Volume 28 May, 1987 Number 5

"THE LANGUAGE OF EACH PEOPLE"

THE DIVINE INSPIRED MESSAGE: "In those daysalso saw I the Jews that had married women of Ashdod,of Ammon, and of Moab: and their children spake half inthe speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jew'slanguage, but according to the language of each people.And I contended with them,..." (Nehemiah 13:23-25).

Almost every semester I have one or two tremendously bright students who just love to see what theycan get on the teacher. I suppose I encourage that,either by the fact that I enjoy my students and love tohave fun with them, or simply by the fact that I usesome humorous methods to solicit real thinking fromthem. This semester one of my favorite students (I have150 favorite students) is a very rotund fellow who isextremely quick. Any of you who have known my fatherand grandfather understand why I am partial to heavyset preachers. At any rate, the other day, this studentcommented on an experience he had last summer whilepreaching in Tennessee. He said that he had been called "narrow-minded" by someone who disagreed with him.I immediately responded, "Shane, I cannot understandwhy anyone would say that you were narrow on anything."

Don't you love to play with words? American literature was wonderfully blessed (for the most part) by thelimericks of Ogden Nash and most of us enjoy a good"pun" even though almost any English teacher will

cringe calling it the "lowest form of humor." Little elseis as stimulating as the superconversationalist whoskillfully uses the language to guide our minds to his/her exact thoughts.

Religious Words

It is sobering to think of the impact of words. Language is intended to communicate one's mind to another. Even the mind of God has been revealed in words (cf. 1 Cor. 2:10-16). Cornelius was told to send for Peterto tell him "words, whereby thou shalt be saved" (Acts11:14). In these matters, there is no "playing around" with words!

I suppose most of us who teach and preach have hadour words abused. To unfairly quote me or to twist mywords is a terrible crime against my person. We shouldnot, therefore, be amazed that God has strong feelingsabout the twisting of His word (Gal. 1:6-8) or the use ofterminology reflecting the wisdom of men to describespiritual interests and goals (1 Cor. 2:4-5).

In the "communique" sent through Nehemiah toJudah, the Lord let it be known that the language of Hispeople was not to be mixed with the language of falsereligionists. The people should not have allowed themselves such close association as to allow their language to be contaminated.

Every discipline has its own special vocabulary.Those of us who have not studied medicine, computerscience, law, real estate, or engineering have troubleunderstanding the professionals who are trying to communicate important messages which affect our verylives. Denominationalism has its own language, too. Iam suggesting that we learn God's language. I am alsosuggesting that we not cavort with sectarians picking up their language thinking it to be of little significance.Where is the saying among us: "We speak where theBible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent. Wedo Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things byBible names."

Current Examples

Have you heard some of our brethren talk about "witnessing" or "testifying" lately? Those are terms used by denominationalists to describe their evangelistic efforts to lead men to Christ through the exposure of their

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own personal experiences. In the New Testament, thosewords refer, in the matter of teaching the lost, to theeye-witness testimony of those who saw the resurrectedLord and told of first-hand knowledge of His acts and teachings. Where in the New Testament are we taughtto convert people by our own experiences? We need enthusiasm and joy all right, but we ought to be so filledwith God's word in God's words that men understood that salvation results from obedience to God's powerfulmessage, the Gospel, and not from subjective humanexperience (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:21).

I am hearing my preaching brethren talk about the Christian's "prayer-life." I think I know what theymean by that and I think I know where they got thephrase. We do not talk about our "Bible-study-life," our"Lord's-Supper-life," our "worship-life." or our "faithlife." Why has this term, "prayer-life" suddenly comeinto vogue among us? And what do we mean when we talk about "the enabling power" or the effective working" of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Or how about ourwillingness to talk about decisions by the "majority" orgovernance by "committees" in congregations whereelders have not been appointed?

Does it make you react defensively to hear terms like

these called in question? If so, justify them by the

Scriptures if possible but do not simply assume their

reliability to convey proper ideas. We must understand

that it matters what our words suggest to those who

hear them, just as it matters what we mean by them.

We can say that we do not mean what others mean: but

if we indicate by our terminology a false idea, we may

very well promote false religion and fail to communicate

the Truth.

Remember that "each people" has its own language.

Like the peoples of Ashdod, Ammon, or Moab, the peo

ples of Calvin and Luther, or of Rome, London, Tulsa,

and Nashville have their languages. We cannot afford

to be naive. We must not try to be exciting, popular,

sophisticated, or clever. We are trying to lead men to

the Christ. We must not forget that He provided the

way to do that in His own terms. It is not our job to try

to improve upon it.

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THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES

Jesus often taught great lessons from commonplace occurrences. In the company of those who tilled the soilhe told of a sower who went forth to sow and applied the principle to the sowing of the gospel seed in the variouskinds of hearts. Near the Sea of Galilee he spoke offishermen casting their nets into the sea and a greatdraught of fishes. In a land where the mustard tree spread its branches to provide nesting for birds, Jesus likened the kingdom in its beginning and spread to agrain of mustard seed reaching great proportions fromsuch a tiny beginning. Speaking to women acquaintedwith the principle of yeast, he said that the kingdom ofheaven is like unto leaven in a measure of meal which spreads to permeate the whole.

In every case in which God and man are considered.Christ stands between and provides the only means ofaccess to the Father. "I am the way, the truth and thelife, no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). He said "I am come a light into the world, thatwhosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness" (John 12:46). He said, "I am the door of the sheep"(John 10:7) Perhaps no parable of the Lord was morereadily understood than that of the vine and the branches. Husbandry was a most common practice inPalestine. Here again Jesus occupied the central position. "I am the true vine" (John 15:1). The reader isurged to stop and read John 15:1-8. Many vital lessonsare bound up in the account.

The Husbandman is the Father (verse 1). Christ came to do the bidding of the Father (John 12:49). Ourservice is to be directed to the Father as well. Paul said we should present our bodies as a "living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God . . ." (Rom. 12:1). We offer up "spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God,by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). Too often men renderservice to please other men instead of the Father. Paulsaid our singing is to be "with grace in our hearts" andthat it is "to the Lord" (Col 3:16).

2. Christ is the true vine (verse 1). Only in Christ, can acceptable fruit be borne unto God. "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6) Paulsaid that in Christ men are made "new creatures" (2Cor. 5:17). "God was in Christ reconciling the worldunto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19). The Father has blessed uswith "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).

No fruit can be borne unto God unless the one bearing itis in Christ. Such attempts at fruit bearing must belawful else the Lord will say to those who have worked"iniquity" (lawlessness), "depart from me" (Matt. 7:2123).

3. "Ye are the branches" (verse 5). It is commonlyheld that the Lord meant that there is one great universal church (the vine) and that the various denominations are the branches. In this fashion denominationalism is thought to be not only excused but made desirable. This is the old idea that we are all headed for the same place and just traveling different roads to getthere. We are all different "branches" but really on thesame vine, all attached to Christ.

The truth is that individuals are the branches and not religious organizations. When Jesus said "ye are the branches" the word "ye" is to be understood in light ofthe context. In verse 6 Jesus said "if a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch." A branch, then is aman, not a church, and certainly not a plant which the Father did not plant (Matt. 15:13). Neither this passagenor any other justifies denominationalism. Its very existence is contrary to divine wisdom. It ignores the prayer of Jesus that all who believe on him might be"one" as he and the Father are one (John 17:17-20). Itfurther lays aside the platform of oneness taught in Eph. 4:4-6.

How does one become a branch, attached to Christ? No fruit can be borne unless one "abides" in Christ (verse 4). In verse 3 Jesus said "now ye are cleanthrough the word which I have spoken unto you." Thiswas addressed to the apostles and had to do with theirservice in the kingdom. Judas was a branch which didnot bear fruit and Peter said he took his life that he might go to "his own place" (Acts 1:25), that is, the place for withered branches, gathered to be burned.And yet while Jesus addressed this to the apostles, in ithe sets forth a general principle regarding bearing fruitwhich God will accept. He spoke of "every branch in me." From this general principle of abiding in Christ inorder to bear fruit unto God, he made his special application to them. "Herein is my Father glorified, that yebear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (verse 8).

One now comes into Christ, and thus becomes abranch when he obeys from the heart the gospel (Rom.6:17-18). He is baptized "into Christ" and thus is said to "put on Christ." One who has never put on Christ cannot be "in Christ" and not being in Christ, cannot bearfruit unto God. Many seek to do good works who are not in the vine. Jesus said a branch cannot bear fruit "of itself, except it abide in the vine (verse 4). One must nowbe married unto Christ that he should "bring forth fruitunto God" (Rom. 7:4).

4. Bearing fruit is essential to remaining connectedunto Christ and thus unto the Father. God's peoplehave been redeemed from all iniquity that they might be "a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).Such are to be "careful to maintain good works fornecessary uses, that they be not unfruitful" (Titus 3:8,14). Such are to supply in their faith the virtues orgraces which will enable them to make their calling and

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election sure and which will hinder them from falling(being purged as an unfruitful branch) (2 Pet. 1:5-11).Jesus spoke of the need for pruning a vine of the deadand fruitless branches. It is the persuasion of this writerthat there are all too many fruitless branches now which clutter the vine, and cut back the productivity of thosewhich do bear some fruit.

The secret of fruit bearing is bound up in the statement that the word of Christ must abide in one in order for him to bear acceptable fruit. The Hebrew writer saidthat unless earnest heed is given unto the words learned they will slip from us (Heb. 2:1). Failure to study theword of the Lord results in drying up on the vine andproducing no fruit. Ignorance of the word is at the rootof most of the heartaches that beset the church.

The one who does not bear fruit will be lost (verse 6).There is no need to try and soothe the feelings of thosewho have come into Christ only to fall by the wayside. 2Pet. 2:20-22 describes their true condition before God.

When branches abide in the vine and bear good fruitthen Jesus said "Herein is my Father glorified." Aseach branch performs the service for which it was intended, then God receives all the glory he desires. Somehave developed the idea that God can only be glorified when the church spends its treasury in a given work and are heard to say "let's do it through the church, so the church can get the glory." No, no, this misses the wholepoint of glorifying God. It is true that when the churchdoes that which God ordained that it should do, thenhonor is shown unto God who purposed the church. Butwhen "a man" who is "a branch" in Christ bears his portion of fruit, then "herein" is the Father glorifiedalso. Paul said "That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you" (2 Thes. 1:12). Peter said "If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorifiedthrough Jesus Christ..." (1 Pet. 4:11). The Christian istold by Paul to "glorify God in your body, and in yourspirit, which are God's (1 Cor. 6:20).

Let us abide in Christ and in his word and bear fruit abundantly lest we miss heaven and God be robbed ofglory through his saints.

(This article which originally appeared in Searching The Scriptures in the February 1968 issue is beingrun again as brother Adams' editorial due to the fact that he is recovering from surgery on his back. He had adeteriorated disc removed from his lower spine. By thetime this issue of the paper is in the mail he hopes to beback to his full schedule of meeting work and editingthis paper. — Donnie V. Rader)

THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER (Part 2)(The Providence of God)

In our last article we saw that God answers prayer.Though he may not always respond in the way we would like, he still promises to answer our prayers. In thislesson we must consider the providence of God. Prayerand providence go hand in hand. To study one is tostudy the other.

What Is The Providence Of God?

Providence is "the working of God through His provision in the natural and spiritual realms, and yet it is acontrol that violates neither the sovereignty of the human will nor the divine natural and spiritual laws"(Homer Hailey, "Providence and the Problem of Evil,"Florida College Annual Lectures 1987, p. 139). Our English word "providence" comes from a greek word (pronoia) which expresses the idea of "forethought." God used forethought in creating a universe that he couldcontrol and use to his own purpose. We see the word"provide" in our word providence.

We are discussing God's non-miraculous manipulation of natural law and circumstance to accomplish hispurpose. Winston Atkinson defined it as "The divineintervention in the affairs of men within the confines of natural law" (Anchor Magazine). Simply stated: providence is God working though natural means.

God Is In Control

God is personally involved in the operation of theuniverse now. In the midst of Paul's sermon on Mar's hill we see that (1) God gives breath to all, (2) God determines the times of the people, (3) God controls thebounds of their habitation and (4) in him we live and move (Acts 17:24-28). The same apostle affirmed that"all things consist" by Christ (Col. 1:17) and he upholdsall by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3).

The praise that the Levites uttered in Neh. 9 speaksof God's providence. They recalled that God created theworld and preserves it (v. 6). He created a world that hecould control. That involves providence. Then, theyspeak of God carrying out his purpose (vs. 7-8) which demonstrates his operation in the universe. Without adoubt God rules the kingdoms of men (Dan. 4:25).

The book of Revelation gives us some assurance thatGod is yet in control. Jesus is said to be the prince of thekings of the earth (Rev. 4:11).

God is concerned for man. Will not the God that feeds

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the fowls of the air and clothes the grass of the field notalso care for us (Matt. 6:25-32)? Surely if God noticesevery sparrow that falls to the ground he must caresomething about the welfare of mankind (Matt. 10:2931).

God has the power to answer my prayers. There is no question that God can perform what we ask. There isnothing too hard for God (Jer. 32:17). With him all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). He is able to do whatwe ask (Eph. 3:20) for God is the Almighty (Rev. 4:8,11:17).

God's will can be altered. When God has in mind doing or not doing certain things, it is possible thatthrough prayer God's mind can be changed. Abraham's plea for Sodom (Gen. 18:23-33), Moses' plea for Israel (Exo. 32:9-14) and Jonah and the Ninevites' plea for Nineveh (Jonah 3) all illustrate our point.

God doesn't do for man what he can do for himself. We need not think that we can pray for food and then sit back and do nothing and expect some result. We aretold to pray for food and other necessities (Matt. 6:913), but we are also commanded to work to provide those things for ourselves (Eph. 4:28; 2 Thes. 3:10). Weshould pray for sickness, but also seek medical help.Charles Spurgeon once said, "Pray to God, but keep the hammer going."

It Is Not Necessary To Know How God Works

It is not necessary to know how God does answerprayer, but just the fact that he does. We know little about the how. However, we do know a couple of things.

God answers prayer without violating human will. Imay pray for someone to obey the gospel or be restored;however, God will not cause that to happen contrary totheir own desire.

God answers prayer without violating or altering natural law. To do that would be to work miracles. Rather,God controls all by natural law. Several years ago Homer Hailey gave the following illustration. God working in his creation is much like driving a car. Theautomobile is built upon certain principles or laws ofoperation. If you turn the steering wheel to the right,the car will go to the right. If turned to the left, the cargoes left. If you push down on the gas pedal, the carspeeds up. If you press on the brake, it will slow downand stop. When I get behind the wheel and turn thewheel this way or that way or push on the gas or pressthe brake, I am controlling the car within the boundaries of those laws upon which it was built. God is behindthe wheel of the universe. He controls it. He does with it as he wishes. He may turn it this way or that way. But,when he does he operates within the confines of naturallaw.

In answering the prayer God may simply bless mewith the means to obtain the things for which I ask. Imay be blessed with good health so that I can work tomake the money to buy food, clothing, shelter, medicine, automobiles and the like. God may use people orcircumstances to my good or accomplish some purpose.

I may pray for patience; yet, it may be that God usessome trouble or problem that I face to develop that inme. I may pray for wisdom; and God may use some agedsaint to impart that. He may also answer through thescriptures themselves. It may be that the answer to myproblem or question has already been given in the text.

Some Things God Can Do In Answer To Our Prayers

God can give us wisdom (Jas. 1:5), heal the sick (Jas.5:13-18), give us grace and strength to help (Heb. 4:16),send rain or sun (Matt. 5:45; Jas. 5:16-18), give us food,clothing, shelter or other necessities (Matt. 6:13,19-33)and even control life or death (Jas. 4:15).

We Don't Know

While we can be assured that God does hear and answer our prayers (1 Pet. 3:12), we must be careful about speaking of specific cases and saying that whatwas or was not done was an act of providence in response to our prayers. I may pray for a sick brother and hemay recover. However, I do not know that God causedthat. It may have happened regardless of prayer. Thisis not to say that people do not recover in response toprayer. God can and does heal the sick (Jas. 5:13-18). Butwe are warning about speaking of some specific case saying that we know that was an act of providence.

It would do us well to consider a couple of passagesthat address this point. Mordecai said to Esther, "whoknoweth whether thou are come to the kingdom forsuch a time as this" (Esther 4:14, emphasis mine DVR)?Paul, speaking of Onesimus, said to Philemon, "For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thoushouldest receive him for ever" (Philemon 15, emphasismine DVR). Both passages indicate a firm belief in theprovidence of God, yet both state that we just don't know when God acts in specific cases.

Examples Of God's Providence

Though we don't know when God acts in his providence today, God has told us wherein he acted in somecases in the Bible. Everything that happened to Joseph,from his being sold by his brothers to the bringing of all Israel into Egypt, was part of God's work in carrying outhis purpose (Gen. 50:20). Hannah prayed for a child andGod granted her request (1 Sam. 1:10-20). Elijah prayedthat it might not rain and it did not (Jas. 5:17-18; 1 Kings17-18). God used the unfaithfulness of the Jews to bringthe Gentiles to his service and that caused some jealousy among some of those Jews and thus causedthem to return (Rom. 11:25-36).

Though we may not know for sure that something wasa direct answer to our prayer, may we still thank and praise God for every good thing we receive (Jas. 1:17;Phil. 4:6). Let us learn to have faith in prayer; then we willbecome more of a praying people.

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QUESTIONS ON ASSEMBLING

One of the most serious problems facing a local congregation is the failure of the saints to assemble themselves together. So much hinges on this activity that itis difficult (if not impossible), to improve in other areasuntil this deficiency is corrected. We have pleaded, reasoned, shamed and cajoled to no avail. Maybe it is timeto turn the situation around and insist that those who wilfully absent themselves from the assemblies of the church "give a reason of the hope" that is in them (1 Pet.3:15).

Jesus used the reverse-question method of teachingvery effectively, as did inspired writers of the New Testament (Mt. 21:24; Gal. 4:21). Since those who do assemble give reasons why they do, is it not fair for thosewho do not assemble to tell us why they don't? (We are not talking about excuses, for those who make excusestacitly admit that they should be in the assemblies ofthe church.) To paraphrase Paul's question to theGalatians, "Tell us, ye that desire not to assemble..."

  1. Is assembling a part of the duty which members ofthe body owe to one another, and to the Head (Rom.12:15)?
  2. Should those congregations and individuals whofaithfully practice assembling together "cease and desist"?
  3. Is the practice of assembling good, bad, or optional (Jas. 4:17)?
  4. Should the sick, the afflicted, and those who minister to them quench their desire to be with the saints?
  5. Is your knowledge and edification perfect? If so,why not come and help the weak? If not, when, whereand how will you improve?
  6. Are you so busy reading your Bible, visiting the sick and the lost, or attending assemblies of other congregations that you have no time left?
  7. Is the building not conveniently located or uncomfortable? Is it too comfortable, or too easy to find? Would a rustic, hard-to-find building present more of achallenge?
  8. Just how convenient would your work, theweather, the distance, and other factors have to bebefore you would attend?
  9. We can't change the items of worship, but would ithelp to change the order of worship, or the time?
  10. Would a "trick or treat" environment entice you

to attend on a regular basis (Jno. 6:26; Rom. 14:17)?

  1. Would a favorite preacher or song leader influence you (1 Cor. 1:12)? If Paul, or Peter, or James, orJohn, or Philip, or Stephen, or Jesus were present,would you come?
  2. Do you feel better or worse after assembling withthe church?
  3. How do you feel about attending that Big Assembly called the judgment (Mt. 25:32,33)? Do you plan to go (2 Cor. 5:10)?
  4. Is there some other question which we should ask? (After all, until people give us some good reason fornot assembling, about all that we can do is guess as towhy they don't.)

The command not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:25), cannot be separated fromthe "For if we sin wilfully" of v. 26; neither can v. 26 beseparated from the sobering truths of vv. 27-29. Instead of reminding you what that passage says, I'll ask another question: "How readest thou?"

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WE ARE NOT SAVED BY GRACE,FAITH OR WORKS!

Most religious leaders believe man is saved by God's unmerited favor — grace. But not all agree that man issaved by faith since some "baptize" (sprinkle water on)babies to absolve them of sin. Faith involves listening (Rom. 10:17) with a view to understanding, weighingfacts, examining evidence, and making decisions. Babies cannot do this. Hence, salvation without faith.

Other religious leaders teach that one is saved by faith alone and that works (obedience) have nothing todo with it. This is taught in most creed books of themajor protestant denominations. Their contention isthat one would be earning his salvation if any workswere involved.

If it is permissible for religious leaders to teach thatone can be saved without faith or without works, would it be permissible for another to teach salvation withoutgrace? How could one consistently oppose this?

The truth is, we must take everything Christ and the apostles said on the subject of salvation and we willhave God's pattern — the sum total of his will on thesubject. When we examine the New Testament we learnthat we are NOT saved by grace, faith, or works! You didn't read wrong.

We Are Not Saved By Grace

  1. IF IT BYPASSES FAITH. "Without faith it is impossible to please God . . ." (Heb. 11:6) Infants aresafe (Mt. 18:3-5; 19:13-15), but when they reach the point of responsibility in their lives it will be absolutely necessary for them to have faith.
  2. IF WE EXPECT IT TO IGNORE OUR UNWILLINGNESS TO REPENT AND OBEY. Jesus tasted death for "every man" (Heb. 2:9). But "not everyone" will be saved (Mt. 7:21). Contrary to religious leaders and popular opinion there is something to do! Jesussaid so. No person should rest until he finds out what that "something" is! There are some conditions to bemet that do not contradict the concept of grace or earn our salvation. Jesus taught that the majority would belost (Mt. 7:13, 14). Consequently, his death alone doesnot automatically save everyone. But it makes salvation available when man gives a positive response to it.Man's will must change.
  3. IF WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE IT THROUGH THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE GOSPEL AT THE

SAME TIME. The Galatians thought they could. Paultold them, "Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would bejustified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace (Gal.5:4).

  1. IF WE THINK IT IS A GIFT WITH NO CONDITIONS. If the gift of God's grace is unconditional then the wicked and righteous will be saved alike — no difference. There must be something that distinguishes thetwo. There is — obedience! Jesus is "the author of eternal salvation to all them that OBEY him" (Heb. 5:8, 9).
  2. IF WE WON'T ACCEPT ITS TEACHING. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appearedto all men, teaching us . .." how to live in this presentworld. God's grace will avail nothing if we won't allow it to teach us what to do.
  3. IFWE ARE LOOKING FOR A LOOPHOLE. His grace is universal but we must follow proper channelsGod has set out if we expect to receive its benefits.There are no shortcuts, runarounds, or loopholes.

We Are Not Saved By Faith

  1. IF IT IS BY FAITH ONLY. The only time "faith" and "only" are coupled in Scripture it says "NOT byfaith only" (Js. 2:24). We must not isolate passages thatteach salvation by faith and act as if that is all God saidon the subject. This is why men conclude "faith only."They are not taking all God said on the subject ofsalvation. There are many other passages which dealwith salvation and they tell us that it is not faith alonebut that there are additional requirements.
  2. IF WE DO NOT ALSO REPENT. Since our Lord does not want any to be lost, he desires that all mencome to repentance to avoid being lost (2 Pet. 3:9). Sinsare not blotted out until we repent and are converted(Acts 3:19).

3.IF IT IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY A GENUINE CONFESSION. Some chief rulers believed but would not confess (Jn. 12:42, 43). "With the mouth confessionis made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10).

4. IF WE OMIT BAPTISM. Since the Bible says weare "baptized into Christ" (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27), it isunthinkable that anyone would say it is unnecessary.How else are we going to get into Christ. No other verse tells us the point at which one enters a relationship withChrist. "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thysins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).

We Are Not Saved By Works

  1. IF IT IS BY WORKS OF THE LAW. "... For bythe works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal.2:16). The attempts of men today to incorporate portions of the law of Moses into their worship will notserve one iota toward pleasing God. He won't accept it.
  2. IF IT IS BY WORKS OF MEN. Works invented mymen will not save. If so, then man could boast that heclimbed up his own way. "... Not of works, lest any manshould boast" (Eph. 2:9).
  3. IF IT IS BY WORKS OF THE FLESH. Paul gives a whole category of works of the flesh and con

eludes by saying "they which do such things shall notinherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21). This needsmore emphasis today as we see many denominationsgranting respectability to heathen practices (fornication, homosexuality), making it appear that God approves of any "loving" relationship.

Conclusion

We are saved by grace THROUGH FAITH (Eph.2:8). We are saved by faith THAT WORKS through love(Gal. 5:6). We are saved by works if by that we mean OBEDIENCE to God. "... Ye have always obeyed,... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"(Phil. 2:12).

Preachers are called upon for many things in this life,by the nature of the vocation they have chosen. OnFebruary 22, at the request of bro. Tom Wheeler, Ispoke, along with Gary Fiscus, at the memorial service for Tom's dear wife, Sylvia. She had passed from thislife, to await the coming of her Lord, on Thursday night,February 19, 1987. Sylvia was a friend, a wife, mother,grandmother, sister, and loved one, and especially, a Christian. She truly loved the Lord and Tom Wheeler.Her life was filled with doing good. She was quiet andreserved, yet possessed with an easy manner and enjoyed people, even some pranks now and then. Preachers were always made welcome and at home withthe Wheelers, and hospitality was a way of life for Sylvia. She will be missed.

I had the privilege of knowing Sylvia, and my life isblessed in that. Many of you who read this knew herlonger than I, yet I feel honored that I knew her both asa friend and fellow Christian, and that Tom asked me toparticipate in the memorial service.

I would like to share with you an unusual circumstance which occurred in my life that Thursday evening. I sat at the bedside of Sylvia Wheeler, with herhusband Tom, his brother Frank, and their daughterand son-in-law. We sat watching the hospital equipmentrecord the declining day of the fleshly abode of Sylvia.Her spirit had already left the body, we were watching amonitor showing an electrical response from a heartwhich had ceased pumping, and would not die. Thatcontinued for about five hours. During the time this washappening, Tom and I talked of memories. He mentioned some of the good times, and some of the badtimes, that he and Sylvia had shared. He said, "You know, even those tough times are good memories because we shared them?' Later, he spoke softly of other things. He said, "I have no idea of the height of her I. Q.,but it was considerably more than mine. She could havebeen anything in this world she wanted to be, and Ithank God she chose to be my wife."

As the drama of the end of her life was unfolding,daughter Cheryl, in Beaver Dam, KY., was giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. Think about that, friends.

It was said by Gary Fiscus that the writings in Proverbs and all those passages we normally refer to are fitting regarding Sylvia, yet for those who knew her best, those verses almost seem inadequate. A poemgiven me by a dear friend speaks it best, the authorcompletely unknown to me, but so much the attitude ofSylvia as to suggest her to all who knew her.

MY DEATH

I obeyed His will and kept His command,Now death beckons from yonder land.Life has been sweet in this short space,But how glorious to meet Him face to face.

I am crossing a river to celestial land,the Lord is my shepherd, He holds my hand.The promise is fulfilled, nothing to dread,My spirit lives on, I am not dead.

The beauty of death buries the sting,while heaven rejoices and angels sing.The body returns to the earthly sod,But the spirit lives on with the eternal God.

Loved ones, mourn not the passing soul;Trials I have endured to reach this goal,So grieve not as I leave this world of pain,But hold His hand, we shall meet again!

Life is not over, tis a beautiful morn,

The mortal is passed, but immortality is born.

My soul on the Word has graciously fed,

Asleep in Jesus, I am not dead.

Sylvia Wheeler is gone from this life, but leaves alegacy of love and good will behind, that shall live on inthe lives or her dear husband and her daughters andgrandchildren, so long as the Lord tarries. Her exampleof the Godly woman, the loving and supportive wife,and friend to everyone she knew, and a lot she did not,stands, in testimony and tender memory. Our deepestsympathy is extended to Tom, and our prayers offered that all may see Christ living in us, as He did in Sylvia.She rests in peace from her labors.

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MARRYING "ONLY IN THE LORD"

QUESTION: Does 1 Cor. 7:39 teach that a believingwidow should marry a Christian if she remarries? I feelthat it teaches a widow should marry a Christian. I could be wrong, and if I am wrong, I would be glad tochange my thinking on this.

ANSWER: 1 Cor. 7:39 says: "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband bedead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; onlyin the Lord." There are three major views of this passageas to what "only in the Lord" means.

1. A believing widow may marry only a Christian.Several commentators take this position. Albert Barnes states, "That is, only to one who is a Christian;with a proper sense of her obligations to Christ, and so asto promote his glory. The apostle supposed that could not be done if she were allowed to marry a heathen, orone of a different religion."

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say that "only in the Lord" means, "Let her marry only a Christian." E. M. Zerr wrote, "To be in the Lord, therefore, can meannothing else than being in His body which is the church. AChristian widow has no right to marry a man outside ofthe church. The principle would logically apply to a Christian man."

2. A temporary condition caused by the "presentdistress." The saints at Corinth were undergoing persecution, brought on perhaps by oppression from the Roman government. Paul calls this "the present distress" (v.26). In view of these adverse circumstances and difficult times, the apostle instructs the widows that ifthey marry, they are to marry Christians.

This regulation, some contend, was only temporary,that is, during the "present distress," (v. 26). In view ofthese adverse circumstances and difficult times, the apostle instructs the widows that if they marry, they are to marry Christians.

This regulation, some contend, was only temporary,that is, during the "present distress," but after this period of tribulation, the restriction, "only in the Lord," was no longer in effect, and the widow could marrywhomsoever she chose. Of course, her choice would beregulated by what God said elsewhere on marriage.

E. M. Zerr makes, I think, a valid point in this connection when he said, "The present verse plainly says the wife is bound by the law ... as long as her husband liveth; not as long as this 'distress' continued. Hence,

the verse involves a matter of right and wrong (not oneof expediency as in the others)." His conclusion wasthat "only in the Lord" is law and not a temporary expediency.

3. In harmony with or according to the will ofthe Lord. This third view is what I believe the phrase,"only in the Lord," means. Paul is saying that thebelieving widow is to marry according to the teachingof the Lord on marriage and in harmony with Christian conduct. He did not say that her marriage partner wasto be in the Lord, but that her marriage was to be in the Lord. There is a difference!

Thayer says "in the Lord" means, "the Christian aim,nature, quality of any action or virtue" (p. 211). Hence,marriage should be, according to Thayer, in harmony with Christian principles.

Several times in the New Testament, the expression"in the Lord" is found. For example, when Paul said,"Children obey your parents in the Lord" (Eph. 6:1), didhe mean that children are to obey their parents only ifthey are members of the church? If this be true, then children would not be required to obey their parents ifthe parents are not Christians. In Col. 3:18, "Wives,submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fitin the Lord." Does this mean that wives are to obeytheir husbands only if they are Christians? These passages simply state that it is the will of the Lord forchildren to obey their parents and wives to obey theirhusbands.

If the first view we listed is correct, what is the spiritual condition of the woman who marries an unbeliever? Would she have to divorce her husband? No, because 1 Cor. 7:12-13 teaches that the believing mate is not toput away the unbeliever. Someone says , "She shouldrepent and stay with her husband." Would this be repentance? How does one repent of something while remaining in the sinful practice?

Furthermore, why is it that a widow, often a matureChristian, advanced in years and experienced in life,MUST marry a believer, but a teenager who is youngand immature, MAY marry a non-Christian, lawfullyspeaking? This is strange reasoning. It seems to methat the teenager would need to marry a Christian farmore than would an older widow. Of course, if Godmakes a prohibition, whether we can see the wisdombehind it or not, we must accept it, regardless. But, tomy knowledge and understanding, "only in the Lord"means that the marriage is to be in keeping with theScriptures. In conclusion, I would recommend and urge that all Christians marry faithful Christians. This is thewise course to pursue. Marrying unbelievers can cause alot of heartaches and may cause one to leave the Lordand lose his soul.

The apostle Paul wrote in Phil. 1:3, 5, 6; "I thank myGod upon every remembrance of you... for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; beingconfident of this very thing, that he which hath begun agood work in you will perform it until the day of JesusChrist." (KJV)

In this article I want to discuss the fellowship we can have with gospel preachers, both in domestic and foreign fields. In recent years, from what we read in thefield reports of gospel preachers, we see a trend, thatthough it is not new, is nevertheless alarming.

In the Guardian of Truth, the Feb. 19,1987, issue, onpage 18, there is an excellent article by Reid Braswell onthe work in Bogota, Columbia. After recounting someof the work accomplished, Bro. Braswell says this in the eighth paragraph: "My family and I are now back in thestates due to a loss of support." (emphasis mine, LRD)Brethren, we have quit too soon! Churches should continue their support and keep good men in the fieldpreaching the gospel "until the day of Jesus Christ."The apostle Paul in Titus 3:8 wrote that we should"maintain good works." Let's not stop them, but keep on with the support of preaching the gospel.

In Searching the Scriptures (Feb., 1987, NewsletterReports, on page 18), we find a report from PaulWilliams in South Africa. In it he says, "David Hurst ishaving a hard time raising support, in part becausebrethren have been turned off about South Africa because of the sensational TV saturation coverage of thepast few months." Churches should rally to meet theneeds of Bro. Hurst. The brethren in Johannesburgwant him and are going to help support him. The gospelneeds to be preached in South Africa and Columbia and elsewhere around the world. Internal unrest in these countries is no reason to fail to support the preaching ofthe gospel of our Lord. If so, we should curtail preaching the gospel in any city in America that has ever had arace or labor problem. The New Testament writersnever warned against preaching the gospel in any country occupied by the Roman Empire, or for any otherreason. Paul said "Preach the word ..." (2 Tim. 4:1).

Many of the reports by other gospel preachers showthat there are many places here in America where brethren need support. My son-in-law, Craig Meyer, of Manchester, Tenn. and Whit Sasser are attempting to raisesupport to work together as a team in establishing anew work in Madison, Wisconsin. Bro. Sasser has already moved there, and I do not know if he has all of his support. Bro. Meyer has slightly over one-half of hissupport raised and plans to move there at the end ofMay. I feel confident that these brethren will be successful in their efforts to raise enough support to beginthis work in the capitol city of Wisconsin.

But brethren, a six month or one year commitment tothese kinds of work is not enough! If brethren Hurst,Sasser, Meyer and others are willing to spend the bestyears of their lives devoted to the cause of Christ, thenthis dedication needs to be given the years of financial support necessary to its successful fruition. Don't quit too soon!

I was a "full-time" gospel preacher from Oct. 1966 toDec. 1980. For the most part I worked with smallchurches and had to raise outside support. I was generally successful in raising the necessary support, andthen a year later, one church or another would write tome and say they were going to "pave the parking lot" or"build a new building" or whatever and would discontinue my support. Then I would have to try to replace this support or get a part-time job to help support my family. I recall one church I was working with as a "fulltime" preacher, I was also selling real estate part-time,was a part-time truant officer for the high school, and asubstitute school bus driver, all in order to support myfamily. I am not complaining. I was glad to do it. But all such activities reduce the time that can be given togospel work. We need more faithful gospel preacherswho are able to devote full time to the Lord's work, bothhere in America, and around the world. Indeed, in mostforeign countries, it would be next to impossible for anAmerican preacher to get a part-time job, and take away employment from a native citizen of that country.We need to adequately support our men who are preaching the gospel, wherever they may be. We need to "maintain good works" and we need to remember "thathe (God) which hath begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

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"We need to put first things first." "You need to get your priorities straightened out." These are commonexpressions in our society. Certainly, priorities do need to be kept in mind. There are some things that are moreimportant than others.

The Bible has a lot to say concerning priorities also.God expects the Christian to put "first things first." A Christian is to realize what is truly important. Matthew

6:33 says that we are to seek first the kingdom of God.Also, Paul admonishes that we are to "approve thingsthat are excellent" (Phil. 1:10).

Beauty

The Bible speaks of certain ones who were "fair" or"beautiful." Some were of good character; others werenot. The "daughters of men" of Genesis 6, Sarah (Gen.12:11) and Rebekah (Gen. 24:15) were all described asbeing fair. Vashti, the queen of Ahasuerus, was referred to as "fair" (Est. 1:11-12). Her husband wanted to showoff her beauty before a group of men at his banquet. Sherefused to come and ended up losing her position asqueen. Esther, in the same book, took Vashti's place. She is referred to as "fair and beautiful" (2:7).

Much emphasis is placed in our society on physicalbeauty. Think of all the products and services that areadvertised and sold in our society which are supposed tomake a person more attractive. There is nothing wrongwith a person wanting to look attractive. We should beconcerned about our bodies and our appearance. However, it must be understood that physical beauty is notthe main thing.

The main point of emphasis with the Christian shouldbe the inner person. 1 Peter 3:3-4 reveals that the mostimportant thing is not the outward adorning of a person. Here, as Peter addresses wives, he says that theiradorning should be, "... the hidden man of the heart, inthat which is not corruptible, even the ornament of ameek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God ofgreat price." Physical beauty quickly fades; character,

i.e. inner beauty, can last a lifetime. There is nothing wrong with physical beauty. It is not, however, themain thing. Inner beauty is where our priorities should always be.

Preaching

There have been many polished, educated and eloquent orators of God's Word. They existed in Bibletimes. They have existed in more recent times and theyare even present in our times. Apollos, in the New Testament, fit into this category. He is described in Acts

18:24 as "an eloquent man" and "mighty in scriptures."He was from Alexandria which was a center of Hebrew and Greek learning. He was clearly a very effective teacher. He is mentioned for the work he did at Corinth. Many denominational preachers today have a verygood manner or presentation. They obviously have great speaking ability.

It is important for preachers to present their materialin a very clear way. They need to try and improve theirgrammar, pronunciation and presentation generally. Itwould probably do most preachers good to listen tothemselves on tape from time to time or even moreintimidating, to watch themselves on video. Also, secular education can be helpful. Eloquence is important butit is not the main thing for a preacher. Something else ismore important.

The main criterion for a preacher is that he be "set forthe defense of the gospel" (Phil. 1:17). He must haveconviction and always be willing to stand for the truth.Eloquence means nothing without a desire to stand forGod's Word.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1 that he came not to the Corinthians with "excellency of speech" or "wisdom."He said, "For I determined not to know anythingamong you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified" (v. 2).Paul was not against excellency of speech or humanwisdom. Instead, he places emphasis on the importanceof God's message.

It is good for a preacher to have a good education andto be a smooth, polished and eloquent speaker. However, that is not the main thing. The main thing is topreach the truth and be willing to stand for it.

Health

We read in the Bible of people who had various physical ailments. Job would be an example from the Old Testament of a person who, at least for awhile, suffereda great deal. 2 Kings 20 tells us that King Hezekiah wassick unto death. Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor.12:7), and Timothy apparently had stomach problems (1Tim. 5:23). Paul speaks of Epaphroditus as having been sick unto death. Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor.various diseases and physical problems that people hadwho were healed by Christ.

Physical health is very important to people. A statement often made is, "if you have your health you haveeverything." Much emphasis is placed on health today.Health food stores, vitamins, exercise equipment, exercise shows are still very popular. We all want to bephysically healthy and there is nothing wrong with trying to be. Physical health, however, is not the mainthing.

The main emphasis with people should be their spiritual health. We read of certain ones in the Bible who had spiritual ailments. The church at Laodicea thought thatthey were in good spiritual health but they were not.Jesus told them that they were spiritually blind (Rev.3:18). They were unable to see spiritually. Simon mayhave had good physical health. However, Peter told himin Acts 8:21,"... for thy heart is not right in the sight ofGod." He was a man with spiritual heart trouble.

There is nothing wrong with trying to maintain oracquire good physical health. It is important to understand that the main point of emphasis should be ourspiritual health. A person may have good physical andspiritual health. If a person loses his physical health andcontinues to maintain his good spiritual health, then hecontinues to be healthy in the most important way.

Wealth

We read of quite a few wealthy people in the word ofGod. People such as Abraham, Job and Joseph of Arimathea are mentioned as being wealthy. There is nothing wrong with money itself. We need a certain amountof it to function in our society. Paul charges the rich in 1 Timothy 6 not to be high-minded or trust in uncertainriches and to use their wealth to accomplish good (vs.17, 18). There may be some advantage to physicalwealth, but it is not the main thing in the life of aChristian.

The main kind of wealth to have is spiritual wealth.Jesus said to the church at Smyrna, in Revelation 3:9,"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (butthou art rich). . . ." Smyrna, known as the sufferingchurch, may have been physically poor, but they werespiritually rich. On the other hand, Laodicea, which wasapparently physically wealthy, was described as spiritually "wretched," "miserable," "poor" and "naked" (Rev. 3:17). Smyrna had the most important kind ofwealth of all. Their wealth was enduring (Mt. 6:19-21).Smyrna is sometimes called the "poor rich church"while Laodicea is called the "rich poor church."

Conclusion

We need to make sure that we always put first thingsfirst. We need to keep our priorities in order. It is important to understand which is the most important between physical vs. inner beauty; eloquence vs. standingfor the truth in preaching; good physical vs. spiritualhealth and physical wealth vs. spiritual wealth.

KICK OUT GOD AND HIS WORD — HIRE A COUNSELOR!

The November '86 issue of Reader's Digest carried an article by Dienne Hales, entitled "Ten Tips For A Happier Marriage." I am not writing in opposition to thearticle itself. Actually, some very good tips are given. Itis suggested that such instruction, by counselors, can be helpful to the one in five U.S. couples whose marriageis in trouble, because former "props" to marriage havebeen abandoned by so many people. In other words,professional counseling replaces the abandoned props.

John Guidubalde, professor of counseling at KentState University, is quoted as saying "So many props— religion, social, familial—have been kicked out from under marriage that marital distress has become the number one mental-health problem in this country." In viewof this, the writer of the article says "But there is goodnews for sparring partners: marital therapy can anddoes help."

Basis for Rejecting Props

I believe the "kicking out of props—religious, social,familial-" is a result of humanistic influences, taught soprofusely today in every area of communication. Schoolclass rooms and text books are filled with humanistic philosophy: a philosophy which declares there are noauthoritative directives above the individual himself— not God, not parents (family), not society-: The satisfying development of self is the chief objective of life.Promoters of this philosophy seek to out-law from classrooms and text books any mention of such "props" tomarriage as religion, God-fearing . . . Bible-believingfamilies, and a God-Bible oriented society. This humanistic philosophy has so saturated minds that many,many, many have kicked God, family, and society out oftheir lives, going their merry way regardless of whatthese props say or think.

According to an AP release by columnist ChristopherConnell (Huntsville Times 11/13/86) a special administrative task force has reported to President Reagan, in a70 page report—"The Family: Preserving America's Future," that "the fabric of American family life hasbeen torn by two decades of liberal social experiments,from no-fault divorce laws to permissive sex to easyavailability of welfare." The task force endorses or recommends "restrictions on welfare for unmarried teenage mothers, exhorts the courts to back off rulings thatundermine traditional family mores and urges the gov

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eminent to resist social engineering and lighten the taxburden on families." The report says "The family haslost too much of its authority to Courts and rule-writers, too much of its voice in education and socialpolicy, too much of its resources to public officials at alllevels."... "Our judges probably did not intend to touch off an explosion of illegitimacy when they minimized the power of the states to legislate on that subject. But ithappened, and today our society wonders how to get the genie of personal indulgence back into the bottle of legalrestraints." . . . "This fabric of family life has beenfrayed by the abrasive experiments of two liberal decades."

In society's new chosen life style, there areproblems—increased marital problems—and a need forhelp. Having kicked out those former beliefs and principles that were such helps, all that is left is "Hire a Counselor." The Counselor often points out the veryprinciples and actions of those abandoned props, butthe counseling is often lacking in power, not beingmixed with faith on the part of the counselor. He/Shecalls people's attention to principles and actions oftruth and soundness, based upon human reasoning andexperience, which does not have the power to induceresponse that "faith" has. Let us observe that the "TenTips For A Happier Marriage" in Readers Digest offersnothing that could not be gotten from the abandoned props.

The Ten Tips

1. FOCUS ON WHAT'S GOOD. (Not just on badthings—compliment one another—See more goodthings than bad about another.)

This is Bible instruction. "Love is kind... thinketh no evil . . . believeth all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7); "... her children call her blessed; her husband praiseth her . . .many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excel-lest them all..." (Prov. 31:28-29); "A word fitly spokenis like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Prov. 25:1).

2. STOP RECYCLING GRIPES. (Complaining ofsame problems over and over—forget and forgive).

The Bible has a great deal to say about holdinggrudges and being unwilling to repent and reconcile(Matt. 5:23-26; 18:15).

3. GET RID OF GHOSTS. (Things must be done theway mother/father did them—as customarily done—ifnot, doing something wrong.)

Getting rid of the "ghosts" of tradition and seeking asolid basis for our actions is something taught in theinspired scriptures. The Pharisees of Jesus' day, including the apostle Paul before his conversion, were "dead set" on declaring every one wrong who violated theirhuman traditions (Mark 7:1-10; Ga. 1:13-14), but in sodoing, Jesus said "ye reject the commandment of God."The word of God urges, and shows how, to distinguish between "ghosts" and a sound basis for our actions.

4. SET RULES FOR DEFUSING ANGER. (Angersmolders and explodes, often tearing relationshipsapart.)

There is no better place to go for learning the havocanger causes and how to defuse it than God's Word (Eph. 4:26; Psa. 37:7-9; Col. 3:8; Prov. 15:1).

5. NEGOTIATE FOR WHAT YOU WANT. (Practice give and take—Bargain, negotiate with one anotherabout what is sacrificed, given to or done for one another, avoiding selfishness.)

A better hand-book or Counselor for this kind of thingcan not be found than the Bible-God's Word (Lk. 14:2733; 1 Cor. 6:7; Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 10:24).

6. REWRITE THE SCRIPT FOR SITUATIONS YOU DON'T LIKE. (Work out a solution by compromise or substitution, instead of brooding, bickering, orseething within)

Here, again, is an area where God's Word (Bible) andreligious influences instruct and motivate.

7. LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM BEHIND THE PROBLEM. (The immediate problem—continual bickering, conflict in careers, lack of sexual interest, etc.may be only symptoms of other things—lack of communication, selfishness, grudge holding, neglect, etc.)

A modern counselor may effectively point out whatlies behind the problem and show you what to work on,but the best help you can find for solving the problem isspiritual teaching and associations.

    1. DON'T LET SMALL THINGS LOOM LARGE. (Uncapped tooth paste tubes, dishes in the sink, socksleft on the floor may annoy and depict sloppiness orcarelessness, but attributing motives to such, as showing who's boss, just to spite and aggravate, means nolove for the one annoyed, will cause a major war.)
    2. Again, the thing needed in dealing with such— patience, tolerance, respect, and forgiveness—comesfrom religious (Bible) instruction and influence.
  1. TAKE REGULAR "TEMPERATURE READINGS." (Regularly spend time together, communicating—learning each other's joys, hurts, desires, gripes, hopes, dreams.)

Such action is an off-spring of Christianity and God-oriented families, demonstrating the true meaning oflove.

10. IF YOUR SPOUSE WON'T SEE A THERAPIST, GO ON YOUR OWN. (Maybe, once you begin,the spouse will follow, because of curiosity or a desire totell his/her side.)

Those who still hold to the prop of religion say, "Ifyour spouse won't "go to church" with you, go on yourown. Maybe he will start, out of curiosity—to see whathas intrigued you . . . changed you, or because of yourinfluence. But, of course, those who have kicked out the prop of religion have no other place to go when in trouble, except to human wisdom Counselors.

Aim

The aim of this article is to show that while Counselors may often point out matters of truth and wisdom,they are only calling attention to truths and wisdom set forth in the Bible, which the patient has previouslyrejected or kicked out. Some will accept the counselingbecause it comes as "human wisdom" instead of divine wisdom. I believe much more good can be done by urging troubled couples to return to the divine, tried, and proven props instead of seeking help from human wisdom Counselors who counsel from the standpoint ofhuman wisdom and experience. Some help may be obtained, but not nearly as much, and enduring, as a return to faith in God and His Word. One is "Bread of life" and the other "bread that satisfieth little."

No marriage can happily survive without the pres

ence of "mutual respect." Marriage vows, for the most

part, do not include the word "respect" and not many

books tell couples how to achieve it, yet it is essential to

a successful marital union. Let us now study, "Respect

in Marriage."

Francine Klagsbrun in her book "Married People:

Staying Together In The Age Of Divorce," talked with

150 couples and held in-depth interviews with 85 coup

les who had been married 15 years or more. She reports

that a majority of the people interviewed said, "I re

spect him or I respect her." She thought it significant

too that the feeling was a "mutual feeling" by both

partners. It was something freely admitted by both

parties.

WHAT IS RESPECT? It is not what many people

think it is. It is often mistakenly confused with another

value called "admiration." I am not saying "admira

tion" is not important, but that it must not be mistaken

for "respect." When couples undergo this exciting expe

rience called, "falling in love," they usually "admire"

each other, but this does not have the enduring nature

which is found in "respect." Admiration can mean noth

ing more than looking up to someone for some particu

lar reason. Perhaps, the way a child looks up to an

idealized parent, is a good illustration. In the field of

romance, "romantic admiration" thrives and I might

say, even depends on the illusion that he or she is "abso

lutely perfect for me." This is not lasting in its nature,

because sooner or later we have to come off the roman

tic cloud nine and settle down to reality and that's when

the bubble bursts. Suddenly, you see this person you

have married somewhat different than you had ideal

ized. You now see some things you don't exactly like. Of

course, they have been there all the time, but in the

state of "romantic intoxication" you hadn't noticed.

When two people are trying to blend together in mar

riage they will be confronted with difference in personal

ity, in approaches to life, and because of backgrounds,

different ways of doing things. So, the new bride says,

"This is not exactly what I am accustomed to and I

have just lost my respect for him." Probably not. More

than likely what you lost was your "fantasy of him."

YOU ARE NOW AT A CRUCIAL CROSSROAD IN

YOUR MARRIAGE. At this point, "respect" begins todevelop or it doesn't. At this stage couples are likely tosay and do some hateful things to one another. This,within itself, shows that respect is absent in the marriage. You can now take the destructive path of punishing your mate by trying to "mold" him or her to fit your"fantasy" or the constructive route of developing respect for each other. If the marriage is to be successful,you must take the later. The Holy Spirit directed Paulto admonish; "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.""Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so lovehis wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband," (Ephesians 5:25,33).

THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESPECT. Of course,no conduct in either mate that is contrary to the will ofGod can be respected. This is a good reason whyChristians ought to be very careful about whom theymarry. But, the development of respect means acceptingthe worth (assuming it has worth) of the other persons point of view even though you may not wholeheartedlyagree with it. You may have to sometimes "agree todisagree" or just "let the other be" for a little while. Itmust be recognized that "respect" is both an attitude anda style of behavior. The same is true of a "lack of respect."

A husband may love sports and we shall assume it iswith some moderation. His wife can react in two ways.She can refuse to see any value in his activities, criticize,nag, and "put him down" or she can pack him a nicelunch, help him get his stuff together, kiss him good-byeand wish him well. She may say, "Our taste are quite different, but I even go with him sometimes." When ourboys were young we once owned a fold-out type camperwhich we pulled to New Mexico and Colorado on severalvacations. This was not really my wife's cup of tea. Heridea of camping out was two baths a day at the HolidayInn. But, she never complained because she knew how much we enjoyed it. The boys and I tried to make it ascomfortable for her as possible and took her into civilization occasionally. Amazingly, we all blended togetherand she came to enjoy it all about as much as we did.She respected us and our interest.

A wife's interest may be window shopping, reading,attending cultural events, sewing or volunteer activities. Her husband can react by making fun or puttingher down. If he really respects her he will provide sometime for her interest and will be as gracious as possible.Most husbands had rather go to a funeral than shoeshopping with their wives, but for the sake of her feelings he can learn to patiently tag along. (The worst partis the indecision after having looked at ten different pairs.) We may tease each other a little, but there isfondness in the jibes as we maintain a firm support forthe right of the other to be himself or herself. But, in allwe are showing respect.

THIS RESPECT MUST BE MUTUAL. It becomes obvious why "respect" (or the lack of it) can only be mutual in the long run. A husband or wife whois lovingly accepted is inspired to reciprocate, but whenone is constantly put down he or she will, sooner orlater,

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strike back. When "respect" is lacking in a home theput-down is one of the chief symptoms. It actually becomes a weapon with which to destroy one's mate. Itcan do great psychological damage. It is an expressionof contempt toward another and is a dangerous emotion. Anger can do a great deal of damage, but notnearly so much as contempt which has no sympathy,which recognizes no worth in the other person. It can dojust about as much damage as I observe in "wife abuse" cases.

To some degree, "respect" is simply a regard for acertain amount of separateness. I constantly preach" togetherness" in family life, but even at that, some separateness must be respected. This is not saying, "you goyour way and I will go mine." This is taking the idea too far and will pull the marriage apart. "Respect" is something that will help you understand your mate's outlook and help to make it part of your own, providing thatoutlook is not sinful. In a good marriage people becomemore like each other. The reason is, "respect" has caused them to blend into "one." It may be said that"love is blind" until respect starts taking its place in ourthinking. The root meaning of the word "respect" is; "tolook again." Through an undimmed and loving eye you begin to see your mate for what he really is. You can alsosee the potential that is there and you lend encouragement and support that it may be brought to fruition."Respect" is the kind of love through which marriedcouples honor and cherish what is dear, unique, and best in each other.

THE DESTRUCTION AND REBUILDING OF RESPECT. It takes time to build deep respect, but it can betarnished quickly. Let us consider some things that destroy it and what it takes to rebuild it.

  1. You can damage your mate's respect for you by,nagging, nit-picking, and put-downs. May I ask, wouldyou want to be treated this way? You can start reversing this damage by substituting nagging with reasonable requests, nit-picking with compliments, and put-downs with build-ups.
    2. 2. You can damage your mate's respect for you by

allowing your affections to be alienated by another person. This can erode "respect" quickly because it hurtsdeeply. May I ask, would you want your mate's affections placed on another person? You can start rebuilding this lost respect by putting your affections back where they belong. Husbands and wives with "strayingaffections" sometimes try to excuse their conduct bysaying, "I just can't help it." This mentality which smacks of, "the devil made me do it or God made methis way and that's just the way I am" is just seeking anexcuse for sinning. You can do what you need to do IFyou really want to. There is a way of escape if we want it(I Cor. 10:13).

  1. You can damage your mate's respect for you bymaintaining a hard, bossy, overbearing spirit. Thiscauses the other person to turn you off in a hurry. May Iask, do you like it when others demonstrate this spirittoward you? You can start turning this around by"backing off" and "softening" your approach. You need to have a good session with the Lord's Golden Rule. "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye alsoto them likewise" (Luke 6:31).
  2. You can erode your mate's "respect" for you byrefusing to communicate. I am not saying your matehas to be a sixteen-hour chatter-box. What I am reallytalking about is sharing. When we cease communicating we are essentially saying, "I don't wish to share my life with you." May I ask, do you like it when someoneyou love gives you the silent treatment? You can improve this situation by sharing your thoughts, ideas,and feelings again.
  3. You can damage your mate's respect for you bymanifesting an unforgiving spirit. There is nothing that hurts much worse than not being forgiven when you aretrying to change your ways. May I ask, would it hurtyou if someone refused to grant you their forgiveness?You can change this by remembering that you can'thave forgiveness from God if you won't grant forgiveness to others.

No marriage can be a true success without "MUTUAL RESPECT."

Send all News Items to: Connie W. Adams, P.O. Box 69, Brooks, KY 40109

(At brother Adams' request I am preparing the news column while he isour treasury is now at the point where we will have to move in June of thisrecuperating from back surgery. — Donnie V. Rader) year unless we can get about $600 more per month. The contribution hereaverages about $25 per person. The church is at peace and stands for the

J. M. KENNEDY, 1604 Hyland Road, Chester, IL 62233 — I havetruth. We have a Bible correspondence course and have filmstrips we havebeen working with the small congregation here in Chester since Augustshown. 1985. When we first moved here there were 8 members, all of whom but Unless we get sufficient support by June, I will be available to

one were retired. We had hoped to become self-supporting. Our relocate. I am 58 years old, married, and have been preaching for 41 years.contribution has been about $225 per week. We average about 20 inI will be happy to communicate with any congregation looking for aattendance. We have enough children coming to have a class for them.preacher at that time. My phone number is (618) 826-2880. You mayA few non-members attend. The churches in Williams and Kokomo, IN contact Wm. Crowder, (618) 826-3661, or Clarence Randolph (618) 965and Rogersville, AL are helping in my support. However, 3174 for further information.

TRUMAN SMITH, 137 Wildwood Dr., Pineville, Louisiana 71360 — After 2Vi years with the South Broadway church in La Porte, TX my wifeand I have now moved to Louisiana (December 1986) to work full timewith the newly formed congregation in Alexandria. Alexandria is right inthe middle of the state. Pineville and Alexandria are treated as practicallyone city. The two together have a population of about 145,000. Thereare two liberal churches and one premillennial church of Christ here. We arepersuaded that there is much potential here for a fine New Testament church.

The Union Rd. church in Lufkin, TX is paying for radio time each week on a "Christian Broadcasting Station" here which has a rather largeaudience of Baptist, Assemblies of God and Pentecostals.

When we moved here the attendance was about 14. We are working withsome unfaithful members in hopes that they will be restored.

England Air Force Base is located here, and if a reader knows of anyservice people here, please send their names to us. We are doing our bestto follow up on all of the leads we get. We are temporarily meeting at theBest Western Motel, 2720 W. Mac Arthur Drive. Our services are at 9:30,10:30 and 6:00 on Sunday and 7:00 on Wednesday. If ever in this area please come and be with us. Our phone: (318) 640-5658.

DON GIVENS, 411 Hobron Lane if 3511, Honolulu, HI 96815 — We have had four baptisms recently in the work at Waipahu. Please visit uswhen you are traveling in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. The church buildingis 17 miles west of Waikiki where all the tourists hotels are.

Brother Guillermo of Waipahu is returning to full-time preaching. Heplans to move to the island of Maui in July and establish a soundcongregation. If you can help with his monthly support, contact himdirectly at 1283 Henokea St., Waipahu, HI 96797. His phone: (808)671-0239.

We certainly need more teachers of the gospel on all Hawaiian islands.Currently, I am the only sound full time preacher in the Aloha State. There needs to be the planting of the seed on Kauai, the Big Island, Molokaiand Maui.

BRIAN V. SULLIVAN, Box 430, Fonthill, Ontario, Canada LOS 1E0 — We are in our fourth year with the good church at Wellandport, Ontario.We are located just a few miles off the beaten path in the farmland ofNiagara Peninsula. Close to 50 assemble on Sunday mornings. In the pastyear we saw seven responses to the gospel. All seven continue to growand develop.

Aside from the regular preaching and teaching here we have had a busy past year. Here are some of the highlights: seven nursing home orhospital services, newspaper articles, a local bulletin with over 130 pagesof teaching material and special studies (including Crossroadism, theMessianic hope and the first sixteen Psalms). Our First lesson

book entitled Ready or Not dealing with problems of teens was published by Faith and Facts Press. I held five meetings last year at ThayerStreet in Akron; Glencoe, Ontario; Piscataway, NJ; Jamestown, KY and South River, Ontario. I have four meetings planned for this spring. We arebusy in the Lord's work and are excited about the prospects for the future.

FROM FOREIGN FIELDS

ITALY — STEFANO CORAZZO, via Tagliamento 9/2, 33100 Udine,Italy — A young man, Andrea (21 years old), was baptized into Christ. Wehad studied with him for 15 months. He is a fine young man and I 'm sure he will give his best in faithful service to the Lord. We hope to reach othersthrough him.

ARGENTINA — CARLOS CAPELLI, Casilla #83, 1665 Jose, C. Paz, Buenos Aires, Argentina — On Saturday Feb. 14, we saw sevenprecious souls come to Jesus. All seven were members of the EvangelicalChristian Church. All of them asked to be Biblically baptized. This wasduring a gospel meeting in General Pico — La Pampa (about 600 km Jose

C. Paz). With this a new work is under way in General Pico — La Pampa.Lord willing, I will be back there for another meeting April 15-19.

SOUTH AFRICA — PAUL K. WILLIAMS, P. O. Box 324, Eshowe, 3815 South Africa — Brother Solomon Mzolo of Greytown phoned meseveral months ago because he was upset concerning youth camp the black church in Edendale (Pietermaritzburg) was having. He has arranged for me to come to Greytown on March 7 to present a lesson toother preachers. Several Zulu preachers and at least one white preacherplan to attend. We have also recently baptized Felicia Nzusa (18 years old)into Christ.

CHURCHES IN NEW BUILDINGS

NEWARK, OH, — The Wallace St. church of Christ outgrew its building and purchased a building located at 28th and West Main. Thisbuilding was built by a faithful few who started the Wallace St. church. Inthe 70's the building on Main St. was sold to the Pentecostals from whomthe Wallace St. church bought the building. When in the area worship withthese brethren. Their address is 987 W. Main St. Rick Hubartt is the preacher there.

MARYVILLE (SMOKEY MOUNTAIN AREA), TN — The SmokeyMountain church of Christ, 2206 Montvale Road, Maryville, TN 37801 is now meeting in their new building located two miles south of the LamarAlexander Parkway. Maryville is only 20 miles from the Great SmokeyMountain National Park, via Towend. Services are at 9:30,10:30 and 6:30on Sunday and 7:30 on Wednesday. For further information call (615)983-4222 or 984-8735 or 856-3192.

NEW EDITOR AND PUBLISHER FOR WORDS OF LIFE

For nearly 20 years James E. Cooper has edited and published a four pagepaper called Words Of Life. It is a subscription paper ($8.00 per year) thatis published weekly. Churches that do not publish their own bulletins havebeen able to purchase bundles to hand out or have the paper sent to a listof people with their advertisement printed on the back. Brother Cooperhas done an excellent job both in writing and printing each issue.

With the first issue in April Glenn Seaton, 4707 Misty Valley East,Wichita Falls, TX 76310 became the editor and publisher. We are confident that the paper is in good hands.

PREACHERS NEEDED

ACWORTH, GEORGIA — This congregation of about 70 seeks the services of a full time preacher who possesses the qualifications of anelder. This body has met together for seven years and has weathered many storms. We are located about 30 miles north of Atlanta in an area experiencing a steady influx of people due to increasing land development. Full support is available. Those interested should contactLex Barker, 2708 Valleyhill Dr., Acworth, GA 30101. Phone: (404)972-2887.

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LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA — The congregation here is seeking a fulltime preacher. We are a small group (2 families), but are big in love forthe Lord and are very determined to remain stedfast to him. Somesupport is available here, but most would have to be obtained fromoutside. If interested, please call Larry Powell at (804) 237-3445 orJohn Malloy (804 385-8275.

FREMONT, CALIFORNIA The church meeting on I Street in Fremont, CA is seeking a man to work with them. The church has aregular attendance of 50 people from the East Bay area. We arelooking for someone with good personal work skills. Someone withradio experience would be a plus. The congregation is able to provideabout two thirds of the support ($400 per week) plus moving expenses.We are willing for the man to hold a part-time job to have sufficient income for this area. Those interested should send a resume to 205 I Street, Fremont, CA 94536 or call (415) 487-8708 or 792-7835.

EDITORIAL LEFTOVERS

WORKING MOTHERS AND DAY CARE FOR INFANTS

In connection with the March editorial entitled "Mother Is Not Home," a reader sent a copy of an article that appeared in the WALLSTREET JOURNAL (3-3-87) entitled "Day Care for Infants Is Challenged By Research on Psychological Risks." The article states that"some researchers are warning that day care at too early an age maypsychologically harm a child." To say the least, it is worthy of consideration when in 1986 50% of mothers of infants or toddlers worked as opposed to 30% just ten years before according to the Bureau of LaborStatistics.

"The controversy focuses on children less than 18 months old who are left in a day care 20 hours a week or more. For children at that mostformative age, day care can increase insecurity, the researchers say"(Wall Street article). Jay Belsky, a Pennsylvania State Universitypsychologist has followed the research for ten years. In the 1970's he helped shape the view that day care generally benefits the child.However, in recent years he has changed his mind. He now says thatinfant day care undermines a child's "sense of trust, of security, oforder in the world" He suggests one possibility is the stress a childundergoes in the daily separation from the mother and insufficientattention given by the parents. The article says that a 1984 studyrevealed that 31% of a group of 107 toddlers were judged insecure byresearchers. However, when the group "was narrowed to those who had been in day care more than 20 hours a week as infants, the rate ofinsecurity nearly doubled, to 61.5%."

Obviously professor Belsky has his critics who have charged him with being a male chauvinist and being against the women's movement. Sounds familiar!

What's the answer to the problem? Some of Belsky's respondentsfrom Yale, Harvard and UCLA have suggested that the answer may be to start the child in day care at an earlier age (younger than 15months). A better solution would be for God-fearing women to read and obey such passages as Tit. 2:1-5 and 1 Tim. 5:14.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 140 RESTORATIONS 39 (Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)