| JOHN WADDEY, EDITOR
Published by the Church of Christ, 12213 West Bell Road, Surprise, AZ 85374 Volume 2, Number 6
CURRENT ISSUE: February 1, 2003 |
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Table of Contents: 1. TWO ISMS THAT FAIL THE TEST
Two powerful belief systems in our modern culture are pluralism and multiculturalism. These isms, having been born in the fertile fields of academia have now come to dominate the worlds of education, politics, media, and entertainment. Pluralism asserts that all belief systems, including religions, are of equal value and should be given equal attention and respect. Multiculturalism is the belief that the cultures of all nations and races are of equal merit and value; that none is superior to, nor worse than another. While these assertions sound plausible and appealing in the isolated school room, they will not stand the test in real life.
To argue that one religion is equal to all others says that the Voodoo of
Haiti or the murderous system of Islamic fundamentalism is equal to the best of those who follow Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Multiculturalism would argue that the culture of the ancient barbarian tribes was equal to that of modern America, Switzerland or Norway. That means that cannibalism is no worse than eating beef or that Rome's killing for sport is no worse than a Little League ball game. It says that our culture, with its advanced education has no merit over the primitive tribes who had no written language or formal education, that our determination to provide quality health services to all is no better than the primitive tribesmen who left their sick and wounded to die. Only those whose minds have been numbed by the noxious air of liberal academia would affirm such rubbish.
Is there no qualitative difference in the religions of the world? Has Christianity no advantage over Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism? All are ancient. All have their holy books and ancient modes of worship. All have produced their great minds and teachers. All have produced great cultural treasures such as art, sculpture, literature and music. All have impacted large numbers of people, shaping their values and lives.
While all had great founders, only Christianity had God's only begotten Son as its founder (John 3:16). All have worship, but only in Christianity do we learn how to worship the Creator in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). All have a sacred book, but only in Christianity do we have a message given by inspiration of God's Holy Spirit providing us divine directions how to be saved and worship and serve Jehovah. All bring some social and cultural benefits to their adherents, but none of the others have provided the remarkable social and cultural benefits of Christianity. Only in Christianity and Judaism do we worship Jehovah, the great Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Only in Christianity do we have God's Messiah Son as our Savior and Guide. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). In Hinduism, Buddhism, and a host of other lesser religions we see the sordid fruit of idolatry as men bow before and worship images made by human hands. The God of all mankind has plainly forbidden such practices (Ex. 20: 3-5 ; I John 5:21). We see the failure of those pagan systems when we look at the civilizations that have been dominated by them. Ignorance, superstition, cruelty, violence, oppression and poverty are the hallmark of most pagan systems. In the wake of Christianity we see education, enlightenment, civilization, democracy, progress, prosperity and benevolence.
With ears stopped and eyes closed, those wedded to their idols of pluralism and multiculturalism continue to shout, there is no difference, they are all the same. While little children, with open eyes, can see the lie of their doctrine. We can appreciate whatever values may be found in any religious system, but we affirm the superiority of the Cause of Jesus. While we respect every man's freedom to worship as he thinks best, we do not therefore conclude that God is obliged to accept his errant worship or to reward him for it. How ever ancient and beautiful a man’s religion may be, we are obligated to teach him the gospel of Jesus and seek to win him to our Savior's Cause.
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2. FOR THE CHURCH FOR WHICH CHRIST DIED
The boldness and momentum of the change movement are growing daily. In a recent presentation at the Restoration Forum XX, Rick Atchley, a chief promoter of change was asked if he thought the push for change would cause division in the church, his sarcastic reply was, No, because there is not enough energy among our people to take a divisive stand over those issues.
The tragedy is that for many of our brethren he is right on target. Hopefully those who read this paper have more conviction than that. If the church was so important to Christ that he was willing to die for it, surely it must be of paramount importance to us. Across the ages multitudes have toiled and sacrificed, endured danger and persecution to deliver the church safely into our hands. It would be gross ingratitude if we stand idly by and allow a band of liberals to corrupt and defile her.
It is one thing to wish the best for the church and another thing to do something to see that she survives. We publish this little paper with the prayer that it will stir up the righteous souls of those who read it to rise to the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:16). We invest in this effort because we want to see the church prosper and remain true and faithful to our Master.
With this issue, it will go to the preachers and elders of 850 congregations in 25 states. With your help we could send more. It costs us approximately $6.00 to send the paper to you for a year. You could help by contributing that amount to the effort. You might wish to do more and underwrite the cost of mailing it to the leaders of all the congregations in a state. Fifty dollars a month would send it to all our churches in Maryland or Wisconsin.
The same amount would send it to the preachers and elders in 100 congregations in a large city such as Nashville or Dallas. Perhaps the congregation where you serve would place this work in their budget.
To respond to the false teachings of the agents of change and to inform our brethren, we need to prepare and publish a series of tracts on the various issues being agitated. There would be some 15 titles in the series. Each of these could be published for approximately $300 per thousand. You might be willing to underwrite one or more of these tracts.
We should prepare and publish a book addressing these issues in greater detail. A paperback edition of some 200 pages would cost us approximately $4,000 for a thousand copies. Perhaps an eldership or an individual would invest in this effort for the sake of the church.
The promoters of change have their benefactors. Abilene Christian University is the fountain head of the literature promoting change. The ACU Press is producing a steady stream of books designed to change the faith, worship and practice of the church. Shall we respond to their error, or stand by and watch as they slowly but surely undermined the foundations of the Lord's Church? You may think of other ways you can help. Correspond with us. We need to work together and encourage each other in that worthy cause. How tragic it would be if 50 years from now the body of people called Churches of Christ was a denominational church, no different from the Disciples of Christ and Christian Churches. If we do not respond resolutely today, that may well be the situation. What are you willing to do for the Cause of Christ?
Contributions are tax deductible and should be made and sent to the Church of Christ, 12213 W. Bell Rd. Ste 211, Surprise, AZ 85374.
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3. "DIRECTIONS FOR THE ROAD AHEAD" A Book You Should Read
Bros. Jim Sheerer and Charles L. Williams have collaborated to give us the book by the above title. Its purpose is to provide "stability in change among churches of Christ." It contains 16 chapters by members of the church, addressing virtually all of the issues being promoted by our agents of change. With the exception of a couple of chapters, the materials of this book are exceptionally well done. They speak to the problems of our day in language that can be readily understood by all brethren. Bro. Furman Kearley's chapter on Hermeneutics, Culture and Scripture is worth the price of the book. Of similar quality is Jimmy Jividen's article on the Ministry of the Spirit, Edward Myers' piece on the Inerrancy of the Bible, Flavil Yeakely's Trends in Church Leadership and Carl Mitchell's lesson on Fellowship. Elders and preachers would be greatly blest by reading this book. It may be ordered from Yeomen Press. 110 Meadowdale Dr. Chickasha, OK
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4. A WATERSHED SITUATION In his book, The Great Evangelical Disaster, Francis A. Schaeffer used the analogy of a watershed to describe what was happening in many evangelical churches as theological liberalism made inroads within them.
Imagine a snow-covered ridge on the central divide of the Swiss Alps. The snow all looks the same. It all came down from the same sky. Yet when spring comes, the melted snow will flow in two different directions and end up far apart in two different Seas. That on the one side of the ridge will flow into the Rhine River and end in the North Sea; that on the other side will enter the Rhone River and end up in the Mediterranean. The two destinations are a thousand miles apart. So it is today among our people.
There are some things wherein we can differ and yet still hold in common the essential truths of Christianity. There are others that are so essential to being a faithful church that if we find ourselves on opposite sides, the end results will be as different as the waters on either side of those mountains.
The inspiration and reliability of God's Word are watershed issues. Conservative people of all faiths have always held that the Bible is a special book. It is not the product of men. Rather, it is the message of the Living God. It was written by men who were inspired, and guided by the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21). Being from the all-wise, infallible and all powerful God, it is perfect in its message. Jesus said, "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Again he said, "The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). David wrote, "The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether" (Ps. 19:9). Based on such self-assertions, faithful believers have long believed the Bible to be inerrant, i.e., the original manuscripts that came from the pens of the inspired writers were flawless in their message. While this teaching is unpalatable to certain teachers who have been trained and indoctrinated in the classrooms of skeptical and unbelieving scholars, it is entirely reasonable to those who take Christ and his word seriously. If God truly is what he claims to be, is it not within his power to deliver to man a flawless record of his will and is he not able to preserve that word for future generations? If God's Word is not free from error, then we must ask how we can trust any thing it says? If the possibility of error exists, could not the whole production be spoiled? If that is the case then we are left as travelers lost in a desert with no dependable map to help us find our way out. If it is not inerrant, then we, of all God's creatures, are most pitiful. The inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible are truly watershed issues.
Another fundamental issue is the authority of God's Word in all things that relate to the faith, worship and practice of his people. Jesus claimed all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). He is said to head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22). He told the apostles to teach converts to "obey all things whatsoever he commanded" (Matt. 28:20). Paul warns us not to go beyond the things that are written (I Cor. 4:6 ASV). John warns that only those who abide in the doctrine of Christ have the blessing of the Father and the Son (II John 9). The only possible way we can know the will of Christ is by reading his New Testament. A Christian and a church will respect and obey the authority of Christ as revealed in his word or they will not. Only those who obey Christ are promised salvation (Heb. 5:8-9; Matt. 7:21). The complete and final authority of the New Testament in all matters of faith, worship and practice is a water shed issue. Those who honor this principle will be "truly his disciples (John 8:31); those who do not, will end up a thousand miles away in a human organization, founded by men, led and guided by fallible men, with no promise of divine approval.
Any thinking person can see that these principles form a watershed. Holding the one set of beliefs will lead a person into simple New Testament Christianity. Holding the other will lead him into some other kind of religious body. Depending on ones preference, it might be Catholicism, Protestantism or some other cult or ism. Clearly there is no room for compromise or accommodation on these watershed issues. Those of the change movement who have abandoned them are headed in an opposite direction from the rest of us and our fathers before us. They have made shipwreck concerning the faith. Time will reveal their destination.
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5. IN THE GRIP OF GOD'S GRACE (A Review)
Without doubt Max Lucado is the most widely published and read member of the Church of Christ in our generation. His many books have found a ready audience among members of evangelical bodies as well as ours. Bro. Lucado is also one of the principal spokesmen for those who wish to change the faith, worship and practice of our people. Change agents often say that those who have discovered "grace" are no longer content to be bound by the faith of the past. Bro. Lucado's book, In the Grip of Grace, is a good demonstration of what these brethren mean by that statement. For those looking for a serious Biblical study of God's grace, this book will be a disappointment. It is more like cotton candy, filled with cute, catchy sayings that impress the impressionable who know little of God's Word. In his introduction he tells us that he discovered God's grace only after he found "there was a hole in (his) coat of convictions" (p. xii). He delights in sarcastic allusions to people like us. "If I read my Bible, have the right opinion on the right doctrines, if I join this movement..." (p. 12). This is a line from his portrait of those he classes as legalists. He goes on to describe those who strive to please God by obeying his will as having "a religious godlessness" (Ibid.). He paints us as boasting about our "five steps" (p. 6) while we stand "knee deep in the water" trying to save ourselves (p. 5).
Bro. L's concept of grace is so strong that if a man is "given only the testimony of creation, then he has enough" (p. 23). That means that some can be saved without knowing Christ, or the message of the Bible simply by "know(ing) God through the handiwork of nature" (Ibid.)
The book reaches its climax in chapter 16, which is entitled, Life Aboard the Fellow-Ship. With the analogy of a battleship, he describes what he perceives to be Christ's church. It is big enough to accommodate virtually any doctrine (p. 161). Paul did not understand this as does Bro. L. The apostle wrote that "ye all speak the same things and that there be no divisions among you" (I Cor. 1:10). Bro. L's boat can accommodate such interesting beliefs as "once saved always saved," predestination, premillennialism, speaking in tongues, clerical robes, etc. In explaining who is to be accepted on God's ship (church) he says, "The Master says examine the person's faith. If he or she has faith in Jesus and is empowered by God, grace says that's enough" (p. 168). "If their (members of denominations) trust, like yours, is in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, aren't you covered with the same grace?" (p. 169). "God's ship is a grand vessel. Just as a ship has many rooms, so God's kingdom has room for many opinions..." (p. 170). The context makes it clear that he speaks of many different kinds of churches (denominations).
This is identical to the old analogy about the vine and the branches used in days past to justify denominationalism. Defenders of that system quoted John 15 and said, Jesus is the vine and each denomination is a branch thereof.
Bro. Max Lucado continues to hold membership among churches of Christ. He preaches for the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, TX. However the faith he holds and the views he expresses are quite different from those held by most of his brethren of this and past generations. It is easy to understand his popularity with those of the evangelical world, but it is a mystery that many within the Church of Christ see no problem with views such as cited above. Those who are unfamiliar with the message of Christ, who read and follow Bro. L's teaching, may well stand before God in judgment thinking that because they believed in Jesus, God's grace will save them. What a painful surprise it will be for them to hear Him say, "Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).
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"A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day. The first words of which reads "Thou shalt not disagree," and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins, "Blessed are they that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable for anything." It is now the accepted thing to talk over religious differences in public with the understanding that no one will try to convert another or point out errors in his belief.
Imagine Moses agreeing to take part in a panel discussion with Israel over the golden calf; or Elijah engaging in a gentlemanly dialogue with the prophets of Baal...Darkness and light can never be brought together by talk. Some things are not negotiable"
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