The Parable of the Three Fathers Once there were three Fathers. The first one believed that love demanded he always allow his children to do whatever they wanted. Consequently, his children became unruly, ruled the house and grew up to be reprobates. The second father believed that love demanded harsh punishment for any infraction. Thus, he spanked his children for every lack of perfection he detected. As a result, his children grew up to be twisted and hated him until their deaths. The third father was a man who followed Christ. Therefore, he believed that discipline begins with training, continues with explaining, and only the failure of training and explaining leads to punishment. He taught his children the Way of God, explained to them why they must do what they were told and corrected them (if needed with the rod of correction) even when it hurt him–to the end that they would be upright before God. For these reasons, the children grew up to respect the father, to believe in God and to discipline themselves. Which one of these fathers was an elder in the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We all obviously choose the third father, but does this personification accurately represent the elders of the church today? What are elders today doing to train members in God’s Word, to explain why it is necessary to obey God and to correct and protect the Family of God? How are growth and leadership tied to church discipline? …

Stretch out your palm. Separate your fingers to their widest; hold them as far apart as you can. Study what you see and then consider: Scripture says that’s a picture of human longevity. David wrote, “LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor” (Psalm 39:4-5). That’s right. Life at its best is little more than an abbreviated measurement–a handbreadth. Jeanne-Louise Calment would have agreed. According to Guinness, she was born in Arles, France on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. Do a little math in your head and you’ll discover that she lived 122 years, 164 days. Whew! She lived a long time, didn’t she? Not really. Not when you consider life when compared to eternity. As long as Jeanne-Louise lived, hers was but a handbreadth. Dear friend, in terms of the clock, your life is ever-so-short (Job 14:1-2; James 4:14). Assuming you escape the ravages of disease, you don’t perish in some untimely accident and your parents had extremely good genes, it’s still doubtful that you’ll live as long as Jeanne-Louise Calment. And even if you do, it will be but a handbreadth. Consider: What are you doing with your time (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5; Psalm 90:12)? Paul Meyer wrote, “Most time is wasted, not in hours, …

The “land” that the Lord “searched out” (tur, “spied out”) for the twelve tribes of Israel was the “most glorious of all lands,” said the Lord, flowing “with milk and honey” (Ezekiel 20:6, NRSV). Daniel called Palestine “the Beautiful Land” (8:9; 11:16, 41, NASB). Jeremiah said that Jerusalem was “the throne of Jehovah” (3:17, ASV). A psalmist wrote that Zion, another name for Jerusalem, was “beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth,” the city “of the great King” and “the perfection of beauty” (Psalm 48:2; 50:2). Some 2000 years before Jesus was born, God promised Abraham that he would give to him and to his descendants all of “the land of Canaan” (now called Palestine) “forever” (Genesis 13:12, 15) for “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8). But if the word God used, which is translated in most versions as “forever” and “everlasting,” `olam, is rightly translated, then the Lord is “slack about his promise” (cf. 2 Peter 3:9), for from 70 A.D. down to 1948, none of Abraham’s descendants owned any of Palestine. The word `olam, derived from `alam, to hide, conceal (Davidson, 601), means a time hidden, indefinite or unlimited. The duration of `olam time is therefore hidden and indefinite. The context in which it is used tells how long a time is being considered. The land promise of Palestine to Abraham and his descendants, fulfilled in stages, thus came to an abrupt termination in 70 A.D. when the Lord allowed the Romans to destroy the Temple at …

Isaiah, a prophet of Israel, seven centuries before Christ, warned his nation of impending disaster. The moral foundations of Israel were crumbling, and without a strong moral foundation, no nation can long survive. As I read Isaiah, I am struck by the similarities between that society and our own. First, Isaiah described a people who loved alcohol and sought escape in the bottle. He wrote: “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them” (Isaiah 5:11). In a culture where alcohol and drug abuse have reached epidemic proportions, his words are hauntingly familiar. People are still looking for escape, but are not finding it. Misery is the companion of those who turn to drugs and alcohol. Second, Israel had forgotten God. They would go into captivity because they had no knowledge of God (Isaiah 5:13). Today, parents do everything in their power to see that their children have the best toys, the latest fashions, the nicest houses and the finest education money can buy. But, that which parents need to pass on to their offspring is neglected. Children are growing up without a spiritual foundation. Only in God can we find answers to the great questions of life. If God is left out, it matters little what kind of education we provide our children, for they will grow up spiritually ignorant, without meaning and purpose for their existence. Third, he spoke of a nation with …

It is a mystery that the religious world has kept hidden the real teaching of Martin Luther regarding salvation. It has been assumed that he meant by “faith only” that a person was saved the moment he believed in the facts of the Gospel without taking any other action. The sermons and writings of Luther plainly deny that. Luther had been trained in the doctrines of Roman Catholicism, and had been taught that in addition to accepting and obeying the teachings of Jesus, one had to do various manmade religious works in order to be saved. When he realized that it was by the grace of God that the blood of Christ was a sufficient payment for our sins, and it was only necessary to accept that sacrifice by faith in order to be saved, he expressed those thoughts by the expression “faith only” in contrast to “faith plus various meritorious works” in order to earn salvation. For those who doubt that this was his meaning, some of the following quotations from his sermons and his Larger Catechism may be helpful. In one of his sermons, he said: Faith and baptism, as the chief part and foundation of our salvation, must stand first. For we may never dare to boast that we merit the gift of Christ in whom we believe, or that the baptism which we receive in his name is of our own doing or has been instituted by any human being. To prove my statements, consider this: …

One of the most amazing things about Premillennial Dispensationalists is the way they read the Bible. Not only do they ignore all history that is connected with it, but even those who are counted as “scholars” among them pay little or no attention to parts of speech such as prepositions, adverbs, verbs and their tenses, and sentence structure. Not only so, but they almost always totally ignore the context in which a passage is found when using it as a “proof text.” Someone has rightly said, “A text without a context is a pretext often used as a proof text.” This is common with these folk. A case in point is found in Romans 11:25-28, which reads,”For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins. Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Romans 11:25-28 NKJV). This passage is regularly used by Dispensationalists to prove that at some future time the entire Jewish race will be saved forever. When they are reconstituted into an earthly nation, …

Four times in Scripture God’s people are admonished to worship him “in the beauty of holiness.” Consider the passages: Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! (1 Chronicles 16:29) And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 20:21) Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. (Psalm 29:2) Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9) From these Old Testament passages several lessons can be learned for the New Testament Christian. Though worship patterns are different in a changed age (John 4:21-24), no change has taken place in God’s nature (Hebrews 13:8). The attitude and lifestyle behind worship are always the same. Whatever one may do in worship to God must be accompanied by a holy lifestyle. Holiness carries the ideas of purity, dedication, devotion and sanctification. One is different from the world around him by a separation from sin and a commitment to pure living. He becomes, then, a living sacrifice, whose life is “holy, acceptable to God” as a matter of “reasonable service” (Romans 12:1-2). When such holiness is evident in the everyday living of a …

Frequently when there is testimony given to the truthfulness of a statement, some would question the testimony by saying: “Surely he is a biased witness.” An extremely important statement, “Son of God,” is expressed some 47 times in the New King James Version of the Bible, one of which occurs in the Old Testament (Daniel 3:25). The question could be asked: “What kind of testimony is found in the Scriptures describing Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God?” Before examining the statements of other people, let us first hear the claim of Jesus himself. Jesus boldly said to the Jews: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). Centuries prior God told Moses that his name was: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus claimed that he is the great “I AM.” Do you remember the story of the blind man in John 9? Jesus healed him who was blind from birth. Though he was very thankful for what Jesus had done, many others around him were disturbed. Due to the persistence of the blind man’s testimony to Jesus restoring his sight, the Jewish leaders were furious and cast him out of the synagogue. Jesus approached the man who was previously blind and questioned: “Do you believe in the Son of God” (John 9:35)? The man replied: “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him” (John 9:36)? Now listen carefully to Jesus’ crystal clear answer. He said: “You have both seen Him …

One of the greater privileges enjoyed by American citizens is the freedom (liberty) guaranteed by the Constitution of this great country. Many of our noble citizens have given the ultimate (their physical lives) to ensure a continuance of this prized possession. How often and fervently we should thank Jehovah God for being so blessed in this time of the world. Yet, there is another freedom enjoyed by Christians that far exceeds the freedom enjoyed by the citizens of this great nation; it is a freedom from the bondage of sin that gets its strength from law (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56). Every person who perceives the terribleness of sin and its destructive bondage is made to rejoice for the redemptive work of Jesus. Our Lord by his death, burial and resurrection broke the bondage of sin for all who die to sin, who are buried with him in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-6, 16-17). This freedom is obtained through the “faith of Christ,” i.e., the Gospel of Christ, and is enjoyed so long as one remains in/under the “constitution” of the kingdom of heaven. “For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1 ASV). The apostle Paul wrote this admonition to the churches in Galatia to prevent them from returning to the Law of Moses for justification. They were falling under the persuasion of Judaizing teachers to practice circumcision and keeping the …

[Bible Light. July-August, 2004:1, 7.] There is no greater plea in the world today than that one which invites people to be “Christians only.” The name “Christian” includes all that is needed, or should be desired, for spiritual appellation. Indeed, a real, genuine “follower of Christ” should be content in worshipping God as a “Christian only.” Anything less than a Christian is far too short, and anything that goes beyond, transgresses heaven’s testimony for humankind. But the important question is: “How may one be a Christian and nothing else?” Obey the Doctrine of Christ and No More To obey the Gospel as revealed in the New Testament means: Believe in Jesus Christ as the crucified, buried and risen Lord (John 8:28; Romans 10:10). Repent of past or alien sins (Acts 2:38; 17:30). Confess your faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37). Be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15; Romans 6:4; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). Upon such obedience, we have the assurance that God will add us to “the church” (Acts 2:47). And we further know that such disciples were called “Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). Wear the Name of Christ and No Other The fact that God promised a “new name” (Isaiah 62:2), and that he gave it “first in Antioch,” should be ample evidence of the all-sufficiency of that name. To add to it, to put a handle on it, to weaken it by adding some human name, is but …

The responsibility of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pleading with sinners to obey this call belongs to the church of our Lord (Mark 16:15; 1 Timothy 3:15). We are to be persistent in our efforts in leading others to Christ. The body of the Lord is to continue this great work that our Savior began while he lived on this earth (Luke 19:10). We should never grow weary in this tremendous challenge. However, there is also a need to recapture the saved that have become lost. That is indeed strange but it is a perpetual problem that plagues and perplexes the spiritually strong members of any congregation. Interested Christians spend a great deal of time and effort in bringing a lost soul to Christ and at the same time become disturbed when they witness the losing of the saved. In other words, we win a few and lose a few. If we could retain all those who have been baptized into Christ, our church buildings would be filled to capacity. Elders, deacons, preachers, teachers and all faithful Christians become frustrated with the loss of members and often ask, “Who is to blame?” While there may be the case in which many are to blame if the proper care has not be shown to the erring, the Lord himself dealt with this serious problem in the parable he gave regarding the sower who went forth to sow the seed, as recorded in Luke 8:4-15. The seed (Word) was not …

Reference to joy is frequently made in the Scriptures. David speaks of the fullness of joy. He said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence in fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). In the parable of the hidden treasure Jesus stated that a man had found that treasure, and “for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field ” (Matthew 13:44). Fourteen times in the Book of Philippians Paul makes reference to joy or rejoicing. The life of a Christian is a life of joy. In Galatians 5:22 we are told that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” The Christian has joy and rejoicing because he knows he has been made alive spiritually by the blood of the precious Christ. The new disciples of Acts 2 had gladness of heart. The eunuch of Acts 8 went on his way rejoicing. The jailor of Acts 16 “rejoiced greatly having believed in God.” There is cause for rejoicing when one realizes that through his obedience to the Gospel the burden of sin is lifted. As a child of God grows toward maturity, great joy is derived from knowing that as one continues to walk in the light of God’s Word, God is well pleased. There is joy in knowing that one has been sanctified by that Word, and as long as he remains in and by that Word, he …