Truth Magazine

By Joe R. Price

Much is being said these days about a balanced approach to Christianity. Appeals for balanced approaches to preaching and to general Christian living are heard among us. Such scripturally based appeals are always appropriate, needed, and appreciated. Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 teaches we should find the “golden mean” of life by avoiding self-righteousness, conceit, and deliberate wickedness while pursuing reverence in all things. Read God’s description of a truly balanced life:

All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing. Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thy-self? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all (Eccl. 7:15-18, ASV).

God expects us to love him “with all (our) heart, and with all (our) soul, and with all (our) mind, and with all (our) strength” (Mark 12:30). Some say that the Christian life is not a balanced approach to living. “Fanatical” is the description they assign to those who live by faith in Christ. Such characterizations notwithstanding, Christianity is indeed a life which is balanced upon the standard of revealed truth. We must speak clearly and without ambiguity when advising brethren to pursue balanced lives. Since God’s word is clear, we must speak with equal clarity as we address all matters pertaining to life and godliness (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 1:19; 11:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:2). In our rush to be balanced we must be careful not to lose our equilibrium. Consider some applications we can make to ensure scriptural balance in our lives as the people of God.

“Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). Preaching is balanced when the preacher preaches the whole word of God “in season, out of season.” Loss of balance occurs when we are unwilling to preach what needs to be heard when it needs to be heard (Jer. 20:7-9; Ezek. 2:1-7; 3:17-21). We are not promoting balance when we fail to address from God’s word the immediate spiritual needs of our hearers (whether they are our brethren or those outside of Christ). Remaining silent when error is being taught (instead of reproving, rebuking, and exhorting the teacher of that error) is not a balanced approach to gospel preaching. While in Ephesus, Paul properly balanced his teaching of the gospel when he “shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).

On many occasions the apostle Paul, directed by the Spirit of God, deliberately addressed the needs of his brethren. Was Paul out of balance? What do you think? In 2 Corinthians 10-13 he extensively defended his apostleship. Was that balanced Christianity? Or do you think he should have simply ignored the false charges being spread against him and his work? If he had so acted, he would have been like some brethren today who will not defend their own teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage or unity-in-diversity. Did Paul practice the “balance” for which some brethren are calling today? He did not. Where is the “balance” for which some brethren are calling today? When Paul devoted an entire epistle to the Galatians to defend salvation by the gospel of grace instead of the law of works, was his equilibrium distorted and his balance lost due to an inordinate zeal for truth? When the writer of Hebrews repeatedly emphasized the “better” nature of Christ and his covenant was he guilty of losing his balance? After all, he spent most of his time exposing the error of those who would return to the Old Testament system for their salvation. Perhaps he should have been more loving and less direct? Would he then have achieved greater “balance” in his presentation of the truth? You see my dear brethren and friends, our definition of and plea for balance can very easily result from human wisdom and judgment instead of applying the divine standard of truth.

Some Christians are uncomfortable with exposing false doctrines and false teachers with the light of gospel preaching. Some who advise us to pursue balance are out of balance when they are unwilling to publicly respond to error which is publicly taught. When we are content to leave the controversial subjects to others, choosing instead to remain silent when error is taught, we have forfeited Bible-based balance. Crying “peace, peace, when there is no peace” will not heal the wounds of sin and error among God’s people (Jer. 6:14). Silence is not golden when it comes to addressing, exposing, and rebuking error with God’s truth. Balance compels us to speak out!

Some appear to be defining balance as “smoothness.” But, things will not always go smoothly when truth exposes error. Not everyone will accept sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Why is the one who straightforwardly speaks out against error said to be out of balance (“his timing is off,” “he is insensitive,” “he is unkind,” etc.)? Why is he viewed as not having a balanced approach toward error and the errorist? Yet, the one who will not speak out and answer error with the truth of God is seen as balanced, loving, and consider-ate? My brethren, whether it is doctrinal error outside the body of Christ or doctrinal and moral impurity within the body of Christ, we must not be deceived into softening the message of truth for the sake of inappropriately defined balance.

One brother recently wrote that “the really effective preacher is balanced in his approach to preaching.” Amen! By scripturally defining “balanced in his approach” we can exhort every gospel preacher in this regard. However, re-member that charging a fellow-Christian with not having a balanced approach in his preaching can also cloak an underlying disagreement with the truth he advocates. Describing one as unbalanced in his preaching could re-veal a hesitation and unwillingness to forthrightly condemn error. It is always easier to say a brother is not being “balanced in his approach” than it is to carefully and scripturally approach a sinner about his sin! Remember, brethren who objected to the truth he preached charged Paul’s approach as being out of balance (2 Cor. 10:10-11, 2). Beware brethren, lest we accuse faithful brethren in Christ with being out of balance simply because we disagree with the truth they preach. The crucial question we ought to be asking is whether their preaching agrees with God’s word. Have we developed itching ears, looking for someone to scratch them? Or do we think we are above such temptations today? The warning of 2 Timothy 4:3-5 continues to apply.

“And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will” (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Here is another call for a balanced approach in our dealings with others. Unfortunately, today’s call for balance confuses the issue and can become an excuse for inaction. The desire for “balanced Christianity” can be-come an excuse for not confronting the sinner about his sin (in an effort to convert him, Gal. 6:1-2; Jas. 5:19-20). Have you ever known of Christians reasoning this way when trying to decide how to help a fellow-Christian who has fallen into sin: “We have to go slowly here. We might run him off. Let’s wait awhile and not be so direct, and maybe he will come around. After all, his heart is sincere.”? We have become afraid of straightforward, loving yet immediate action toward brethren in sin (Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1)! We have become afraid we will not appear balanced.

The genuinely balanced approach toward confronting sin compels us to “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.” It wastes no time in snatching the sinner out of the fire (Jude 22). What greater balance can we strive for in our lives than to understand the serious and eternal consequences of sin and being prompted thereby to rush to the aid of those ensnared by it? Look at some of the Bible examples of true balance in this area: (1) Peter did not delay in rebuking Simon’s sin (a new convert, Acts 8:18-24). Peter took the appropriate and balanced approach toward saving a brother from spiritual death. He shows us how to balance our knowledge of the sinner’s condition with our responsibility to help save him (cf. Jas. 5:19-20). (2) When Paul publicly withstood Peter in Galatians 2:11-14, was his approach out of balance? Not at all. Upon seeing the hypocrisy of Peter’s conduct as well as its influence upon other Christians, he immediately and publicly opposed Peter. Paul sets an example for us of balancing the needs of the sinner and those influenced by him with the personal discomfort of confronting the sinner. Very few people enjoy confrontation. Paul did not (cf. 2 Cor. 2:1-4). But, he understood that unless he acted at once (where truth and souls were at stake) both the gospel and the souls of men would suffer (cf. Gal. 2:4-5). That, my brethren, is the balanced approach we must instill within ourselves whenever acting to meet our responsibility toward those held in the clutches of sin and error. (3) Inspired with God’s word, Jeremiah was commissioned by God “to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10). Was Jeremiah unbalanced? Four of the things he was told to do were “negative,” destructive (pluck up, break down, destroy, overthrow). Only two were “positive” (build and plant). Who told Jeremiah to do these things? God did! Since we do not want to charge God with being out of balance, we ought not charge his servants, who preach his word against error, with being unbalanced.

Whose standard will we use to determine when preaching is balanced, God’s or man’s? Some people see the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 as balanced preaching, but describe the condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 as unbalanced? The fact is Jesus was balanced on both occasions because both times he dealt with the specific needs of the moment, addressing the very issues which would cause the good-hearted hearer to obey the gospel, while exposing the sinner and his sins. Why shouldn’t we pattern our preaching after that of our Master?

Whose definition of balance will we apply? Who are the preachers, papers and/or writers today who are being de-cried as out of balance? For three years while in Ephesus Paul “ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31). Imagine the outcry today if a gospel preacher were to give daily warnings for three years against specific sin and error! If Paul were alive today how often would he be charged with not practicing balanced Christianity? (Could Paul preach in the church of which you are a member, or would he be unbalanced in his preaching?) Why are we eager to oppose similar warnings today, characterizing them as unbalanced, or even as biased hobbyism? What would you think of a magazine that spends 17 months (or even three years) refusing to allow legitimate, thoughtful, and Bible-based responses to the writings of one of its editors? Would it have become unbalanced in its approach of teaching the gospel and wobbly in its effort to advance the cause of Christ? Would it be less than a balanced approach for that same magazine to then remind us of our need to practice balanced Christianity? Why then are brethren accused of being out of balance when they warn against this unbalanced approach to preaching?! As a dear brother of mine would often say, “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander!” Have we lost our love for the truth and its warnings which are designed to protect us from sin and secure us in our faith and hope? Are we only comfort-able with preaching and writing when it is smooth, agreeable and “positive” (but object when it must “pluck up and break down and destroy and overthrow,” Jer. 1:10)? Is that and that alone the balanced approach? If so, then we have lost our balance!

Jude said “Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). Immediate situations and circumstances compelled Jude to focus his attention and that of his audience upon contending for the faith against ungodly men and their influence (Jude 4ff,). Was Jude’s approach out of balance because he spent his entire epistle warning of God’s certain judgment against those who deny the Master? No, his teaching was balanced against the deceit and danger of error and sin! We should not censure or criticize similar gospel preaching and teaching today!

“He that loveth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that cloth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37-38). Jesus taught that we must have total, unwavering allegiance to him at all times (cf. Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-33). All who have this such loyalty to Christ and his truth can expect persecution (2 Tim. 3:12; Matt. 5:10-12). Yet, with resolve of faith we must deny ourselves, take up the cross of suffering, and follow Jesus (Matt. 10:38; Luke 9:23). This course of life for a follower of Jesus will not always be smooth, but it will be the balanced life of faith. It will not always be free of pain and heartache. Nevertheless, it is the balanced life of genuine discipleship.

We must not balance ourselves upon the pedestal of human wisdom, but upon the solid rock of Christ and his truth (1 Cor. 3:10-11). If one tells you that you are not taking a balanced approach to Christianity, acknowledge that he might be right, but that such a characterization must be established upon the basis of revealed truth and not that of human wisdom. Ask for the Bible passage(s) you are violating or failing to obey, thereby causing your alleged imbalance. You need to know the truth in order to once more balance yourself (John 8:31-32; 1 John 1:9). If your approach to Christianity is judged to be out of balance, it may be that earthly wisdom has dictated an unrighteous judgment against you (Jas. 3:13-18; 4:11-12; John 5:24). Or, it may be a legitimate assessment requiring diligent examination and correction of yourself in the light of truth (2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Acts 26:20). Either way, living by faith will not produce a smooth (soft) life, but it will bring you the reward of eternal life (Heb. 10:32-39; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

God’s people must live balanced lives of faith that put God first, others second, and ourselves last (Mark 12:29-30; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 12:1-3). Balanced Christianity must be completely weighted in favor of God, his truth and his righteousness  not our personal convenience, comfort, or wisdom (Matt. 6:33; Luke 9:57-62; Ps. 119:104, 128, 160; 1 Cor. 3:18-23; 2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 10 p. 10-13
April May 1, 1997

By Robert F. Turner

“He got by with it!” That colloquial expression means that he was caught. He thinks he “got by with it,” but this is never true. The one who makes the statement knows better, and has already changed his opinion of the one who tried to “get by with it.” There is very little we really “get by with” even in this life .

I believe man’s capacity for greatness is a divine endowment (we are made in his image). But we are molding our individual character day by day by our response to the experiences of life  drawing closer or pulling further away from what our Maker would have us be. And make no mistake about it! We are what we are, not what we like to kid ourselves into thinking we are (1 John 3:7).

When a man gives in to temptation, no matter how well the matter is concealed from others, his own makeup is affected. A thousand victims have a thousand shoulders upon which to bear their burden, but the man who tries to “get by with it” must take the total wrong upon himself . He is guilty before God and, even if he cares little for that, he has whittled a bit more from the stature of the man he could have been.

This amoral, godless generation tells us there is no standard for determining a “good” or “bad” man, but in practice they repudiate their theory. They recognize and do not want to do business with the “bad” man. One cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

Proverbs 11:3f reads, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.” We can build into our character that which will sustain us in adverse times, or we can cut ourselves loose from solid mooring and drown in our own folly.

And we fool God none of the time. All creatures stand before God “naked and opened” (Heb. 4:13). (The last word means literally, “to bend back the neck” of a victim to be slain or exposed.) How can we expect to “get by” with anything when we are so exposed to him who judges righteously?

Reprinted with permission from Stuff About Things.”

Guardian of Truth XLI: 10 p. 6
April May 1, 1997

By Ken Sils

The word “witness” appears in God’s holy Scriptures more than one hundred times. It has widespread application and a variety of meanings depending upon the Hebrew or Greek word used and the context in which it is used. The most general definition for the word “witness” is to give testimony. In 2 Corinthians 8:3, Paul bore witness to the Corinthians of the Macedonians’ deep poverty. His witness (testimony) was true making him a true witness of the facts. Paul would have been able to convince a court of law with the facts that these people were poor because he had been there and saw the conditions in which they lived. He had the evidence necessary to convince the Corinthians concerning the truth of his testimony. Jesus used the word “witness” in the same manner in John 18:23. He stated, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if I have spoken well, why do you strike Me?” Jesus demanded that they produce condemning testimony based on facts which would be proven to men. A true witness could produce some clear cut evidence that Jesus worked some type of evil, but we all know that there wasn’t any. Men who bear witness of a crime need ample physical evidence to prove their testimony to a court of law. If they do not have the evidence, their witness is ignored or they become false witnesses and are judged themselves.

Using the word “witness” in this sense, men today can bear witness or give testimony of Jesus through the Word of God. The testimony of the Holy Spirit has been proven and the Scriptures testify of Jesus truthfully and accurately. Even though we have not seen him, the testimony of Jesus given by the Holy Spirit will stand the litmus test of critics as a true historical account of the Son of God. We can persuade men with this testimony. It is important for us to remember that the testimony we bring forth is not of our own, it is the witness of the Holy Spirit, whose testimony is true.

Is it possible for men to be witnesses of Jesus Christ today? Simply because I am able to tell others the testimony of Jesus revealed in the Scriptures doesn’t make mea witness of Jesus. Even though I am able to bear witness of the Christ through the Scriptures doesn’t make me a witness of Jesus Christ. There were many witnesses of Jesus in the New Testament. Thayer defines these witnesses as individuals who have been eye or ear witnesses of Jesus’ extraordinary sayings, deeds, and sufferings which proved his Messiahship. Paul was not a false witness of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:15 for he had seen the resurrected Savior (1 Cor 15:8). The apostles were witnesses of Jesus because they had physically experienced the Savior’s life, death, and life again on this earth (Luke 24:48). They were witnesses of his resurrection because they saw him alive again after his crucifixion.

They soon would witness repentance and remission of sins being preached at Jerusalem and throughout the world because they would be the ones preaching it. These men were witnesses of these things, therefore making their testimony absolutely undeniable. As time went on, Peter told the world that they were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 3:15; 4:33; 5:32; 10:39-41) and the list continues to go through the book of Acts. They were able to confirm their witness because the Holy Spirit endued them with undeniable miraculous powers. This made their testimony come to life to the masses. Their mission was to testify of Jesus and their witness was true because they themselves were eyewitnesses of a resurrected Christ.

What about me as a 20th century disciple of Jesus? Can I be a witness of Jesus Christ? The answer is emphatically no! No matter how hard I want to be, I cannot be a witness of the things which the apostles and many disciples witnessed in the first century. I cannot be a witness of Jehovah either for I have not literally seen him nor heard him speak to me. We can all see the power of God and know that God lives through the things he has made and the revelation he has delivered. With all this, it still doesn’t make me a witness. However, on the flip side, we can bear witness (give testimony) of God through the revelation he has given us through the Holy Spirit. If our testimony is of ourselves, it means nothing; but if our testimony is nothing more than book, chapter, and verse; it is of God and needs to be obeyed. Paul told Timothy to preach the Word of God (2 Tim. 4:2). This was his only proper avenue of testimony to bring men to Jesus. We would do well if we followed the instructions of Paul, a witness and apostle of the resurrected Christ.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 10 p. 17-18
April May 1, 1997

By Leo Henry

A Christian is a unique individual. Bobby Holmes is a unique Christian evangelist, on the order of Titus 2:7-8. Bobby is spending February, March, and April (five meeting sites) in the state of Oregon. Between the months of May through November 1997, Bobby’s circuit takes him throughout the state of Washington and northern Idaho (seven meeting sites); then he crisscrosses the international border between Canada and Montana (four meeting sites); then on to Wyoming, Idaho, and Wisconsin (three meeting sites); next on to Ohio, West Virginia, and Mississippi (three meeting sites), and ends up in Texas and Alabama (three meeting sites). If you can read this descriptive sentence, not stopping to breathe, you have good respiration. Bobby’s preaching and teaching travels span ten months and five days, and cover 12,000 plus miles.

The term “circuit ride?’ is a familiar term. Bobby Holmes is a true modern day “circuit rider.” We coordinated his Oregon appointments. Bobby had never preached in the northwestern United States. He explained he would speak wherever the whole counsel of God could be preached with openness and candor. Oh yes! Priority was to be given to small or new congregations, or to congregations who seriously desire to better understand God’s word. Bobby was presented as a faithful gospel preacher to this area. He has fully filled our representation of him in this capacity.

Bobby traveled 2000 miles by motor vehicle before preaching his first sermon in Oregon. He purchased his coach and car-trailer for this trip with his life’s savings. Joann, his faithful and loving wife, and sister Sally Lee, Joann’s sister, accompany and support him. With his personal sacrifice and a modicum of support good brethren have provided, Christ’s gospel is being preached by

Bobby Holmes to a broad spectrum of Christian needs in this area. Bobby did not delay teaching God’s word until he arrived in Oregon. In Yuma, Arizona his coach broke down; one of his unexpected added costs. In God’s providence, a gentle-man from Lebanon, Oregon, was having his RV repaired at the same shop. This lost soul became interested in the gospel through Bobby’s kind yet bold account of the Savior. Bobby and his new friend traveled different routes to Oregon, but the stranger and his wife came to all but one of Bobby’s first series of meetings in Corvallis, Oregon. The couple are now entering a study of tape presentations of the gospel. They have plans to attend Bobby’s third meeting here at Wilsonville; a round-trip for them of 130 miles. Two were baptized in Bobby’s first meeting.

Bobby’s second site was at Oregon’s oldest incorporated Church of Christ at Mollala, Oregon. Over the years this congregation has been swept to and fro by the winds of doctrine. The congregation canceled a potluck in their building in deference to Bobby’s position on eating in the building. Presently there are some seeking the truth at Mollala, and thus Bobby’s opportunity. Five members of this liberal congregation have asked for Bobby’s sermon outline on “What is a Liberal.” They appear interested in further teaching.

Five families make up the Wilsonville, Oregon church of Christ. We first assembled January 19, 1997. Our gospel meeting with Bobby was March 9-14; the theme, “Marriage and the Family.” Besides Bobby’s preaching, Wilsonville has asked for classes on important issues in our area; e.g., Lord’s Supper, p.m.; Romans 14, indifference or doctrine; and fellowship per 1 John 1:3ff.

Christian integrity is Bobby Holmes’ hallmark. He stands for the truth and he confronts the devil when men present error. He “stands firm.” Hold up his hands. Pray for brother Bobby and his loyal companions on their “circuit.” Thank you, to all who support this ambassador for the Lord in his travels and labor. We will do all we can, and we invite you to do the same. God bless.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 10 p. 16
April May 1, 1997