Christians need to remember that they are also members of the family of God. Paul says, “For ye are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). Through belief and obedience in Christ Jesus we become children in the family of God. John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God…” (John 1:12). Since Christians are children in the family of God, the question comes, “Shouldn’t we be obedient to the Father of that family?” And since Christ is described as “the Word of God” in Revelation 19:13, we have the Word of the Father that we should obey or risk his correction and even punishment of being cast out of that glorious family. On the other hand, what a wonderful situation it is of being children in the family of God. Wouldn’t his children always bring glory for him and praise for him through Christ’s church–his kingdom, “To the general assembly and church of the first born [Christ is the first born, resurrected]…” (Hebrews 12:23). Thus Christians are members of Christ’s church. Then in the same chapter we have, “Whereby we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved” (verse 28a). Again, “Who hath delivered us [Christians] from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Translate refers to Acts 2:47b, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved,” and again …

The apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Two things are seen: one, espouse you to one husband is an analogy that uses the idea of a bride that is espoused to one husband, and two, chaste refers to purity, referring to a bride that is pure by the rules, and the desires, of the husband, that being in this case Christ as that one husband, and his word, as the requirements for his bride. In Ephesians Chapter 5, Paul uses human marriage as a symbol of Christ and the church. Paul says, “…even as Christ is the head of the church: and is savior of the body” (verse 23). Again, “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (verse 25). “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (verse 30), which shows how close and much the church is integral to Christ, and how much in likeness the church is to be like him. Then each Christian being a part of his body, understands that he or she can be rejected when in conflict with Christ. The conduct will then be what the Christ the head instructs Christians and the church to follow. These surely describe the bride that all men want, and it describes the …

I like to be the driver most of the time when I am going somewhere. If I am tired, or not feeling well, or there is some matter of convenience that means that I need to be a passenger, of course, I will willingly do so. But I am not sure I am a good one. My oldest son is 27 and has been driving for 11 years. Still, when I am in the car with him, I find myself telling him how to drive. My wife is older than he is (thought I was going to tell didn’t you), and has been driving longer, also. Yet, sometimes I find myself wanting to give her instructions as we ride along. Speaking of my wife and children, I kid them that they are trying to constantly put on the brakes when I am driving. They are just sure I am going to plow into whoever or whatever is ahead of us. I have thought about it quite often. You know what makes us “bad” passengers? It is the fact that we are not in control. When I am driving I know where I am going to turn, and I know that I have seen the semi in front of us and that I am going to stop. I have the steering wheel in my hand, and I am in control (or at least I think I am). Over the years I have seen a bumper sticker that reads something along the …

In his autobiography, Elias Smith, of restoration fame from Vermont, told of what was called the canker-rash striking the small community of Woodstock. He told of the death of several young people in their teen years and early twenties. He told of one family who within a period of four days lost all three of their young daughters. What the disease was, we do not know, but he described it as the persons breaking out in a very red rash, running a very high temperature and dying within thirty-six to forty-eight hours. The families hastened to bury their dead loved ones fearing that the disease could be spread, even from a corpse (52f). (The disease was, perhaps, some form of measles.) Smith told of one young man whom he watched die. At the time of his friend’s death, Smith was but a lad of sixteen years. He recounted the story this way, “Not long before he died, his father came into the room; his son said, ‘father what do you think of my situation?’  His father with tears replied, ‘my son, you are dying.’ He said, ‘do you think I am?’ ‘Yes,’ said his father. ‘Then (said he) if it is so, I am undone to all eternity; O, How can I die without Christ; I am undone! undone, forever!’ He uttered these words and died immediately” (53). After watching his young friend, as well as the three sisters earlier mentioned buried, Smith began to think on the words of his young …

I just finished reading two long articles written by those who once claimed membership in the Lord’s church that took the position that Romans 11:1 indicates that the physical nation of Israel is still to receive blessings as God’s people, for not only does Paul deny in verse one that God has not cast away his people, he says in verse 26 that all Israel will be saved. It is not enough to dismiss the remark with the statement that this is the same old false denominational premillennial argument (which it is) which has been disproved many times. Such statements may cause a person to accept or reject an argument or a doctrine on grounds that are prejudicial rather than scriptural. If an atheist, a liberal, a premillennialist or anyone else teaches a truth, we should accept it. Those whom we consider “giants in the faith” have the same responsibility to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” as anyone else, and to simply label a person or doctrine as premillennial or liberal has little bearing on the truthfulness or falseness of any position. Note some things that should cast light on the subject when carefully considered. First, let us notice some passages both in Old Testament and New which indicate that the physical state of Israel is no longer considered God’s chosen people, or elect nation. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth …

Coy Watson was a dear friend and brother in the Lord. We worshiped and served together some years ago during my local work in West Tennessee. Coy was a solid “Bible man.” He liked to read and study the Word. He liked to talk about the Word. He liked to listen to the preaching of the Word. In the latter months of his life, Coy struggled mightily with diabetes. The symptoms were most noticeable on his left foot. His toes tingled and had become discolored. Before long, they turned virtually black and lost all feeling. His physician in Jackson told him that surgery was necessary. Part of his foot would have to be amputated. His surgeon removed the infected members, but to no avail. The disease was incrementally spreading up his body. Within weeks a second medical procedure was required. This time he lost the better part of his leg. A third surgery took the toes on his right foot. Gangrene was taking Coy a piece at a time. Consider for just a moment, did Coy have “just” a toe problem, or did he have a body problem? Now stay with me for just a moment. Don’t get lost. I sometimes hear people say, “That’s not our (i.e., a group) problem, that’s his (i.e., an individual) problem.” Such a statement is not in harmony with reality. People problems are always group problems, not just individual problems. Study the examples below and then decide for yourself if this is the case. Is each “just” an …

Jesus does not have to wait until some indefinite time in the future to be crowned King since he, the seed of David, is already reigning on his throne from heaven. The prophet Gabriel told Mary, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33). John, the forerunner of Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, was sent of God to prepare the people’s hearts to receive Jesus, the Son of God, and enter into his eternal kingdom. Like John before him, Jesus preached the message of repentance: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The kingdom was soon to appear for the benefit of “Israel” as Jesus declared: “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). The kingdom came with power according to the plan of God on the first Pentecost day after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus when he had taken his seat to …

I customarily read the obituaries in the local newspaper and one morning I observed something unusual. A lady who recently died and in mentioning her kindred, the point was clearly made that she was the great, great, great granddaughter of George Washington. It was evident that her family members wanted the fact of this lady’s ancestry known. It seems that a basic need we have is to know who we are and where we came from. Alex Haley’s deep desire to know his family’s ancestry led him over an extended period of time to do much research and travel. He then wrote the book, “Roots.” We have known individuals who were adopted as children who made every effort to know the identity of their biological parents. While these people loved and appreciated their adopted parents, there was a real longing in their hearts to learn of their family background. Even in biblical times, we learn of the Jews’ great pride in being the offspring of Abraham. They would proudly exclaim that “Abraham is our father” (John 8:39). They seemed always to be involved in tracing their lineage back to the great patriarch. Paul warned Timothy not to give heed to “endless genealogies” (1 Timothy 1:4). The most important family relationship, however, is not the physical but the spiritual. Most of us cannot gloat in a ‘blue blood’ ancestry. By faith, having been baptized into Christ, we are the children of God (Galatians 3:26-27). “And if ye are Christ’s, then you …

I. Misconceptions About Spirituality 1. Monasticisim. A monk or a nun retiring “from the world under religious vows” is pursuing spirituality by privacy for concentration and fervency in personal praying. But retirement “from the world” is not what Jesus taught or practiced. He taught his disciples that, though they were “not of the world” (John 17:14), “yet they themselves” were “in the world” (John 17:11) with orders to “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Pointedly he told them “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), and “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Jesus did not seclude himself in a monastery. 2. Asceticism. An ascetic, living alone away from all human beings, believes that he “can reach a higher spiritual state by rigorous self-discipline and self-denial.” But the One who reached the highest spiritual state did not do so by abandoning all human contact. With him self-denial meant to meet as many people as possible, to go “about doing good” (Acts 10:38), “to seek and save” the lost (Luke 19:10). One of Jesus’ grandfathers wrote, “A loner is self-centered, and rages against all sound wisdom” (Proverbs 18:1). 3. Celibacy. Jesus was celibate for a special reason, but he did not ask others to follow his example. Instead, he approved of marriage as being ordained by his Father in heaven (Matthew 19:4-5). Moreover, he walked some 20 miles to attend a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-12). Further, his apostle taught that to forbid marriage …

Among other New Testament passages, Peter introduces us to “the elect” in his first epistle, chapter one, verse two: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” There are many false teachings propagated about the nature of election, but this definition is enough to fill our needs. If we examine carefully the text, we notice exactly who the elect are, and how they become such. According to this passage, the elect are “elect” due to both God’s actions, and man’s response to those actions. Included are these: “According to [“on account of,” Thayer] the foreknowledge of God the Father.” The knowledge of God concerning events before they happen does not make them so; it merely has the power and ability to declare them. His plan of election was in his mind before the world began (Ephesians 1:3-6; 3:11). “Through [by the means of] sanctification of the Spirit.” Jesus declared sanctification came through truth (John 17:17). Peter later declared purification (similar term) comes through obedience to truth (1 Peter 1:22). The Spirit guided men into all the truth (John 16:13). When one heeds the Spirit’s voice in Scripture today, he becomes sanctified by his obedient faith in that truth. “Unto [for the purpose of] obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Parallel terms are here joined by the conjunction “and.” Whatever is true of obedience is …

Last night just before dark, I had to go outside and take care of a few chores. We’re spending a few days down at our little shack on the lake and I needed to go check on some things down at the boathouse. As I walked down toward the lake, I couldn’t help but notice the sunset. The cypress trees, full of Spanish moss, were black, silhouetted against a cyan and pink sky. I thought to myself, “If only I had a camera.” I went on to the boathouse and finished in less than five minutes. As I started to walk across the pier, I glanced by over my shoulder to look at my sunset one more time. But the sky had darkened, the colors faded, the once beautiful sunset was gone. I thought, “It was here just a minute ago, now its gone, how could it disappear so quickly?” As I walked back to the house I just couldn’t get over how quickly the sunset had vanished. Our lives are like that sunset. We are here but a short time. The Psalmist wrote, “My days [are] like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass” (Psalm 102:11). Just like the setting of the sun, our lives are ever getting shorter. James described our lives as a “vapor” or puff of steam (James 4:14), full, thick, rolling and boiling with life. But no sooner does it begin to rise does it begin to evaporate. The shortness of life …

Introduction The text for our consideration at this time was written by Paul to the churches of Galatia, where he said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). It is of interest to note, in the current controversy regarding the role of women in the church, that it is a growing practice to attempt to use Galatians 3:28, with particular interest given to the phrase “neither male nor female,” to override and supersede plain New Testament instruction that calls for men to be in positions of leadership in the local church and the worship assembly. The purpose of this article is two-fold: First, to examine some of the many serious abuses of Galatians 3:28 in the current controversy; Second, to consider a brief contextual study of this crucial passage, and its meaning. Some Abuses of Galatians 3:28 The idea has long persisted in sectarian circles that there are no gender distinctions that are to be recognized in Christ. The one passage that has become the sole bastion of support for this falsehood has become Galatians 3:28. It has only been in recent years that this crucial passage has gained lofty notoriety among some in churches of Christ as authorizing everything from women passing communion trays during the Lord’s Supper to serving as elders in the local congregation. The way in which Galatians 3:28 has been employed in this controversy …

A recent issue of the Dallas Morning News “Religion Section” revealed this interesting statistic. “For years, the fastest-growing ‘religious group’ in America has been those who regard themselves as spiritual but not religious–the so called ‘none of the aboves,’ who, if asked their religious denomination, would say they have none. These ‘nones’ have more than doubled their numbers in the last 10 years. There are now more than 30 million of them in the United States. If they were a religious denomination, they would trail only the Catholic Church (with 67 million members) in size.” For some time, many have been making a distinction between being spiritual and being religious. Religion is equated with ritual and tradition, and so many reject the term. To them it is better to be spiritual, which they claim one can be by oneself, whenever one wants and wherever one may be. In their minds, religion requires church and all that goes with it. Being spiritual requires only a state of mind, which is defined by the person, not an organization. By this definition, you can feel spiritual and it not disrupt your routine or require anything from you, other than the feeling itself, of having genuine feelings. It offers greater appeal than the commitment being part of a church does. This is a misunderstanding of what being religious is. The term used in Scripture for religion/religious speaks positively of an attitude of mind which results in genuine devotion to God. Acts of mercy, love and holiness, …