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People of The Living God |
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September 2025
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
WHAT IS TRUTH?
Harry Miller
“What is truth?” (John 18:38).
This question was asked by a Roman governor many centuries ago, but he did not wait for an answer to his question, even though the Lord of truth stood before him ready to give him understanding. And there are still many people today, who, like Pilate of old, may occasionally entertain the passing fancy that they would like to know truth; but they are not willing to stop and listen to the words of the Master.
God, speaking to one of His prophets of old, declared, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Ignorance gives no one any cause to expect immunity from the forces of destruction. The laws of sin and death are just as violently destructive to those who sin willingly. If a man abuses his body, no matter whether ignorantly or willfully, he must eventually pay the penalty for his transgressions against the physical laws.
“But,” you may say, “that is only for material things; in the spirit it is different; God forgives the ignorant, there.” Such reasoning may appeal to human sentiments, but it DOES NOT AGREE WITH SCRIPTURE. Scripture records many examples of ignorant sinners who transgressed the laws of God and received swift judgment.
Consider, for example, the two sons of Aaron, who “offered strange fire” (Lev. 10:1). There is no record that God had ever told them not to offer “strange fire.” It is true that He had told them to offer fire from a certain altar, but on this particular day, the fire at that altar may have been nothing but smoldering embers, with not even enough fire to put into their censers. Perhaps the men felt that the need justified their act of getting fire from another source. Any number of difficulties could have arisen to make it seem to them perfectly valid to use other fire this one time. But God struck them dead for their transgression.
Or consider Uzzah, a zealous man, who lifted his hand to “stay the ark” of God, when he thought it was about to fall to the ground – and the Lord struck him dead: yet Uzzah had acted in ignorance, and for a worthy cause. This was a stumbling block to David. We are told that David was provoked with the Lord over what he considered a “breach,” and the severity of the Lord (II Sam. 6:8).
After the death of Uzzah, one of the priests began to search their sacred writings for the laws concerning the ark of God, and to his great astonishment he found that the ark was not even supposed to be transported as they had done; neither should it have been in the custody of the men who had brought it in from the border of their country. God had plainly warned against substitution in regard to his commands. His commands regarding the ark, as well as concerning all of the matters of worship, were absolutely specific; and men were commanded – (not requested) – to OBEY. When David was told of these things, he understood that it was because of their own ignorance that one of his countrymen had forfeited his life.
And then, in the New Testament, we have the record of Ananias and Sapphira, who, for what they had ignorantly considered to be an act of caution and self-preservation, were struck dead. They told only ONE little lie, but they did it in the presence of the Spirit of God. Sin becomes “exceeding sinful” in the presence of the Lord. These folks were ignorant of the fact that such “little things” were so terrible in the sight of God. If they had bothered to have a proper understanding of God’s requirements and a little godly fear, they certainly would have acted differently.
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?…But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:3,9). Tradition, and the commandments of men, are not TRUTH. Such things were very much in evidence in Christ’s day, and He very definitely warned against “the leaven” of the churchmen who were propagating those things.
“Ever Learning,” Paul said, “and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Tim. 3:7). Mere knowledge is not TRUTH. “The world by wisdom knew not God” (I Cor. 1:21); “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (I Cor. 3:19).
We hear a great deal about “higher learning” among theological students, but most of those in today’s seminaries are not coming to much of an understanding of TRUTH. The greater part of them are merely being indoctrinated in the wilderness of skepticism, doubt, infidelity, and unbelief. Paul says that “in the last days…men shall be…heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (II Tim. 3:1-5).
Men can be extremely intellectualand yet be woefully ignorant of spiritual things. Virtually all of the natives of what are known as the “unenlightened countries” believe in spirit beings and even have a knowledge of many of the invisible powers of the spirit realm. Such people are perfect subjects for a “knowledge of the TRUTH.” They must, of course, be taught that they need not fear what the evil spirits may do, but that they must have fear and reverence for the Great Spirit, the God of us all.
“Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Jesus Christ is THE WAY: not A WAY. There is a path – a road – a channel – a “way” that leads to God; but there is only ONE way: and that one way is Christ.
“A more excellent way,” Paul says (I Cor. 12:31); and in chapter 13, we find Christ called “charity.” No matter what ministries men may have, even though they be attended with great powers of the supernatural, they “are nothing” unless they know “the way,” and have Christ.
Truth is also a channel of the Spirit. (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; I John 5:6). “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged” (Prov. 16:6); “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Men are saved through truth: not merely by the acceptance of truth, but by the rendering of OBEDIENCE to it THROUGH THE SPIRIT. “Ye have purified your souls in obeying the TRUTH through the Spirit” (I Pet. 1:22).
The experience of salvation comes to the soul that obeys through the Spirit. A mere belief in Christ is not sufficient to save one’s soul. However, such a belief is a necessary starting point toward becoming a child of God (John 1:12). After a man has learned to believe in Christ, he is convicted of his sinful condition by the Spirit of truth. (“He,” the Spirit, “will reprove the world of sin” John 16:8). When a man OBEYS this prompting of the Spirit, he “purifies his soul,” for obedience has always pleased God. The man’s obedience thus is the cause of his salvation.
“Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1). Conversion is only a first step in the new life. The converted man is obligated to move forward – he must “walk” as the Spirit leads, for “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).
In the process of the development of a Christian, truth is one of the main factors in his growth. In Christ’s prayer for us (John 17:17) He asked the Father to “sanctify them through Thy truth.” Sanctification means to be set apart for the express use of the Spirit of God. No mature Christian should ever even think of living as a part of this world. His calling and life are bound up in the work of his Lord. “Sunday Christians,” (those who feel that an hour or two of sitting in church once a week will fulfill their whole obligation to God), are unheard of in the records of the Bible: there is no place in the plan of God for such “weekend” churchmen.
The religion of Christ calls for everything: ALL that a man has, or even hopes to be. Concerning a man’s goods, he is told to forsake “all that he hath” (Luke 14:33). As for his body, he is instructed: “Present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable SERVICE” (Rom. 12:1).
If you ever wonder why it is that most “Christians’” lives seem so barren and lacking of the fruits of the Spirit, it is because they are not given over in obedience to His will. They fly “the Christian flag,” and play that they love Him. They serve God “after a fashion,” and order their lives to please themselves. Any man who comes along with some TRUTH that would disturb their way of life will be rejected as a force of evil, a heretic, and an agent of the devil, “who only causes confusion.”
“They SHALL put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). These things happened to the early Christians UPON THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH; and in this end time, when the Spirit of LIGHT again works, many churchmen will react in like manner. A Pharisee or a hypocrite has no use for light, because it exposes his pet sins and runs him out of his hiding place.
For a man to reject truth is for him to also reject Christ. Jesus said – “I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but BY ME” (John 14:6). There are some who may even dare to say that instruction is “not essential to salvation”; that all we need to do is just love the Lord and our fellow man and we will make it through! How can anyone LOVE the Lord and REJECT HIS TRUTH?
Truth is far more than the mere unvarnished facts of doctrine. The written Word is truth, but in itself it will save no one. We are told, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39).
The written Word merely POINTS men to Christ. It is like a signboard: it shows the way. But Christ, Himself, is the WAY. Men must have HIM; and He is gained only through our OBEDIENCE to the Word. The Pharisees trusted in the written things of the Scriptures: but they did not KNOW HIM.
It was to the Pharisees that Jesus said, “He that is of God HEARETH God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (John 8:47). They heard with their natural ears, but because their hearts were satisfied with religious darkness, they refused to HEAR Him.
Carnal man is exceedingly stubborn by nature, and only through a broken spirit will he even humble himself under the rod. In order to really behold the things of God, a man must receive a “love of the truth” (II Thess. 2:10). We must be LED BY THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, and the attitude of humility must ever remain within us if we are to have a real walk with God.
“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Here we see THE CONDITION for eternal security – IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT.
The Christian life is a WALK; not merely a profession. There is constant development and growth in the true child of God. Stagnation, petrification, and humdrum ritual are not evidences of Christianity. Christ has told us that He is the true vine, and we are the branches. A branch must bring forth fruit, or the heavenly Father will cut it off (John 15).
Show me a fruitless Christian and I will show you a WITHERED BRANCH. There is absolutely no place in the economy of God for a drone. In the days of the early church, when they practiced true community living, any man who would not work was not permitted to eat: “WE COMMANDED you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (II Thess. 3:10). God does not condone either physical or spiritual indolence.
The Holy Ghost, which is “The Spirit of Truth,” was sent to us in preference to the continued physical presence of Christ, for the express purpose of LEADING men OUT of the ways of the FLESH, and INTO A WALK in the Spirit. The way of the flesh calls for an amalgamation of spiritual things and worldly things, but the way of God is absolutely a complete walk in the Spirit and entire separation from the world.
The words of God’s Book will lead men in this spiritual walk; and whenever men stop walking, they stop worshiping the true God. They are worshiping something within themselves, at the cost of sacrificing their walk with God. God, therefore, is put into second place; and man, with his ego, is made first.
Can there be any possible hope for a man who puts his Lord second in his life?
Jesus came to earth, not to do His own will, but the will of the Father. He told us to walk even as He walked. Christ said, concerning the will of the Father, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29). Who is it that will abide forever? “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:17).
“If any man will come after Me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). And the real cross in the believer’s life is complete obedience to the words of Jesus Christ.
THE REST OF THE STORY
Curtis Dickinson
While the Bible doesn’t give the date for the birth of Jesus, nor mentions any celebration over his birth, it has become the highlight for Christians all over the world. But something is wrong. If the birth of Jesus is as meaningful as the celebration called Christmas indicates, why isn’t this meaning reflected in all of society where the celebration is taking place?
Retail stores began gearing up for Christmas early enough to give people two months to buy decorations and preparations for the celebration. But you can be sure that the next day after Christmas, everything pertaining to Jesus will be ripped out of the stores as soon as possible. Our Pharisee-dominated culture does not favor the businessman who openly honors the Messiah, Jesus. All this indicates that in spite of Christmas being the biggest holiday of the year, the idea that Jesus is actually the Messiah, the one anointed as Lord and King, is not to be taken seriously.
The picture book nativity and the Hallmark greeting card have given us a cute sanitized view of Jesus. We see a sweet-smelling baby in a soft blanket, in a cozy crib of fresh straw. The well-groomed donkey stands by with a cow and sheep; all cooperatively fitting into place. The whole event is portrayed a la Walt Disney.
Along these lines, B. Russell Holt wrote: “So? What does it matter if we carry a romanticized version of the nativity around in our heads? Probably not much. Unless, along with it, we unconsciously subscribe to a ‘gospel according to Disney.’ A Jesus who begins life in such a cuddly, cute way with angels and shepherds and white, little lambs will probably go on to grow up Disney-like, animatedly meeting one perfectly choreographed adventure after another until the happy ending of a glorious resurrection and triumphant return to heaven.”
In contrast to the observance of other birthdays, Jesus is celebrated as a child, as if He continues to remain a child. Certainly, He was unique in birth, being begotten by Almighty God and conceived by a virgin, and this uniqueness is essential in recognizing His person and His purpose. But by keeping Jesus an infant in the manger, it becomes easy for people to celebrate Him without giving heed to His purpose and accomplishment.
Miraculous as His conception was, Jesus was born as we all are. After nine months of gestation He was born of a woman, with pain and blood. Although we don’t know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, we know that by Jewish law He began his ministry at the age of 30 when He was baptized and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. From that day for three and a half years He preached the good news of the Kingdom, spoke the words of God, and did the works of God (John 5:19; 14:10; 15:15).
The prophecies concerning the advent of the Messiah did not concentrate upon His infancy. They speak of a mature man, a suffering servant, a man despised and rejected, a redeemer and a king.
The first announcement of Christ’s coming was in Genesis 3:15, in which God addressed the serpent and said that the seed of the woman (Christ) would bruise the serpent’s head, while the serpent would bruise His heel, thus indicating both Christ’s suffering and victory over death.
The prophecy concerning Bethlehem focused not on a baby but on a ruler. “As for you Bethlehem Ephrata, little as you are among the thousands of Judah, from you shall he come forth to me, who is to be ruler over Israel” (Micah 5:2).
The most complete prophecy of the Christ is found in the grand poetry of Isaiah, chapter 53.
“He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not” (v. 3).
Like all who live to please God rather than man, Jesus ran all the risks and suffered the consequences. Peter said, “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). He gave until there was no more to give, and in return He received criticism and scorn. He is still despised by the Christophobes (Christ haters) of the world.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (v. 6).
When we think of sin that is worthy of death, we think of serial killers or cruel dictators. But “every one” has sinned and gone astray, and Jesus suffered the penalty for us. “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth: as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?” (vs. 7,8).
We must meet Jesus, not at the manger, as pleasant as that might be, but at the cross, where He was slain like a sacrificial lamb to pay the penalty for our sin.
“And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; He hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities” (vs. 9-11).
The reality of the world of wickedness is drowned in a sea of fantasy and pagan tradition, but man still stands in desperate need to have his sins forgiven.
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (v. 12).
To Mary the angel Gabriel announced that Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21), but this was to come only after He set an example for us all by a life in which He “learned obedience by the things that he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8,9).
There was a glorious wonder in the birth of Mary’s baby, God’s own Son, but it would have been in vain and soon forgotten had He not lived to resist every temptation, to obey the Father’s will, die for our sins, then be resurrected and exalted to be Lord and King.
Our songs are not the mere songs of revelry enhanced by colorful lights, tinsel, and the spirit of festivities, but expressions of joy because our sins are forgiven; we have been rescued from death and made heirs of God with the assurance of eternal life.
Billy Graham once told the story of his friend’s little girl looking at the Christmas tree and at the presents under it, and asked the question, “Where does God fit into all of this?” I don’t know what they answered, but I think a better question for all of us would be, “Where do I fit into all of this? Just how do I honor Christ my Lord?”
In spite of all the fantasy interwoven into the nativity story through the world’s traditions, it still may be a great opportunity to exalt Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is a time to teach children that it is God, not Santa Claus, who bestows good gifts, and that:
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
INBRED SIN: WHAT IS IT?
Alfred King
“The Lord hath left thee without excuse. The Lord thy God can instantly remove from thee inbred sin and those things that thou hast had no power over.”(Gail Eckard)
The quote above is one that drew my attention several years ago to the question of what “inbred sin” is and if it is a biblical teaching. I knew that Calvinists teach this doctrine, but the church I attended seemed to steer away from most Calvinist teaching, and yet the quote above was from one of the church’s founders.
In my search, I found that John Wesley, who was a staunch Arminian, also taught the doctrine of “Inbred Sin.” Wesley’s brother, Charles, who wrote many hymns, often included in his songs the term “inbred sin.”
I started by looking into some definitions of the term and have added some of my own to the original definitions and these definitions follow:
Inbred Sin
Google AI Definition: “In theological contexts, ‘inbred sin’ or ‘original sin’ refers to the inherited human tendency towards sin and moral corruption, originating from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, as described in the Bible. This act of disobedience is seen as having a lasting consequence, resulting in a corrupted human nature that is passed down through generations. While people make individual choices and commit specific sins, inbred sin is understood as a fundamental, inherent tendency or predisposition towards wrongdoing.”
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary: “Rooted and ingrained in one’s nature as deeply as if implanted by heredity.” (And I would add, it is Adam’s sinful nature that is inherited.)
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary: “The state of sin according to Christian theology characterizes all human beings as a result of Adam’s fall.”
The teaching of Inbred Sin is sometimes referred to as “Original Sin,” and some have discarded this truth because they state that “original sin” was with Lucifer in heaven before the world was created. It is true that Lucifer was the first to commit sin, and sin originated with him. However, the teaching of Inbred Sin or Original Sin is in reference to this world not that which took place before the world was created. The first sin committed on this globe was that of Adam and Eve when they partook of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
When God created Adam, he was created in the image of God. He was sinless and had a sinless nature. The easiest way to understand this topic is to consider Jesus, the second Adam. Jesus was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). How is it possible that Jesus was able to be tempted as we are and yet never yield to temptation’s demands; especially when scripture over and over states that there are none righteous and that all have fallen into sin? “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips” (Rom. 3:10-13). Jesus was tempted in the same manner as all men are but He did not have the Adamic nature as we do.
Isaiah 64 and verse 6 confirms Paul’s declaration with these words, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Even the godliest men in scripture found sin a part of their existence that plagued them throughout their lives. Why was/is this so? It is because of inbred sin.
In Genesis chapter one, when God created the world and everything in it, He created all living things to produce “after his kind” (Gen. 1:11,12,21,24,25). Adam could have remained in the image of God and have produced after his kind (the image of God), but he disobeyed God’s command and lost the image of God thereby taking upon himself the nature of the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). It was because of Adam’s transgression that all men inherited a fallen nature, or a nature prone to sin. It is not that he was born a sinner, because he had never sinned, but the inherited propensity and proclivity toward sin that destined him to sin. Sin is inevitable. It is unavoidable. This is why Jesus came, to save men “from” their sins.
There has never been a man since Adam that has not sinned save the man, Jesus Christ. This is why the virgin birth was essential. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 1:18)
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 1:20)
The Immaculate Conception was essential if mankind were to be saved. It made it possible for Jesus to be free from the sinful nature that passed through to Adam’s descendants to Cain, and to the present day. No child in the history born of man has escaped the results of the fall, for all of Adam’s progeny has been born with the Adamic nature. Adam produced “after his kind.”
God instructed Adam concerning the world in which he found himself with a freedom unknown to man today. However, He gave Adam one command as recorded in Genesis 2:16-17: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” While Adam lived for several hundred years after his disobedience, he was cut off from God and his godly nature died. Adam died spiritually that very day. He no longer had the nature or character of God but that which we all know too well today.
As mentioned above, John Wesley taught the doctrine of “Inbred Sin.” I include here a paragraph from Wesley’s Works, Vol. I, p. 401: “In Adam all died, all human kind, all the children of men who were then in Adam's loins. The natural consequence of this is, that every one descended from him comes into the world spiritually dead, dead to God; wholly dead in sin; entirely void of the life of God; void of the image of God, of all that righteousness and holiness in which Adam was created ... Hence it is, that being born in sin, we must be born again.”
There is only one point in Wesley’s position that I lean away from, and that is: “wholly dead in sin” and “born in sin.” A baby has never sinned and, therefore, is not a sinner because he has never sinned. He is born with the proclivity toward sin, and he will in time, transgress God’s law. This is a crucial point for many people because they wonder about babies who die in infancy. Babies are not sinners, have never sinned and therefore are sinless. (This point is very controversial and worries many parents who have lost a child at a young age. To worry or fret over this issue is futile, for we can do nothing to change things. However, we should realize that we serve a very loving and gracious God who always does what is right and just. His ways are always right and are the best. Trust God in these cases.)
The truth of inbred sin explains why one must be born again. He must be born from above. When a man is born again, his heart is cleansed from all transgressions and the Holy Spirit comes into his life. The entrance of the Holy Spirit does not annihilate the Adamic and fallen nature, but it brings in again the element that was lost and that is the image of God. This is where the warfare begins. The battle is the old man, the carnal nature vs the new man, that which was raised anew through the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ and the new life given through the Holy Spirit. The sin nature must be crucified so the new life can gain preeminence.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this warfare between God’s saving grace and sin with these words, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1-2)
Through the blood of Jesus, believers are accounted as righteous before God, for He sees them through the blood of His Son. We have been given a new nature but sadly, the old nature still exists within. This is why we must take up our cross and follow Jesus. Paul, continuing in his letter to the Romans, teaching on the wonders of God’s grace, exposes and explains the fruit of the Adamic nature. Paul goes into the battle we all face in chapter seven by stating that the things we should do, we don’t do, and the things we shouldn’t do, we do. He unveils the struggle between our new nature and our old, the spiritual vs the carnal.
“Rom. 7:14-22: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”
The point we want to focus on in this article is Paul’s statement, “… it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” The question comes: What does it mean that it is not me, but rather it is sin? Paul distinguishes between me (I) and sin. This is a strange expression because sin comes from an evil heart and comes from within, out of one’s heart. Paul is actually distinguishing between the new man and the old man. It is not the new man from which these evils spring but from the old man who is not fully crucified. The new man, that man born again or from above is a new creation. He is opposed to all sin. He hates sin. Yet, because the sin nature still exists, he finds himself sinning over and over. This grieves him because he no longer wants to continue in sin but desires to live righteously in a manner that is pleasing to God. This is where the warfare enters. Every day the new nature battles with the old.
John the Baptist faced this same battle. He stated, “He must increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Paul wraps up his lamenting in Romans 7 with these words, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7:21-25)
SLEEPY ORTHODOXY
L.E. Maxwell
(Prairie Overcomer)
Laodicea knows not that she is “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
Laodicea is sleepy Orthodoxy. Laodicean lukewarmness loves to be left peaceful, quiet, undisturbed.
Laodiceans can tolerate deadness, inertia, complacency, and a thousand forms of spiritual stupor, with no concern or alarm. But let some voice begin to rouse us from our sleep, then behold our excuse-making.
If some servant of God demands our repentance, then we plead that repentance is for the Jews. If he demands confession of sin, that is Oxford Group-ism. If he calls for crucifixion in Christ, then that savours of the monastery.
If he insists on self-emptying and filling of the Spirit, then that is Pentecostalism. If he demands holiness of life, that is fanaticism. If he lifts up his voice, not like a trumpet, but in ever so mild an admonition, to show God's people their transgressions, then he is unloving, unkind, cruel, critical.
Laodiceans have an alibi at every turn. We are so well fortified – how can God get at us? We are walled in, and walled off, and walled up to heaven against any and every attack of the Holy Ghost.
General Ben Lear said: “The biggest job in the army is to knock the complacency out of young officers and men, to make them realize that only by dint of their greatest effort and their capacity for self-sacrifice will victory be attained. We must arouse in them the spirit of the offensive.”
Hearken, every fellow teacher and preacher, yea, all who believe in Bible Revival: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people...Let...the ministers of the Lord, weep...” (Joel 2:15,16).
Instead of obedience to such a summons how easy it is, in this day of lukewarmness, to hold a Bible Conference, or a Ministerial Retreat, to write on prophecy, and to speculate on the Antichrist or to lecture on Daniel's Ten Toes – and do a lot of other things, all of which can cleverly defeat Christ's own program for today.
His Word for today is: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression” (Isa. 58:1).
And, until some such trumpet blast strikes us, we will continue to fiddle while the whole world burns.
GROWTH: FOR WHAT? FOR WHOM?
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
“I will build my church.” God said it.
All other “church growth” is irrelevant. It is mere hype. It is very much of the flesh.
True. Acts of the Apostles related that 3000 were saved in one day. Who did it? What did it? How did it happen? GOD did it. That is, the Holy Spirit came and built His church by 3000 in one day. That formula has worked throughout the church age. All other formulas are suspect.
Yet there is much ado today about church growth. One need not elaborate on the seminars, airfares spent on flitting to conferences to hear experts, fondling of brochures regarding gurus relating how to clone their Taj Mahals. Consequently, one need not belabor the mega-this and that. They are realities. They are countable.
Nevertheless, the question remains: Are they of God? Did He have anything to do with their building? Are they truly a part of “His church” when He said, “I will build my church”?
Surely there are all sorts of explanations which can be given for numerical growths of one mass of humans or another. Some delight in following Pied Pipers. Others fall for religious circuses. Still others are titillated by goosebump feelings of religion in a desperately lonely and cold world.
There are definitely those who come to the altars due to aesthetics. They are enamored by the evensongs, the altar flowers, and the incense. They are taken with the hoods and cassocks and incantations. If God were dead, they would still show up because there is a magnetism to aesthetic pleasure.
With this said, what is it then that reveals the church that God built? A life is changed for good. A soul is forgiven of his sins. A surrender is complete before the Spirit of Christ. A reckless relinquishment to the cross is evident. There is a lining up with the revealed truth of Scripture. There is a determined search for more of the divine. A revulsion against sin as well as a sensitivity to holiness are obvious.
The soul that so immerses itself in the biblical truth of conversion is a definite spectacle of the eternal church. God has done His work within. Eternity will show it; earth is better for it.
When one so centers on Jesus, God has added to His church. This needs no trumped-up theatrics, no sensuous baits. It needs no gimmicks of business enticements nor allurements of the local mall. There is no need for groaning, barking, nor flopping on sanctuary carpets. There surely is no need for ego stroking, grandiose displays of materialistic braggadocio—castles for Jesus nor waterslides of the Spirit. Such is anathema to the Holy Ghost of Pentecost.
However, America—and wherever the American church is cloned around the globe—is taken up with its own brash brand of spiritual waywardness. It is this constant banging of the drums for numbers at any cost, tallying projected numerical gains, competitions ad infinitum between branches of Christendom and a yearning for one more “religious celebrity”—in itself a contradiction in terms.
Therefore, America will pay dearly at the judgment for creating its own golden calf. Evangelical Protestantism will especially pay, for this segment of religion should have known better, considering its claims historically for orthodox knowledge.
What then is the solution to this present gaudiness in the name of God? It is a repentance of all that is blatantly carnal. There is a determined need for cleansing of the holy of holies by beginning with our own sacred precincts. In short, there is the need for confessing that we have written our own religion, yielded to compromise to accommodate a brattish public and settled for the bottom line rather than the highest calling.
Lie back in the Spirit. Do nothing until he moves. Cleanse your own heart of all that is tawdry and caught up with the manipulative. Examine your motives in the light of the Word.
Check your runnings to and fro. Ask yourself: Why am I straining so hard at this daily religious game? What am I trying to prove? Who am I striving to impress?
Then, determine to be a pauper with Jesus. Let go of every security other than the Spirit within. Strip down. Own nothing but what He provides in the moment. Put blinders on to shut out all that magnetizes to the flesh. Ask God to start all over again to build His church in you—the kingdom of God is WITHIN you. Settle for nothing but that presence of the holy, the consuming presence of the genuine indwelling of God alone.
Let Him do what He will with your life. In that, He will have built up His church in at least one soul. All other souls will be resigned likewise to His convicting presence.
That is how God builds His church—the true church—that one which will still be around after all the globe’s dust settles in the last hour.
CONTRITE SPIRIT
R. Libbr
>When we start to feel comfortable in our faith and begin to overlook the significance of our relationship with God, it raises an important question: could this attitude be considered a form of sin? Complacency can lead us to take for granted the blessings and guidance that come from God, causing us to drift away from the core values that initially drew us to our beliefs.
Complacent: satisfied, content with one's life to the point of not watching for danger. Watch and pray always. Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Luke 21:36: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Take for granted: fail to properly appreciate, especially a result of overfamiliarity. We are to seek Him at all times, seek His will above all else, and do His will. Luke 11:10: “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” John 4:23: “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.” Matthew 7:8: “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Lamentations 3:25: “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Jeremiah 29:13: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
We can't just sit back and wait for Him to handle everything; we need to be doing His Will instead of our own. It's important to remember that our role is to engage and contribute, not to be passive observers. We are to be doing, seeking, obeying, and going forward.
Doing: James 1:22: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Romans 2:13: “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Luke 6:47-49: “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” John 3:21: “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 9:31: “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” Romans 10:5: “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”
Sin isn't just about major offenses like fornication; it can also manifest in seemingly minor actions. Neglecting to pray, indulging in ungodly entertainment, or allowing our thoughts to drift away from God are all examples of this. While these actions may appear harmless, prioritizing them over our relationship with God raises a question: isn't that a form of sin? It's essential to reflect on how we allocate our time and attention, as even small distractions can lead us away from what truly matters.
When we understand what God desires from us but choose not to follow it, we fall into sin and must repent with a “broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17), desiring forgiveness and turning away from our sins. Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” This emphasizes the depth of sorrow and humility required for true repentance; being deeply remorseful for wrongdoing and realizing our need for cleansing (purifying). God desires a humble and repentant heart. James 4:6,10: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Matthew 18:4: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 23:12: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
When we sin or rebel and experience genuine remorse and a deep desire for forgiveness, this is characterized by a broken and contrite spirit, a state of being that acknowledges our wrongdoings with humility and sincerity. As highlighted in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “godly sorrow worketh repentance,” indicating that true sorrow for our actions leads us, not only to recognize our faults, but also to seek change and restoration.
Sorrow: 2 Corinthians 7: 9,10 “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Matthew 26:75: “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” Peter had a Godly sorrow for the sin he committed against our Lord Jesus Christ.
Repentance is a powerful experience that can transform our lives when we feel the weight of our mistakes pressing down on us. It often hits us when our desire to be free from any kind of sin becomes overwhelming. It’s like a fire inside, urging us to change and seek forgiveness, and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in heaven.
Repentance: Mark 1:4: “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Acts 20:21: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin of any kind is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow, and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven.
>Cleansing is the way God removes the weight of our guilt and the influences of sin that ruin our lives. We must discipline ourselves to confess and turn away from sins that pollute and soil us.
Cleansing: 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” John 15:2: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” 2 Corinthians 7:1: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Cries of David: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies…” (Psalm 51:1). “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). “blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:2). “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity” (Psalm 51:2) “blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). “cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:7). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
May our cry be so, for we “have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are to be actively following (going forward) Jesus’ ways and examples. Matthew 16:24: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
SPIRITUAL HYPOCHONDRIACS
Alfred King
Jesus often taught His hearers through parables, in which He would present certain very important truths. According to His own words, He spoke in parables so that those who did not have ears to hear would miss the truths presented. The issue of using parables was so only those who had hearts that desired to love and serve God would hear the message contained in the parable. One important parable that Jesus gave is found in Matthew 25:14-30. It is referred to as the parable of talents. In this parable a man gives unto his three servants some money, which he intends they invest and make a profit while he travels to another country. To one servant he gives five talents, to another two and to the third he gives one. When the man returned he found that two of the servants had doubled his money but the third had done nothing with the funds given him by his lord.
The third man, holding the talent he had just received from his lord, pondered the purpose of this gift received. Refusing to accept the responsibility obliged and assumed in this gift, he buried it and waited. He very possibly was a spiritual hypochondriac, coming up with all kinds of reasons why he should not or could not do anything with that with which he was given. He had spiritual handicaps that he could not possibly overcome and, therefore, the gift given lay dormant.
Unfortunately, there are many in America today that are hypochondriacs. They are always sick or handicapped and, therefore, cannot work or do things that are required to survive on their own. They always have some ailment that hinders them from being productive. They want people to think they are disabled in ways they actually are not in order to make people feel sorry for them or so they can escape any responsibilities. They like to feel sorry for themselves and like the attention they receive when others provide mushy sentimentality. They want to be waited on and pampered. They like receiving disability from the government because they are lazy and don’t want to work.
On two occasions recently, my wife and I were in the emergency room and, while waiting to be cared for, we were talking to the nurses and my wife felt she didn’t need to be in the ER because she felt her situation was not serious enough. The nurse told her that her case was serious but she added that they have people who come in all the time that are hypochondriacs, whom the ER nurses call, “frequent flyers”.
Sadly, there are spiritual hypochondriacs in our churches today. Unbelievable as it might seem, there are those who don’t want God to heal them: they want to remain as they are in order to excuse them from any responsibility. I have seen people who were healed (or at least claimed to be) to have the same infirmity return or another just as serious come upon them.
It seems that there are some Christians who want to remain sick, weak, infirmed in some spiritual manner and, therefore, unable to fight and engage in the Christians’ spiritual warfare. These are what I call spiritual hypochondriacs. They are dull of hearing and content to stay deaf. They are blind of spiritual things but are not desperate to see. They are lame but find it much easier to sit by lazily contented while the world goes by. It seems that they would rather remain handicapped than to put forth the effort necessary to be healed. They gravely lack the desperation and determination that the woman with the issue of blood had; a desperation and determination that drove her to push through the formidable crowd and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. They fail to have the faith that drove four men to take their friend stricken with the palsy to Jesus, even to the point of climbing upon the roof and removing the tiles in order to get their friend to where Jesus was teaching. They determined to get him to Jesus Christ, whom they knew could and would heal their friend.
But what are some of the reasons that many are content to remain handicapped? If I am healed then I am required to perform. If I can see, certain responsibilities fall upon me. If I can hear, I no longer have an excuse to remain ignorant. If I can walk, I have obligations to perform certain duties, and I lose any excuse to remain indifferent. I can no longer talk the talk but not walk the walk.
Jesus has provided complete healing, not only physically but also mentally, spiritually, emotionally and in every other way. Spiritual healing is most important. God can use and does use people who are infirmed in their bodies. Some infirmed use the very infirmity as a tool that God uses to minister to others. Jesus provided every necessary means through which a man can be totally whole spiritually. He has made forgiveness available to any who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He pardons every sin. He empowers the believer through the Holy Spirit, who is given when one comes to Christ in genuine faith. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to walk with God and brings with Him all the necessary accouterments and power to be made completely whole. As one walks in the power of the Holy Spirit, inner healing takes place. His eyes are opened, his ears unstopped and he finds himself with an ability to walk in a way he never knew possible. He finds power to labor in the kingdom of God, in the things relative God’s interests. No longer does he desire the temporal things he once sought. He is a new creature. All these healings places upon him more spiritual responsibilities, which he gladly assumes. He now labors in prayer. He is now a light in a dark world. He now proclaims the gospel wherever he goes. He now swims against the tide of immorality, lusts, ungodliness and evil which he finds himself surrounded by. He will find himself carrying a burden that, at times, seems impossible to bear as he sees souls determined to spend their eternity in hell, refusing to hear the gospel, rejecting the life-line thrown out. He will find himself in prayer while others sleep on, and in many cases, those who sleep will be other believers he loves and fellowships with. Such is the life of one who has been healed by the great Healer, Jesus Christ and who receives God’s goods seriously and responsibly. Who wants to truly be healed of their spiritual maladies?