The Greatest American

Some of you may know that the Discovery Channel is doing a series of television shows on “The Greatest American.” Through some process they have selected 100 different nominees for this title and through the month of June they will be airing a program that discusses these individuals. They will also be narrowing the focus down to twenty-five “finalists” and ultimately select “The Greatest American,” at least, according to their perspective.

Who would you select to be the “Greatest American?” Someone recently wrote and said they would select their mother and father because to them, those individuals are the greatest Americans that he has known. That’s pretty good thinking.

Often what we think of as the “greatest” isn’t based upon what truly has affected us as great, but what society as a whole pressures us to think of as “great.” The “great” must be someone who has achieved fame, is above average, esteemed highly, accomplished some great achievement, or attained special academic status. And while some may attain such levels in this life, the majority of the earth’s population simply won’t measure up, at least, according to the world’s standard.

How comforting then is it to know that God doesn’t have the same standard as the world. There was one occasion in the life of Jesus when his disciples took up this very question: “Who is the greatest?” (Matthew 18:1). The next few verses read: “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-4).

At another opportunity, some disciples were arguing over who would sit on the right hand and left of Jesus in the kingdom. We read Jesus response in Matthew 20:25-28 “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

It’s not the “great” who will be the “greatest” in God’s kingdom, but the one who humbles himself and becomes everyone else’s servant.

I’ve heard some ask, “Well, who might that ‘great’ one be? Who is the most humble? Who serves the most?” This is missing the point. It is just getting back to the same question the disciples had already asked, just in a different form. The point Jesus is making is that there is no one person who is “the greatest.” At the same time there may be many who are the “greatest.” How is that so?

What matters is our attitude. Even when we have served all that we can serve, we must still admit that we are unprofitable servants according to Luke 17:10. In that regard, we can never be the greatest. At the same time, we can be the greatest that we can be in the eyes of the Lord if we seek to love him with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). In this way, God sees us as His children, each being what they can be to be pleasing to their father. So each of us can be the “greatest” and at the same time none of us will be “the greatest.”

In this regard, Micah 6:8 comes to mind. The people in Micah’s day were kind of asking this same question. They wanted to know what they could do to be the greatest. Would thousands of burnt offerings do it? How about 10,000 rivers of oil? What about sacrificing my firstborn? None of those things would have made them great, so far as God was concerned. Instead the reply is: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Indeed, that’s what it takes to be the greatest.

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Sacred vs. Profane

In Leviticus 10:10,11 God, after the fiery death of Nadab and Abihu, teaches an important lesson to Aaron regarding coming before God. We read, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean. The prohibition against alcoholic beverages was for a specific reason so that Aaron and his sons would know how to tell the difference between the holy and the profane. Ezekiel instructs the priests in his day to observe this same distinction. We read in Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. God was concerned that the people understand the difference between the holy and the unholy, between the sacred and the profane.

The New Testament reflects this teaching as well, although not couched in such specific words. In the Greek New Testament the adjective holy and the verb sanctify are all from the same stem-word, �h�g�� which has the idea of being set apart for a special purpose. When God sets something apart for a special purpose, it is divinely sanctified divinely holy.

God spells out some things that are holy that are sanctified. In Romans 1:2 we see that the scriptures are holy; they are set apart by God for a special purpose (see also 2 Timothy 3:15). In Ephesians 5:27 we read that the church is holy. In Hebrews 7:26 we read that we have a holy High Priest. And in the epistles of Peter, we read that Christians are to be holy and that they are a holy nation (1 Peter 1:15, 16 and 1 Peter 2:9). God is still concerned about holiness in His people today.

God is still concerned with those who profane holy things. We read in 1 Timothy 1:9 and 2 Timothy 3:2 that there are some men who are unholy. We also read in Hebrews 10:29 that holy people can profane themselves and regard the blood of Christ profane by rejecting it. God still maintains the distinction between the holy and the unholy between the sacred and the profane.

Having these things in mind, we ask the question, what does God think about those who profane holy things today? We hear the reply loud and clear it is unacceptable! It is wrong! It is evil to take that which is sacred and turn it into something that is profane! To which we give a resounding, Amen! Now, let’s make application of this principle.

The name of God is holy and sacred. Yet, there are some who profane it by bringing it down to every day ordinary use. We profane God’s name when we use it in an unholy way. The church that Christ built and for which he died (Acts 20:38) is a holy and sacred thing. Yet, when people regard the church as merely a social club or fraternity setting; when people ignore the call to assembly as if it were just an optional matter, they profane that which is holy. The worship of the church is a holy and sacred thing. When men bring in additions to the worship; when they neglect the specified aspects of worship; when men do not worship in spirit and in truth, they profane that which is holy.

But just as it is wrong to make profane that which is holy, it is equally as wrong to attempt to make holy that which is profane. Some today take ordinary every day water and try to make it holy. Some take ordinary buildings and houses which are profane and try to make them holy. Some take profane words (words uttered by men) and try to make them holy (1 Corinthians 1:18- 31). Some even take profane music (instrumental music) and try to make it holy (by singing holy words). Now, it is not wrong to drink water, live in a house, study men’s words, or to listen to music. These things are all GOOD in their context. However, to attempt to make any of these profane things holy, is an affront to God. All such attempts to make holy the profane fail, and show a disrespect and irreverence toward things that God HAS made holy.

God is a holy God and we are to be holy people. Let us respect the holy as holy and let us leave the profane as profane. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).

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What About the Thief on the Cross?

Regarding this common “argument” that one can be saved without baptism because the thief on the cross was saved, here are six responses:

1. One doesn’t know that the theif wasn’t baptized under John’s baptism. It would be impossible to prove one way or the other that the thief on the cross was baptized. In fact, there is more evidence that he was baptized than that he wasn’t baptized.

2. Jesus had power to personally forgive sins on earth (Matthew 9:6, Mark 2:10, Luke 5:24). While Jesus was on the earth, he had authority to forgive whomsoever He willed. Today, however, forgiveness is based upon our relationship to Christ through His covenant.

3. The thief showed faith in Christ when most of the world was reviling Him. The fact that the thief knew who Jesus’ was shows something regarding the thief’s knowledge. It means that the thief had heard someone teach regarding Jesus.

4. The thief recognized the true nature of the kingdom putting faith in Christ that he was going to come into it despite Jesus present circumstance of hanging on the cross. The thief told Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into His kingdom (Luke 23:42). The fact that the thief knew something about the kingdom of Jesus also attests to the thief’s knowledge. Somewhere someone had told him about the coming kingdom and someone had told him that this kingdom belonged to Jesus. The thief had heard and believed the preaching of the gospel.

5. Jesus had not yet died, and so the New Covenant had not come into effect (Hebrews 9:16). Everyone that lives today is under the authority of the New Covenant, not the Old. Since that is the case, the thief could not have been forgiven under the terms of the New Covenant, but the Old. I would have just as much authority to build an ark in order to be saved as I would to appeal to the thief on the cross. Those things happened under a different covenant and hence are not applicable to my circumstances today under the New Covenant of Christ.

6. The terms of the New Covenant had not yet been given. Jesus told Peter that he would give him the keys to the kingdom in Matthew 16:18, 19. Those keys had not yet been given at the time of Jesus’ death. Those keys were finally given in Acts 2. It wasn’t until those terms were given that one could know what to do to have forgivness of sins under the New Covenant. The thief couldn’t have known what those terms were, but today, we can.

Can a person be saved in exactly the same way that the thief on the cross was saved? No. Today we must be saved under the authority of the New Covenant and under the terms of that covenant. Today that is accomplished through submission to God’s command through the apostles to be baptized, for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

The thief on the cross is a great example of forgiveness. It shows us that it is never too late to come to the Lord in this life. However, the thief on the cross is not an example of what one must do to be saved today as his salvation was based upon a different covenant, different circumstances, and a different relationship to Jesus.

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Why Am I a Member of the Church of Christ?

Indeed! Why are you a member of any church of which you call yourself a member? We read in the scriptures, Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves (2 Corinthians 13:5a). God does not want me to just take for granted that I am saved. He wants me to examine my life each and every day to make sure that I am doing what He wants me to do. He said to the Corinthians, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

To whom will you give account in the day of judgment? Each soul will be held accountable to God through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). The gospel is the only standard of judgment. It makes a whole lot of sense to do what the gospel teaches in matters regarding the church. This is the basic answer to the question in the title of this article. I am a member of the church of Christ because the church of Christ does what the gospel of Christ says do. This is the ONLY reason that ANYONE should be a member of ANY church.

What is it that the church of Christ does that the gospel says the church should do? First and foremost, the church of Christ HONORS the name of Christ. Many churches today claim to honor Christ, but the name they show on their sign honors man. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 that ANY name that honors ANYONE other than the one who was crucified for your salvation is a name that is NOT worth keeping! Yet how many churches do we see today who are named after Paul, Peter, John or some great man? How many churches today do we see named after some city or place mentioned in the New Testament? How many churches do we see named after some religious rite or function? Is this right, when an apostle clearly said to do otherwise? Try your own selves whether ye be in the faith. I am a member of the church of Christ because the church of Christ honors the name which is above all names (Philippians 2:9)!

Second, the church of Christ seeks to make Christ the standard of authority for all matters of life. Perhaps you have heard someone say, (1) That’s the way we have always done it or that is what my mother and father taught me or my preacher says or our creed says or my opinion is, etc. When is the last time you heard (2) The Bible says; The scriptures teach; The New Testament authorizes; Thus saith the Lord! There is a vast difference between the thinking in the statements in section (1) above and the statements in section (2). The statements in section (1) are subjective, relative, changing, mutable, and not dependable for eternal salvation. The statements in section (2) are permanent, unchanging, objective, eternal and will go on forever. Of which type of statement is the will of Jesus for His church? It is of the second type! Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)! I am a member of the church of Christ because the church of Christ believes in ONE standard for THE ONE faith (Ephesians 4:5; Jude 3).

Third, the church of Christ honors THE plan that Christ gave for salvation. By looking at the process of salvation as given by Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, one comes to the undeniable conclusion that there are
five things that must occur before one can claim salvation. First, a person must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. We learn of this requirement in Matthew 28:19 in the command to teach all nations. If there is teaching, there must be hearing as well. We also read of this in Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, and John 20:30,31. Second, a person must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. We learn of this requirement in Mark 16:16 and John 20:30,31. Third, a person must repent of sins before coming to Christ. We learn of this requirement in Luke 24:47. Fourth, a person must confess that Jesus is the Son of
God. We learn of this requirement in Matthew 10:32, 33. Fifth a person must be born of the water and of the Spirit by being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We learn of this requirement in John 3:5; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16. This is Christ’s plan! Search the scriptures; Try your own selves whether ye be in the faith. Prove yourselves. I am a member of the church of Christ because it honors the plan that CHRIST gave for salvation!

Some other wonderful things we could discuss in this respect are: I am a member of the church of Christ because it was founded on the day that Christ’s church was founded Pentecost in Acts 2. I am a member of the church of Christ because it is organized the way Christ’s church was organized; because it worships the way Christ’s church worshipped; because it teaches what Christ taught in regard to heaven and hell; because it teaches what Christ taught in regard to the day of judgment; because it teaches what Christ taught in regard to His own death, burial, and resurrection; because it teaches what Christ taught in regard to the inspiration of the scriptures. We could go on into the numerous things that Christ and the apostles taught regarding God’s will for man. But if the church of Christ was NOT teaching the truth regarding these many things, I would NOT be a member of it. The only reason to be a member of any church is because that church teaches and practices WHAT CHRIST TAUGHT! Try your own selves whether ye be in the faith. Prove yourselves!

If we teach what Christ and His apostles taught, then we WILL get what they got. A seed will produce after its own kind. An Apple seed cannot bring forth a Peach tree. A Wheat seed cannot bring forth a Pecan tree. A Grape seed cannot bring forth a Watermelon. Now, The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11b). When THAT seed is planted, what will come of it? Why should we NOT get the same thing that they got instead of a multitude of different beliefs and practices? They got Christians (Acts 11:26); they got the ONE church; the got the ONE faith; they got the ONE Lord; they got the ONE baptism; they got the ONE Father; they got the ONE Spirit; they got the ONE Hope (Ephesians 4:4-6). And when the church teaches and practices what Christ and the apostles taught and practiced, you can only get ONE THING GOD’S CHURCH CHRIST S CHURCH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST! That is why I am a member of the church of Christ.

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Taking Action on Sins Against Children

With the Michael Jackson verdict looming and an eighteen year old girl lost and presumed dead in the island nation of Aruba, the country’s attention has turned to crimes against children. There is, seemingly, no more horrible crime than that committed against innocent children for whom life has so much potential. The consequences of such crimes are life long for both the victim and the perpetrator, but especially for the victim as he still has his entire life ahead. Much care, love, and devotion is necessary to nurse such an individual back to mental health and recovery from his ordeal. Too, while we have less sympathy for the perpetrator (and for good reason), this individual needs help and while justice must be served in a nation that is governed by law, a compassionate nation will do what they can to get help for such an individual.

When offenses come in reference to children (or anyone) we ought to take to heart the words of Jesus in Luke 17:1,2 “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” But Jesus continues in that very same passage with these words, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3,4). There is forgiveness available, but it would be infinitely better if the harm had never occurred in the first place. So what can we do to prevent such horrors in ours and the lives of others?

First, we must begin with ourselves. Unfortunately, we live in a world where each of us has the potential to commit horrible crimes. The Bible says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that there are none that are righteous (Romans 3:10). Sin is something that we must grapple with on a daily basis and 1 Corinthians 10:12 still says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” But we’re not simply at the mercy of our own personal passions in this regard. The Bible gives us the tools in order to overcome sin in our life. We absolutely MUST apply these tools in our own personal lives to prevent such awful tragedies. These tools include: A. prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), B. confessing our faults to one another (James 5:16), C. studying God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:11), D. leaning and relying upon our spouse (1 Corinthians 7:1-7), E. exercising self examination and personal restraint (2 Corinthians 13:5), F. understanding the fear of God (Hebrews 10:31). There are more, no doubt, but if these are used and applied properly, it would go a long way toward eliminating sin in our life.

Second, we must educate our children on the potential dangers. Certainly educating children in regard to such dangers is a concern in the scriptures. On several occasions in the book of Proverbs, the writer addresses his “son” and gives warning concerning the evils of the world. Proverbs 1:8 states, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother” and in Proverbs 1:10 we read, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” We need to make sure that our children understand that anyone can be a sinner, not just those who “look like” sinners. This means we have to instruct our children on what is and what isn’t appropriate behavior for that is the only way in which they will know who is and isn’t a sinner. The boy scouts have a great program in this regard. Every year they encourage parents to go through standard safety materials with their child so that he will be aware of the various dangers that are in the world and how to react to those dangers when confronted. These materials are available to anyone who wants them on the Internet and by request.

Third, we must exercise constant vigilance. 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Unfortunately, we live in a society where almost everyone must be a suspect when it comes to protecting our children. Someone, somewhere, is always lurking around the corner just waiting for that opportunity. And such could happen any place and at any time. We simply can’t afford to let our guard down. We must maintain a sober attitude toward these things and not allow poor judgment and distraction to cloud our vision.

When these crimes occur, admittedly, we feel helpless. But we don’t have to be helpless victims. We can take preventative action in our lives and for the lives of our children. For the sake of our children, we simply can’t afford not to be proactive. While other individuals are responsible for their evil behavior, we must also take responsibility by not giving such individuals the opportunity to behave wickedly. Admittedly, even when we are proactive, there are still cases in which individuals are affected, but we can drastically reduce the risk through our behavior and vigilance. I hope that no one I know ever has to go through something as horrible as having their child harmed by one of these predators and I ask that you join me in prayer that our children will never experience such.

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