In This Issue

• ABRAHAM’S OBEDIENCE

• MORE THAN TEACHING

• SPIRITUAL BALANCE

• MORE INFORMATION...

ABRAHAM’S OBEDIENCE

Have you considered what God said to Abraham and how Abraham responded? God told Abraham to leave his native land and to go to a land that God would show him. Abraham obeyed (Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8). God told him to look in all directions in that land and to walk in it through its length and width, “for”, He said, “I give it to you.” Abraham believed what God told him, and he built altars to the Lord in the places where he sojourned (Genesis 13:14-18; 12:7,8). God told Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars of heaven in number. Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:1-3). Abraham was childless and growing old, yet he believed in the promises of the Lord. God even gave Abraham a sign to assure His promise of Abraham’s possessing the land (Genesis 15:7-21), a promise that would not be realized until the fourth generation.

God repeated His promises and made a covenant with Abraham with this condition: “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1-9). Circumcision was given as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, and Abraham and all his males were circumcised that very day (Genesis 17:23-27). God had confidence in Abraham’s continued obedience – the basis of the covenant. “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19).

A great test of Abraham’s faith was given in command to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1, 2). Abraham rose early in the morning and set out to do as he was commanded. He did not falter, even though all human reasoning would cry out against his taking the life of his heir. He believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary (Hebrews 11:17-19). Now hear God’s word to Abraham: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven… In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by his works his faith was made complete? (James 2:21-24).

Hence, Abraham was justified when he by faith obeyed God. What is your state before God?

– Gilbert Alexander via Eastside church, Athens, Ala.

MORE THAN TEACHING

It is very difficult to overemphasize the value of teaching the truth to an individual. The very heart of the religion that Jesus presents to the world rests upon teaching. One is drawn to Christ through instruction. “No one can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:44-45). As the passage clearly states, the drawing is not one of a miraculous process, but through a person being taught and learning of God. Where teaching has not been administered, drawing power has not been administered. In the great commission according to Matthew, Jesus pointed to teaching as a prerequisite of being saved and continued teaching of the saved regarding all things that Jesus had for them to observe. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. A-men.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

We need teaching and we need a great deal of it. It might be truthfully said that no one outgrows the need for teaching. On occasions, we say of some one that by the actions of that person it is evident that the individual needs teaching. I would suppose that all of us at one time or another have made such a statement. It could possibly be that the thing responsible for the person failing God was not in the lack of teaching, but a failure to manifest in their lives what is to accompany or follow teaching. There are those who have been taught. They can relate God’s instructions or His will toward them. They need something more than teaching. THEY POSSIBLY NEED:

To apply the teaching to themselves. So many hear the word, but they never seem to apply it to their own lives. Teaching that is of profit must be applied. When the Bereans were taught the word, “..they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so.” (Acts 7:11). Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharisees for failing to make proper application to themselves. (Matthew 23:29-33). We need to examine our hearts with what is being taught. (II Corinthians 13:5).

Obedience to the truth that is taught. To be obedient to Christ, one must be taught what Christ expects in obedience. However, one may be taught and never obey the truth. There are those who stubbornly defy what the truth directs them to believe and do. Jesus said of some: “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matthew 13:15). Effort had been made to instruct these people that they might obey the truth. They needed to open their hearts to the truth taught and conform their lives to the precious word of God. Teaching had been exerted upon them. They weren’t lacking in being taught. They lacked, as so many lack today, obedience to what had been taught them. James calls upon us to be more than hearers. We are to be doers of the word. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 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 deed.” (James 1:22-25). There is certainly no profit in hearing only! Those who were baptized on Pentecost day in Acts 2 were those “that gladly received His word.” (Acts 2:41). We need an obedient reception of the truth that has been taught us.

Conviction for the truth taught. Conviction requires courage and effort. It is not by following the course of least resistance. The failure of some is not due to a lack of teaching. It stems back to a lack of conviction for the truth that they have been taught. One may be able to quote the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, but what good is it to his soul salvation if he doesn’t make an application of it to himself in obeying the truth and having enough conviction to stand for it in love? Paul said with conviction: “…I am set for the defense of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:17). He wasn’t sitting on the fence. He was set for a DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL. It is highly possible that individuals excuse themselves and others for their lack of convictions by saying that they need teaching. If one means that they need teaching to develop convictions, we find no particular argument with that conclusion. However, there are some who have been taught the truth from their youth that have no convictions for it. May we never minimize teaching! We need more and more teaching, but may we also appreciate the fact that there are other factors and principles that must accompany and follow teaching.

– Bobby K. Thompson

SPIRITUAL BALANCE

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Eccl. 3: 1). What this points up is the wisdom of proper balance in all things. We see balance in nature. If the rabbit population gets out of hand, the foxes will take care of it. When they kill too many rabbits, the foxes decrease. The earth is perfectly balanced, so much so that we can calculate eclipses and such like years in advance. But we also need "spiritual balance" in all things. 

First, there is a need for doctrinal balance. This means giving the proper emphasis to all truths. The hobbyist is blind to all but his "pet themes," and puts undue stress on some particular doctrine that he has decided that he alone has the truth concerning. Some are carried away with "new doctrines," when they should be steadfastly contending for the "old paths." Such people fall for everything and stand for nothing. 

Next, there should be balance between zeal and knowledge. That ardent fervor may be a misdirected zeal. The inquisition demonstrates the harm done when fanatics get out of spiritual balance. The Pharisees are excellent examples of it. Churches may fall prey to this unbalanced situation, having the truth, but no zeal.

Third, our preaching needs to be balanced with our practice. Sound doctrine should produce sound living or we are out of balance. Sometimes we may be as the Pharisees, and "say and do not" (Matt. 23:3). If we preach "pure religion" then we need to be practicing it. The man we commonly call the "Good Samaritan" is an excellent example of a balanced life. He put the good principles of his life into practice while the priest and Levite (who knew all about the preaching) did nothing.

Finally, there is the need for balance between emotion and logic. There is a place for both of them in the life of the Christian. These may affect entire congregations. One might rely on emotion so much that they get "carried away" with all sorts of unscriptural things, because it makes us "feel good." On the other hand a person or congregation may make a specialty of cold, heartless, ritualistic logic. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost is an example of proper balance between emotion and logic. His logic was seen in his reasoning from the scriptures. The emotion is demonstrated by his hearers being "cut to the heart." There must be balance in these areas in persuading people to obey the gospel. The heart may not be converted if the teacher is overly emotional, and scaring people into obedience is not the way. 

Let us learn to get our spiritual things in balance - whatever they may be. We will then be more effective workers for God, and you will then really know what Christianity is all about!

- Bill Moseley, Taylors, South Carolina

A good sermon helps people in two ways. Some rise from it greatly strengthened. Others wake from it refreshed.

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