Truth Does Not Appeal To Everyone, Part 2 By Gene Frost
Reprinted from the April, 1999 on-line edition of the Gospel Anchor
(http://www.gospelanchor.com/)
Love The World
Some love the world more than truth. Jesus made the point in His parable of the sower, when the seed (the word) is sown among the thorns. These hearers "when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." (Luke 8:14) Their pursuit of things in this world was more important than the truth. They did not accept the truth.
This is a fact of which we must ever be aware: there is an attraction to the world which must be resisted. A love for more precious and eternal things must outweigh interest in the mundane. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17) One cannot love both God and the world equally: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24) A passion for the things of this world renders one unable to appreciate the spiritual, which eventually he rejects and despises. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)
Comfortable With The Status Quo
Some are so prejudiced against anything that would call for change that they will even refuse to hear it. An example of such prejudice is seen in the Sanhedrin before whom Stephen stood. After rehearsing the history of Israel, apparently with no acceptance of the truth he
preached, Stephen closed his speech with a rebuke: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." (Acts 7:51-53) Without giving serious thought to what he had said, they then "cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him" (verse 54).
When one is so satisfied with what he believes and practices that he will not allow himself to consider anything else, it is obvious that he does not love the truth. Truth is of no real importance; there is no felt need for it ­ he's satisfied. In such cases, where there is a lack of love for truth, God allows one to believe what pleases him, even though it is grievous error. "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:10-11) The only assurance we have of ever coming to a knowledge of truth is first to have an honest heart, a desire to know what is the truth.
When one is satisfied and resents being told he is not right, he regards the one with the truth as an enemy. Paul feared this reaction even from brethren, whom he sought to correct in a matter of error: "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" (Gal. 4:16)
Love Is The Basic Problem
When people hear the truth, understand it, believe the evidence, and yet refuse to accept it, the basic problem is misplaced love: a love for self rather than for God. This selfishness is seen in several reasons why people refuse to accept the truth. Some reject the truth in their desire for
1) acceptance in society: as the chief rulers (John 12:42-43).
2) approval of family: Matt. 10:37.
3) material security: Luke 12:20-21. God said unto the rich ruler, who found no time for God, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
4) pleasures of sin. In the case of Moses, he had "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Heb. 11:25).
If one is to enjoy the blessings God has prepared for them who love Him, he must show the preeminence of this love by denying himself. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt. 16:24-26) Again, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
All who love God love the truth. The truth does not appeal to all men for the reason that not all men love God.
Denominationalizing the Church (?) by Mike Wilson
Reprinted from the Focus magazine archives
(http://www.focusmagazine.org/Articles.htm)
I recently heard a denominational pastor say, "I am a Lutheran Christian. That means my historic and theological roots go back to Germany." When I heard that, I thought, "I am a New Testament Christian. That means my historic and theological roots go back to Zion."
Unfortunately, however, sectarian concepts are oozing into the vocabulary of Christians. Progressive-minded preachers often speak of "our brotherhood" and "our fellowship." Yet they would hardly speak of "our faith" in a partisan sense, or "our church" as one denomination among many. There is only "one faith" (Eph. 4:5), and the "church" belongs to Christ (Matt.16:18). Likewise, we are commanded to "love the brotherhood" (I Pet. 2:17), and apostles have left us a permanent record of inspired documents, "that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (I Jn.1:3). If there is only one faith and one body of Christ, then there is only one fellowship of saints at large. And there is only one brotherhood -- unless someone claims a fatherhood other than God.
New Testament Christians are members of the universal body of Christ, which includes all Christians, and they should strive to be members of a faithful local congregation. Beyond this, the New Testament contains no instructions or authorization for membership in any other religious body. A coalition of local churches into a larger sect or denomination occurs without precedent in Holy Writ.
The problem with denominationalism is that it seeks to organize a consortium of churches "of the same faith and order" around its own distinct sub-categories, its own human traditions, its own bureaucratic agencies and its own power structure. The exclusive ties that bind believers to this particular faith tradition are not found in the New Testament -- otherwise, they would be the shared property of all true Christians. Consequently, there is no need for the human power and vainglory -- not to mention doctrinal compromise -- that denominational partisanship inevitably perpetuates.
As a New Testament Christian, I am not a member of a quasi coalition of "Churches of Christ." I have been baptized "into one body," the church of our Lord (I Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18). This includes all people who have been saved by Jesus Christ, who "knows those who are His" (II Tim. 2:19). I am also a member of a local "church of Christ" (cf. Rom. 16:16), a group of "saints" in one geographical locale, "including the overseers and deacons" (Phil. 1:1). Through association with others, I know and recognize faithful churches in other places, and I am willing to offer my help and prayers for them. This recognition of other churches, notwithstanding, never reaches the point of official sanction. The churches that belong to Christ are in His hands, not mine (Rev.1-3).
I will never promote or defend a brotherhood of churches. Our task is to preach the gospel, and to promote loyalty to Jesus and His truth. The former approach leads to denominational thinking. The latter approach leads to heaven.