WHY GOD MUST DEMAND CONFESSION (Part Two)

By Bob Myhan

hird, when an individual comes to believe in Jesus, and in what Jesus taught - and continues to teach - and turns from the practice of sin to a life of service to God, the next logical step is to let such be known. When one says he believes in - but will not confess - the Deity of Jesus Christ, he is more ashamed of Christ and of Christ’s words than he is of his own sins. But note the destiny of such a person (Mark 8:38) and contrast this with the attitude of Paul.

“I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom. 1:14-16).

There are several reasons why one might be ashamed of the gospel. Many fear not only physical death but physical affliction of any kind. Consider some of the things Paul faced (2 Cor. 11:23-27). And notice how he viewed their intensity (2 Cor. 4.17). By contrast, many cannot even bear the idea of unjust criticism (1 Peter 4:1-4; 2:11-15; 4:12-16).

Others cannot even bear the idea of being in the "minority" (John 6:66-69). Of course, God is a majority of one and those who stand with Him are never in the minority! The “eight souls [who] were saved by water” looked like a minority before the flood but, afterward, they comprised the entire human race!

Some of the chief rulers [John 12:42-43] could not bear the thought of exclusion from the synagogue on the Sabbath [see, also, John 9:22]. There is also the prospect of being turned against by the members of one's own immediate family, which some think they would not be able to bear. (Matt. 10:34-37).

Many love the praise of men more than the praise of God because they have immediate, sensory evidence of the praise of men while they must await the judgment to have direct evidence of the praise of God. But notice the final result of having this attitude.

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:1-2).

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:5).

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:16).

Of course, even in this life, one can never be sure that the praise of men is sincere, for those who are praising you may be just as hypocritical as you are. For whatever reason they do so, those who refuse or neglect to confess Christ, verbally, seem to be deficient in moral courage. And. if one does not have the moral courage to confess Jesus, verbally, he could not hope to have the courage to confess him practically! How, then, is moral courage to be acquired? Since man is a free moral agent, moral courage is largely a matter of the will. That is, one must will himself to be courageous. However, Paul emphasized that, for the child of God, help is available from God by means of prayer.

“...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:18-20).

If Paul felt the need to ask others to pray that he might have courage, should we not feel that need? (Heb. 4:14-16) While the alien sinner does not have the promise that he can enlist the help of God through prayer, his moral courage will be directly proportional to the degree to which he loves the praise of God or fears what God can do unto him. Truly, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

Fourth, the stigma or stain of sin must be removed. To sincerely confess Christ is to pledge allegiance to Him. Since no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), one's prior allegiance to sin cannot come to an end before allegiance to Christ begins. Until one confesses Christ, therefore, he continues to be stained or stigmatized by sin because of the appearance of his loyalty thereto. However, when the shame of sin becomes unbearable, he will cease to be ashamed of Christ and His words, repent, confess faith and remove the stain or stigma of sin. This does not, however, deal with the guilt of sin. It simply brings him to the point where the guilt of sin can be dealt with. One continues to be guilty of sin until he receives forgiveness from God and God has not promised forgiveness at the point of one’s confession of faith. &

Why I Became an “Anti” (Part Four)

By Hubert C. Wilson [Deceased]

3. The area of Fellowship.

The liberal thinking of our day has now crystallized into using (misusing) the word fellowship to mean church sponsored recreation and/or eating together. The Greek word koinonia is translated 12 times as fellowship and 4 times as communion. It refers to fellowship with God: "and truly our fellowship is with the Father" (1 John 1:3); fellowship with Christ: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:9); communion of the Holy Spirit: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14). Paul thanked the Philippian brethren for "your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (Phil. 1:5). The Jerusalem disciples "continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship" (Acts 2:42). Paul told the Corinthians that the brethren of Macedonia prayed them with much entreaty to "Take upon us the fellowship of ministering to the saints" (2 Cor. 8:4). John tells us that "If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another" (1 John 1:7). There is no passage in the New Testament in which the word "fellowship" means what it is being called by the liberal brethren. They have 'fellowship halls" (kitchens), they get together for a "wonderful period of fellowship" (they had coffee and cake or refreshments), and we could go on and on. I am persuaded that anyone with an honest heart and an open mind can see that there are many things being done in the name of Christ that have no Bible authority and as a result should not be practiced by the church. I am not against brethren getting together to eat or engage in any morally clean form of recreation, but not as a work of the church. The church is not in a social business (at least it should not be), but rather in the business of trying to save souls by preaching the Gospel to the lost and by restoring the erring brethren to the fold.

I find it impossible to read in the Scriptures about Church of Christ sponsored baseball teams, basketball teams, football teams, bowling teams, golf tournaments, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, Hootenanny (whatever that is) and we could go on and on. It really makes me sad to feel that the church for which Christ shed his blood has become so much like the denominations of the world and does not even know it. It is high time people began to wake up and ask how they got so far from where they started, and when they realize a thing is not authorized in the Bible, it should be given up. We today are to hold fast the pattern of sound words (2 Tim. 1:13) and we are told that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Either the Bible does this or this passage is wrong.

In closing, I hope and pray that all who read this (especially those of the liberal movement) will be honest enough in their heart to study for themselves from the Bible and not allow the emotionalism of "they do not believe in taking care of orphans" to so prejudice themselves as to not even study. All are going to stand before the judgment seat of God, to give an account and to be judged by the Bible. How can we condemn denominations for not following the Bible and yet not follow it ourselves in many things? Let us all resolve that we will go back to the old paths of "Speak where the Bible Speaks and be silent where the Bible is Silent" and pray one for another and show love one for another. [Via The Sower, Vol. 20, Number 1]. &