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• WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• WAS JESUS GOD?
• THE GREAT COMMISSION
• FAITH HEALERS – FRAUD OR MIRACLES?
• THE RIDDLE OF FAITH AND WORKS
• OVERCOMERS

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October 2022

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

FORNICATION'S DESTRUCTIVE POWER

John Ponzio

        With Roe versus Wade overturned at the supreme court level, and murder of the unborn yet legal in many states; sodomite "marriage" legalized in America and sexual perversion accepted in every measure of its destructive consequences in society from the elderly to preschoolers, some church authorities have concluded that given the degree in which at least this country has degenerated into the moral decadence it now stands, irreversible judgment is set upon its people fallen into “the depths of Satan” (Rev.2:24). Is that true? As no one knows the day nor the hour of Christ's soon appearance to this world's judgment, we certainly need to be awakened to the times, seasons, and circumstances that have set in motion this nation's inevitable downfall for its sins.

        But, "Will the Lord destroy the righteous with the wicked?” Was Abraham's question to the Almighty Who appeared to him, first to confirm His promised blessings to the patriarch and then in order to the business of destroying the sexually perverted cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and the cities of the plain also affected with the ways of the ungodly? Lot's decision, we know, to live near Sodom had consequences to last till the end of the earth. A merciful God answered Abraham's prayer and spared his nephew, but since through Lot's subsequent drunkenness and incest, the god of fornication plagued the nation of Israel, eventually infiltrating every aspect of their God-given precepts and coerced them to join the idolatry of other peoples. "Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners" (1Cor.15:33).

        The testimony of scripture concludes that sexual perversion is the last straw prerequisite to impending judgment in every nation against the longsuffering of the Lord that also waited in the days of Noah, affecting every century up till now. Because the failure of “churches” to lift up their voice as a trumpet against this bottom-of-the-barrel iniquity; is it any different today in this country that the Lord's true people will not experience some effects of the judgment? Judgment that this soul-damning disease calls down as it metastasizes in all manner of accepted evil? Men and women, not only as the letter of Paul to the Romans explains, have turned the natural use of their God given reproductive urges, blessed only within marriages between one man and one woman (and cursed outside of that) into the most perverted devilish practices between themselves, but because of the unrestrained accepted "activity," young children whose angels are always beholding the face of their Father in heaven are made subjects of this demonic conformity. Dissolution of a nation and its government becomes irreversible upon the escalation of its sexual perversion. The depths of Satan, as Revelation2:24 reveals, has not just promised the Divine sentence of judgment upon a nation, which 200 years earlier used the Bible as the foundation of its constitution, but is witnessing the present execution of it.

        Irreversible judgment has already come to this society and all others of the world’s kingdoms that know not God and that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this nation, many churches have cast off restraint to a “feel good gospel” and walk over the Law of God to be "led of the Spirit" till adultery, fornication and all manner of promiscuity is rampant where the defilement produces unbelief and “nothing is pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus1:15). For "evangelism’s" purposes, pulpits forsake the rebuke of the Word to accommodate increase of numbers while it suffers that "woman Jezebel that calleth herself a prophetess to seduce Christ's servants to commit fornication” (Rev.2:20). THE PROFESSING CHURCH NEED NOT BE DECEIVED: IT WILL HOLD MUCH OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR NOT WARNING A NATION PINING AWAY IN ITS OWN CORRUPTION. Has America gone beyond the window for “national” repentance as we have heard much of its churches’ attempts for it to return to the “former days”? But shall much of the godliness that existed in the former days have fellowship with present assemblies who hold much of the truth in the unrighteousness of a culturalized christianity who put darkness for light and light for darkness? Yet we would have to say this "powerful nation" already has been abandoned by the God of its forefathers and nationally turned His back upon a society in league with the incinerated cities as an example of those who would after live ungodly.

        In the Almighty's eyes the sin of aborting the unborn goes deeper than premeditated murder; since the majority of pulpits have turned their backs on addressing fornication as the real sin at the root of abortion; society and its governments have praised, protected and provided for the welfare of a reprobate nation. As horrendously tragic as the sinful murder of human beings yet in their mother's womb is, in the eyes of Him Who sees in secret, fornication is the capstone sin of the mother of all harlots and the socially accepted instrument in adultery, to the murdering of the partial and completely unborn, corrupting whole families and leading to the final destruction of a nationthat has turned its back on the Law of the Lord.

        "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1Cor.6:10).

        Will the Lord destroy the righteous with the wicked?

        "To the strangers scattered…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1Peter1:1-5). "Grace to all them that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity Amen" (Eph. 6:24).

 

 

 

 

WAS JESUS GOD?

Alfred King

        Questions concerning the deity of Jesus seem to find their way across my desk from time to time, and it always causes consternation, not only for its obvious error but even more so for the danger which accompanies this false teaching. A recent letter was sent me which read, “Brother, you don’t believe in the rapture, but you cling to Jesus being God, I don’t!” The writer proceeded with several portions of scripture that, I assume, were to support his position. However, there were no comments or explanations of how those verses support his supposition. Since he made no comments, the challenge I faced while reading through the listed verses was to figure out how he arrived at the conclusion from this list. I might use the same scriptures to support my conviction that Jesus is God and not just a man. Without any explanation I am left only to assume how he perceives and interprets these verses.

        In the first few verses which he listed, I gathered that he believes that Jesus was a man conceived by the Holy Spirit (much like we understand John the Baptist being filled with the Spirit from the womb) and through whom God moved by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The writer used verses that stated that Jesus was the Son of God whom God had anointed with the Holy Spirit. Listed here are some of the verses he used to support his views: Mark14:61-62; IJohn1:3,7; Acts8:37. These, with a few others, all state that Jesus was the Son of God. Other verses listed referred to the anointing: Acts10:38; Matt.1:20-21; Acts4:26-27.

        Along with the above mentioned verses, he included several other verses which state that if one rejects the teachings which have been presented in scripture he will be accursed, damned, received not, rejected, and Anathema. It seems that he intends to say that those who believe and teach that Jesus is God fit into the category of those who are to be accursed, otherwise why include this in the letter?

How Are We To Interpret These Verses?

        Of course the portions of scripture referred to above are all true and cannot be denied, for they are Holy Spirit inspired. However, they do not state whether Jesus, who is the Son of God and anointed by the Holy Spirit, is deity or not. To find the answer to the actual question at hand, we must go to scripture that declares the truth clearly.

        Let’s begin with John chapter one. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John1:1-3). Skipping down to verse 14 we read, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Take special note of the phrase, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” Who was made flesh and lived among us? Verse one tells us: It was “the Word” who “was God.” In obvious answer to the question: The Word was He who dwelled among mankind. And who was that? It was Jesus, the Son of the living God.

        Let’s not base any conviction or teaching on one verse or one portion of scripture, rather out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every word be established. “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (ICor.8:6). (emphasis mine throughout) In this verse we find the same truth as we saw in John one: that all things were made (created) by the Word, that Word which lived among us, Who is Jesus Christ. In these two portions of holy writ we find, The Word was the Creator. I know this can be shocking to many, but let’s go further in order to establish this point. The Creator is definitely God, for scripture declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen.1:1).

        Here’s what we have discovered in the three portions of scripture cited above:

        1. The Word is God.
        2. The Word created everything.
        3. The Word lived among mankind.
        4. Jesus is the Word and therefore is God.
        5. God (Jesus) created the earth and the heavens.

        How then can one claim that Jesus is not God? To further substantiate this wonderful truth, let us add a few more texts from scripture in order to solidify this fact.

        Heb. 1:1-2: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”

        Eph. 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”

        Col 1:13-16 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”

        There are other portions of scripture that prove the deity of Jesus, but this should be sufficient to prove His divinity to any honest seeker.

Jesus Was God And Man

        There are divine truths which God, in His wisdom, has given us very limited understanding. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are, also. Yet, God has given some knowledge concerning how Jesus was able to lay aside His heavenly glory, be born of a virgin and thereby taking on human nature, becoming a man, thereby being subject to the same limitations and temptations which humans experience, and at the same time retain His deity. The fact that the Holy Spirit was involved in every aspect of His life and ministry informs us that He operated through the power of the Holy Spirit and not through His own power or divinity. The Holy Spirit came upon the virgin Mary and she conceived. It is through this intervention of the Holy Spirit that Jesus came as the Son of God. Notice how the angel which appeared unto Mary explained it. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”. (Luke1:35). Jesus was God through the Holy Spirit, and He was man through His mother Mary.

        It was necessary for Jesus to come in human flesh in order for Him to live in the same manner, facing the same difficulties and trials as those for whom He came to deliver and save. In order for His sacrifice to be sufficient for the atonement of the whole human race, it required Him to be subjected to every experience which men face. The writer to the Hebrews presents this very point in Hebrews2:16-17. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Why would it be said that “he be made like unto his brethren” if He came as we all do, with a human father? If Jesus were not God, then of course He would come as the rest of us have come. These are things the angels desire to look into, and I’m sure they were astounded when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They rejoiced when they announced the news to the shepherds, for the heavenly hosts were seen praising God (Luke2:13-14).

Jesus And His Power

        The question which arises concerning Jesus and His deity is the power behind His ministry. Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered (Heb.5:8). And He was made perfect through that suffering. If He were deity, why was it necessary for Him to be “made perfect”? The Greek word translated “perfect” has to do with mature, complete, or consummate (Strong’s Lexicon). In order for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice He had to walk, live, and experience the same temptations, trials, and adversities that men face, and live above sin in every case. Returning to Hebrews we read, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb.5:9). It was by His coming in flesh and blood and living above sin that He reached maturity and became the Author of eternal salvation.

        But one might ask, “Here lies a problem. Why would deity need to be made perfect since God is perfect?” The Greek word translated perfect in this verse is “teleioo” and is defined by James Strong as “complete, accomplish, consummate”. Jesus completed everything necessary for Him to be made the impeccable sacrifice which the law required to take away the sin of the world. His temptation in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry was just the beginning of His battle in overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil. His greatest temptation was that which He faced in the garden where He sweat as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke22:44). If He had not put on flesh and blood, He would not have been tempted by any of these temptations. It was in His humanity that He experienced what every human encounters. It was through this incarnation that Jesus was able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Jesus Christ (Heb.7:25). And it is through His being made flesh and dwelling among us that He is now our Mediator, who daily intercedes for us in the heavenly sanctuary.

        Jesus’ power came just as ours today comes: through the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Man possesses no power in himself to conquer sin or to overcome his human nature. Jesus laid aside His glory, became a man, and relied totally upon the Holy Spirit throughout His life in order to show us how we are to live. Just as He was led and operated by the Holy Spirit, so are we to live. In Luke4:18-19 Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and verse 1, which foretold that the Spirit of God would rest upon the Messiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus did not use His Godly power. Rather He laid aside His power and depended totally upon the Holy Spirit to direct His life. He lived in close relationship with His Father, always listening to and following the direction of the Holy Spirit and, through the Holy Spirit, He was able always to know and do His Father’s will. He is our example, and He made possible through His death that every born again believer can find the same relationship as He had with our Father.

        Consider carefully and prayerfully these words recorded in IJohn3:1-2: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Behold means to look, contemplate, examine what the Father’s love has provided. Jesus was The Son of God, and we have been adopted into God’s family and are now sons through Jesus Christ. As sons of God, we are heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Rom.8:17). The same power of the Holy Spirit that rested in Jesus Christ was manifest at Pentecost when the hundred and twenty were filled with the Holy Ghost and power. Some of those “greater works,” which Jesus promised, were manifest as thousands were added to the church and the very shadow of Peter had healing power (Acts2:41; Acts5:15)

No Man Born Through Adam Could Possibly Be The Promised Messiah

        The subtitle may seem a little contradictory to what has been written thus far, since Jesus was a man and came from Adam through His mother Mary. The difference with Jesus was that His humanity came through Mary and His deity came through the Holy Spirit. The truth that must be realized here is that a couple (a man and a woman) who descended from Adam could never bear a child who could save and redeem a fallen world. It is absolutely impossible. No matter what doctrinal position one might take concerning when a babe or small child becomes a sinner, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23, 5:12). There is none righteous, no not one (Rom.3:10). “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa.64:6). The scriptures are replete with this theme and the only exception is the God-man, Jesus Christ.

The Only Begotten Son

        This phrase is often misunderstood by Christians. Some think that Jesus was created because He was “begotten.” This is not true. Jesus was begotten through the Holy Spirit and Mary. No other person or being has been begotten of God in the manner in which Jesus was. It is true that when one is born again, he is begotten of God, but this begotten is not the same as that of Jesus. Some teach that Jesus was created because He is called the Son of God just as Adam was created and called the son of God (Luke3:38). The expression used in Luke refers to God creating Adam. The case of Jesus is not the same, for Jesus existed from eternity. He was in the beginning with God (John1:2). Before the world was, Jesus was.

        It is a very serious affront to Jesus and the Father to relegate Him to man only. If Jesus were not God, He could not have died for the sins of the world. Justice would not allow it. If He were merely a man and somehow lived above sin, He could die for only one man’s sins. But as God, He is able to save all who will come to Him in repentance and faith. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John3:16). The love of God for man, who was created in His own image, was the reason that Jesus came and why He offers salvation today. It is the Father’s love that brought Jesus down from heaven, and it was His love that led Him to Calvary, and His love is the reason He mediates our cause day after day and year after year until God takes us home. Salvation was made possible by God sacrificing Himself for man’s transgression and redeeming him and reconciling him to God. May God receive all the glory and honor and praise.

 

 

 

 

THE GREAT COMMISSION

Randall Walton

        “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt.28:19 & 20).

        “And he said unto them, 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” (Mark16:15,16).

        “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke24:47).

        These three references outline the duties and responsibilities of the followers of Jesus Christ. This was the King's order to the subjects of His Kingdom. They were to be active, involved in the promulgation of the Good News which He Himself had announced at the beginning of His 3½ years ministry. It was the gospel of the kingdom, and it was spelled out clearly and distinctly:

        1. Believe
        2. Repentance
        3. Remission of sins
        4. Baptism
        5. Obedience to the King's commands.

        Let us reiterate that these solemn words were uttered by none other than the Lord Himself, and this fact, of course, places them in a category by themselves!

        It is a fact that many scholars accept only points 1 and 3, while others will agree with the first four, but they are few and far between who embrace all five of these divine decrees. There are those who go to great lengths in their efforts to convince people that they need pay no attention to the things which Jesus commanded His disciples to do. Yet, He could not have made it any plainer than He did.

        The real controversy is not over the first four points (although repentance is not very popular today), but it involves the word “observe,” which means nothing other than plain old obedience. The word obedience has been classified as dangerous, legalistic, fallen from grace, works, self-righteousness, and Phariseeism. And those who oppose obedience so vehemently never pause to realize that they are promoting DIS-obedience! How strange! This attitude toward God and His word has been foretold in the Scriptures regarding the last day.

Whatsoever I Have Commanded You

        One of the most well-known and most outspoken “authorities” to oppose the words of Jesus was Cyrus I. Scofield, D.D., the author of the Scofield Reference Edition of the Bible, a book which is proclaimed the very apotheosis of all Bible reference works. This man, a lawyer, blatantly categorizes the blessed sayings of Jesus as belonging to a different age or era of time from the present. He states unblushingly that Jesus' words were applicable only up to Matthew11:28, and will be effective once again in a future earthly kingdom dispensation.

        Nearly the entire evangelical/fundamentalist religious organization has joyfully swallowed the hook, line and sinker of this anti-Christ teaching. While gladly accepting His free-grace salvation, no strings attached, they just as vociferously denounce and reject the commands of the Author of salvation, who Himself ordered His followers to teach all nations of people to OBEY His commands! How inconsistent to call oneself a Christian while refusing to do what the Christ commanded to be done.

        Of the Sermon on the Mount, Mr. Scofield had this to say: “In this sense the Sermon on the Mount is pure law, and transfers the offense from the overt act to the motive.” “For these reasons the Sermon on the Mount in its primary application gives neither the privilege nor the duty of the Church. These are found in the Epistles. Under the law of the kingdom, for example, no one may hope for forgiveness who has not first forgiven. Under grace, the Christian is exhorted to forgive because he is already forgiven” (Notes to Matt.5:2).

        How convenient! This is the kind of reasoning which makes the words of Jesus null and void. Further, Mr. Scofield promotes the idea that Jesus and Paul taught two entirely different and conflicting doctrines; that is, Jesus said we must forgive to be forgiven, and Paul said we (Christians) are forgiven in advance and are not really required to forgive others: we are exhorted to!

        Paul never taught such rubbish as that. In fact, he never contradicted the teachings of Jesus at all. He did not teach that the commands of Jesus were irrelevant. To the contrary, he stated (in ITimothy6:3-5), “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: FROM SUCH WITHDRAW THYSELF.” Thank you, Brother Paul, for such good advice. We will comply.

        The really sad part of all this is that millions of people believe in Scofield and his reference Bible. Many preachers would feel lost without their Scofield notes to turn to. Little do they realize the negative impact that this has on their lives, for when Jesus ordered His followers to teach all nations to obey everything He had commanded them to do, and then they do exactly the opposite, this is the same as a slap in the face of the Savior. Surely this must be the fulfilling of His parable in Luke19:12-14 where He stated that “his citizens hated him and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.” This is the state of much of Christendom today. They have rejected the rule of Jesus and His words.

His Words Are Law

        One thing Mr. Scofield said in truth was that Jesus' words (the Sermon on the Mount) were pure law. It is also true that Jesus transferred the offense from the overt act to the motive, a move which was apparently resented by Mr. Scofield.

        Let us remember that Jesus spoke with absolute authority. The people to whom He preached were impressed with His message: they “were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt.7:28,29). The words which came forth from His lips were uttered from the heart of God! “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John6:63b).

        First of all, He established the requirements and the means for entrance into the kingdom of God: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John3:3,5). Please note, the issue in question here is the kingdom of God and how one may gain entrance into it. The experience of the New Birth, or being born again, opens the gates of the glorious, invisible, but real kingdom of God (See also Col.1:13).

        “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John3:6). Thus, Jesus defines the Kingdom of God as a spiritual reality as opposed to an earthly, material, visible entity.

        Next, He set forth the laws of that kingdom, laws which every kingdom citizen is accountable for. These laws are expressed throughout the writings of the “four gospels,” beginning with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew5,6,7. All of “these sayings of mine” stand in contrast to the law as given to ancient Israel in that they were engraved on two tablets of stone, whereas Jesus' words are now in the believers' hearts and are written in their minds (Heb.10:16). Not only are they more personal and pertinent, they begin with the motive or intent of the heart of man.

        Consequently, the importance and applicability of the message of Jesus have been amplified and magnified – not obliterated nor even postponed. He did establish the privilege and the duty of the church in His sayings and commands. The church (literally, the people of God, or the believers) is the visible segment of the kingdom of God. It, the church, was meant to be a light to the world, a “city set on a hill which cannot be hidden.” But, a body or entity which has no laws or rules to establish its credibility and to govern its inhabitants is a decapitated body without life or legitimacy. Hence, any religious entity which denies the relevance and applicability of the words of King Jesus has no credibility with the Living God. “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me AND OF MY WORDS, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels” (Luke9:26).

His Commands And The Judgment

        One does not need to be a genius to understand that there must be a reasonable basis for God's judgment of mankind. God is just, impartial, merciful, compassionate and loving, and “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (IIPeter3:9). However, the Scriptures are just as plain that the majority of humanity will not be saved. Why? Since Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, why will there be few who make it?

        The answer lies again in the statements of Jesus: “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day” (John12:48).

        The basis for THE judgment, then, will be the words of Jesus. Take a few minutes to ponder and contemplate this astounding truth. The commands which He gave to His disciples are so important as to become the law upon which all mankind will be held responsible!

        Now, the question arises concerning the people who have never had access to the word of God and, also, the illiterates who can neither read nor write.

        Let us remember that His word/law is within the hearts and minds of those who are born again whether they are illiterate or are well educated. God will judge them on the basis of their response to the amount of knowledge He has given them individually.

        “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom.2:14,15).

        It is possible, then, for anyone anywhere to obey the law of the Lord which is written in their hearts, and by so doing they will be rewarded on the day of judgment. It is also reasonable and just that those who have been given a greater knowledge of God's requirements and expectations be held accountable for greater productivity and performance of duty: God expects more from them than from those to whom little has been given (Luke12:48).

        This means that those who live in areas where the words of Jesus are abundantly available, where Bibles are readily accessible, and where religious freedom abounds have not only greater opportunity but also greater responsibility! Will the Judge of all men hold the people of the U.S. more accountable on the day of judgment than the people in heathen lands who have not had access to His words? Of course, and rightly so.

        And what about those who not only reject His words but teach others to do the same? Where will Mr. Scofield stand on that final day – this man whose works have led millions of people into total disregard and disobedience of the precious words of our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus spoke of those who would receive the greater damnation (Matt.23:14). Surely, this must be reserved for those who both disobey the Lord Jesus and teach others to do likewise.

Make Disciples

        In our original text of Matt.28:19 we read Jesus' words thus: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” The word “teach” in this verse is different from the word “teaching” in verse 20. Teaching is instructing, directing, ordering, demonstrating, showing how.

        But the Greek word for teach in verse 19 comes from the word “disciple” and can be rendered “disciple (or discipline) all nations” or “make disciples of all nations.”

        A disciple is one who is a follower of another; that is, he receives instructions from a tutor or teacher and then applies those instructions to his own life. As much as possible, he imitates his teacher, or master, and tries to conform his life to the teachings of the teacher.

        In this case, Jesus set up the curriculum for the course of discipleship, i.e., “whatsoever I have commanded you.” A disciple of Jesus, then, is one who observes everything Jesus commanded His followers to do. In other words, one cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ unless he obeys the commands of Jesus Christ! This is fundamental, this is basic, this is plain and simple truth. One may be a professing Christian, but he cannot be a Christian disciple unless he obeys the commands of Christ.

        The Great Commission was a mandate to “make disciples,” not religious proselytes. The divine decree was to instruct “all nations” to obey the words of Jesus as a requisite for discipleship, and disciples is what the Lord is looking for. Discipleship is proof of ones professed love for God: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John14:15).

        Obedience is a matter of learning and practice. It begins with a search of the Scriptures in looking for the various orders and decrees which came forth from the mouth of the Great Teacher. Then comes compliance, learning how to apply these teachings to the daily life. It involves growth, development, courage and persistence. One does not fully obey on first try. It is a daily experience: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke9:23).

        It is a process, a one-step-at-a-time process. It requires diligence, determination and deliberate effort, but discipleship is what walking with God is all about. Anyone who is seeking to be a disciple of Jesus will make mistakes, will falter and fumble many times along the way, but we should keep our eyes upon the goal set before us and persevere ahead. Full discipleship is the goal for every true believer and is only attainable by observing all things whatsoever He commanded His apostles to do.

        The nearer we draw to the end of time, the more imperative it becomes that we achieve full discipleship. And in so doing, we shall be able to teach others how to become “disciples indeed” (John8:31). This is the greatest need of the present hour: to become true disciples and to help others to achieve the same. This can only be done as we take seriously the words of our Savior, apply them to our own personal lives, and then teach others to do likewise.

The Greatest Of These Is:

        In His teachings, Jesus taught concerning our relationship with both God and man. He went into detail about our conduct and behavior, and interpersonal dealings with others. He firmly declared that the most important commandments were those which involved love: love for God, and love for other human beings (Matt.22:36-40). He affirmed that all the law and the prophets hung from these two which He said are the First and Second greatest commandments of all. He even stated that the testimony of discipleship is having love for others (John13:35).

        It is not difficult to see that there is not a great amount of love extended among and between professed believers in this present hour. Most people are selfish, caring for their own personal interests above and beyond anything else.

        Love is, first of all, devotion. Anyone who really loves God will be devoted to Him: God will mean more to that person than anything else in life. Waking or sleeping, his thoughts will be centered on his God. He lives for Him; he dies for Him. God is the foremost part of his existence. The intensity of his love will be seen in his desire to please Him and to obey Him. Since God is the object of his devotion and his life, he spends himself in his efforts to do His will. This is love.

        But the same attention is given toward other members of the Body of Christ, not with the same degree of intensity he has toward God, but with devotion, care and concern or, as Paul stated it: “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal.6:2).

        There seems to be a moving among many believers regarding the necessity of having love toward each other. People are beginning to see that religion alone is a dead, impersonal, impotent facade that never provides for the needs of the people who are involved. The missing ingredient in the lives of believers is genuine, sacrificial love for both God and others.

        When the servants of the Lord begin to love God with all their heart, their mind, and their strength, and their neighbors as themselves, we will see the beginning of a “glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but holy and without blemish” (Eph.5:27).

        Truly, it is time to teach all nations “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

 

 

 

 

FAITH HEALERS – FRAUD OR MIRACLES?

C.F. Woodard

        “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Gal.1:6). A gospel founded on miracles, emotion, prosperity, laughing, falling on the floor or any other thing than faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, is another gospel!

        Many illnesses are psychogenic. Faith can help these by releasing endorphins or proteins in the brain that produce a morphine-like effect with alleviating symptoms.

        Does God heal? Yes, at times God by His grace intercedes for His people. Not all faith healers are out-and-out frauds. Many start out to serve God and help people. A few apparent miracle successes and they really believe they are anointed of God. This situation is fostered by the fact that people want to believe. People want to see a miracle.

        Some charismatic personalities are out-and-out frauds. They want your money; they are religious con artists. They seek to persuade people they have an inside track with God. For a gift to their ministry, they promise, or insinuate, you will be rewarded of God. They seek approval of God's people. Listen to Paul: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal.1:10).

        Faith healers as a whole are not the servants of Christ! The scam they practice is one of self-exaltation and arrogance!

        Why are people fooled by this religious scam? People are gullible. Christians are most trusting and open to religious fraud. Look at the thousands of Roman Catholics who go to Lourdes, France, in hope of being cured.

        The prayer lines that form following speakers at Christian fellowships attest to the fact that many believe a charismatic speaker has more faith than they do.

        Some seek a word of prophecy from teachers and speakers, but seldom read God's Word, the Holy Bible, to find God's will.

        There will be no true deliverance until God's sheep turn to the True Shepherd!

        Away with emotional extravagance! Do not be a part of unreasonable and exorbitant claims! The fanaticism of faith healing is not of God!

        One of the largest dangers of looking to faith healers is error in doctrine. Anyone who adopts the charismatic jargon is deemed a man or woman of God. Their word is placed on a level with scripture. They may even assert new and personal revelations from God!

        A blending of Gospel and psychology will negate and nullify Biblical orthodoxy! To transgress scriptural truth is not of God: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (IIJohn9).

        Faith healers tend to divert attention to themselves and away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

THE RIDDLE OF FAITH AND WORKS

Harold & Donna Kupp

        There are two statements of Paul about JUSTIFICATION (forgiveness of sins) which seem to contradict each other.

        VERSE 1. (Romans3:20)

        “Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be JUSTIFIED in his sight.”

        VERSE 2. (Romans2:13)

        “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be JUSTIFIED.”

        The riddle is, of course, “How can both of these verses be true?” The answer is that verse #1 refers to HOW we are justified, while verse #2 refers to WHO is justified.

        VERSE 1. HOW justified…

        No one can be justified (forgiven) by keeping the law, for even though we keep every commandment from this day forward, someone must pay for the sins we have already committed. We are justified by faith in Christ.

        VERSE 2. WHO justified…

        On the other hand, only the “doers of the law will be justified before God.” Therefore, it must follow that only the doers of the law have a genuine faith in Christ.

        “Here is the patience (endurance) of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev.14:12).

 

 

 

 

OVERCOMERS

Alfred King

        “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” These words from Revelation place strong responsibility upon those who would call themselves “Christians.” The portion, “even as I also overcame” unabashedly and without apology states this as the way the overcomer must walk. One who would take these words to heart is forced to consider what Jesus overcame and how He overcame; then he must begin the venture into that same path in which Jesus walked and face the same issues that Jesus faced and fight the same battles that Jesus fought in order to be an overcomer as Christ was.

        Paul gives us a small list of the overcomings of Jesus in Phil.2:5-8 where we read: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But (1) made himself of no reputation, and (2) took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he (3) humbled himself and (4) became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

        Paul directs the true Christian to have the same mind that Christ had, but note the results of this “mind of Christ.” He made Himself of no reputation. In the beginning of His public ministry, we see Christ being led into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted of the devil. During this time of temptation, certain attacks were made by Satan against our Savior in an attempt to cause Him to sin, and each attack was aimed at a particular part of the nature to which Jesus was made subject when He became flesh and blood (Heb.2:16).

        The first two temptations began with, “if thou be the Son of God.” Satan questioned whether Jesus was truly the Son of God and tried to manipulate Christ to prove by some miracle or sign that He was The Christ. The natural tendency when one's reputation is in question is to defend, to prove and to demonstrate that we are what we claim to be. If a man is questioned as to his honesty, he immediately responds by trying in some way to justify himself and to defend his reputation. The concern of another's reputation, or even truth itself, is laid aside or is put in second place when placed alongside his own. Jesus “made Himself of no reputation,” and in laying aside of His reputation, His only concern was the reputation He had with the Father. His reputation in this world meant nothing at all.

        If we follow this thought through the ministry of Jesus, we find this same issue facing Him many times. He was rejected by the religious leaders of His day; they questioned His deity, His lordship, His kingship, His words, His actions, His disciples, His miracles, His power over devils, His healings, His motives, His integrity, His manners, His legitimacy, and anything else which they could possibly conjure up. But Jesus had long ago dealt with His reputation and had clearly heard from the Father and had, by constant communion, learned that His meat was to do the will of the Father.

        Jesus received joy of gladness above His fellows, a joy that only comes when self dies and the will is surrendered totally and absolutely to the will of God. One can see why there are few who will enter the strait and narrow way. However, Jesus entered in for us as the forerunner “leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps” (IPeter2:21). His reputation was even further laid aside as He faced the cross itself. The One Who did no wrong “made His grave with the wicked,” endured the cross, despising the shame,” was “brought as a lamb to the slaughter,” died one of the most humiliating forms of death and unjustly so, “yet He opened not His mouth.” His reputation was never allowed to push forward in justification of Himself. His reputation had been consumed in the crucible of supreme and severe testings. His brothers doubted Him and ridiculed Him, His disciples didn't understand Him and fled in His time of greatest need, yet there was no self-pity nor concern for His own reputation. There was no distress with the injustices of the hour; there was only a heart of divine love filled with compassion which prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

        “He took on Himself the form of a servant.” Jesus declared plainly in Mark 10 and verse 45 that the purpose of His coming was not to be ministered unto but to minister. This word “minister” means “service” or “to serve.” Jesus came as a servant to serve. His life was one of service which He exemplified the very night of His betrayal as He washed the feet of the disciples, knowing full well that one would betray Him, one would deny Him, all would flee in fear, leaving Him alone to face the darkness of His final hours.

        The life of servanthood was common to Jesus, for He applied the words He spoke in the Sermon on the Mount to His own life. The purpose of His coming was to serve as the sacrificial Lamb, God in the flesh, condescending to live the lowly life of a servant, being tempted in all points as we, laying aside His heavenly splendor to live in poverty, suffering the pain into which mankind had fallen because of sin; He living above sin, reconciled us to God. Greater servanthood has never been demonstrated. Nor is it possible to find a greater servant than the Servant Jesus Christ. He, who abandoned Himself for the good of others, servanthood displayed in His life and death which He, the King of Glory, offered for the salvation of mankind. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

        Paul goes even further in his description of Jesus when he says, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” These words of Paul echo through the corridors of time with serious demands for those who are truly going to follow Jesus whithersoever He leads.

        The poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson entitled “The Charge of the Light Brigade” tells of a small cavalry of 600 men which had received orders to make an attack upon an army of which there was no hope of victory, rather certain death. The foolishness of the orders certainly was a mistake but, after a sleepless night, they mounted up and rode straight into the jaws of death, and only history and a poem are left of the obedience of those who died. This is the obedience in which Jesus walked and the obedience which God seeks of His people.

        The freedom revolution of the past fifty plus years, which commenced with songs such as “Born Free” and “I Did It My Way,” has helped produce a society that is opposed to obedience and humbling themselves to authority of any sort. Yet, little does this generation, which has proclaimed freedom so profusely, know that the humbling of one's self and becoming obedient to Jesus Christ is the way to true freedom.

        Jesus' obedience to the Father was the source of His joy and freedom. When He was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, it is certain He did not relish the idea of being tempted and tested for forty days as Satan attempted futilely to persuade Jesus to bow down and worship him. But Jesus was led by the Spirit, so He followed. But envision the joy after the temptation as the angels ministered to Him. Taste the sweetness of the victory when He had overcome and Satan left Him for a season.

        The obedience Jesus learned by suffering reaped the greatest benefits, and as He faced the cross, He prayed, sweating, “as it were, great drops of blood;” “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done.” Jesus demonstrated total and complete annihilation of His own will, absolute abolition of Himself, and the abandonment of His personal desires in preference of the Father's will. His own will lay in ashes in the furnace of affliction as He set His face toward the cross. Jesus had prepared Himself for the greatest test of all, and He entered with flawless success.

        Isaiah53:11 tells us that “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.” Verse 12 states, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.” Dividing the spoil will be for those who embrace the cross and are overcomers as He was. A song written a few years ago by Randall Dennis and Jon Mohr entitled, “The Refiner's Fire,” gives clearly the call for all who would desire and fully intend to enter the rest and to cease “from his own labors as God did from His.”

        “The Refiner's fire, has now become my sole desire,
        Purged and cleansed and purified,
        That the Lord be glorified;
        He is consuming my soul,
        Refining me, making me whole
        No matter what I may lose
        I choose the refiner's fire!”

        Jesus chose the Refiner's fire and was The Great Overcomer, which was proved when He arose victorious over death, hell and the grave. He bound the strong man and spoiled his house, spoiling principalities and powers and making a show of them publicly, and procuring eternal salvation for “who-so-ever will,” that they may experience that same overcoming power. This overcoming victory has been made available for any Christian who will “choose the Refiner's fire” and be purified as silver and gold. Paul continues in Phil.2:9-11, “Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus ever knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” It is clearly shown in Scripture that it is those who overcome that will sit with Jesus Christ in His throne. The overcomers must learn obedience even as Christ learned. The surrender of our will unreservedly to the will of God is the only way of overcoming. Any servant who is not totally obedient to his master is not totally trustworthy nor completely dependable. The servants that God looks for are those who will be like Jesus, who love God with all their hearts, with all their souls, and with all their might, and with all their strength. Overcomers will fit this description.

        “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev.21:7).

        This is the call to every Christian.