Category: Authority

In the first year of King Darius, Daniel offered up a prayer to God, confessing the sin of his people. The prayer is recorded in Daniel 9, and includes the following:

“O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments” (4-5).

He later noted that “shame of face” belongs to all of Israel because of her sin.

Simply put, then and now, it is shameful for any man to depart from God’s precepts and judgments, substituting in their place his own. God’s word is a pattern for us, one to which we must limit ourselves and obey. If we do so, He will supply His mercy to us.

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God told Noah, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:14).

I don’t know exactly what gopher wood is, but Noah did, and he did what God required. He made the ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high (whatever a cubit is).

The point is, he did what God told him to do. Why? He respected God, and feared Him. He knew that to escape the “end of all flesh” (cf. vs. 13), he had to follow God’s directions.

This is a good lesson for us today. Judgment is coming, and the only way for us to escape condemnation is to follow directions. The Jews who responded to Peter’s preaching on Pentecost asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:38). Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Three thousand souls that day followed God’s directions. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (vs. 47).

So, are you willing to follow God’s directions? Your soul depends upon it!

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Our culture can color our view of what God does and does not allow for mankind. The culture of the first century differed greatly from our own. In fact, there were numerous different cultures in the first century, and cultural views caused problems in the early church. It shouldn’t surprise us that those same influences would cause problems today.

The scriptures stand in stark contrast with changing cultural mores. Here is an example. American culture in the 21st century demands that women be given the exact same consideration regarding positions of leadership in the local church. In contrast, the scriptures teach that leadership positions such as elder and deacon are limited to men (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) and that women are to be in submission (cf. 1 Timothy 2:11-14).

The thing to remember is that the words of Paul in these verses are the product of the Holy Spirit inspiration (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). They are not, as commonly claimed, a function of Paul’s cultural biases.

In fact, the Holy Spirit reveals that the limitation on women is a function of creation, not culture. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:13).

Let us not be so arrogant to assume that our culture knows best. While men may trumpet present day sophistication and evolved morals, we place our trust in the words of God.

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There is no more important question for each of us to ask ourselves. We acknowledge the existence of God, and our own subservient relationship to Him. So, each must ask, “What kind of servant am I?”

In the text of Matthew 24 Jesus describes the two answers possible. One may be a “faithful and wise servant” (vs. 45), or an “evil servant” (vs. 48). What is the difference between the two? The faithful and wise servant is the one, when the Master comes, who is doing the Master’s will (vs. 46).

The point is simple. God is our Master, and if we want to please Him, we must do His bidding. That is why it is so important for us to know the pattern of obedience required by God in His word. If we do so, we are “blessed” (vs. 46), and will be rewarded (vs. 47). If not, “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 51).

A sobering truth, to be considered in opposition to the common claim that sincerity in religion is the sole matter of importance. Jesus tells us the important thing is to do the Master’s will!

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Articles on The Patternists Facebook page constantly emphasize the authority of God, and His word. Most articles are concerned with worship, doctrine and the church established by Jesus Christ.

We also note that God’s authority extends to the nations of men. This will be so until Jesus comes again. Paul spoke of this in his sermon to the Athenians in Acts 17:

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (vs. 26-27).

God determines the rise and fall of nations, and the extent of their rule. The nations of the world exist to facilitate a search for God and His will for men. When nations impede that search, God’s patience is tested. If repentance does not occur, that patience runs out, bringing God’s judgement on that nation.

God is both aware of and concerned about the state of our nation. How long will he forbear judgment upon us? No one knows, but each day of rebellion is one day nearer to God’s wrath. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

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Last week I wrote a lengthy article titled “An illogical attitude toward the Bible.“

The article was in response to another article titled “Evangelicals are Losing the Battle for the Bible. And They’re Just Fine With That.”

Consider the ramifications of that title. Evangelicals as a group have always contended that the Bible is inspired of God and inerrant. A new generation of Evanglicals are disavowing that position. The article states that the issues leading to this change in thinking revolve mainly around social issues. The Bible condemns homosexuality, contends for specific and different gender roles for men and women, and contends that the Bible was created by the fiat of God in seven days. These positions are rejected by society today. Young evangelicals, swayed by current mores, are accepting the wisdom of men, and rejecting what they perceive to be foolishness contained in God’s word.

In so doing, they deny the words of Paul, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’ Therefore let no one boast in men“ (1 Corinthians 3:19-21).

Those who reject the Lord’s words are rejecting the Lord Himself! Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

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“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18).

It is very easy to deceive yourself in this life. It can happen in several ways. It may be that you compare yourself with another rather than the inspired standard (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:12). It may that your problem is arrogance, and you are dismissive of views other than your own. (cf. Proverbs 16:18). It may be that ignorance or prejudice leaves you vulnerable to being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14; cf. 2 Peter 3:14-16). Regardless, self-deception is rampant.

The apostle Paul, in our text, shares the secret to avoiding self deception. Become a fool. The idea parallels his words in 1 Corinthians 1:8, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

It is only when we submit ourselves to the will of God that we can be assured we have a firm grasp on our relationship with Him. God has revealed Himself to us so that we have a full and complete understanding of what He requires of us. We can examine our lives and hearts, holding them up to the light of God’s word, and be either confident in our standing, or aware of the changes we need to make to be pleasing to Him. “Lean not on your own understanding!” (Proverbs 3:5).

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

The Psalmist declares an axiomatic truth. We simply can’t prosper without God’s approval. It is such an important thing that it is foolish to presume that God is pleased with us. And yet, presumption is the norm. It is said time and again: “I know the Lord is happy with my worship.” “I am confident that the Lord is pleased with my ministry.” “I am certain the Lord approves of my lifestyle.” These sentiments and their ilk are commonly expressed with absolutely no basis other than the opinions and subjective emotions of the speaker.

The only way we can be certain that the Lord approves of our lives, faith and worship is if He has revealed His approval of these things. The only place that God has revealed His will to man is through the Holy Scriptures. Remember, assumption is presumption. Instead, make sure that it is the Lord that is building your house!

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“These were more fair- minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

The Bereans were fair-minded. Why? It is because they had the right attitude toward the Scriptures. For us to emulate their example, we must as well.

First, realize that the truth is the truth. That is, it is revealed, absolute and unchanging. While men’s perceptions may vacillate, the truth remains inviolate.

Our approach to truth should be a desire for conformity. We do not go to the Scriptures to rationalize and validate our settled practice or teaching. We use the Scriptures as a standard to which we compare our practice and teaching. If we find the two to be identical, we are vindicated; if we do not, we must change our practice or teaching.

We make a mistake if we go to the Scriptures with settled convictions regarding our practice or teaching. If that is so, and the two do not agree, our tendency will be to twist the Scriptures to our practice rather than to conform our practice to the Scriptures.

The question must be, what do the Scriptures teach? We then compare our own practice and teaching to the light of that divine standard, with the purpose of conforming our practice and teaching to it.

Recent forays into blog and Facebook comments have again uncovered the idea that those who have the audacity to point out religious error are uncharitable, un-Christian, stubborn, and bizarre.

Some comments come from people who ridicule the concept of divine inspiration and the veracity of the Bible. Too often, however, those who show such animosity toward a defense of truth are themselves claimed followers of Christ.

To the former we confess no surprise. The idea of contending over a book which is the product of men is nonsensical, and we understand their disdain.

To the latter we defend ourselves with the following words from the pen of Jude:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (verse 3).

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2016 is an election year. Though the national election will not take place until November, the political season is well underway. This is especially true with regard to the office of President. When you turn on the TV, you are inundated with political punditry, and the words liberal and conservative are bandied about with regularity.

The term liberal is defined by Webster as, “not opposed to new ideas or ways of behaving that are not traditional or widely accepted.” In the context of political discourse, a liberal believes “that government should be active in supporting social and political change .”

Continue reading “Liberal & Conservative” →

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2:15). The word “traditions” here refer to practices established by inspiration. They come from God.

In Matthew 15:9, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah, saying, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Here Jesus refers to practices established by men rather than God.

Some are not interested in keeping traditions with regard to religious service. In fact, some go so far as to criticize the “traditional”, while establishing their own, man-made practices instead.

We freely admit to cherishing and holding fast to our traditions. Our traditions are 2,000 years old. They originate in the mind of God, not men. They are worth embracing!

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In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The context reveals that the only acceptable worship is that offered in accord with God’s will. That is why Jesus endorsed the worship of the Jews (in Jerusalem), rather than the worship of the Samaritans.

The text also indicates that under the dispensation of Christ, the location of worship is of no consequence. The idea that God is limited to a particular place (Jerusalem, a mountain) is debunked by Jesus. This is because God is Spirit.

This truth requires that acceptable worship be offered in “spirit.” The worshipper must be engaged – it is an act of adoration to God, which comes from a sincere, reverent, and fully committed heart.

The worship of Israel was condemned by God during the time of Amos. They said, “When will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat?” (8:5). They weren’t interested in worship, they were only going through the motions. Though the form of worship was in accord with God’s will, the proper spirit was not present.

We are right in demanding that worship to God follow the form revealed and regulated by His will. We must be equally adamant that those who worship Him be fully engaged, with devotion and love for their God.

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Every TV episode and Movie begins the same way, with a recorded message containing the words: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”

I remember as a kid loving the Mission: Impossible television program. It had a group of “cool” spies who were able to accomplish the “impossible” because of their intelligence, bravery and gadgets. Each mission consisted of various stated objectives, authorized by some shadowy governmental agency. They were not freelancers, they followed the directives of the agency. Because of their abilities and position, they were give a job to do, and they did it.

The show came to mind recently as I involved myself in a study of the “mission” given by God to His church. The parallels are obvious, and illustrate the nature of God’s relationship to His people.

Continue reading “Mission: Possible!” →

Recently I came across the phrase, “congregations of the Churches of Christ.” I am sad to say that it was not a member of some religious denomination, but a baptized believer who used the words. There is so much talk about offensive speech in our day. Well let me tell you that those words offended me.

First, I am offended by the ignorance. The phrase is redundant. The phrase “churches of Christ” is used only once in the New Testament, in Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.” In that verse, the word “churches” has reference to congregations. So, in the offensive phrase above, it could be rendered, “congregations of the congregations of Christ.” Such silliness is similar to the popular phrase “born again Christian.” By definition a Christian is one who is born again. There is no such thing as a Christian who has not been born again. So, the phrase is redundant, “a born again born again person.” But, I digress.

The second, and most offensive aspect of the phrase “congregations of the Churches of Christ” is that it indicates a denominational concept of Christianity. In other words, it differentiates between congregations of the “Churches of Christ” denomination, as contrasted with congregations of say, the Baptist denomination, or congregations of the Methodist denomination. This denominational concept of Christianity is clearly condemned in scripture (John 17:20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

Scripture reveals that there is only one church, established by Jesus Christ, (Matthew 16:18). That church is made up of those INDIVIDUALS who are saved, (Acts 2:47). That church is organized in one way, and one way only, into local congregations, (1 Corinthians 1:1-3). If your concept of the church is different, then you are part of a big problem.

Denominationalism (Many churches instead of one) is abhorrent to the One who founded His church. I refuse to be a part of any denomination, or to describe the Lord’s church using any denominational terms. Words mean things, and it is offensive for Christ’s church to be referred to in such an obviously unscriptural way. It may be simple ignorance, or it may be a willful departure from God’s pattern that fosters these words. Regardless, our Lord deserves more respect.

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