Truth Magazine

By Franklin T. Puckett

One of the most widely held beliefs of our day is the teaching that a man is saved by faith alone. Nearly all of the denominational creeds have the idea imbedded in their articles, either clearly stated as in the Methodist Discipline, or else clearly implied. It is taught that man is saved miraculously, the very instant he believes in Christ, and that this belief is wrought in his heart by the action of the Holy Spirit. Man, in this view, is wholly passive and unable to do anything at all to bring about his salvation. It is all the work of the Holy Spirit. Neither the man’s obedience, nor the commands of Christ are taken into consideration. It is purely a miracle.

This is surely one of the most damnable of all false doctrines which curse the land this day. It does more to produce indifference in the hearts of the people toward the church, and to diminish respect for the church, than anything I know. It leads men to deny the essentiality of the church altogether. So strong a grip has the doctrine secured on the hearts of men that it is a very common experience to hear devoted religious people say, “Oh, the church is not important,” “The church does not save,” “One can go to heaven just as well without being a member of the church as he can in the church,” etc. Now if by the word “church” such people mean some denominational institution, then surely no Bible student anywhere would argue with them. On the contrary, every informed person will agree fully with the idea that membership in a denomination (any denomination) is not essential to salvation.

But no person who has reached the age of accountability, and has transgressed God’s law either by omission or commission, will ever reach heaven without being a member of the church which is revealed in the Bible. I call your attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is the “Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23). It is Christ who saves; Christ who is the Savior; and not the church. “The church” does not save; the church is the thing saved! “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the Savior of the body.” What does Christ save? He saved the body. But what is “the body”? It is the church (Col. 1:18, 24; Eph. 1:22, 23). Christ is the head of the church — his body. And it is this body which is saved by Christ.

The conclusion is clear from this that if one does not belong to the church, he does not belong to that of which Christ is the Savior. It was the church which was purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28); and it is “to the church” that the saved are added (Acts 2:47). There are no saved out of the church; there can be none. For everyone who is “saved” is “added” to the church by the same one who saves him — God.

The church was purchased by the blood of Christ. Un less we are willing to say that Christ was swindled when he bought the church, we must recognize that the value of the church is equal to the value of the blood of Christ. If the church is not valuable, then Christ was cheated when he purchased it with his own blood.

The church is a “blood-bought” institution. If one is to be saved by the blood of Christ, one must be a part of the church, his spiritual body, which was purchased by that blood. If one is a sinner, at enmity with God, then salvation and peace and reconciliation are to be had only in the church, the blood-purchased possession of Jesus Christ. “For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace, and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:14-16).

Where are people reconciled to God? In the one body, the church. Where is peace found? In the one body, the church. The Bible says that the body is the church, and that peace and reconciliation are to be had in the body, and not out of it. Talk about being “saved by the blood of Christ!” My friend, if you are ever saved by the blood of Christ, it will be because you have come into that body where you are reconciled to God by the cross of Christ. The blood which was shed for our redemption can save us only in the church. There is no other way.

Does the church save? Of course not! It is Christ who saves! But what does he save? He saves the body, the church. God exercised great power when he raised Jesus Christ from the dead and “made him to sit at his right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:20-23). So the church is the fullness of Christ. It was not some human institution, or some man-made denomination which he purchased with his blood; it was “the church.” It is over this body that he reigns as head; it is here that the fullness of God dwells. It is here and here only that salvation is promised to the penitent sinner.

We are pleading with people to become members of the New Testament church. We are pleading that men and women in our day do exactly what they did in the days of the apostles. These people then heard the gospel, believed it, repented of their sins, and were buried through baptism for the remission of sins. And when that happened God added them to the church. Here they were reconciled to God, washed and made clean by the blood of Christ; they were then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. They were in the church — the saved of God.

By C.W. Fell

Notice in John 3:16 that God “gave” his Son. God did not owe us a plan of salvation. He was not indebted to give us a plan of salvation. This plan of salvation was given as an unmerited favor by God to mankind while we were still dead in our sins.

How does a sinner obtain salvation? People have different ideas about God’s plan of salvation. Overcoming these differences can be difficult at times, but it is not impossible. In fact, most of us are much closer to agreement than we realize.

For example, let’s take Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Here is a simple point we all agree on. Regard- less of what name you wear, whether Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Independent, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, or Presbyterian we all agree on this point.

Next, we all agree with Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” This teaching transcends all the boundaries of division.

How Does One Escape?

Next, let’s consider how man can escape the condemnation of sin. What we want here is a Bible answer, not the opinions of men, but rather a clear book, chapter, and verse Bible answer. 

The following verses provide just such an answer:

. . . having now been justified by His blood . . . (Rom. 5:9).

. . . having made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20).

. . . and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

 

From these verses it is obvious that the blood of Christ is our hope for escape from the wages of sin. Without Christ’s blood we would be hopelessly lost.

I’m confident that most of us will agree up to this point. So, we now have three points of agreement.

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ blood is our only hope of escape.

Man Did Nothing!

Let’s move on to the fourth point. I am certain we will agree on it, also. The fourth point is that man did nothing to merit the sacrifice of Christ. Again we turn to the Bible for solid book, chapter, and verse answers.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . . (John 3:16).

. . .Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6).

. . .while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses. . . (Eph. 2:1).

Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive. . . (Eph. 2:5).

Notice in John 3:16 that God “gave” his Son. God did not owe us a plan of salvation. He was not indebted to give us a plan of salvation. This plan of salvation was given as an unmerited favor by God to mankind while we were still dead in our sins.

Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). God eliminated all possible boasting from the plan of salvation. No man can boast that he has earned salvation.

We should now have four points of agreement.

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ’s blood is our only hopeof escape.

• Not a single one of us deserves God’s plan of salvation.

To emphasize the fourth point a little further, consider the fact that this plan of salvation was designed and offered before you were born. You certainly did nothing to merit a plan of salvation that was given nearly two thousand years before you were born. You can also rest assured that the people of Christ’s day did not earn this plan. No one deserves salvation.

Saved By Grace Through Faith

In Ephesians 2:8 Paul introduced another element of salvation that we will agree on. Paul taught that we are saved by grace through faith. It is through the avenue of faith that we take hold of God’s grace and gain the salvation that is in Christ’s blood.

In Acts 15:9 we read, “. . .purifying their hearts by faith.” We see again that it is through the avenue of faith that we reach the saving blood of Christ. It is not faith that washes away our sins, but rather it is through faith that we reach the saving blood of Christ.

In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Faith is absolutely essential because it is the only avenue by which we can take hold of God’s grace and reach the blood of Christ.

No doubt we are still in agreement through these five points.

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ’s blood is our only hopeof escape.

• Not a single one of us deserves God’s plan of salvation.

• Without faith it is impossible to please God.

What Is Faith?

The next step is to identify and de- fine saving faith. What is its character and its nature? How does a person exercise saving faith? The Bible speaks of two kinds of faith. James tells us about one of these in James 2, starting at verse 14.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (2:14).

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (2:17).

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons be- lieve and tremble (2:19).

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (2:20).

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (2:21)

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (2:22).

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only (2:24).

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (2:26).

Why is the faith of this passage dead? Because it did not obey the truth. This dead faith recognized the facts and understood the truth but did not do the will of God.

James’ message is simple: An inactive faith is a useless faith. Only the Devil would encourage such a faith.

We have an example of this dead faith in John 12:42-43. John writes, “Nevertheless, even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” These men had an inactive faith, a dead faith.

In Matthew 10:33 we read, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” The rulers mentioned in John 12 would not confess Christ even though they believed he was the Christ, therefore Christ will deny them before his Father.

Faith alone was not enough just as James had said. A faith that recognizes the truth but does not surrender to God’s will is dead and does not lead to the saving blood of Jesus.

What Is Saving Faith?

Obviously we want the opposite of this dead faith. We want a faith that is alive, surrenders to God, and actively does his will. Various Bible passages reinforce this idea of saving faith.

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus taught, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Later in Matthew 12:50 Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister.”

The Hebrew writer wrote in He- brews 5:9, “. . .He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

In 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Paul taught that when Jesus returns he will take vengeance “on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We can see from these verses that the faith that leads to the blood of Christ is an active faith. It is a faith that does the will of God, making a personal surrender to whatever God may require.

We now have six points that we should agree on.

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ’s blood is our only hope of escape.

• Not a single one of us deserves God’s plan of salvation.

• Without faith it is impossible to please God.

• Saving faith obediently surrenders to the will of God. 

The Terms of Surrender

Next, let’s consider the terms of this surrender that leads to the blood of Christ. Once again we want a solid Bible book, chapter, and verse foundation, and once again the Bible provides such an answer.

In John 6:28 the people asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”Jesus answered in the next verse, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” To the modern mind “believe” might sound like an odd answer to their question. People today tend to view belief as something that is passive, but the religious minds of Jesus’ day knew that faith without works is dead.

In the Bible, saving faith and obedient surrender are so closely related that sometimes the ideas are interchange- able. This relationship between the two is obvious in the following verses.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? (Rom. 10:16). (Did you notice in this verse that the gospel is something to be obeyed?)

And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Heb. 3:18-19).

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient. . . (1 Pet. 2:7).

Saving faith is a firm conviction, a personal surrender, and a conduct of life based on that surrender. This is the first term of surrender. This first term by its very nature includes all the other terms of surrender. In other words, if a person truly exercises saving faith then all of the other terms naturally follow. If any of the other terms is rejected, then a personal surrender was not made.

Repentance as a Term of Surrender

So, what are the other things that the Bible connects to salvation? Once again we want solid book, chapter, and verse Bible answers to this question, and again the Bible gives us clear answers.

Several Scriptures connect repentance to salvation:

. . .unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:5).

. . .God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life (Acts 11:18).

God . . . commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).

So what is this repentance that God commands upon all men everywhere? Repentance is simply a change of mind that turns away from sin and unto God.

The fact that God requires us to turn from sin and unto him is just common sense. To expect God to save us without us turning to him would be absurd. It would also be contrary to the obedient surrender of saving faith. So, while we can talk about saving faith and repentance separately on paper, the two cannot be separated in practice.

Notice also that repentance is something that God granted us (Acts 11:18). If God had not chosen to accept our repentance as part of his plan of salvation then repentance would be worthless. Repentance is only valuable in coming to Jesus’ blood because God made it so.

We should now have seven points that we agree on.

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ’s blood is our only hope of escape.

• Not a single one of us deserves God’s plan of salvation.

• Without faith it is impossible to please God.

• Saving faith obediently surrenders to the will of God.

• God commands all men everywhere to turn from sin and unto him.

Confession as a Term of Surrender

The Scriptures also show that confession is vitally connected to salvation.

Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before

My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10:33).

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus . . . you will be saved (Rom. 10:9). . . . and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10).

If we deny Him, He will also deny us (2 Tim. 2:12).

So, what is this confession that we must make as part of our surrender? It is a confession that Jesus is our Lord, a declaration of our acceptance of him as our Lord and Savior. We cannot be like the rulers mentioned earlier in John 12:42; we must openly confess that Jesus is the Christ.

If a person is not willing to make this confession, then that person has not obediently surrendered to the will of God. He has not turned from the way of sin unto the way of God.

We should now have eight points of agreement. 

• All have sinned.

• The wages of sin is death.

• Christ’s blood is our only hope of escape.

• Not a single one of us deserves God’s plan of salvation.

• Without faith it is impossible to please God.

• Saving faith obediently surrenders to the will of God.

• God commands all men everywhere to turn from sin and unto him.

• If we deny Jesus, he will also deny us.

Most likely we are in agreement up to this point. We might have some technical differences, but hopefully those will be minor.

Baptism as a Term of Surrender

Now we come to the biggest hurdle of all: baptism. As always we want a solid book, chapter, and verse answer. Once again, the Bible is surprisingly clear.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved. . . (Mark 16:16).

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him (Luke 7:30).

. . . unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Repent, and lest every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . . (Acts 2:38).

Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins. . . (Acts 22:16).

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead . . . even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ(Gal. 3:27).

There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism . . . (1 Pet. 3:21). 

Baptism does not merit salvation any more than faith does. It is rather absurd that anyone would think that the simple act of baptism could merit eternal life. Baptism is simply one of the terms of surrender that God designated. If a person truly surrenders to the will of God, then he will submit to God’s will in baptism. If he refuses to be baptized then he has not surrendered to the will of God (Luke 7:30).

Baptism and Grace

After surrendering to God in baptism a person should not think that he has done anything to earn the saving blood of Christ. Salvation is by God’s grace when one surrenders according to the terms God set.

 

Naaman the leper illustrates the point. God offered to cure Naaman of his leprosy upon seven dippings in the river Jordan. Dipping in the river Jordan worked for Naa- man only because God’s grace made it work. God chose to impart the gift of healing to Naaman by means of dipping in the river (2 Kings 5:1-19 ).

Likewise God has chosen to impart the healing blood of Jesus by means of baptism. It is not the baptism itself that washes away sins, but rather the blood of Christ. God has arranged his plan of salvation so that the blood of Christ is applied when a sinner surrenders to the point of baptism. Thus, the man dead in his sins is buried in baptism and a new man is resurrected from the grave of baptism by God’s grace.

Noah is another good illustration. Genesis 6:8 tells us that Noah found grace in the eyes of God. Does this mean that Noah had no part in saving his family from the flood? Of course not. Noah and his sons put in many long hours building the ark. Yet, all the work and efforts of Noah and his family were successful only because God’s grace was with them. If God’s grace had not been with them then their work would have been in vain, and they too would have died in the flood.

Likewise, our baptism would have no benefit if God’s grace was not with us in baptism. Baptism leads to the saving blood of Jesus only because God’s graces makes it that way. If God’s grace was removed then baptism would be absolutely worthless.

The Bible teaches that a person must believe, repent, confess, and be baptized unto the remission of sins. When a person has thus surrendered to God then that person’s sins are washed away by the blood of Christ.

Obedient surrender does not merit salvation. A person cannot point to his surrender and say that he has earned or bought salvation. God, in his wonderful grace, has simply allowed that if a person will surrender to him, he will cleanse that person by the blood of Christ, but we must first come to him on his terms.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven”(Matt. 7:21). Have you surrendered to God’s will?

By Morris Hafley

In the Ohio Valley there is a deadly virus. It has killed thousands already and more have been diagnosed with the virus. Small children and adults are dying horrible, lingering painful deaths. You may not have heard about it until this moment. The government is trying to keep it a secret. That’s the reason you have not heard about it.

There is a doctor in the Valley that has the cure. He is the only one, but for some unknown reason he is not sharing the vaccine with any one. I suppose he is waiting for the highest bidder and/or he is the meanest, most heartless doctor of all time. Perhaps he wants to remain friends with “the higher ups.” Government officials know this culprit and are saying that “he is an old man and has done much good in the field of medical research for many years.”

People (those who have heard) are moving from the Valley and getting as far away as quickly as possible. It is a mass exodus such as I have never seen. They are running as fast as they can lest they contact this deadly virus, leaving behind all they have ever known, and selling their land for little or nothing just to escape. They have no concern for their jobs or their possessions. They are only concerned for their lives.

The government is warning all not to tell others, but as you can see I am not listening. I want you to know as quickly as possible. I would want you to tell me if the situation were reversed. The government says it will create a panic and the economy will be destroyed if the rest of the country knows about this.

Though the above is not true I am reminded of a virus that indeed has infected us all, the virus of sin (Rom.

3:23). It is a virus that kills (Rom. 6:33). I also know of a Physician who has the cure and is not hoarding it for the highest bidder (Mark 2:16-17; 16:15).

Do we want to hear of “outbreaks” of sin? Certainly not! After all it separates us from the one who loves us most (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Isa. 59:1-2). If it is a deadly disease it does not matter with whom it starts. We want to know ASAP! Why would we want to protect someone who could lead us to torment with a deadly doctrine (Matt. 15:13-14)? It, too, is a slow, lingering, painful death (Luke 16:19-31; Matt. 8:12; Rev. 20:14).

I want to go on record right now by saying if I teach a doctrine that is contrary to the Word expose me if I refuse to repent. Tell all who I am and what I am teaching just as God did in 1 Timothy 1:20 — “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” Warn all that my “word will eat as cloth a canker” and that I have “erred concerning the truth” (2 Tim. 2:17-18).

Refusing to repent I may in all honesty, as sweet as a little lamb, cry, “I’ve been misrepresented.” Do not let that deter you from exposing me (John 3:20-21). Some think that before one may be labeled as a false teacher, he must have horns and fangs and be rude, crude and tattooed with a devil insignia.

Do not allow how long I have been preaching to stop you. Do not allow our longtime friendship to sway you. Do not allow my friends and what they may say or write about you to scare you. Paul, in all honesty, went about making “havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3; 23:1). His sincerity did not make him right.

The Lord stopped him (Acts 9). Please! “SOMEBODY STOP ME” before the judgment!

Stop the virus of sin. Do not wait until it has a good head of steam before you try to stop it. It could steamroll right over you and any in its path. “But there were false proph- ets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Pet. 2:1-3, NASV).

By Connie W. Adams

It is common these days to blame every sin, whether murder, theft, adultery, addiction, or whatever, on somebody or something other than the perpetrator of the offense. The offender was abused as a child, either by parents or others. Or, maybe society as a whole failed the felon. Maybe it was the influence of wild-eyed, radical, right-wing, religious extremists that caused the accused to go into a fast-food restaurant and shoot down fifteen people, or a student to shoot ten of his fellow-students in a prayer circle before the school day began. It was not long after the tragedy at Paducah, Kentucky before the press was speculating that the student arrested for killing three of his fellow-students and wounding seven more, was small for his age and had been picked on by others.

I suppose it is natural to try to figure out why people commit criminal and other sinful acts. But the notion that such behavior may be shifted away from the guilty to others, whatever they may have done, or not done, is faulty. It stands opposed to common sense and certainly to the teaching of Scripture.

Ezekiel 18 is instructive on this matter. The scene here is one of captivity. Ezekiel prophesied to those who had already entered Babylonian captivity. In the first four verses, Ezekiel brought up a common proverb among the people which was being pressed into service to explain why they had gone into this dreadful captivity. They said, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (v. 2). In verse 3 he said, “You shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.” Why was that? “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (v. 4). The Lord was teaching them not to blame their troubles on their fathers. It is true that parents have influence on their children and they will have to answer for how they use it. But if a child eats sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge because he ate sour grapes, not because of what his father did or did not do.

Good Fathers and Bad Sons

Ezekiel proceeds to describe a man who is “just” and who does what is “lawful and right” but who has a son who becomes a robber, a murderer, an idolater, and who does “abominations.” Who is to blame? Look at it: “He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him” (vv. 5-12). Is a just father to blame for his son becoming a renegade? Absolutely not! He ate his own sour grapes.

Bad Fathers and Good Sons

Then Ezekiel paints a different picture. This time he presents a man who is a rascal but who bears a son who turns away from the evil ways of his father (vv. 14-18). In verse 17 he plainly said, “he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.” Then in verse 20 he said “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” Each person bears responsibility for his own actions regardless of what others have done.

Modern Concepts and Sin

Many today are uncomfortable with the idea of sin. Sin has been softened and minimized. And if there is no sin, there is no sinner. But somebody or something is to blame. So, the search for the scapegoat begins. The wayward son in Luke 15 “came to himself” after he had spent his money and time in wild living. Reduced to dire circumstances, he resolved to go back home. When he got there he said to his father, “I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son” (Luke 15:21). Isn’t it interesting that he did not blame the government, the synagogue school, the community recreation project nor even his father. He did not say, “Well, if you had not been such an authoritarian father, so unfeeling and unreasonable, I never would have been tempted to leave home in the first place.” I can guarantee you that is exactly what some of the social engineers of today would have said. He took his inheritance. He wasted it. He was profligate.

The common defense of the mass murderer is insanity. Are there mentally unbalanced people? To be sure. Are there terrible things sometimes done by those who are not rational. Without doubt. But every criminal act is not to be explained on that basis. There is such a thing as sin and those who commit them are sinners. There are those who have the rationality to plot, scheme, build elaborate devices to carry out their intents. They are not crazy. They are sinful. They had choices to make and made the wrong ones.

The Principle of Personal Accountability

Both the strong brother and the weak one in Romans 14 are held accountable for their behavior toward the other. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). Should we place a stumblingblock in another’s way? No. The one doing so will have to answer for it. But it must also be said that each one of us is responsible for walking “circumspectly.” We must all watch where we are going. It is like the man who gets a speeding ticket and defends himself on the ground that this driver in front of him was just poking along and finally in frustration he sped around him and exceeded the limit. The issue is “Who was driving your car?” The pokey driver or you? You may have been tempted by the circumstances, but who yielded to the temptation?

I have endured a lifetime of teasing because of my first name. So has my wife over hers. But you know, neither of us ever decided to go to school with guns and shoot down fellow-students because of it. What others may do may very well annoy us, frustrate us, but whatever we say or do is still a matter of personal choice and responsibility.

It is high time that people in this land stopped blaming everyone but themselves for their actions. “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).