| JOHN WADDEY, EDITOR
Published by the Church of Christ, 12213 West Bell Road, Surprise, AZ 85374 Volume 2, Number 1
September 1, 2002 |
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Table of Contents: 1. THE WONDERFUL GRACE OF GOD
Few themes of Scripture are as prominent or important as the grace of God.
Tragically, many know little of God's marvelous grace. Others hold a distorted view of grace. A proper understanding of grace will revitalize our spiritual life.
Attributes of God’s Grace
Grace is "the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds; graciousness, loving kindness and goodwill generally." The grace of which we speak is God's unmerited favor toward us, demonstrated in the gift of his only Son for our salvation (John 3:16). - God's grace is exhibited in Christ (Eph. 2:7; Tit. 2:11).
- It is inexhaustible. "With everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Jehovah" (Is. 54:8). "Where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly..." (Rom. 5:20). We can never use up or wear out God's grace. It is like the air we breathe: there is always enough to go around. It is sufficient to meet any need in your life (II Cor. 12:9). Paul believed that "God shall supply every need of yours" (Phil. 4:19)
- Grace is always immediately available. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so Jehovah is round about his people from this time forth and for evermore" (Ps. 125:2; Ps. 145:18-19). Like the atmosphere, it surrounds us, waiting to be let in. The moment we admit our need and comply with his terms it floods our souls.
- God's grace is constant and dependable. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). With God and his grace, there "can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning" (Jas. 2:17).
What God's Grace Does For Us - It saves us from our sin. "By grace have ye been saved" (Eph. 2:5). It is all-forgiving and offered to all men. "The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men" (Tit. 2:11). It is able to forgive all sins, no matter how heinous. As Paul put it, even those of the chief of sinners (I Tim. 1:15-16). The one sin that grace cannot cover is the refusal of God's offer. Jesus "came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:11). Christ made it plain that "except ye believe that I am he ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).
"Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ hath not God..." (I John 1:9). - Grace causes us to serve God and others. "Let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God..." (Heb. 12:28). We all have "gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us..." (Rom. 12:6-8).
- His grace makes us to stand. Through Christ "we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand..." (Rom. 5:2). "It is good that the heart be established by grace..." (Heb. 13:9). "Be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 2:1).
- The happiness His grace brings to us makes us sing with joy. Paul exhorted the Colossian saints to sing "with grace in your hearts unto God" (Col. 3:16).
Grace Must Not Be Abused Some think that since salvation is ours by God's grace, there is nothing for us to do in receiving it. But Jesus is the author of eternal salvation "to all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:9). There is also the temptation for carnal-minded Christians to think that since God is gracious to forgive, therefore they can sin with without penalty. Shocked at such thinking, Paul asked, "shall we sin, because we are not under law but under grace?" The answer is no! He urged the Corinthians to "receive not the grace of God in vain..." We are warned to look "carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God" (Heb. 12:15).
Lost souls need to hear the good news, that "When the kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved, us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Tit. 3:4-7). Every child of God should lift up his voice with that mighty chorus that sings, "Gracious is Jehovah, and righteous, yea our God is merciful" (Ps. 116:5). JHW  |
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2. EXAGGERATED CRITICISMS
Liberals among us love to heap criticism on the Lord's church. A steady stream of alleged failings are publicized against our brotherhood. Among the most egregious is the charge that we as a people are hopelessly divided and it is the fault of the church that this is so. They way they tell the story is that the problem is of our own making. Some say our plea to restore original Christianity is faulty;. Others claim it is our insistence on Bible authority for what we believe and practice. Still others blame us for our attitude towards false teaching that disagrees with God's Word. Others shame us for thinking we can be Christ's church in this modern day. Not able to gainsay the gospel we preach, or to discredit the Scripture upon which we base our faith, they exaggerate the fact of the various schisms we have experienced. The critics toss about the number of 26 or even more factions they have identified, therefore something must be woefully wrong with the church of Christ.
Every disciple, who loves Christ and his church, accepts the fact with embarrassment that there have been divisions among us and that even one schism in the body of Christ is too many. It is the will of heaven that "there be no divisions among" us (I Cor. 1:10). Such was the prayer of our Savior (John 17:20). The fact is, some bad things that happen are beyond our control.
We need to be reminded that there were factions among the churches in apostolic times. Paul wrote, "there must also be factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you" (I Cor. 11:19). All religious bodies have faced the same problem with schisms as have we. Many years ago I read there were over 120 varieties of Churches of God. There were 29 kinds of Baptist Churches. Even the Catholic church has its schisms.
Although there are too many identifiable factions among us, it is deceptive to exaggerate their numbers. Because some one knows of one or two preachers who hold some peculiar view and have influenced a few members to agree with them, such hardly qualifies for or amounts to a major division for which we are to be blamed. The Directory of Churches of Christ in America does list six identifiable groups of disciples with whom we share a common name; who commune weekly and worship with acappella music and who accept members upon faith and baptism for remission of their sins.
Is it the fault of the Churches of Christ that one or even a group of preachers choose to agitate a point of doctrine or a practice contrary to what the majority of their brethren believe Scripture to teach? Must the church stand by helpless while such folks drive a wedge into the heart of the church, or must they meekly submit to the imposition of some new and strange doctrine or practice some might thrust upon them? Can we be held responsible that someone doesn't wish to have fellowship with us?
In the schisms that grew out of ultra-conservative approaches to Scripture, the division occurred, not because we would not fellowship them, but because they would not fellowship us. In a situation where conflict and unhappiness was prevalent it was the wiser thing to worship separately. Today if any of these brethren feel they can worship God with us, we welcome them in our midst as fellow-Christians.
It never seems to dawn upon our critics that Satan is alive and well in the earth and that he labors tirelessly to hurt the cause of Christ by fomenting strife and division among believers (I Pet. 5:8).
It is most interesting that those who delight in pointing out our failure to avoid those divisions, have no better plan to offer us. In fact, the very proposals they make and the pressures they are creating are already resulting in yet another fissure in the Lord's body. So their prescription not only does not solve past problems, it creates a new one.
Let us love the church for which Jesus died. Let us diligently work to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace (Eph. 4:3). May we never be put to shame or discouraged by those whose love and loyalty to the church are questionable and whose motives are suspect. If we are faithful unto death we will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10) and the Lord himself will deal with those who have troubled his spiritual family. JHW |
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3. ANATOMY OF A DYING CIVILIZATION
A thousand years from now, if the earth is still standing, researchers will be digging thorough the ruins of our once great cities and sifting through surviving materials in dusty archives, trying to discover what brought an end to this flourishing civilization. As Edward Gibbon was able to pinpoint the causes for the collapse of the mighty Roman Empire, so they will find specific causes for the dissolution of the American nation. Although I'm no prophet, I predict the following will be among the causes identified. - An overabundance of corrupt lawyers, driven by greed, who made it possible for other greedy citizens to live as parasites off the labor of others. The resulting flood of litigation destroyed trust and neighborliness. It turned family members, friends and neighbors into hungry wolves constantly looking for another victim to sue.
- Corrupt politicians who used their office for personal power and gain and cared nothing for the common good of the nation. As one former U. S.
Congressman observed, he could count the true statesmen and women in the House of Representatives on his fingers. They were willing to bankrupt the nation to purchase votes for reelection. The common good was sacrificed for party considerations. - A corrupt press and media that daily abused truth and their audiences by selective presentation of news, use of half truths and reporting that advocated the agenda of liberal politics. They left the public confused and cynical of all news.
- A failed public education system that was coopted by agenda driven advocates, more interesting in promoting socialism, environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, amoral sexual freedom, evolution and secularism than in educating children and helping them to develop into responsible, productive citizens.
- A band of do-gooders who stirred class envy, and racial animosity rather than heal and unite the various ethnic groups of the nation. They succeeded in turning the nation into warring factions unable and unwilling to work together for the progress and survival of the whole.
- A corrupt, degenerate entertainment industry that for money was willing to corrupt and destroy the moral character of millions of young people. Nothing was too vile, or too immoral if it brought them bucks.
- A criminal element that destroyed the fabric of society to enrich themselves. Most notable was the illegal drug industry that wasted millions of lives and brought havoc to untold families. Then there were the professional thieves who stole their millions and from government and private investments, leaving elderly people to face retirement in poverty. There were those marauding savages who stalk the streets raping, robbing and stealing from honest, working folks.
- Unfaithful preachers and churches who failed to turn people's hearts to God; to teach them to live soberly, righteously and godly (Tit. 2:13); to instill in then the ethics of the kingdom of heaven and to reprove sin (II Tim.4:2). They were more interested in pleasing men than Christ (Gal. 1:10).
They were willing to compromise his Sacred Truth in order to keep their comfortable positions (I Tim. 6:5). Many of these leaders were unbelievers who poisoned the souls of their flocks with doubt and disbelief, leaving them with a hollow, empty faith.
The nation valiantly struggled to survive, despite these crippling disorders.
Finally, exhausted, she collapsed under their unrelenting pressure. Yes, other causes will be discovered, but make no mistake, these will be on the list. And what can the Christian do in the face of all of this evil? Pray that God will have mercy on our nation; that He will send a revival of faith and goodness upon our people. Pray that He will help you faithfully live the Christian life and be a citizen that will help rather than hinder the survival of the nation. Pray that he will help you teach and train your children so they will grow up to be useful, productive, honorable Christian citizens. Pray that He will bless his church with courage and conviction to be faithful to his Word in these trying times. JHW |
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4. LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD
Across the country and around the world upwards of three million souls are members of the Church of Christ. Each is a child of God (Gal. 3:26), and as such, all are brothers and sisters in Christ (Matt. 23:8-9). Peter calls this Christian family, "the brotherhood" (I Pet. 2:7). All of us who have been in the church over 20 years remember when the expression "the brotherhood" was a staple of our spiritual vocabulary. Today among a certain portion of our preachers and writers that terminology has been retired in favor of "our fellowship."
The change grew out of the Unity Meetings between some of our preachers and those of the Christian Churches. Following the earliest meetings, our brethren came home speaking of "our fellowship." It did not take long to perceive the reason for so doing. If the Christian Churches were acceptable to God, then they too were part of Christ's brotherhood. To avoid offending them and to gently reshape the thinking of our people to accept other religious groups as our spiritual brethren, a new vocabulary was needed. "Our fellowship" implies that we are but one segment of the great church of which Christ is head. That of course is the very meaning of denominationalism; one church divided into many segments, each with a different denomination or name. The pronoun "our"
implies we have a denomination of our own making just as the others about us have. Not surprisingly, after a few years some of those folks began to openly speak of the Church of Christ as a denomination. Of course Scripture condemns the concept of denominationalism in no uncertain terms (I Cor. 1:10-12). In days past our brethren had a very useful slogan, "Call Bible things by Bible names." It would be a blessing to our people if all would restore the terminology which God gave.
That said, we need to be reminded that God expects us to "love the brotherhood" of which we are part. This we should do because: - The brotherhood consists of God's children;
- Each member thereof is our relative in God's family;
- The members thereof are, over all, the finest folks in the world. They are like Christ;
- We all have a mutual interest in the progress of the church, or kingdom of Christ;
- We have a common task to engage our interest and energy...evangelizing the world for Christ;
- We all have a common destiny. Faithful to death, we will receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10);
- It is God's will that we do so.
- Because we love the brotherhood, we should be jealous for the safety and well-being of the church. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy...But I fear...lest...your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ"
(II Cor. 11:2-3). - Loving the brotherhood, we should resent, resist and reject any individual or group that seeks to do harm to our spiritual family (Tit. 3:10).
- Because we love the brotherhood, we should join hands and hearts with every other member of our spiritual family to protect and defend it.
- For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must love the brotherhood and see that it is kept safeand intact for them and others who come after us. JHW
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5. A BOOK YOU SHOULD READ
Piloting the Strait is the title of a valuable book written by Bro. Dave Miller, Director of the Brown Trail School of Preaching in Ft. Worth. It is subtitled, "A Guidebook for Assessing Change in Churches of Christ." It provides valuable information needed by every preacher and elder to help them understand the problems now confronting the church and how to protect their flocks from those who would do them harm. It cost $20 and may be ordered from The Gospel Advocate, P. O. Box 150 Nashville, TN 37202 or the Firm Foundation, P. O. Box 69, Damon, TX 77430. 6. A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This issue of Christianity: Then and Now will be sent to preachers and elders of all the churches of Christ in 20 states. If you find it useful and wish to duplicate any part or all of it for distribution in your community you have our permission to do so. If you would like to help us extend its outreach to additional churches we would welcome your fellowship.
Correspondence should be sent to the editor at the above address or e-mail to johnwaddey@aol.com If you would like to reserve a bound copy of volume one, please let us hear so we will know how many to order. For many more Bible lessons visit our website at www.christianity-then-and-now.com |
