Category: Reflections Articles
Articles printed in the weekly bulletin of the West Side church of Christ
A Conversation Regarding Homosexuality
(Note: Following is an email exchange I had last week. This man’s emails are reproduced exactly (with misspellings). Study with this man continues, as he has emailed again with a few quibbles and revealed himself more clearly as one who advocates homosexuality). His main contention is that “Love” is a good thing, and can not be abused. He ignored most of the arguments I made in the following email to him).
Saw your email on a Christian site that talked against homosexuality, so just wondered if you knew where there was anything against same sex romantic love as I can’t find anything on this in my bible.
Name Withheld
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________,
I am glad to correspond with you regarding your question. In order to do so, I need some clarification.
The Word of Christ
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)
Here in the Colossian epistle, Paul gives several exhortations which are rather closely tied together. Simply, they are:
- Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom.
- Teach each other by singing spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
- Do all things by the authority of Jesus Christ.
Underlying each of these is an emphasis on the importance of doctrine in the life of those who name the name of Christ. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
What is the Church?
Ask that question, and you will get many answers. But, what does the Bible teach concerning this institution which had its part from eternity in the mind of God? The word translated “church” in our English Bibles comes from the Greek word ekklesia. The simplest definition derives from its etymology: ek (out of), klesis (a calling), hence a calling out, or in the noun form “the called out.” The term in the greek has no religious significance at all. In the New Testament the word is used to refer to any group of people called out for a specific purpose. For example, it is used of a democratically called body (cf. Acts 19:39), and of an unruly mob (cf. Acts 19:32, 41).
The term gains religious significance in that our Lord used it to refer to his redeemed; those He called out of the world, into His body. Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The expression denotes a relationship sustained with Jesus. The called out, or the church, consists of those who are saved, (cf. Acts 2:47); those who are “in Christ”, (cf. Galatians 3:27).
Working Out Your Own Salvation
In Philippians 2:12-13, the Apostle Paul exhorted Christians to “…as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The text clearly shows that man has an obligation regarding his own standing before God. Though we are saved by grace, this does not excuse us from honest and diligent effort to obey God. He saves us, but we are sadly mistaken if we believe that He will save us without any effort on our part. Those who are unrepentant sinners will only suffer loss.
In the New Testament, there are two instances where a disciple is referred to as one who is “full of faith.” Stephen (Acts 6:5,8) and Barnabas (Acts 11:24) are the two men mentioned. The Holy Spirit chose two men who personify the apostle’s admonition to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Stephen suffered martyrdom because of his unflinching proclamation of the gospel of our Lord. In Acts 11, we are told that as a result of Barnabas’ preaching “a great many people were added to the Lord” (vs. 24). Barnabas continued steadfastly in his work, and was a great help and companion to Paul in his ministry.
Seeking the Lord
In 1 Chronicles 28, King David called all of the leaders of Israel, (captains, stewards and men of valor), to himself, and explained to them that Solomon had been chosen by God to follow him on his throne, and to build the temple. He told them that God had promised to establish Solomon’s kingdom “forever”, “if he is steadfast to observe My judgments and My commandments, as it is this day” (vs. 7).
In verses 8-10, he first addressed the leaders of Israel, and then Solomon, enjoining them to seek God and His will. Notice the passage:
Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. 9 As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.
The phrase “be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God” is especially instructive to us.
Is the Chimp Human?
I recently came across a rather bizarre note concerning attempts being made in Austria to have a chimpanzee declared legally “human” for the purpose of legally protecting him from laboratory experiments.
The report states that “Animal rights activists and leading experts in several biological fields including primatology and anthropology are joining forces to uphold a case going before an Austrian court which seeks a declaration of ‘human status’ for a 26-year-old chimpanzee.” The activists want the chimpanzee, named Hiasl, to have a legal guardian appointed over him. Since only humans have the right to a legal guardian, they have to convince the court that Hiasl is, in fact, human.
We Do Not Know…
It was F.B. Meyer, I believe, who once said that when we
see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we do not know: First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her. We also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances.
Stephen Brown, Christianity Today, April 5, 1993, p. 17.
The point is not to ignore or tolerate the sin of a brother. Paul admonished the Corinthians for their acceptance of immorality into the church, (cf. 1 Corinthians 5), and instructed them to “deliver such a one to Satan.”
However, that same individual, upon his repentance, received Paul’s pity. “Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him” (2 Corinthians 2:8).
Our approach to the sinner should be one of humility and compassion, even as we seek to discipline him in his sin. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
Blind Tradition
The story is told of a daughter who asked her mother why she always cut the end of the roast off before cooking it in the pan. The mother didn’t know, that was the way her mother always did it. So, they called the grandmother, and asked her why she always cut the end of the roast off before cooking it in the pan. The grandmother said, “Because my pan was too small!”
There are two great dangers with tradition. (Though there is nothing wrong with tradition per se). First, if a person follows tradition blindly, without knowing why, he may be led to do something that is unscriptural. Something with which God is not pleased. Just because “that is the way we have always done it,” does not mean that it is acceptable to God!
Second, there is always the danger of elevating a tradition to a commandment. Jesus warned of this in Matthew 15, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men” (vs. 9).
Many times we do things the way we do because it is a good way to do them. This is fine. But, we need always to be sure that our ways are God’s ways. And, we need to realize if our traditions are only our preferences, and if there are other, scriptural ways of doing the same things, we must not condemn others for expressing preferences that differ from our own.
Suggestions to Young Christians
You have embraced the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and have determined to accept Him as your Savior. As such, you have determined to turn away from past sins, have confessed Christ as Lord of your life, and have put Him on through baptism in water for the remission of sins. In short, you have begun the Christian walk.
Some of you have been on that path longer than others. Whether you are a newborn babe in Christ, or already have developed some maturity in your walk, there are certain suggestions I would like to make that will benefit you in your profession as one of God’s children.
Same Facts … Different Interpretations
I recently came across a very interesting and informative article written by Ken Ham on the Answers In Genesis website. The title of the article is, Creation: ‘where’s the proof”, and it can be found in its entirety at the following URL:
Consider the following quote from the article:
Creationists and evolutionists, Christians and non-Christians all have the same evidence—the same facts. Think about it: we all have the same earth, the same fossil layers, the same animals and plants, the same stars—the facts are all the same.
The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions. These are things that are assumed to be true, without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events.
The premise of the article is interesting. The writer notes that in arguing whether man was created or evolved, many want to “leave the Bible out of it.” In other words, they would be willing to listen to the claims of Christianity, but first they need to see real proof regarding God’s existence.
Be Strong and of Good Courage
“Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed’” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
Consider the implications of Moses’ words to Joshua. He would take over the rule of the people of God, to lead them into the promised land. There would be many battles, many hardships, and (as it turned out due to the unfaithfulness of the people) many setbacks in his time as the leader of Israel. The words, spoken in front of all the people, were designed not only to bolster Joshua’s courage, but to present him to Israel as God’s chosen leader over them. The path taken would not be easy, but the victory of Israel was assured due to God’s presence. “He is the one who goes before you.”
Militance & Aggressiveness
Definition: Militant (Wikipedia) “The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause…”
“…The word militant comes from the 15th Century Latin “militare” meaning “to serve as a soldier”. The related modern concept of the militia as a defensive organization against invaders grew out of the Anglo-Saxon “fyrd”. In times of crisis, the militiaman left his civilian duties and became a soldier until the emergency was over, when he returned to his civilian status.”
The term militant initially had a positive connotation. As seen by the etymology cited above, the idea of a militant centered in the defense of a cause, and referenced a man pressed into military service in defense of country.
However, in recent years the word militant has often been used as a pejorative.
Eternity
Man is bound by time. Time can be measured in millennia, potentially in what is referred to as “geologic time” spanning millions of years, but always it is measurable. It has duration, a beginning and an end.
Take for instance humankind. We begin with gestation, 9 months. Then infanthood, perhaps a year. Then childhood, until the age of twelve. We talk of teenagers, until age 19, young adults (in my case the first 44 years), middle age (again, in my case always the next birthday), then old age. Truly, “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).
A Titanic and Unsubstantiated Claim
On Sunday, March 4th, the Discovery Channel aired what was claimed to be a “documentary” entitled The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The filmmakers included producer John Cameron (Director and Producer of the film Titanic), and director Simcha Jacobovici.
The program makes some very disturbing claims. It asserts that the 10 ossuaries (bone boxes) found in an ancient tomb in a suburb of Jerusalem at one time contained the remains of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and an individual known as “Judah, son of Jesus.” The program claims that the odds overwhelmingly point to this being the tomb of Jesus Christ, and that DNA tests done on some remains found in the ossuaries indicate that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.
The tomb and ossuaries were discovered about 25 years ago, and are well known to archaeologists. It is striking that those who initially examined the find never entertained the view that the tomb was the significant find now being claimed by the filmmakers.
“I Press Toward the Goal”
In his epistle to the Philippians, the apostle Paul expressed his attitude toward his service to Christ. Simply put, he wasn’t about to “count his chickens before they hatched.” In his own words, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
The reason for this single-minded approach in his service to the Lord is stated in the preceding verses, “that I may gain Christ, and be found in him” (vs. 8b-9a). Further, he longed for the result of such a fellowship with his Lord, “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead” (vs. 11).
