Truth Magazine

By Kyle Campbell

Paul wrote to the churches of Christ in Galatia to expose the erroneous doctrines introduced by the Judaizing teachers and to re-indoctrinate the brethren in their earlier faith. He said, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4, NASV). They were looking to Moses’ law for justification, being seduced to accept circumcision and other facets of the Old Testament, as requirements of the New Covenant.

In Galatians 1:6-7, Paul describes their perverted state: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” He was fearful that he had labored among them in vain (Gal. 4:11). Though his relationship in the past with these brethren had been cordial, yet their acceptance of false doctrine now greatly concerned him (Gal. 4:11-15, 17-20). In his concern and anxiety for them, he asked, “Have I therefore become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16).

We are apt to cut our ties with and dislike those who have the courage to tell us the truth about sin in our lives. We do not like for people to be acquainted with our faults. We desire to be flattered, but shrink away from exposure of sin and calls to repentance. We often become easily offended when preachers expose and reprove sin. One of our greatest difficulties is to regard, with steady and unwavering affection, the person who earnestly tells us the truth, yea painful truth! “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6).

Children of God sometimes need to be rebuked! In fact, most of the New Testament was written to instruct, rebuke, and encourage Christians. There are several examples in the New Testament where men had to rebuke one another to save them from sin: Peter rebuked Simon who had recently obeyed the gospel (Acts 8:18-23); Paul rebuked Peter to his face (Gal. 2:11-12); John called Diotrephes by name and exposed the sin he committed (3 John 9); Paul told Timothy to rebuke elders and others, who continue in sin that the rest may fear (1 Tim. 5:17-21).

There are many examples in the Scriptures showing that preaching God’s word often creates enemies. Moses was truthful to Pharaoh but Pharaoh hated him, saying, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” (Exod. 10:28-29). And Moses responded, “You are right; I shall never see your face again!” (Exod. 10:29). The wicked Jezebel, due to the deaths of her prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel and in the matter of Naboth’s vineyard and death, hated Elijah with unbounded enmity (1 Kings 18:16-46; 19:1-18; 21:1-24). Herod and Herodias hated the truth so vehemently that they had John the Baptist beheaded for telling them the truth (Matt. 14:1-12). The enemies of Jesus feared the truth so much that they bribed the soldiers to lie (Matt. 28:11-15). King Ahab said of the prophet, Micaiah, “I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8).

Often people today hate gospel preachers for the same reason. The only difference between them and Ahab is they are not honest enough to admit the real cause of their opposition to God’s messenger. Very few people are honest enough to say, “I do not like that preacher because he tells me the truth.” Instead they hypocritically attribute their dislike to some pretended reason. Isaiah says that people of his day said, “You must not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions” (30:10). This cry has been heard in every age. The greatest fault in the religious world is man’s efforts to change the Bible to conform to him-self rather than change himself to conform to the Bible.

People generally have fought the truth for two major reasons. The first is that some have been unconscious enemies of the truth, i.e., they fought God and his will ignorantly. Saul of Tarsus did so (Acts 26:9; 1 Tim. 1:13), but seeking truth, and being honest of heart as Saul was, finding the truth he renounced his error and embraced it (Matt. 7:7-8; 13:44-46; Acts 26:9-23; Gal. 1:13-24). Those who do not love the truth will remain blinded in their ignorance and error (2 Thess. 2:10-12). The second reason men fight the truth is that they love darkness, which to them covers their evil deeds. Jesus said, “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Spiritual creatures of darkness despise light. Their deeds are evil and sinful; therefore, they do not want to hear the truth.

No matter how much the truth of God is opposed, it will survive. Paul’s question and the context of Galatians 4 con-firms the fact that truth must be preached at the expense of making enemies. The truth is the most valuable commodity in existence because it is the revelation from God which can save us from our sins. “Buy truth, and do not sell it; get wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Prov. 23:23). A compromising attitude toward error will always lead to apostasy. Paul details the steps toward apostasy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: (1) They would not endure sound doctrine, which is the attitude of compromise. They accumulated for them-selves certain teachers who would proclaim their views (?) of truth. Paul called it “having their ears tickled.” (2) They turned their ears away from the truth, not only refusing to hear the truth but in time rejecting the whole counsel of God. (3) Finally they turned aside to myths. All truth was eliminated from their lives. This sad progression began with a disposition of mind and ended with a total rejection of God’s will. It is urgent that Christians realize the trends toward apostasy and meditate upon this frightening succession of ungodly attitudes. Now, in our generation, we are seeing dispositions developing which, if accepted and practiced, will weaken and eventually destroy us.

One expression of compromise is the statement, “Preach the Bible but let everybody else alone.” Every true student of the Scriptures knows this is impossible. You would have to shun preaching the creation of the world and of life (Gen. 1:1-31; Heb. 11:3) for fear of enraging the atheist and evolutionist; avoid preaching the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:1-17) for fear of irritating the polytheistic pagan; forego preaching pleasing God through faith (Heb. 11:1-40) for fear of annoying those who live their lives by their con-science. If the general of an army were to say, “Shoot, but make sure you do not hit anybody,” it would bring certain defeat! Several years ago an elder of a church said, “The trouble here is our preacher is a professional ball player. He winds up on Sunday morning and throws a curve around everybody in the house.” A preacher has advanced spiritual astigmatism if he cannot hit some of us sinful creatures once in a while! One preacher would not preach on heaven nor hell because he said he had friends in both places! We desperately need men who will “break unto us the bread of life” and deliver “the whole counsel of God” (John 6:31-35; Acts 20:20, 27). Preaching the Bible, while making sure that we do not step on anybody’s toes, will do nothing for the saving of souls, development of the local congregation, and preparing saints for eternal life in heaven (Acts 20:32).

Another sentiment is, “Don’t preach a negative gospel.” How can we not preach a “negative” gospel? This thinking indicts God, himself, because he did not always deliver a “positive” message to his prophets and apostles. A careful study of Exodus 20, will show eight of the ten commandments stated in a “negative” fashion. Paul said, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). Two of the three of those commands are “negative”! In naming the works of the flesh, Paul mentioned seventeen “negatives” (Gal. 5:19-21). In naming the fruit of the Spirit, he lists only nine “positives” (Gal. 5:22-23). We need to preach the “positive” truths of the gospel. We need encouraging lessons which comfort us in difficult times, which help us understand God’s love, and which aid us in becoming better servants of Jesus. We need to know we are doing God’s will correctly! But we also need preaching on adultery, fornication, gambling, smoking, hatred, envy, lasciviousness, drunkenness, church discipline, immodest apparel, respect for authority, and other vital subjects.

A final attitude of compromise is, “Let’s please the people instead of saving the people.” Paul’s statement to the Galatian brethren needs to be read and imprinted in our hearts: “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). Pleasing the people has caused a steady moral and spiritual decline in our nation and in the kingdom of God. Denominational churches allow homosexuals, adulterers, and heretics to fill pulpits and proclaim a “saving gospel” while their souls are condemned to hell! Anyone who can read the daily newspaper, or watch the television news, can see the religious world in a mad race to see which one can make religion the most palatable to the public. I am convinced that if we do not improve our preaching and teaching, to make such more Bible-centered and Scripture-filled, the Lord’s church, in an effort to please the politically-correct public, will become a sect among sects. Let us always stand for and preach the truth of Jesus Christ, else we will pay the disastrous consequences of lost souls at the judgment seat of Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 2:16).

It is shameful to hear of and see preachers fired and meetings canceled for preaching truthful messages which are so needed in our time. It is even more shameful to see congregations and their elders unwilling to stand for and back up the truth. We ought to never consider as enemies whose who have our soul’s best interest at heart. If I am indulging in a course of conduct which will condemn my soul or cherishing erroneous doctrine which endangers my salvation, my greatest and best friend is the one who will warn me of my perilous, dangerous course.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 11 p. 6-8
June 5, 1997

By Mike Willis

One of the statements on our currency is the phrase, “In God do we trust.” Unfortunately, more seem to be trusting in currency than in God. Solomon wrote,

He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch (Prov. 11:28).

This proverb contrasts the one trusting in riches and the righteous (the one trusting in God) with reference to the eventual outcome of their lives.

The One Trusting in Riches

The word trust is translated from Mn; (batach), which is accurately represented by the English word “trust.” Riches is translated from 1 P (`osher). The one who trusts in riches is one who thinks that his riches can preserve him from the consequences of his sin.

We have seen how riches are sometimes used to protect men from the consequences of their sinful action. A rich drug dealer can hire the best attorneys to buy “reasonable doubt.” Hush money can keep witnesses from testifying in political scandals. Corporations can buy legislation with the right contributions to the party in power.

Others trust in money by making it the supreme purpose for their lives. Their chief aim in life is the accumulation of wealth. They don’t care who they step on or hurt in order to attain their wealth, for they believe that wealth can provide them everything in life worth having.

The wise man said that such men will fall. Fall is translated from In; (napal). The word literally means “fall” but is used figuratively to mean “go to ruin, perish” (BDB 657). Many who trust in riches experience temporal judgments that destroy them. Others who trust in riches live out their lives without experiencing a “fall.” However, in the day of death and judgment, these souls will meet the same sad eternal fate as the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. That man went to torment because his love of riches kept him from helping poor Lazarus. His trust in his riches led him to the worst fall of all.

George Lawson wrote, “They that trust in riches shall fall like the flower of the grass, or like the leaves of a tree. Their riches shall leave them; or if they should die in the midst of their wealth, they can carry nothing of their glory along with them. Their wealth cannot keep them from falling into hell, or mitigate the horrors of the infernal lake; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch” (The Book of Proverbs 219).

Paul warned the rich not to trust (eATr’Io , “to hope.. . to build hope on one, as on a foundation,” Thayer 205) in their uncertain riches (1 Tim. 6:17). One should not hope in riches because, in contrast to God, they are uncertain.

The Righteous Shall Flourish

The righteous (from ^’7′., “just, righteous,” BDB 843) are the opposite of those who trust in riches; hence, it must be those who trust in God and obey his will. The righteous man is the one who does what God commands, even when his outward senses tell him that his earthly life will be better if he disobeys God. A man like Daniel could have reasoned that his life would be more pleasant if he would eat the king’s dainties (Dan. 1). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have reasoned that life would be better if they would bow down to the king’s image. However, they concluded that their fate was better off to die in obedience to the Lord than to live in disobedience to him. They told Nebuchadnezzar, “0 Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, 0 king. But if not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Dan. 3:16-18). Men of such faith and trust in God are intended by the word “righteous.”

Such men shall “flourish as a branch.” The word flourish is from fl , “bud, sprout, shoot” (BDB 827). The word branch is translated from i 1 l%y, “leaf, leafage” (BDB 750).

The figure of the branch flourishing may include the concept that the righteous may experiences afflictions, like the loss of foliage a branch has in the fall. However, when the spring comes, the branches bud out again and issue its foliage. “A branch may during winter appear withered, but it drops not from the stock, and in the spring it revives and grows. So the righteous man, though he meets seasons of affliction, shall revive and flourish. He is in grafted into the true Vine, and partaking of his vital influence, shall abound in the fruits of comfort and righteousness” (Lawson 219).

Sometimes when one is going through the afflictions and distresses of life, he is tempted to think that serving the Lord will not profit and benefit him. One must hold on to the promises of God to sustain him through such times. God has promised that serving him will pay more than any other course of life.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him (Ps. 92:12-15).

One who believes God who cannot lie (Tit. 1:2) will have faith to sustain him through the hard times, knowing that those who are righteous truly shall prosper.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 11 p. 2
June 5, 1997

By Harold Fite

While teaching a “Home-Bible Class” the man of the house came into the room. I invited him to take part in the study. He declined by saying, “I love God and he loves me. That’s all that matters.”

This person was not a Christian and did not pretend to follow the principles of Christ in his life. He relied on a faulty concept of love for his salvation. A common conception of God’s love is that “He accepts me, saves me, because he loves me. His love demands that he accept me.”

If God saved all whom he loves, no one would be lost. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God has never acted in love, however, at the expense of truth. He does not love so as to pass over sin. His actions, whether punitive or rewarding, are always consistent with love.

The Lord loves the righteous and unrighteous. He loves the murderer, thief, adulterer, and the homosexual, but just because they come under the canopy of God’s love doesn’t mean that God is pleased with them and will save them.

God saves those who love him! Who are they? Those who “keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3). Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Contrariwise, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my word” (John 14:23, 24).

The world makes a distinction between love and obedience  believing that love will take care of sin. Love is essential to salvation, but no more than faith. “Love” and “faith” involve obedience: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).

Love expresses itself in action: “For God so loved . . .that he gave” (John 3:16). As God expressed his love for mankind by sending his Son to die for us, our love for God will express it-self in obedience to his will. Jesus asked Peter, “Lovest thou me?” Then he called on Peter to prove it: “Feed my Iambs” (John 21:15).

To love God is to love him with all our faculties and power, to fix our affections supremely on him; to be willing to give up all we hold dear, to give our life to him and subject our will to his (Luke 10:27). We are to love him with all the faculties of soul and body and to toil and labor for his glory.

“I love God” is not some old theoretic platitude. Nor is it a magic formula for salvation. There is a lot more to it than “Honk if you love Jesus.” God’s love will not suffice for man’s disobedience. One can’t love sin away. “All the souls in hell will not be there because they were unloved by God, but because God was unloved by them.”

God loves everyone, but will only save those who love him, said love expressed by doing his will (1 John 5:3).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 11 p. 
June 5, 1997

By Randy Reynolds

The most recent part of the Bible was written almost 1900 years ago. Of course I am talking about the New Testament. In the almost 2000 years since the time of Jesus Christ, the Bible has been preserved, copied, and translated into many languages and distributed in every part of the world

One Book Containing

Many Books

The Bible is not just one book, it is a collection of 66 books, written by about 40 men. Its authors included kings, statesmen, fishermen, seers, a physician, a tax collector, a farmer, a general, and a tent-maker to name a few. Some of the writers were educated men while others were not. The Bible was written over a span of time that covered about 1600 years, with a cast of 2,930 characters in 1,551 places. The Bible was written and composed by men from totally different back-grounds, cultures, and time periods. One writer called it “the strangest publishing project of all time” (Terry Hall, “How We Got Our Old Testament,” Moody Monthly Journal 1987, 32).

The Bible is a book that consists of history, drama, narratives (stories), sermons, orations (speeches), memoirs (personal history), prayers and letters. It claims to foretell the future while promising eternal life those who follow and obey it. The Bible claims to provide the only way to true happiness, explains the why of human suffering, and teaches its readers the only true purpose of life here on earth. The Bible shows men and weaknesses, problems, and fears, while at the same time making dramatic changes in their life, including habits, morals, and desires. Most certainly the Bible is one very unique book.

The Book of Influence

I am not aware of any book in the history of man that has ever influenced so many people from all over the world so profoundly. Few books have been as popular or as important to so many people from so many different walks of life. For literally hundreds of years the Bible has spoken to the hearts of all people from every culture. People have in the past and continue today to use the great teachings of the Bible to enhance their social development. The Bible’s di-vine instruction on such things as psychology, mercy, love, kindness, justice, and ethics continue to be the standard for just about every culture, even if they don’t believe it came about through inspiration. Even some of the greatest motivational courses in well known universities throughout the world have based their teachings on this great book called the Bible.

The Bible is a Book about Real People

The Bible is a record of God’s message to men, women and children. The Bible is God speaking to mankind in every generation that man has ever existed. Whatever our situation or problem, we find the principles to guide our lives in the pages of the Bible. It is important to remember that the people that we read of and about in the Bible were real people, just like us. Even though they may have worn sandals and robes instead of jeans and gym shoes, they were not make-believe characters in a story book. Because they were real people, just like us, we can find help for our lives as we see what God said to them in their day. If you would read the Bible, then you would know that God can be trusted and that he will keep his word. Thus, one can live with the hope of God’s promises which he reads of in the Bible as being promises that will be kept.

The Bible is an Inspired Book

Before we begin to think of the Bible as just another book written by man, we need to look further. Even though the Bible was written by man in that man moved the pen to write, we must understand that the words that they wrote were not their own. The Bible claims to be stamped with the impress of God’s inspiration. In other words, the men who wrote the Bible were guided by God. Consider the claim, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11-12). “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:27). “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (1 Pet. 1:20-21).

One Bible researcher counted more than 3,800 times when the writers of the Bible used some variant of the formula, “The Word of the Lord came to me, saying. . .” Some examples of this are found in Ezekiel 6:1, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying. . .” The prophet Amos often times repeats, “Thus says the Lord. . .” (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6, 11; 3:1, 8, 11, etc.). The prophet Zechariah can also be found repeating many times over, “Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying. . .” (Zech. 7:8). Several books begin with the introductory statement: “The word of the Lord that came to…”

Not only is this the way of those known as the prophets of God, much of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament, written by the prophet and law giver Moses) is actually presented as the actual, spoken word of God. Time and time again this phrase is used, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying. . .” In Exodus 33:11 we read, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” John in the Revelation letter said that the visions and words he recorded in the book of Revelation came from God, not himself (cf. Rev. 1:1).

These few Bible passages should be enough to convince us that the Bible is the only book of its kind. The Bible is God’s book! It is God’s revelation to man! Not only did God’s Spirit inspire the writers of the sixty-six books that comprise the Bible, but God also superintended the trans-mission of these writings and their collection. It is a book that reveals who God is and how man can know him. The Bible reveals how God demands to be worshiped and what man must do in order to be pleasing in his sight. When people reject the Bible and its inspired teachings they have in essence rejected God! May I humbly suggest to you, my dear friends, that rejecting God is the most serious mistake, even the very worst mistake that one could ever possibly make!

Some of the more recent Gallup polls that have been taken suggest that belief in the Bible as the inerrant, infallible, God-breathed word is on the decline. A more recent survey suggests that only about one-third hold to such a belief whereas in 1963 about two-thirds held to this belief. But, regardless of what belief others may hold to, you and I are faced with the most awesome book that has ever influenced human society: a book that has now been preserved for literally thousands of years. A book that has and continues to straddle incredibly diverse cultures, beliefs, and teachings; a book that has caused notable men throughout the centuries to exclaim, “When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the word of God” (Woodrow Wilson [1856-1924], 28th President of the United States).

Bible Study Is Important!

The only question that remains is, what will I do with the Bible? Will I read and study it carefully making it a part of my life every day? Will I, as the inspired writer Jude pro-claimed, have the dedication and willingness to contend earnestly for its truths (cf. Jude 3)? Or will my Bible reading and Bible study succumb to the daily pressures that beg for more and more of my time? Or will I take the easier road of compromise, allowing those precious truths to be pressed into the background for a more positive, socially acceptable teaching and doctrine?

May our God help each one of us to be like David and make God’s inspired word the meditation of our hearts and the light for our paths so that we may walk in the way of the Lord, according to his inspired word. May we have the strength and the courage to stand firmly for the truth, even if we must stand alone.

The Old Testament books, 39 of them, language except for a few chapters in Aramaic. The New Testament books, 27 of them, were written primarily in the common Greek language of the Roman Empire.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 11 p. 1
June 5, 1997