Arms Elbow Deep in Calvinism (I)

Brethren With Arms Elbow Deep in Calvinism (I)

That there are men within the church advocating the idea of Neo-Calvinism, intentionally or unintentionally, cannot be denied by any honest Bible student. More and more in the writings of some brethren we see the tenets of Calvinism appearing at a tremendous pace. By tenets I mean an opinion, principle, dogma or doctrine that a person or organization believes or maintains to be true. I have no axes to grind, no intention of becoming a well-known writer, nor do I hold any malice toward those whom I believe guilty of the errors that are being presented to young preachers and the weak, untaught in the church. I would prefer not to use names of those who have written on the subjects I shall deal with in this series, but in all fairness and honesty to the reader who is seeking the truth, I feel I have no alternative. To use the name of a book from which material has been taken and not give the author due credit would likewise be unfair.

I cannot begin to name all who are leaning in this direction, but in fairness to those I do mention, may I say they are not alone. In fact, what prompted these articles is the effect some loose teaching is having upon the young. I, like countless others, do not wish to misquote another’s position, and if one feels his position is being taken out of context, I would suggest he tell the brethren what he does or does not believe in plain, simple terms and let the issue die.

My brother in Christ, Ed Fudge, who in his first outward ‘defense of his teachings concerning current problems which appeared in the Gospel Guardian, Vol. 25, No. 1, May 3, 1973, page 3 in an article entitled “For The Record,” made no defense but advised those who questioned the positions he held to purchase his published books and determine what he taught. I do not feel this was any defense, but to give him the benefit of the doubt, I purchased the booklet, The Grace Of God. I am not personally acquainted with Brother Fudge, but believe him to be a knowledgeable Bible student. His booklet has gone far and wide; therefore, discussing it in print does not do him an injustice. I believe he is on dangerous ground and should consider the words of Solomon, “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Prov. 6:27)

Two Fundamental Principles

(1) “God, by His very nature-because He is God-must both hate and punish sin.” This means that sin cannot be overlooked forever, or winked at indefinitely, or simply swept under the rug. On a par with this principle we read of the next. (2) “Man, because he is man, sins.” I assume he concludes these two principles to be self-evident. The second principle I question. I am aware “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). I do not believe man sins because he is man or that he sins because it is man’s nature to sin. This, to me, reads too much like The Standard Manual For Baptist Churches by Edward T. Hiscox. On page 60, in speaking of “The Fall Of Man” he writes, “. . . being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation, without defense or excuse.” He gives as a proof-text, in the footnotes, Eph. 2:3. The nature here refers to conduct practiced so long and habitually that it has become our natural way of living. The apostle Paul speaks of men being by nature children of wrath as the effect (rather than the cause) of our trespasses and sins. The quibble advanced by some theologians that, “We are not sinners because of sin; we sin because we are sinners,” lays the blame on God instead of upon ourselves where it belongs.

Why Question The Second Principle?

The Bible reads, “They have turned aside (or are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable . . .”) (Rom. 3:12). This implies a better condition from which to “turn.” Concerning man we see, “So God created man in his own image. . .” (Gen. 1:27). “And God saw everything that he had made; and behold it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31). In the NASB “Yet Thou bast made him a little lower than God, and doest crown him with glory and majesty” (Psa. 8:5). “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” (Eccl. 7:29). If the second principle is true, then how could a just God condemn man for doing what his inherent nature demands? Later, Ed states that God does not make man sin, and “God did not create him so that he had to sin.” Is the writer unaware of the implications of this second principle? Read all that Hiscox said on “The Fall of Man” page 60, ibid. Do you believe man is totally or partially depraved?

Why Does Man Sin or How Does He Sin?

John said, “. . . sin is the transgression of the law” (1 Jno. 3:4). Paul wrote, “. . . where no law is, there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15). The conclusion then is that man sins because he transgresses the law. This is proven in the case of Adam and Eve. Was the commandment a law when Moses wrote, “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” (Gen. 2:16-17)? Were Adam and Eve sinners because they were man or because they transgressed God’s law? Romans 5:14 tells the answer for Adam and 1 Timothy 2:14 gives the answer for Eve. Does a commandment constitute a law and can we be saved without keeping the commandments of God?

Some Clarification

Let me at this time state emphatically that I do not believe a man can be saved by any humanly devised means. No combination of mere human power and ideas is sufficient to earn one his salvation. A proof-text would be Luke 17:10. His salvation is by the grace of God. It is by the favor or loving kindness or good will of God that we are saved, as set forth in Eph. 2:5. In the next verse we read, “And hath raised us up together . . .” (Eph. 2:6). Those who advocate grace only apart from keeping the law seem to observe the Passover on this verse. The religious world as a whole has always ignored it. Those who teach grace alone look the other way and men who do not believe baptism essential to salvation evade it. Here is my question: What about this “raising up?” It is not the final “raising up” at the end of time, for these Ephesians were very much alive. It could not be the final resurrection because again they were still in the flesh and alive in the church when this “raising up” was penned. How could they have been “raised up?” Paul explains in three passages: Rom. 6:4,5; Col. 2:12; Titus 3:5. The “raising up” took place when they were baptized. Thus the salvation by grace in the passage will be after being “raised up” (Baptized) and is dependent upon it.

Grace Not Legalism

On page 13 Brother Fudge states, “grace is not legalism.” The definition of legalism given is that it is not law-keeping, but law-depending. Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary defines legalism as, “strict conformity to law” (p. 728). Ed continually gives references to there being no justification by the law, but admits the texts referred to are referring to the law of Moses (Acts 15:1, 10-11; Gal. 2:16; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 3:19, 21). He seems to make the mistake of Calvinism in not being able to distinguish that there is more than the law of Moses in the Bible. Ed knows this as well as any man in the church. On page 17 he affirms the law of Moses was God’s law. It was holy and just and good. It was perfect for its purpose. He forgets to tell us what the purpose of the law was, so I shall attempt to clarify the matter for him. “Wherefore the law was our (Jews) schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, that they might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” (Gal. 3:11) Paul informs us, “. . . Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law. . .” (Rom. 7:7). “. . . It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made . . .” (Gal. 3:19). (Transgression is lawlessness and keeps company with iniquity and unrighteousness.) The law of Moses fulfilled its purpose, but it was not its purpose to make perfect or to save or give life (Gal. 3:21). The Hebrew writer wrote, “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Heb. 7:19).

Was this better hope the gospel? Again, “For when Moses had spoken every precept (entole) to all the people according to the law” (Heb. 9:19). “Entole” is from the same verb translated commandment in numerous passages including 1 Jno. 2:3 defined as “akin to the verb entello which signifies to enjoin upon, to charge with. The noun entole denotes in general, an injunction, charge, precept, commandment.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, pages 209-210, Vol. 1 and page 203 in Vol. 3.) Can we know God and not keep His commandments as set forth in 1 Jno. 2:3? (KJV, ASV and NASB all use term “keep’). Going back to Hebrews 8:7-8 the writer speaks of the first covenant that had fault, and of the new covenant. What are these two covenants? Are they not the Old law and the New law? Ed mentions Heb. 10:5-7, 10. What about Heb. 10:9? “Then said he, lo, I come to do thy will O God, He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” Brother Moseley in his commentary on this passage comments, (and I agree) “God would not have two laws in effect at the same time. Therefore, the old being inferior was removed to establish the second, which was established on better promises. (Heb. 8:6) Thus, a covenant establishing obedience will replace the covenant that contained ineffectual sacrifices.” Is this not in harmony with Romans 7:1-4? “For by grace have ye been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). This expresses the divine part and the human part of salvation by the words “grace” and “faith” respectively. The grace or favor involved in salvation is of course divine favor; while faith is a human exercise. Neither the divine part nor the human part can successfully be dispensed with; both are necessary.

Faith And Legalism

If it were not for the grace of God no one could be saved, and it is equally true that if a man does not exercise faith he cannot be saved. “But without faith it is impossible to please him. . .” (Heb. 11:6). When we speak of faith, what kind of faith is needed? It is that faith which worketh by love. (Gal. 5:6). The grace of God is inseparably connected with the word of God. We have access to the grace of God by faith (Rom. 5:1-2), but faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Rom. 10:17). We see then that grace of God covers only what is by faith and nothing more. We are under the grace or favor of God only when we submit to the purposes of God revealed in the gospel. According to the Bible doctrine of grace, man is not the passive recipient of God’s grace, but must comply with the conditions of faith which God has ordained in order to enjoy the favor of God.

Denominationalists have for years called us “legalists.” Brethren who are liberal on the institutional and Herald Of Truth question also called us legalist. If belief in obeying God’s commands makes one a legalist, I must confess I am a legalist. In so doing, I find a legalist has good company. Jesus was a legalist when He made the following statement: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate . . .” (Lk. 13:24). Jesus sent the apostles out to bind and to loose what had been bound and loosed in heaven. (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). In the parable on fruitbearing, Jesus shows fruitbearing to be an essential if we hope to receive the reward. Notice also the Words of Jesus in Jno. 4:34; 6:38. Paul was one who would be classed as a legalistic and egotistical man by today’s standard. Read 1 Cor. 9:27 and 2 Tim. 4:7-8. The writer of Hebrews was legalistic in Heb. 12:1. Here he speaks of running the race “with patience” that is set before us. This term includes “both passive endurance and active persistence.” (Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, page 537, Vol. 4.)

Obedience To The Law Of Christ Is Essential

By obedience I mean complying with or submission to command, prohibition, law or duty. Obey means to act in accordance with; be guided by; to obey the law. (Funk and Wagnall, p. 871) Vine, on page 124 of Vol. 3, in reference to the “obey” of Heb. 5:9 notes: “to listen, attend, and so, to submit, to obey, is used of obedience (a) to God . . . .” We shall look at some synonyms of law: rule, edict, regulation, command, commandment, mandate, (Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms by Joseph Devlin.) Concerning the law of Christ, I make mention of Gal. 6:2; “. . . the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. . .” (Rom. 8:2); “The perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25). And if lawkeeping is unimportant, how can a Just God judge us by the law of liberty (Jas. 2:12)? Paul full well knew his responsibility in keeping the law of God as stated in 1 Cor. 9:21. Paul states, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). Why teach us laws to live by if we do not need them? Also, if a person is not under law as a condition of salvation, then his violation of law would not affect his salvation; yet the scriptures teach that the “lawless” and “ungodly” cannot inherit eternal life. If one’s obedience, or lack of it, to the law of Christ is immaterial, then without saying it in so many words we are teaching “once in grace always in grace” and the impossibility of falling. How can one sin if he does not have to keep the law of Christ? Without law how does one know he is a sinner?

Doers Of The Law

In Paul’s writings he pens the following, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified . . .” (Rom. 2:13). The context in this chapter shows the Jews putting too much stress on their hearing the law and their knowledge of the law. As a result, they neglected the doing of the law. That was a fatal mistake; for not hearers but doers of the law were justified. Absolute justification by the law could be had only by perfect obedience to the law. But no one kept the law perfectly, and for that reason the law justified no one. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Talking of those who did not do His will he said, “. . . I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:23). In short, depart from Me you that work without law, the lawless ones. In verse 24 He speaks of the wiseman, who heard and was a doer of the word. In verse 26 He speaks of the foolish man who heard but was not a doer of the word. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (Jas. 1:22). He also mentions one that hears but does not do in verses 23-24. Then sums up with, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds” (Jas. 1:25).

Final Thoughts On Grace And Law

Something unbecoming of our brother is expressed on pages 14, 15, 17 and 18, (“Here are the rules; keep them and be saved-good luck.”) Perhaps I am overly critical, but it reminds me of the innuendo of Baptist ridiculing baptism, “If one is saved by baptism he comes up and then has to outrun the devil from the creek to heaven, if baptism is essential and one can fall from grace.” My last thoughts in this article are these: If man plays no part in his salvation, I would like someone to explain to me Peter’s statement, “. . . Save yourselves from this untoward (or crooked) generation” (Acts 2:40). Also, what did Paul mean when he said, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). God works in us through the neglected statement made in Eph. 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The idea that the gift of Eph. 2:9 means we can do nothing is false. We have to do the one thing that God cannot do for us; that is, receive the gift by obedience and baptism. If the old Calvinistic position were correct and we can do nothing, then the salvation would be as universal as the gift and the giver. Who will take this position? When told to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is knowledge of Jesus essential? Does it come to us miraculously or must we study and do something to attain it? James wrote, “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17). To say we will do it because we are saved by grace will lead us down the path of one young brother who has taken the position baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace. Brethren, tell us plainly where you stand and what you believe (1 Pet. 3:15; Col. 4:6 and give us book, chapter and verse, 1 Pet. 4:11).

My next article on “Brethren With Arms Elbow Deep in Calvinism” will be on the subject of “Faith versus Works” to be followed by an article on “Justification.”

This article was written by a friend and childhood mentor Milton Anderson.

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Why Every Faithful Christian Should Be Able To Be Called A Counselor

Upon reflecting back on growing up in the church it seems that “church” was something we “did” and it was not “who we were.” At least that is the impression with which I was left. Many of my family members were faithful members of the church and many of them attended services with us. We were together a lot (Bible Study, worship, meetings, fellowships) and the church was a huge part of our lives. But what I witnessed as I grew older and started preaching was that, with the exception of family members, “clicks,” and isolated friendships, the church was not a real community. When problems arose in people’s lives the “church” was often left stunned and bewildered. What I came to conclude was that we as Christians were not close enough to, or trusting enough of, each other to encourage, counsel, help, and love. I think there are a few reasons why this was (and is) true, but the simple fact is we are not doing what Jesus has instructed us to do.

In Isaiah 9:6 we read that Jesus would be called “…Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God…” The Hebrew word “counselor” here means one who advises, gives counsel to, or guides. As the One we are trying to imitate did, we too must do. Barnabas is a great example of this in that we read that the apostles gave him this name because it meant “the son of consolation” (Acts 4:36).  Again, Strong’s says this word means to give comfort, consolation, and exhortation.

Not only do I feel we could do better emulating the compassion, guidance and mercy of Christ toward each other, but I also feel we need to remember that we are commanded to do so. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” James 5:16 demands that we both counsel and seek help, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Romans 12:15 requires that we “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Wayne Jackson says, “…we all should be willing to assist one another in times of emotional need. Those who are ‘spiritual’ can help to ‘restore’ (mend) their fellows (see Galatians 6:1). We should be able to talk with one another about our problems and receive biblical seasoned advice…any compassionate Christian can do this.”

When we are converted and grounded in the faith and, as Charles Brewer writes, “have built into our hearts the desire to serve God,” we are ready then to ask, ‘How can I serve?’” He goes on to say that, “It is important that we know what is acceptable service. Some have good intent, but lack understanding.” Many Christian do not, and/or cannot, fulfill their duty as counselors because they simply don’t know God’s Word well enough to understand their responsibilities, or do not know it well enough to give godly advice.

Two final thoughts: One, every Christian gives counsel vicariously. Paul told Timothy to “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). The Christian cannot underestimate the impact he or she has on the lives of those around them. And second, we need to be aware of the relationship and relevance of our lives as Christian counselors to evangelism. Paul told Titus that he was to “exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” Folks will not come to us to find Christ and we will not be able to lead them to Him and counsel them if we ourselves are not living faithful Christian lives.

I believe that every Christian can be called a counselor when we are imitating The Counselor, when we are close enough as a family of God’s people that we are able and willing to help each other through all of life’s problems, when we are equipped with a firm knowledge of God’s Word, when we are living lights to those round about us, and we are creating and availing ourselves of the opportunities to bring others to Christ. Be faithful!

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When Choices Get to Hard

When was the last time we had a difficult choice to make? Perhaps it was recently or maybe it has been some time since we have made a real difficult choice. Certainly, we have all faced this to at least one extreme or the other. Yet, it is by difficulties, which not only test our faith, but allows us to grow, usually for the better. However, what happens when our choices we make gets too hard?

Consider if you will, Elijah. Elijah was a great prophet of God. He served Him well. But, just shortly after a confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18), he found himself running for his life. In fact, when his choice got too hard, we find him under a Juniper tree desiring to end his life (1 Kings 19:4). Now, at what point did Elijah feel this way? Was it when he was standing for what was right? Was it when he showed the Baal prophets who was the true and living God? No. It was when Jezebel, not wanting to be proven wrong, not willing to come to the truth, was hateful and desired to kill him. Now Elijah, although a great prophet, was not grievously troubled until he was confronted by his enemy.

When choices get too hard, why is it that we coward and hide instead of confronting the adversary? Since when do we fear man? Does not the Bible state, “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Yet, some will compromise for what is right to have a false sense of security. It amazes me how some men believe they have great power over others. Yet the truth is they only have as much power as we allow them to have. They have no strength. What strength do we have to stand against God? We will all be judged by His mighty hand by the lives that we live. The way we treat one another will not go unnoticed by God. He says, all things will be brought into judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10) and I believe that many forget this basic principle.

So again, what do we do when choices get too hard? Perhaps all we can do is follow the Master Teacher, Jesus. Jesus in many ways was like Elijah, stood for what was right, showed God’s mighty hand, yet when choices got too hard for Him, when around that tree in the garden, He did not beg for His life to end. Instead, He said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). In just this short verse, we see Jesus saying when choices got too hard for Him, He focused on the will of the Father. What an amazing verse! Jesus emotionally desired to have the cross removed from Him. He knew it would be difficult and there was no easy way out. Yet, Jesus looked beyond the great burden, beyond the agony and kept on doing the Father’s will. “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Wouldn’t it be great if we all could be like Jesus?

We can be certain that there are many choices we will make in life and some are very hard choices. But, when choices get too hard, do we coward like the mighty Elijah or do we humble ourselves like our Lord, pressing on to the end? Was this not what Paul did when he walked in the footprints of the Lord? Did he not say, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13‐14)? Paul did not tuck tail and run when choices got too hard. He continued onward by making himself run swiftly in order to catch up with the prize. Can we not do the same?

We are all fully aware of the selfishness and hatred of men. But, when did it ever come to the point that we forgot to follow Christ when given a hard choice? When was it that we forgot to stand for the Truth? Or, did we stand for the Truth only to be let down by others? This should not stop us. We should not be like Elijah in this sense, but more like Christ who reminded Christians, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:10‐12).

There will be many who give you hard choices, who will persecute you and say all sorts of things against you because you stood on the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ. This is nothing new. Therefore, do not be like Elijah who sat under the Juniper tree. Be more like the mighty Elijah, who got up and remembered God and continued to follow Him until the day of his departure. If he can stand up when choices got too hard, if our great Lord could stand up when choices get too hard, we can certainly stand up when choices we face get too hard. May God give us all the wisdom to stand even when it is too hard to stand.

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Seeking Perfection

Possibly one of the most complex philosophies in the world is the concept of acceptability to the God that Created us. It is amazing to examine the options of others as we attempt to personally seek God’s approval. The desire to please God is bound up in our understanding of God and that which he reveals to us via the Bible (i.e. the Written Word of God).

THE BIBLE IS TRUTH: The concept that the Bible is absolute truth and free of error is the basis of our view that man is required to ba as perfected personally as h/she is capable of being. This idea is not universally accepted by religious people but is acceptable to those of us that make up the Lord’s church. (i.e. Matthew 26:18; Rom 16:16; Acts 2:1-47). The Bible is specific about the responsibility of man to serve (i.e. do the works of God), as he learns those things that is required of him by God. Indeed, has been a great deal of effort put forth by God for the salvation of mankind but many will never be saved from their sin because they misunderstand the concept revealed via the Written Word. You see, the Written Word  – (i.e. that section of the Bible that applies to mankind now – The New Testament) is God’s instruction to mankind in this dispensation as sure as the Law of Moses was the law that governed ancient Israel in the method of becoming and staying acceptable to God. It is true that the laws are different one from the other but the same God is the author of both laws. Since we can no longer be saved from sin by keeping the Law of Moses –

Galatians 5:1-4, “1 For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.” (ASV)

Since the New Testament is the only true source for doctrinal teaching under the “Christian Dispensation,” it is imperative that we seek to live according to its teachings. The truth is God’s salvation unto salvation from sin – Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (ASV)  The “TRUTH” is actually God’s written word to us today – John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” (ASV), and it is capable of making us free from sin – John 8:32, “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (ASV)

CAN WE BE PERFECT NOW?  Perfection is that for which each Christian ought to strive. Yet, to acquire perfection in this world one must cease from sin completely. The Bible tells us that all sin – cf. Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;” (ASV)  In Christ’s sojourn here in the world one of the facts that he revealed to man is, whenever man does all that he can do for himself with regard to pleasing God he still has fallen short of perfection – cf. Luke 17:10, “Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.” (ASV)

GOD GRACE MAKES US ACCEPTABL TO GOD:  General definition of grace: Now, grace is that which God has and does for man that he is unable to do for himself. Man cannot, of himself achieve sinless perfection but man can do all that he is capable of doing to acquire perfection. Since man cannot become perfect by his own activity it is necessary that God help him. God has given to every person – unmerited favor (God will accept the person even though they cannot achieve perfection if that person is habitually obedient to His Will – cf. Hebrews 5:8-9, “8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;” (ASV) Titus 2:11-12, “11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;” (ASV)

Comment on Titus 2:11-12:  In this context, we see that grace is available to everyone (cf. verse 11) but in order to appropriate that grace in a person’s life one must obey. Note the 12th verse:

God’s grace is applied to the person that:

1.  Denies ungodliness

2.  Denies worldly lusts

3.  Lives soberly – treats himself right

4.  Lives righteously – treats others right

5.  Lives godly – treats God right

 FOLLOWING GOD’S INSTRUCTION (i.e. is obedience):  Many religious people affirm that one cannot work their way to salvation. Indeed, it is not possible for anyone to do enough good works to merit salvation from sin. Yet, there are works of God that man is required to do in order to attain salvation from sin, this is not of human merit but complying with the instructions that God establishes for salvation.

CONSIDER THIS:  In the process of ancient Israel’s conquest of Canaan, one example of the Lord’s grace is fittingly demonstrated in the case of the taking of the city of Jericho:

cf. Joshua 6:2-20, “2 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Jehovah. 7 And they said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Jehovah. 8 And it was so, that, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Jehovah passed on, and blew the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rearward went after the ark, (the priests) blowing the trumpets as they went. 10 And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11 So he caused the ark of Jehovah to compass the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.  12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, (the priests) blowing the trumpets as they went. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on the day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city. 17 And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so would ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy unto Jehovah: they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah. 20 So the people shouted, and (the priests) blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city”  (ASV)

CONSIDER THIS:  In v. 2 Jehovah speaks to Joshua in the past tense and says, “I have given into thy hand Jericho …” In v. 16 Joshua speaks to the people in the past tense and says, “for Jehovah hath given unto the city” Before the people had done anything, God said I have given you the city to the Israelites as a gift but the gift was a conditional gift. The fact that God stipulated conditions to receive the gift (i.e. the city of Jericho) does not change the facts at all – the gift of God in this instance was Jericho.  In v. 20 the text says, “…and they took the city… The taking of the city was dependant upon their having obeyed the instructions that God had set for the prize.

PERFECTION IS CONDITIONAL:  The only way for anyone to be perfect in their relationship with God is to become a child of God correctly and live a righteous, acceptable lifestyle for all their life here on earth – cf. Paul’s example – cf.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, “6 For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: 8 henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.” (ASV)

Revelation 2:10, “Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.” (ASV)

For God’s grace to applied in our life, we must follow whatever God instructs us to do throughout all of our life. Yes, it can be done! God has never given to mankind laws and instructions that he could not obey. But has been gracious toward man and his honest efforts to follow those instructions. God’s grace is evident in the life of many Old Testament characters – (e.g. Hebrews 11) and many New testament characters {e.g. Peter, Paul, Apollos, Cornelius, etc.} God does not expect the impossible from man but God does expect man to do the best he is capable of doing – cf. Acts 2:40, “And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (ASV)

Philippians 2:12-14, “12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and questionings:” (ASV)

STUDY TO BE SURE:  One of the sure ways to work toward perfection is to study God’s Written Word and rightly divide it – cf. 2 Timothy 2:15, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.” ASV

A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE DESTROYS:  It is stated by the prophet Hosea at Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.” ASV  Always be ready to learn – be willing to better your knowledge.

A CHANGE – REPENTANCE IS NEEDED:  One of the tragedies if this generation is that many of its numbers have little or no respect for the life and work of those that have diligently worked in the past. One of the ways to gauge the value of a person’s education and intellect is to observe the way that they treat their family, their elders, how men treat women, how parents teat their children, how children (i.e. including adult children) treat their parents and grandparents, etc. It is a sad commentary on the direction of society in general to observe the attitudes of many people toward family, fellow laborers, neighbors, etc. in many cases adults show by their actions, conversations, dress, and companions that they have no manners, and/or no upbringing.

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Wise Guy (Part 1)

Have you ever been called a wise guy?  Likely, you were called a wise guy for saying something sarcastic.  This happens to me a pretty often.  However, it would be nice if someone meant it in regard to my intelligence on a matter.  Most people would like to be considered a wise person in regard to some aspect of life.  The question then becomes:  “What does a wise person look like?”  Do they look like Isaac Newton? Albert Einstein? Spock?  How about Marie Curie, Elizabeth I, or Hillary Clinton?  In truth, looks are not a reliable factor in determining wisdom.

A wise person is defined by his or her behavior.  Behaviors are driven by knowledge and wisdom comes from knowledge as well.  Man can demonstrate wisdom in regard to an endless number of subjects.  For instance, knowledge gained from a bee sting can lead to the behavior of carefulness around bees.  This is wisdom.  Similarly, knowledge of cooking can lead to caution around a hot oven.  Again, wisdom is shown.  Finally, consider the knowledge gained of the human body which leads to urgency involving strokes.  All of these situations involve the use of wisdom.  If the behaviors of care, caution, and urgency were missing from these scenarios wisdom would be lacking.

When it comes to Godly wisdom, Solomon provides knowledge inspired of the Holy Spirit.  Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”  Fear in this text can involve both being afraid of God and having reverence toward Him.  Fear and reverence come from the knowledge of God who is Holy (I Peter 1:16).  A man with Godly wisdom will exhibit behavior affirming his wisdom.

This series of articles will examine Godly wisdom as seen through the behaviors of a wise Christian.  For this particular article, let us consider Proverbs 13:7-8:

 “There are rich with nothing; poor with abundant riches.  The redemption of an individual’s life is his wealth and the poor do not hear rebuke.”

The individual to imitate in this passage is the poor man.  His wealth results in redemption, not rebuke.  The words of Solomon here are not discussing earthly wealth.  This can be verified through the words of two other scriptures.  First from Solomon’s father David, then from the apostle Peter:

Psalms 49:6-8 – “They that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever)”

1 Peter 1:18 – “knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ:”

The poor of Proverbs 13:7-8 are those who have a humble spirit in God such as in Matthew 5:3 (“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”).  The richness of the poor comes from their claim in the blood of Christ.  Redemption cannot apply for those denying Christ.  How can an individual have a claim in the blood of Christ?

2 Timothy 2:11-13 – “Faithful is the saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us: if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.”

From this verse observe a number of points. First, living with Christ (which would imply a man was redeemed) requires dying with Him.  According to Romans 6:1-9, dying with Christ means man must go through the behavior of baptism.  This brings him into contact with His blood and gives him claim in Christ (Galatians 3:27).  Second, enduring, so that man can reign with Christ, also involves specific behaviors to engage and avoid.  I Corinthians 10:13 makes it clear that temptations to the Christian exist that would cause him to not endure in Christ.  Yet, He is faithful such that man can endure in the required behaviors.  Third, men deny Christ and are denied by Christ though their behaviors: Titus 1:16 – “They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Jesus said in Luke 6:46 – “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”  Finally, to have faithful behavior, men must have faith.  Romans 10:17 declares “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Based on this passage, man gains faith by knowledge through the word of God which sparks his godly and therefore wise behavior.

These points being identified, there is a conclusion that exists to be gleaned from Proverbs 13:7-8.  That conclusion is that a man gains his riches through knowing the value of God’s Truth and then using godly wisdom he acts upon it.

Matthew 13:44 – “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”

 

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