Is Freewill Scriptural?

Almost every single denomination I have heard of believes that all people have free will.  I haven’t found a single verse in the Bible that teaches that people do have free will.  Why do Christians believe this unanimously without any Biblical text to affirm it? ~ Rick (Baptist), Springfield, OR. Dear Friend, as much as you are amazed that myriads of people believe in “freewill,” I am equally amazed that you are unable to find “any Biblical text to affirm it.”  Further, simple observation should declare the existence of freewill in the human race. The first biblical indication that mankind possesses the capacity of freewill was immediately following the creation of Adam. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him” (Gen. 2:19-20). Through the capacity of freewill, Adam was prompted by God to name the animal creation.  This establishes the basic capability of mankind to employ “freewill.” The very existence of an orderly universe replete with design and implying a designer, implicitly calls out to intelligent life, man, to seek the Creator.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the …

Can Desertion Precede Adultery?

I believe and teach only ONE reason for divorce.  However, when one talks of desertion not being scriptural grounds for remarriage, what is the meaning of desertion?  Most all who separate will remarry.  Especially is this so amongst the younger set.  If the deserted party remains pure, tries to reconcile the marriage, but fails and the partner does remarry, does the offended have a right to remarry? ~ Don T.  Guinn In our efforts to be biblically correct in the face of liberties taken with God’s Word, even by members of the Lord’s church, we sometimes react with a narrowness that exceeds biblical prescription.  In my judgment, this is precisely what occurs sometimes regarding the scenario presented in the query above.  The question, essentially, is: “Can desertion precede adultery?”  In short, it is my understanding that the biblical answer is, “Yes.” Like the querist, I too “believe and teach only ONE reason for divorce” and remarriage.  The reason is quite simple, of course.  That is what the New Testament, to which we are amenable and by which we will be judged, teaches (Matt. 19:9).  The apostle Paul did not alter or append what Jesus taught in Matthew 19.  Rather, Paul reinforced what Jesus taught and addressed additionally some aspects of marriage that Jesus did not address (1 Cor. 7). Desertion is addressed by the apostle in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. The gist is that the Christian should not encourage divorce and should do everything to preserve the marriage, but one’s spouse (in that context, a …

Church Discipline Spousal Relationship

I used your article on Church Discipline from the Firm Foundation web in our bulletin today.  We had one man take exception to the statement, “Admittedly, church discipline is not intended to interrupt other divinely approved relationships (e.g., husband/wife, parents/dependent children).”  He felt that if a husband or wife be withdrawn from the faithful partner would have to leave so as to submit to the withdrawal.  I advised him that one had obligations to the spouse given in scripture and while he must make sure to make his dissatisfaction in the spouses spiritual relationship is known and work to encourage their return he has no obligation or biblical authority to leave the spouse that was withdrawn from.  Can you help me out on further explanation? ~ Michael D. Barclay First, let me observe that brother Barclay correctly answered the objection raised above.  Second, I felt sure that my affirmation that ‘family members have a responsibility to participate in legitimate church discipline toward their other family members’ was itself difficult for members of the Lord’s church to appreciate.  I reaffirm that such is biblically defensible and obligatory.  Yet, the brother, to whom reference is made above, goes further, and beyond biblical warrant, to suppose that other biblically obligatory responsibilities, namely marital union, should be disrupted because of church discipline.  Please consider the following points. (1) The position that a spouse must separate from his or her spouse toward whom the Lord’s church has exercised church discipline is to pit Scripture against …

Three Objections Concerning the Sabbath

[The following article appeared in the excellent (free) publication Power (Vol. 8, No. 9, September 1999, p. 4), sponsored by the Southaven church of Christ, P.O. Box 128, Southaven, MS 38671.] Sabbatarians usually have at least three objections to the concept of doing away with the Sabbath.  I realize that there are more, but these are often heard during any discussion.  Many will contend, “Didn’t Constantine change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday in A.D. 325?  This is a misunderstanding of what actually took place.  The facts are: Christians were already meeting on the Lord’s day (Sunday) from the first century.  See Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Clement of Rome (ca. A.D. 150) writes concerning a service of God’s people.  What day does he mention?  Sunday. The Ante-Nicean fathers (those prominent in the church before A.D. 325) uniformly speak of the Lord’s day observance. Constantine did not change the worship day to Sunday.  Rather, he legally set apart the day that Christians were already using for worship as a day of rest.  Others say that the Roman Catholic Church changed the day of worship to Sunday from Saturday.  They will quote Cardinal Gibbon’s work as support for this.  But would those who take this for “gospel” also believe that the Catholic Church gave the world the Bible, as Catholics believe, and which Cardinal Gibbons holds?  The facts are that the church, as described above, always kept the Lord’s day.  The Catholic Church, who misunderstands the division of the testaments …

Five Lies Of The 20th Century

We are now watching the 20th century come to a close.  As we approach this landmark it is proper that we assess the strength of our nation and world.  We are all products of the world we live in, at least to some extent.  As Christians we have to guard against acceptance of the ways of this world (Romans 12:1-2).  This is especially true with regard to the ideas that shape a nation. Every age has its lies and infamous liars.  Satan is the father of lies in every age (John 8:44).  We have to be careful that we do not believe his lies.  It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle, which fits them all.” The last ten decades have produced subtle changes in the bedrock of American culture.  These changes have not all been good.  In our government, courts, media, schools and homes, dangerous lies have been planted that have proved ruinous to our country.  Unless these lies are recognized and uprooted, our society will continue its moral decline.  Let us observe five lies of the 20th century.* Freedom Of Religion Means Freedom From Religion The establishment clause of the First Amendment to our Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  It means that the federal government shall not establish any particular faith as the nation’s official religion.  But, it has been interpreted by the humanists of the American Civil Liberties Union as a …

Everybody’s Free To Wear Sin-Screen

Hopefully most of us still have a standard of modesty that would not allow us to prance around scantily clad in the great outdoors.  Besides not wanting to invite the lust of a roaming eye, we should also not want to so endanger our skin with harmful cancer-causing UV rays.  (God has many reasons for us to be clad modestly.)  Exposure is really dangerous!  Thus, it is wise when even modestly arrayed to wear sunscreen with at least a UV protection of 15.  Most of us, having taken no thought about such things, have likely already done a great deal of damage to our skin.  Luckily, there is a new procedure that can enlighten us concerning our skin cancer risk.  There is new technology out now that allows a special camera to take a picture of one’s skin using UV light (a.k.a. black light). The final portrait is that of the amount of damage already done to one’s skin by exposure.  A lot of “beautiful, young” people look unattractive and ancient when the picture develops.  In a sense, it is really scary because it is like there is an entirely different person inside you that most people will never see until it is too late for you to repair the damage. In like manner, far too many are taking their chances by exposing their spirits to the weak and beggarly elements of this world.  The Bible, being a mirror for the soul (cf., James 1:22-25), demonstrates the effects this exposure …

Compassion Is Love In Action

Compassion is defined as a sympathetic attitude, one of sadness; a real concern for someone’s misfortune; grief over another’s distress; pity. To have compassion then is to express a feeling of concern. To express is to do something about something! When acting upon that concern, love—agape love—will gallop forward at a breakneck speed to alleviate the problem or pain. Compassion is a concern for the welfare and comfort of others. It swiftly moves on that concern to bring about a change for the better. “And, behold, a woman . . . diseased . . . touched the hem of his garment . . . and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole” (Matthew 9:20-22). Yes, the faith of this woman brought her to the hem of Jesus’ garment, but Jesus, aware of her faith, had mercy and she was whole again! He gave her comfort! On that day he also gave life back to a maiden. He gave sight to the blind and he drove out demons from the bedeviled. All because he had a great compassion for those who needed and asked for his help. In turn, they confessed “according to their faith.” His sympathetic love touched them, making them whole. He noticed their misfortune, was concerned and healed them. He loved them! Today we do not possess the powers to cure illness as did Jesus, but we can learn to practice the compassion of agape love! Attending to …

Hunting Season

It was a beautiful November morning.  The air was clean, clear and crisp.  The hunter sat motionless in his stand twenty feet above the ground.  He felt the bite of the wind on his exposed face.  His eyes began to water, but he dared not move in order to wipe them.  He needed to cough, but by shear will power suppressed it for he could not afford to make any noise.  The hunter was here for the purpose of harvesting a magnificent buck.  The hunter had well chosen this spot from which to hunt this deer.  He knew from extensive scouting that the buck would cross the trail below him.  It was not a matter of “if,” rather a matter of “when.”  The hunter’s equipment was in excellent condition.  His rifle operated smoothly and his scope was adjusted to near perfection.  He had only to wait for the inevitable. The buck was moving at first light.  Upon awakening he had laid very still listening intently to the sounds around him.  Once convinced that all was as it should be, he stood and tested the air for any scent of danger.  Now reassured that no danger was present, he cautiously made his way to a nearby water source where he satisfied his thirst.  The buck then alertly headed down the trail that led to his favorite acorn trees where he would spend the morning grazing. Because the hunter knew where to look, he saw the buck coming from a great distance.  …

Is The Devil Real?

There has been much discussion about satanic power and the influence Satan has on our lives.  There is even a church of Satan.  Years ago, there was even a movie “The Exorcist” – which tells in vivid detail the horrors of supposed demon possession. Flip Wilson promoted, through his television program, the statement: “The devil made me do it.”  Not too many years ago, a shirt company made quite a bit of money from that statement by selling shirts for children that read: “The devil made me do it.”  Parents thought it was cute to have their children parading around with that shirt.  The children really believed that they could just about do whatever they wanted to do because, “the devil made me do it.”  It seems that became such a mindset, that now nothing appears to be wrong anymore because “the devil made me do it.” Is the devil real?  Yes, he is.  If you were asked this question:  “What is the source of our temptations, troubles and evils?” what would be your answer? From the time of Adam and Eve until the present, everyone has been subject to temptations of the devil.  Even Jesus had to engage in conflict with him (Matthew 4).  He was able to resist those temptations because he knew the Word.  Each time he was tempted, he was able to meet it with “It is written . . .” The devil has the ability to make that which is good appear to be bad …

Is Your Anchor Sure and Steadfast?

All boats have anchors. The anchor is usually made of steel or iron. In ancient times it could also be made of stone.  It was made heavy so that it would sink to the bottom of the lake, river or ocean. It was usually curved in some way so that it would hook onto something on the bottom, usually a large rock. This would keep the boat from floating out of position. The anchor was very important in times of a big storm. If the boat was being thrown about by the waves, the anchor could be lowered and it would help keep the boat from being turned over.  If the boat were close to shore, the anchor would keep the boat from being thrown into the rocks on the shore. This would keep the boat from being torn apart and destroyed. Our spiritual hope should be like the anchor. It must be a good, strong, sure and steadfast anchor. In Hebrews 6:18-19 we read, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” Our anchor in life must be in God. He is sure and steadfast and never changes. His Word never changes. If we trust in him and his Word, we can …

Sonlight

[Via Shield of Faith, Marion, IL, submitted by Mark McWhorter] I love the story of the boy who was on the sidewalk with a mirror, trying to reflect sunlight on a window of the house. When asked what he was doing the boy said, “My brother is sick and that’s his room. The doctor said he needs to have a lot of sunlight in his room, but the sun hardly ever shines in his window. I’m trying to reflect a little light there with this mirror.” Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12) and we all need his light reflected into rooms where we live. Jesus also says to his people, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We are to “shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of truth” (Philippians 2:15-16). As the children of God we should be like that boy, bringing light into his brother’s room. The divine light of Jesus is always shining, but God uses human reflectors to get that light into the rooms of the sick. What kind of job are we doing as God’s reflectors?

Wake Up America!

Are you tired of hearing about all the bad things that are going on in our country today?  I hope you are, because it’s time for a change.  I know you probably think there is nothing you can do, but there is.  First of all, start with yourself.  Just take a moment to see what is on the inside (2 Corinthians 13:5).  If you think there are things that you can improve on, then do it (James 4:17). There are so much hatred, jealousy, prejudice and disobedience in the world today.  The first thing you need to do is pick up the Bible and start to read it (2 Timothy 2:15).  I know you wonder what the Bible has to do with change, but if you are a Christian, you should already know that.  If you’re not, the Bible can and will change your life if you let it. The inspired Word of God tells us everything we need to know to be better persons (2 Peter 1:3).  It gives us all the qualities necessary for being better parents, spouses, teachers, friends and even how to be better rulers.  We all know our government officials could use some help there.  If you agree that our country is falling apart, then it is time to take action now before it is too late.  Each and every one of us is capable of doing his part. First we must start with ourselves, then work on the rest of our families.  Before too …

What Did I Do?

As 1 Samuel closes, the Amalekites invaded Ziklag, a city housing the families of David and his men. The men were in Philistia at this time, so the Amalekites carried all their families away as captives, including David’s two wives. However, the men did not consider David’s loss. Instead they blamed him for keeping them away – a decision that each had made individually. Many men might have crumbled at the very mention of dissension, but David provided us with a wonderful example. “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:6). The Lord’s church sometimes acts much like these men. When we see something happen that we do not like, we tend to blame the person in charge, even though they might not have any control over the situation. Following this line of reasoning, we should always blame the treasurer if the church does not meet the budget – even if we have not been giving as we should. We should blame the Bible Class teachers when our children are not learning – even though we remain too busy to teach them ourselves. We really should be angry with the elders when our youth do not have “adequate” entertainment – even though we have not invited them over to our house yet. We ought to fire …

The Compromise of Theistic Evolution, Part 2

What’s Wrong With Theistic Evolution? Is theistic evolution biblical, and therefore acceptable?  No! It is not!  It is one of the most dangerous compromises ever to befall the Bible-believer.  To compromise on the matter of origins is certain to lead, at one point or another, to compromise in yet another area, and then another, and then another, ad infintum.  If the first chapters of the Bible are untrustworthy (and therefore subject to compromise), why should we think that any of the other chapters is any different?  Another point that must be stressed is this (and it cannot be stressed too heavily!): Give a man a false, warped concept of his origin, and you can rest assured that he will have a false, warped concept of his destiny!  Theistic evolution is a false compromise of what God said God did.  Here are just a few things wrong with theistic evolution: 1. There is no theistic statement which shows theistic evolution to be true.  God never said he used evolution to create man.  In fact, he said just the opposite.  “. . . God could have accomplished the origin of life in any way he chose, by evolution or by creation, but an admission that there is a God and that he made such an accomplishment in any way, means that we are totally dependent upon his revelation to determine which way.  His revelation declares creation, not evolution” (Robert Camp, A Critical Look at Evolution. Atlanta, Georgia. 1972. pp. 205-206).  Indeed, the texts throughout the Bible (Genesis …

The World That Then Was

In the Book of Genesis we are told of the creation of man, the sinful path that man followed and the destruction of man and the world by flood. This inspired biblical account of the destruction of all but eight souls is mocked and laughed at by so many in the world today. They want to know how we can believe something that has so little scientific evidence. Well, as science continues to search out the earth’s mysterious past, we find time and time again evidence that can be interpreted to give proof of a world-wide flood. This is again true of the discovery of a fossil forest of warm climate trees 500 miles north of the South Pole in which “the trees were buried by a flood or a mudflow” as reported in Discover, February 1993. This forest lived in a world of uniform warmth at a place that is today totally unsuitable for plant growth. This helps to support the “Vapor Canopy Theory” indicated by the Bible and to give support to other conclusions about the pre-flood world. There are no frost rings found in these fossil trees, meaning they were very seldom exposed to temperatures below freezing. The presence of these fossilized tropical trees in Antarctica that were buried in a flood give proof to the biblical account. Indeed there is much about that world we can never know for sure, because “The world that then was . . . perished” (2 Peter 3:6). But, we do not …

The Cockroach’s Sweet Tooth

Among all the creatures that God has created, there are very few that bring about greater revulsion than the common cockroach. Yet, these creatures have been shown to have many unique features that only come about by a designer. One of these features is the ability of the roach to discriminate among its food sources. It has been discovered, much to the dismay of the homeowner whose dwelling has been infested by these disease carrying insects, that the roach can tell the difference between types of foods, specifically sugars. The roach shows definite preference for fructose over glucose. The source of food used to attract the roach to bait has normally been glucose and some of the roaches have shown no interest in falling for it! Glucose is a type of sugar produced by plants which is then converted into other sugar molecules. The sugar fructose is found in plants also, but is stored in fruits. It would appear that God has created the roach with a unique ability concerning its sense of taste – the ability to discriminate between the types of sugar. That something as lowly as the roach has such an ability is most incredible if God is left out of the explanation.

When “Doing Good” Is Bad

Thesis:  There is a time for serving others in material tasks, and a time when we shouldn’t. Once Martha became aggravated at Mary and said to the Lord, “. . . dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?” (Luke 10:40).  Jesus reprimanded her for serving!  He said, “. . . Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (10:41-42).  It was good to fix a meal for the Lord; it was better to listen to him teach.  This applies today to someone who misses the Bible class to fix a dish for the noon fellowship meal or to someone who forsakes worshipping the Lord to mow a widow’s lawn.  It’s good to fix a dish or mow a lawn, but it should be done at a different time.  Families who have to sit with the sick should schedule the shifts during church services to family members who do not attend (if you can’t get them to go) so all God’s saints can join in worship.  It is also overkill for a whole family to stay home with one sick person.  Let all those who can, go.  (Incidentally, on another occasion Martha’s service was appropriate, John 12:2.) The elder brother shows that reward for service can be cancelled out by a bad attitude.  He answered his father, “Lo, these many years do I …

A Burning And Shining Light

“He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light” (John 5:35). This statement was made by Jesus Christ about John the Baptist. However, Jesus essentially applied the same frame of reference as well to all who would be his disciples. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). All Christians should be careful to always be ‘burning and shining lights.’ Light and darkness are used extensively in Scripture to depict the polar opposites of righteousness and wickedness. Additionally, many of the songs we sing teach this biblical distinction. Singing, as God’s choice of music in worship, teaches and admonishes (Colossians 3:16) and speaks (Ephesians 5:19) to the assembly about holy things. Further, singing, though praising God, is also both to be sung with and result in understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). Songs about light include: “Ye Are the Light of the World,” “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning,” “Sunlight,” “Stepping in the Light,” “Send the Light,” “Heavenly Sunlight,” “Walking in the Light of God,” “There Is Sunshine in My Soul” and “The Light of the World Is Jesus.” These songs variously emphasize themes like (1) the source of …

In Times Like These: Solidifying the Home by Godly Fathers

Times Like These To what does the phrase, “In Times Like These,” refer?  What negative impact does our society have on our children that godly fathers must counteract it?  Further, are “Times Like These” significantly different from earlier times? We live in an age where human life has been cheapened.  The most prominent disregard for the sanctity of human life is abortion on demand. About a million and a half babies are murdered in America each year since the legalization of abortion on January 22, 1973; around the world, about 50 million babies are aborted annually.  Doctor assisted suicide has proved newsworthy in recent years.  (Be wary of any gift certificates redeemable by Dr. Kevorkian!)  Teenage suicide continues to increase; many American youths believe they have no reason to live.  Gang violence, ghastly crimes committed by children, television and movie violence all are indicative of a devaluation of human life in our nation.  To what lengths is euthanasia (mercy killing) likely to go?  In view of earth’s several billion population (which increases about 270,000 per day), some people advocate taking the life of this world’s less productive and less educated people.  Their concept is not much unlike thinning the deer population “for its own good,” and frighteningly similar to Hitler’s campaign of extermination against people he viewed as inferior to his so-called “super-race.” Increasingly America is becoming amoral (unaware of any authoritative code of ethics or moral conduct of which one is in violation).  There was a time generations ago …