Truth Magazine

By Johnie Edwards

The Will of Christ is the New Testament. His will is identified as the “second,” in that “. . . he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb. 10:9). Many have not learned that the first covenant was replaced by the will of Christ. Even some of our own brethren teach that there is a continuous covenant from Abraham through today. A careful examination of the Scriptures will not allow such. It is the purpose of this article to examine some requirements of a will and a will-maker to help us have greater appreciation for the Will of Christ.

The Basis For This Study

The Hebrew writer gives us the basis for a study of the Will of Christ when he said, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Heb. 9:16-17).

The word “testament” in this passage carries basically the same idea as covenant, will, law and is often used interchangeably. Thus, the New Testament is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

The First and the Second

The Holy Spirit revealed, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:9-10).

It is evident that the Will of Christ is the will of God — the will Christ came to earth to do. This will involved taking “away the first.” The “first” was the first covenant or the law of Moses. The apostle Paul identified the first covenant as “our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Paul further affirms that, “after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:25). These passages affirm that the law was the schoolmaster and since faith, which is the gospel has come (Gal. 1:23; 2:2), we are no longer under the law of Moses. It is as the Hebrew writer penned, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Heb. 8:7). The first covenant gave way to the will of Christ. “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Heb. 8:13).

By the Which Will

The phrase, “by the which will” is critical to this study. The word “will” in this text does not mean what one plans to do, but has reference to the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. It is then stated, “By the which will,” or testament, “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). It is by the will of Christ or the New Testament that one is set apart to be ready to serve God (Rom. 6:22). Thus, it can be seen that it is by the will of Christ and not the law of Moses that one is fitted as a sanctified person.

Requirements of a Will

A will requires a qualified testator. It is evident that Jesus Christ is the testator as John stated, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). It is indispensable that a testator be of lawful age, and of a sound mind at the time his will is being made. Did Jesus fulfill these requirements? Luke records, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age . . .” (Luke 3:23). Don’t you think that Jesus met the age requirement? Jesus had knowledge as John said, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:25).

A will is to be subscribed. God said concerning his Son, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). At the baptism of Jesus “a voice from heaven, said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). If he pleased God, Jesus is well subscribed!

A will is witnessed. Jesus affirmed, “There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true” (John 5:32). Then Jesus proclaimed, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father  hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me” (John 5:36­-37).

A will is published. The will of Christ, which is the gospel, was a published message as Mark published. “And the gospel must first be published among all nations” (Mark 13:10). The witnessed works of Jesus were published as a man, out of whom the devils were departed, “went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him” (Luke 8:38-39).

A will-maker has to die. Jesus “died” was the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-3). The Hebrews were told that Jesus should “taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Paul wrote the Romans, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Now back to our basic text. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Heb. 9:16-17).

A legacy. A will contains something to be left or things to bequeath. Luke tells us, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Lord bequeaths salvation on the souls of men and women. In his commission to the apostles, the language of Jesus was, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

Heirs. In a will there must be those called heirs or those who inherit. The Bible is plain and clear on this as Paul wrote the Romans, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:17).

Conditions. A will may or may not be conditional. It’s up to the testator to decide. If a will contains conditions, those conditions must be met before one is a legal inheritor.

To illustrate, suppose a million dollars is left to you in a persons’s will. A will usually stipulates the conditions simply and plainly. Conditions are: You have to be 21-years old, married, and hold a B.A. degree from Indiana University. This language is clear and definite. It just so happens that the Lord has conditions in his will, if one is to inherit the benefits of the will. God requires that one hear the gospel (Matt. 17:5); have faith (John 8:24; Rom. 10:17); repent of sins (Acts 17:30); confess faith that Jesus is the Son of God (Matt. 10:32, Rom. 10:9-10, Acts 8:36-38); and be baptized into Christ (Mark 16:16; Gal. 3:27); with this baptism being a burial (Rom. 6:3-4). Meeting these conditions pardons one’s past sins and adds him to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47). There are conditions of being, “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Being “. . . faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10) if one expects to be an heir of God.

Executors: Jesus chose men known as apostles to be executors of his will. Jesus gave the apostles binding and loosing power; that is, they were to bind what had already been bound and loose what had already been loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). The Psalmist said, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89). The apostles were “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20). Paul declared that, as he made “known the mystery of the gospel,” he was an “ambassador in bonds” (Eph. 6:20). Jesus sent the apostles out to execute his will when he said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). Just prior to executing the will, Christ informed the executors, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8) Jesus returned to his Father and the apostles began to execute his will. Acts 2 find the apostles in the city of Jerusalem waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth, as they had been promised (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in the manifestation of Holy Spirit baptism, enabling them to speak in languages they had never studied or learned (Acts 2:1 -11). Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled as the executors, for the first-time revealed the terms of the Will of Christ (Joel 2:28-29; Isa. 2:2-4). They made know the conditions of the will and men met the will’s conditions as    “they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). And, for the first time, “. . . the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). As the book of Acts is read and studied, one can see the terms of the will being executed and men and women in line to inherit.

The Disinherited

Even though one has been included as an heir in a will,  by his conduct or a failure to continue to meet the will’s conditions he may be dis-inherited. Jude penned, “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 5). God has a divine blotter as Moses brought up in the sinning of God’s Old Testament people, Israel. Moses said, as Israel made a god out of a golden calf, “Ye have sinned a great sin. . . . Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me I pay thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Exod. 32:19-33). If one expects to inherit the blessings of God, as John wrote, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before the Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:4). The believer can become an unbeliever and lose his reward. This is the reason the Holy Spirit urged, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).

The Inheritance

The future blessings of God are in the form of an inheritance. A judgment scene finds the testator of the new will saying, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). The eternal inheritance is in the form of hope and promise. Paul wrote Titus, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Tit. 1:2). John penned, “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25). The Hebrew Christians were told concerning those of the Old Testament, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15). We have not inherited eternal life yet, but if we are in Christ, we have the hope of  it as John wrote, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). To be in line to inherit eternal life, we must have been baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27) and have kept the conditions of his will. The will of Christ has in store a most wonderful inheritance for those whose names are included. Peter affirmed, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4); “. . . salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5); or, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1:9).

Cannot Have Two Wills In Effect At Same Time

Jesus was fully aware of the binding of the first covenant while he lived. Jesus lived and died under the law of Moses. Thus, he said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets (Matt. 5:17). This accounts for Jesus keeping the Sabbath day and other parts of the law of Moses. He observed the Passover (Matt. 26:17-26). Paul used the marriage of a man and women to illustrate the binding nature of one testament at a time. He wrote, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man” (Rom. 7:1-3). Ever wonder why the Holy Spirit said this? Read the next verse to see the application. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ: that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4). Jesus knew, and we must learn that we cannot be under two testaments or laws at the same time, no more than a woman can be married to two men at the same time without being guilty of adultery. To be married to two men at the same time is to commit physical adultery and to try to be under two covenants or testaments at the same time is to be guilty of spiritual adultery. One is as bad as the other. This is the reason Jesus, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Col. 2:14). This accounts for Paul recording, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Eph. 2:15). Jesus knowing these truths “taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb. 10:9).Before the Death of Christ
Before the death of Christ, he could and did dispense his blessings on various conditions. Remember Hebrews 9:16-17: “For where a testament is, there must also be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” Understanding this principle accounts for the fact that Jesus said to the man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matt. 9:1-8). Jesus had the power to forgive sins and so acted since his last will and testament was not in force! A reading of Luke 7:36-39 will show Jesus acting before his will was in force saying, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven.” Jesus granted salvation to Zacchaeus before his testament  was of force. Many who try to circumvent being baptized to be saved will bring up the thief on the cross and say he was saved and he was not baptized (Luke 23:39-43). In the first place, you do not know whether or not the thief on the cross was baptized. The Bible does not say. The truth of the matter is Jesus said to the thief, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” 53 days before the last will and testament was of force. It is in the will of Christ that men are taught, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). You cannot hold a man responsible for obeying a law that goes into effect 53 days after he has died! The thief on the cross is not a model case of New Testament conversion and to use it for such is but to misuse it. Find as many cases of Jesus granting salvation before his death as you like and you have just found Jesus acting under the Jewish law before he, the testator died.

After the Death of Christ

The death of Christ put the New Testament or will into force. Read any case of conversion or the granting of remission of sins and you will not find one example or case of anyone being saved without meeting the conditions of the will of Christ. The cases of conversion can be found by reading Acts 2-19 and there are no exceptions to this rule. Someone says, “I found some.” Where? We are told that Saul of Tarsus was saved on the road to Damascus before and without being baptized. Saul was told to, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6). Whatever he was told to do was a “must.” Notice what he must do. Ananias told him of the must when he said, “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash way thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Then there would be those who think they have a case with Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, because the Acts 18:8 says that he “believed on the Lord with all his house;” but says nothing about his being baptized. Ever read what Paul told the Corinthians, “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius” (1 Cor. 1:14). Case closed!

The Lord’s Will Must Be Obeyed

If the New Testament teaches anything at all, it teaches that one must obey the Lord’s will to be saved. Jesus, the testator of the new will said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). To further emphasize the point, Jesus said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). The book that says so much about the will of Christ being in force says, “he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8-9). The final book dealing with final things tells us, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).

Conclusion

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

4121 Woodyard Rd., Bloomington, Indiana 47404­

By Carl A. Allen

The word Christian is a name given to those who have obeyed the Gospel, and who are supposed to be obedient followers of the Lord. This word is found three times in the New Testament: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. In Acts 11:26 the name is given to the followers of Christ. In Acts 26:28 Agrippa almost becomes a Christian, and in 1 Peter 4:16, there were those who were suffering for being a Christian.

Someone has said, “The Christian is a man who has ceased to do what he wants to do and who has begun to do what Jesus wants him to do.” This is a wonderful way of expressing the actions of the Christian. It is no longer the flesh and the desires of the flesh that are the master; but rather, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Paul expresses himself in a way to show that we are no longer under the domain of the flesh: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:16-17). This has produced a change in the man. It caused him to respect the master of the universe, to honor and glorify him in word and deed. Truly, he is a changed man who has “ceased to do what he wants to do and who has begun to do what Jesus wants him to do.”

I heard one of my preacher friends express it this way: “When these old people of the world come knocking on the door, you tell them — I used to, but I don’t no more!”

P.O. Box 793, Crockett, Texas 75835

By Don Willis

In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul recounts the wonderful grace of God that permitted him, the least of all the saints, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. In the beloved song, “I Love to Tell the Story,” the author proclaimed the same blessed honor.

One of the favorite Scriptures often quoted by my late brother, Cecil, proclaims, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Ps. 84:10). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Those that obey are forgiven of their sins (Rom. 6:18) and made servants of righteousness. Obedient individuals become heirs “according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 3:7). What a wonderful privilege to be a son of God, in relation to Jesus Christ, and possess the hope of everlasting life (Rom. 1:15-16)!

Personal History

Fifty (50) years ago, the first Sunday of December, I began to preach every Sunday the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ, being supported by brethren. As a youngster of but ten years, Ned Fairbarin (then in Trinity, Texas) came to Groveton to teach a weekly ladies Bible class. Mom took the children with her, and brother Fairbarin began having Cecil and me make little talks. We were both baptized August 17, 1944.

Luther Blackmon moved to Groveton to preach, and he encouraged Cecil and me by permitting us the opportunity to give short lessons during pre-assembly studies and occasionally during worship assemblies. Bill Thompson also positively affected us! Area churches began inviting us to speak as needed. We preached in Trinity, Apple Springs, Possum Walk, and other little community churches.

Antioch, Texas had a local assembly of God’s people. The late Darwin Kerr (then with the Lufkin Postal Service) was preaching the second and fourth Sundays. My uncles, Jim Money and George Pillows, were attending there. Uncle George was one of the elders. I borrowed one of my dad’s logging trucks and went to assemble with the church the first Sunday of December 1950 seeking permission to preach the normal times assigned to brother Kerr, as he had to spend so much time at the Post Office in December.

The brethren told me I could indeed come those two Sundays and preach and even permitted me to preach that Sunday. I preached all of my prepared sermons that day. Thus, I had to do much work (in addition to my public school studies; I was a senior at Groveton). I went back the second Sunday, and they asked if I desired to come the third Sunday. By then, brother Kerr heard that I was going there to preach; thus, he sent word that he would not be coming back. This was his way of assisting me to get into full-time preaching. I was only 16 years of age then. But thanks to the wonderful brethren there and at their encouragement, I began preaching for them every Sunday. Soon, I realized that my school load, in addition to preparing two sermons a week, was too heavy. I asked them to permit me to come over two Sundays a month — and they so arranged this with me. Centralia (about five miles further down this same dirt road) invited me to come there the other two Sundays. I continued preaching in East Texas until I left for Florida College for the fall session in 1951. It was at this time that I met Marilyn Riggs, a beautiful young lady, the daughter of one of the elders at Kashmere Gardens in Houston. 

At Florida College, I was invited to preach at Center Hill, Florida. I preached there every Sunday (even without having an automobile), riding to Trenton with brother and sister Louis Garrett and one of the brethren would come pick me up. Bible class would already be going but was turned over to me as soon as I arrived. I preached my first funeral while there. Upon completion of Florida College in 1953, I worked that summer with the Seventh Avenue church in Miami. I heard that Palatka, Florida was looking for a preacher. I called and made an appointment to preach one Sunday for them and then went home to see my family. Palatka called and invited me to preach, paying me $50 per week. I had to purchase an automobile and live in a boarding house, but I was excited! We had a wonderful work, many were baptized into Christ and the church grew. During the Florida stay, I was invited to conduct two gospel meetings: one at Melrose, and one near Pensacola. I went back to Texas to see my family and Marilyn. David Tant heard that I was going to Texas. He called and told me that the church had ceased to exist in Alto, Texas. He proposed that he and I conduct a gospel meeting there. And we did, David led the singing and I did the preaching. There was a gentleman that came to almost every service, Fanning Yater Tant, the father of David. I did not know brother Tant, and would have been frightened out of my boots had I known who he was. At that time, brother Yater Tant edited the Gospel Guardian in Lufkin, Texas; his printer was Bob Craig. We were successful in getting the church re-started Alto, and it is still meeting.

Marilyn told me she did not desire to move to Florida. I called a meeting of the men, and told them that my heart was not in the work. I was in love with this young lady in Texas. I asked them if they would release me of my commitment. They asked if I knew someone who would take my place. One of my classmates, Bill Lambert, was interested. He preached the next Sunday. They hired him to work and on Monday I left for Houston . . . to be married! Upon my arrival, she told me she would not marry me until I was employed. Smart lady!

In August 1954, the West End congregation in Houston was looking for a preacher. Brother Alexander and I both asked for the work. I was 20 years of age. The day I tried out, I went to the home of an East Texas family, Grover and Betty Lowry, and baptized Grover that afternoon. The church requested me to work with them. Connie Marshall and Elmore Stern shared the song leading duties. Elmore and Grace Stern had a young daughter (eight years old, as I recall) named Carolyn. We became friends. Marilyn and I were married in November 1954. We had two children born while living at West End, Cathy and Don, Jr. In 1959, we moved across town to Greenwood Village where we labored two years. 

The Highlands church in San Antonio (after being encouraged by my uncle, Alton Thompson) invited us to participate in a two-year training program. W.L. Wharton was the preacher and Roy Spears (formerly of Lufkin) was one of the elders. Here we met many of the present members that are at O’Connor Road. After our two years were up, in 1963 we moved to the Pleasant Valley church in Wichita, Kansas where we labored three years (Charles was born there, and now preaches in Knoxville, Tennessee). 

In 1966 we moved to Floral Heights in Wichita Falls, Texas for six years (Christie was born there). We had never been treated so graciously by a group of people. We had a grand five years of labor. I was invited to many gospel meetings in area churches. I enrolled in Midwestern University for two years of study. During this stay, we were invited to Corpus Christi for a gospel meeting and met Frank Dansby and his wife, Carolyn Stern Dansby. They insisted we stay in their home for the meeting. 
In 1971, we moved to Vivion Road in Kansas City, Missouri, where we remained for two years. I had a throat failure and the doctor told me I would have to cease preaching for a few months. We moved back to Wichita Falls to give my throat time to heal. Once the doctor told me I could preach again, the Bellaire church in Houston invited us to preach and in 1973 we began a two-year labor. While laboring here, the church grew very rapidly, and we started the Alief church.

In 1975, we moved to the Woodland Hills church in Conroe, moving next door to Roy Cogdill. We stayed in one house until we moved to San Antonio in 1994. While in Conroe, the church sent all the members to begin the Woodlands church, where my son-in-law is now one of the deacons. In 1981, we assisted in starting the New Caney church where we preached for thirteen years. New Caney church began during a slow economic period and interest was very high. The church made an agreement with the school system to use one of their facilities with the understanding from them that within one year we had to have plans for constructing a building or to leave the school building. In 1982 we decided to sell bonds and construct a building for worship. The economy was so bad that we were told the bonds could not be sold. We worked very hard and all the bonds sold within three days. We moved into the building in March 1985. The church grew rapidly. It became necessary to enlarge the building, and we added nine classrooms. At this time the eldership was enlarged to six, with twelve deacons. The renovated building would seat close to 300. Attendance reached into the 200s fairly soon. Luther Bolenbarker (whom I had baptized while at Greenwood Village) had spent his military time and had moved home to the Houston area, later preaching in Hunington, Texas. Luther conducted three meetings for us, and we baptized many people.

Frank Dansby began to encourage us to move to San Antonio. We had lived in one house for almost 19 years and it was home! The work was going great. I had conducted two meetings with the O’Connor Road church in San Antonio. The elders invited us to move, and we accepted. Luther Bolenbarker moved to work with New Caney.

Our move to San Antonio in 1994 has been most pleasant. The church has paid off its property, and we now assist in the support of eight gospel preachers, in addition to my support. God has richly blessed us for the past 50 years of our life. What a joy it is to preach the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ.

God has richly blessed our lives with four children, ten grandchildren, and a host of friends. It is so wonderful in almost every place we go, we will know at least one family there. God indeed has a very large and friendly family. Now, I am confident that you know a lot more about us than you ever desired to know. Bear with me in my folly!

There are some things that have not changed in fifty years of preaching. These are some reassuring truths:

We still have the same problem of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Romans 5:12 proclaims that death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Sin abounds around us. Mankind is prone to sin. The lust of sin afflicts all individuals (1 John 2:15-17). Children of God fight daily against sin and often fail. If one says he has no sin, he deceives himself and knows not the truth (1 John 1:7, 10). Sin, thusly, has problemed mankind since Eden. And, sin is still a problem for mankind today.

We still preach the same Christ. The Word (Jesus) was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2). Jesus made all things (John 1:3; Heb. 1:2-3). Jesus was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:18-25). Jesus challenged the religious leaders and the hypocrisy of his day (Luke 2:46-47). Jesus performed essential miracles to attest his Deity (John 20:30-31). Jesus died for our sins (John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Jesus was raised and exalted to the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-33), and now is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Jesus is the one before whom we all shall stand (2 Cor. 5:10).

We still preach the same gospel. It is divinely revealed (Gal. 1:11-12). The gospel remains “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). When one obeys from the heart, he is then made free from sin (Rom. 6:17-18). One must not change the gospel (Gal. 1:6-10; 1 John 4:1; 2 John 9; Rev. 22:18-19). It will judge us in the last day (John 12:48).

We still preach the same plan of salvation. Jesus saves (John 14:6; 1 Cor. 15:1-4). The plan of God that saves includes faith in Christ and the gospel, repentance from sins, confession of Jesus’ Deity, and baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). One cannot be wrongly taught and scripturally baptized (Acts 19:1-5).

We still preach the same church. Jesus promised to build his church, our spiritual relationship (Matt. 16:18). The church had its beginning in the hearts of men and on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). All the saved were added together. The church of Christ is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Eph. 1:22-23). There is but one body (Eph. 4:4; 2:16).

We still preach the same form of spiritual worship. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Worship involves singing, teaching, communion, contribution, and prayer (Acts 2:42; Eph. 5:19). All Christians still worship regularly upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

We still preach the same work of the church. The church is organized to work (Eph. 4:12) for (pros) the perfecting of the saints, edification; for (eis) the work of the ministry, benevolence; for (eis) the building up of the church, evangelism. Denominationalism has sought to make the church a social organization, designed to be day-care centers, entertainment or family centers, with church support of benevolent and educational organizations. Let the church be all that Christ ordained, rather than attempt to fit it to human desires.

We still preach the same organization of the church. Jesus Christ is Head of the church (Eph. 1:22). Christ ordained elders and deacons in every city (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9). Elders are told to feed the flock of God (Acts 20:28-29). Members are told to obey those who have the rule (Heb. 13:7); of course so long as they are in subjection to Jesus Christ. Elders watch for our souls! The Lord did not ordain one eldership over the universal church, nor one eldership over the city; but one eldership in each assembly.

We still preach the same hope. Jesus saves (Heb. 5:8-9; 1 Cor. 15:1-2)! What a wonderful refrain! Titus 1:2: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Jesus said, “I will come again       . . . Where I am, there ye may be also! God gives victory in Christ (1 Cor. 15:57). Divine confidence is given to those who obey Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Conclusion

What a wonderful joy to have spent one’s life in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! Truly, “I love to tell the story.” And now I pray that you will obey the gospel of Jesus Christ; that we would live obediently to our Lord; that we would take advantage of the cleansing in Christ; that we enjoy the most wonderful fellowship in the world; and, that you would pray for me, in continued work as a preacher of righteousness.

Preached by Donald Willis on December 3, 2000      O’Connor Road church of Christ, San Antonio, Texas

By Mike Willis

The subject of the unity of the church has moved to the forefront in material being published among brethren. Some are teaching that unity can be attained and maintained by agreeing to disagree on things taught in the Bible. Various arguments have been made to justify fellowship with those who are teaching admittedly false doctrines and practicing things unauthorized by Scripture. Among the different arguments that have been made over the last thirty years to justify the broadened fellowship are the following:

• Imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ to the believer
• Continuous cleansing
• Romans 14 allows for fellowship in doctrinal and sinful differences
• Redefining false teacher to mean “a bad apple”

All of these arguments lose sight of the original means of attaining and maintaining unity taught and believed by Christians. Brethren formerly taught that unity could be attained and maintained if brethren would believe and teach only those things authorized by Scripture.

Speak the Same Things

Paul wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). The divisions in Corinth were to be healed by brethren learning to “speak the same thing” as a result of their having arrived at the “same mind” and “same judgment.” As a means of illustrating how this is to be done, consider some of the problems at Corinth.

1. The problem of the resurrection. Some among the Corinthians were arguing that there is no resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:12). No doubt, they had accepted the Grecian philosophy that viewed the body as inherently evil. What the Grecian long for was the soul’s liberation from the body, not the bodily resurrection. Paul replied to this false doctrine. His solution for the division over the resurrection at Corinth was not the same as some brethren  contend that we should apply today. Today, some might say that “we can no more expect to think alike than to look alike.” Rather than calling such men false teachers who should not be tolerated (1 Cor. 15:32-33), some might say, “Just because one is teaching that there is no resurrection does not make him a false teacher. A false teacher is a ‘bad apple.’” Rather, than taking this approach, Paul argued for the resurrection of the dead and told the church not to have fellowship with those who teach that there is no resurrection of the dead. He warned, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33). 

When brethren will confine themselves to teaching what the Bible reveals about the resurrection, unity can be attained and maintained. The simple solution for unity on the subject of the resurrection at Corinth was for all to “speak the same thing” as a result of being of the “same mind” and the “same judgment.”

2. The problem of fornication. Some in Corinth argued that fornication was morally neutral. Echoes of their argument are seen in this passage: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them” (1 Cor. 6:12-13). Their argument is that fornication is morally neutral. Just as one who is hungry eats meat to satisfy his hunger, one who is lusting for sexual gratification should fulfill that lust in fornication. How should this disagreement about fornication be resolved? Paul does not use the modern contemporary method of solving this problem, by calling for a unity-in-diversity. Rather, he counters the false doctrine by showing that fornication is a sin against God and against the body (1 Cor. 6:13-20). He even said that fornicators cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Thus, Paul argues for unity by calling on fornicators and false teachers to repent.

When brethren will confine themselves to teaching what the Bible reveals about fornication, unity can be attained and maintained. The simple solution for unity on the subjects of the resurrection and fornication at Corinth was for all to “speak the same thing” as a result of being of the “same mind” and the “same judgment.”

The unity of the church depends upon men speaking the same thing. Brethren will not and cannot be united in the faith of the Lord Jesus so long as they are teaching different doctrines. “Can two walk together except, they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). 

The Source of Church Troubles: False Doctrine and Personal Judgments

The Scriptures teach that brethren teaching unrevealed doctrines will trouble churches. Paul wrote about the Judaizers causing trouble in the Galatian churches; he said, “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (1:7). Regarding these troubles, Paul wished they were disfellowshiped saying, “I would they were even cut off which trouble you” (Gal. 5:12).

There were those in Thessalonica who rejected Jesus as the Lord’s Messiah and persecuted Christians (Acts 17:1-10). Paul announced that the Lord would “recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” (2 Thess. 1:6).

Those who teach unrevealed doctrines cause division. Paul wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom. 16:17-18).

When someone teaches that which is unrevealed, he should not be surprised that those who believe what is revealed will answer him. The subsequent result is division — division caused by teaching that which is unrevealed.

Not only does Paul forbid the teaching of what is unrevealed, he exhorts that brethren who have strong convictions about matters that are indifferent (things that neither commend us to God, nor separate us from him), should hold their personal opinions to themselves. (That there are indifferent matters is confirmed by 1 Corinthians 8:8 — “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.” This is the category of things we mean by “indifferent.”) In those matters, Paul commanded that brethren keep their personal opinions to themselves saying, “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth” (Rom. 14:22). Preaching one’s opinions creates division. Therefore, Paul told the brethren at Rome to keep their personal opinions to themselves.

Recognizing that preaching unrevealed doctrines and personal opinions creates confusion and division, one can see that unity is attained and maintained by agreeing to confine one’s teaching to the doctrine of Christ. We can have unity by agreeing to teach and preach only those things that are revealed in Scripture.

The Restoration Plea

The restoration plea for unity may be unclear in the minds of some of our readers, inasmuch as we hear it preached so seldom today.

N.B. Hardeman expressed it clearly in his Tabernacle Sermons:

I would God to-night that all professed followers in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, and elsewhere, would be content to have but the Bible as their creed, their discipline, their church manual, their church directory, their rule of faith and practice throughout life. There would be oneness on the part of all the splendid people of this great country. . . . I pledge my word and promise myself to-night, if the man will thus show me that God’s book does not plainly demand it, I will gladly surrender and give that up that the cause of division may cease. . . . When I announce that platform, it is not narrow, it is not limited, it is not human; but it is big enough, broad enough, wide enough, and comprehensive enough for every son and daughter of God on earth to occupy and none feel that in so doing they have had to sacrifice a single principle of faith.     . . .Take your stand on God’s book and eliminate all things that are not plainly taught therein; and when you so do, I will gladly come to you and take my stand with you, if there be any preference as to which way the coming is done (Tabernacle Sermons II:185, 186, 187).

The strength of the restoration plea is its basis for unity — unity through the restoration of the ancient order. Think how this plea would heal divisions among us! If brethren would cease preaching their unrevealed doctrines on divorce and remarriage and confine themselves to the Scriptures, unity could be attained. If brethren would cease preaching their doctrines on church support of human institutions (orphan homes, old folks homes, colleges, missionary societies, etc.), unity could be attained. If brethren would quit defending and practicing the sponsoring church arrangement, unity could be attained.

Conclusion

Let’s not forget what makes us one. We are drawn together as “one in Christ” through the preaching of the gospel. Men from every background without any commonalities are united through the one faith in Christ. 
6567 Kings Ct., Avon, Indiana 46123 mikewillis1@compuserve.com