to his wife, but was doing it as a professional actor. Compartmentalizing; he thought he could do something as a professional actor that he couldn’t do as a Christian.

Jesus called such people hypocrites. They are not what they claim to be or appear to be when they are in church or in the presence of Christians. It is well said that a hypocrite is one who is not himself on Sunday! Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15). He said such people are like “whited sepulchers . . . which in- deed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt. 23:27).

Jesus excoriated the Pharisees for saying and doing not; For “. . . tithing mint, anise and cumin, and leaving off the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith.” Jesus said, “these ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone” (Matt. 23). Like many today, the Pharisees had a polka dot hermeneutic, they believed the Bible in spots. They were very meticulous in bringing their “mint, anise and cumin” to the treasury of the temple, but in their private lives they ignored “justice, mercy and faith.” They were compartmentalizing.

We need to realize that if a person is not a Christian everywhere, he is not a Christian anywhere. Believest thou this? The Bible makes this very clear in such passages as 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:6).

Our public officials today are involved in one moral scandal after another, reaching all the way to the White House! Using brute power to satisfy personal lust is the rule of the day in Washington as well as in the office, in the school, in the military, and in the factory. Listening to talk radio, reading letters to the editor, and following the various polls gives one a pretty good view of the state of public morals in this country, which today are in the gutter and despicable. Public reaction to the recent moral scandal involving the president, whether true or not, has brought to the surface compartmentalizing with a vengeance! Many people are saying, “What the president does in his private life has nothing to do with his ability to run the country. As long as he does a good job as president, it’s none of our business what he does in his private life.” (One lady said it is good to have an adulterous person in the White House!) People don’t re- ally believe this, but they think they do when it suits them or serves their purpose. What if in the president’s private life he committed murder, embezzled funds, beat his wife, abused his daughter, or got drunk as a skunk, or did drugs on weekends, etc. would these people say the same thing? This is a naive view of matters.

It is a failure or a refusal to realize that the character flaw that would cause a person to violate his marriage vow or otherwise act immorally or dishonestly, indicates that he is a dis- honest person who cannot be trusted in other compartments of his life. If one is less than honest or moral in his private life, what evidence do we have that he is otherwise in his public life, if it were to his advantage? If one will be dishonest or immoral to get what he wants in one compartment of his life, why not in another compartment, or in all compartments? This reminds me of a preacher who was answering questions from the audience. One person asked the preacher what he thought about a person who said he and his wife had been married for 30 years and had never had a cross word. The preacher answered, “You’d better watch a fellow like that because he will lie about others things too!” He who would steal an egg would steal an ox. We should realize that one is no better than his morals, and no worse than his principles.

The religion of Christ is called a vocation (a full-time job), not an avocation (a sideline or a hobby) (Eph. 4:1). It is not a Sunday coat but work clothes. He who is not a Christian everywhere, is not a Christian anywhere!