The Heaton File

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (2 John 9-11)

The Doctrine Of Christ

What is the doctrine of Christ? A doctrine is a body of beliefs or principles of law established by teaching or instruction. The doctrine of Christ is the formation of the laws of God concerning the salvation of man. Throughout His ministry, Jesus spoke of His words as the words of the Father. After His death, the disciples of Jesus took the words of their Lord and taught them to others who were disciples or learners of the doctrine of Christ. The complete body of truth is found in the doctrine given by God through His Son Jesus Christ and Him alone. There is no other true doctrine. If a belief or teaching is not according to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, there is no truth.

John makes it clear that not abiding within the teachings of Jesus would bring the disfavor of God. When a man does walk according to the precepts of Christ, he has no relationship with God. Fellowship with the Father demands obedience to the word of Christ. Someone can’t claim to be a Christian and refuse to follow the law of God in Christ. Jesus reminded His disciples in the mountain sermon that calling Him “Lord, Lord” did not suggest salvation. Truth must be founded upon the will of the Father, and without obedience to the law, there is no salvation. Since there is only one Lord, there can only be one doctrine.

John made it very clear to the early disciples of Christ, accepting any other gospel than that which was delivered to the saints would bring the wrath of God. There was to be no fellowship with those who refused to abide in the doctrine of Christ. In the first century church, there were no other doctrines accepted. Apostasy came from doctrines such as John writes about in the Revelation, like the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (which God hated) and the doctrine of Balaam. These were doctrines contrary to the doctrine of Christ. There was only one church and one doctrine. Accepting any other doctrine was sinful. John goes further to tell the saints not to allow false doctrines to come into the home. There can be no harmony between the doctrines of men and the doctrine of Christ. Accepting a person who teaches error is to join in their evil deeds.

Religion has become more of a compromise than a distinct set of doctrines. In a ‘cancel’ world of denying distinct laws of authority, people look at the many churches and faiths as an expression of the will of men serving the will of God. Prayers are offered thanking God for the diversity of religion that abounds in the world. The apostle John, by authority of the Holy Spirit, writes that to abide in any doctrine other than the doctrine of Christ will not bring blessing but wrath. There is only one doctrine, one faith, one church (body), one Lord, and there is only one God (authority). Rejecting the teachings and instructions of Jesus Christ will not bring joy. Accepting the doctrines of men does not please the Lord. Abiding in the doctrine of Christ brings the blessing of the Father and the Son. There is only one doctrine: Jesus Christ.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

The Word Of Truth

From the beginning of time, God has revealed His mind for men to know and understand what they must do to be saved. Sin brought condemnation and the fear of God’s wrath. Christ came into the world to become the atonement for sin through His blood. Entrance into the kingdom of God is only through the Son of God. The only way of salvation is Jesus Christ. Eternal life can only come by the blood of God’s Son. The whims of human wisdom do not measure truth but the word of truth that comes from the Father. There are two distinct elements to the way of salvation. First is the necessity of the word to impart knowledge, and second, a body of truth that will tell a man how to be saved. The word of truth is the information given by the grace of God showing sinful men how to find hope in eternal life.

There are many words spoken today that are powerful, but they are not according to truth. False doctrines or false truths are presented as the word of God. The world is filled with different churches teaching different doctrines with many avenues of salvation offered within each distinctive group. Some teach salvation by faith alone as truth. One group believes in following a man in Rome as God on earth. Churches vary in their patterns of worship, organization, doctrines, and membership. There are volumes of differences in the religious world defining truth by the word of their belief. While professing allegiance to Jesus Christ, they deny His teaching and His truth.

The word of truth is the body of truth that comes solely from the mouth of God. Paul admonished Timothy to examine the word of God in a proper manner to understand the word of truth. When Paul wrote his second letter, the canon of the New Testament had not been completed, but there were many books established as authoritative as truth. The Old Testament was truth verified by Jesus speaking of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. In the present world, the fully revealed word of God has been delivered for all men to read and understand the mystery of God as presented through the Holy Spirit, inspiring men to write the will of the Father. The sixty-six books of the Bible is not a book of myths but the complete revelation of God’s word – the word of truth. Everything from Genesis to the Revelation is the mind of God delivered to the world to know how to find eternal life. There is no other truth, no other book, and no other revelations. If truth is to be found, it must be contained within the pages of the Bible.

Finding truth requires looking in the right place. Understanding the truth of God demands acceptance of the Bible as the fully revealed and complete word of God. The Bible cannot be trifled with by taking away its doctrines or adding to the word of God. Rightly dividing the word of truth is examining with a proper spirit how God has revealed His word. The word of truth sees the importance of the Old Testament to learn about the Divine and accept the message of the New Testament as the only means salvation can be found. The church of Christ is the only body where the saved are found, and those who give allegiance to the Lord must do so with complete obedience to the word of truth. There is no other truth. Whatever is believed and accepted is found in scripture because truth resides in the word of God. The word of truth. Jesus is the word, and Jesus is the truth.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:15-16)

God Is Love

The greatest hope that man can find in a dark and unyielding world is the knowledge that beyond the clouds of doubt, fear, hatred, and hopelessness resides a God that is fully capable of love beyond the bounds of understanding. Nothing is redeeming about the nature of man. From the beginning, the sway of rebellion has been in the heart of men. The greater portion of humanity has rejected the overtones of a loving God to live for the moment and die for their pleasures. Noah only saw seven other souls that were righteous in a world destroyed by the flood. Moses witnessed the death of his people for forty years because they rebelled against the power of the Almighty. The nation of Israel rose to be the greatest nation on earth before falling headlong into destruction with only a remnant to be saved. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth and was murdered on a Roman cross by His own people, the Jews. As He died, Jesus prayed to the Father to forgive humanity. God is love.

How can man explain the longsuffering of God? Where can the human mind find compassion, forgiveness, and mercy in a wholly evil creation? God is not love because He is a loving being. He is the fullest expression of love because He is love. The abiding love of God is the manifestation of eternal mercy to allow a sinful world to find grace in the death of God’s Son. God’s love begins with believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Without a conviction that Jesus is God, there is no hope and no love. It either starts with Jesus or ends with Jesus. God is love because Jesus is the Son of God. The totality of the life of Jesus is the embodiment and expression of how much God loves man. God spoke the world into existence, and He will destroy it by the same word. Instead of destroying the world by His word, God sent His Son, the Word, into the world so that all men could find abundant life. Why? God is love.

When a man comes to understand that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the love of God abides in him. He sees clearly the grace of God saving worthless men, the mercy of God delivering rebellious hearts, and the act of love in sending His Son to die for the sins of all humanity. As Jesus suffered incredible pain on the cross at the hands of His tormentors, He prayed to Father to forgive them. What man is there that does not bear the shame and reproach of why Jesus was nailed to the cross? Jesus died two thousand years ago, and He was delivered up by the Jews to be executed by Roman law, but every time I sin on earth, I am the one who drove those nails and mocked Him and denied Him. There is no man worthy of the death of Jesus. He lived a sinless and perfect life and died perfected by His Father as the unblemished sacrifice of the lamb. Jesus died for my sin – every one of them. Why? God is love.

The children of God manifest love toward others because the Father showed His love to humanity by sacrificing His Son. Love is not defined by words but actions. To know the love of God, the offerings of the Father express the eternal nature of His love. As children of the Father of love, the Christian is to be filled with forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and the love of God. Love must be an abiding characteristic that resides in the soul every day. It is not a prosthetic that is put on when needed. The world must see in the life of the Christian the spirit of God’s love living within them by the example of their lives. Abiding in God is where true love is found because the conclusion of the matter is: God is love.

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:27)

Guilty Of The Body And The Blood

The Corinthian church was in a spiritual conflict. Division filled the hearts of the saints, immorality was condoned, authority was being abused, and a concern for how the church was remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ filled the pages of the apostle’s letter. After Paul addressed the conflict of authority in the church, he rebuked the brethren for their lack of consideration for the communion of Christ. He reminded them of when Jesus instituted the supper as a memorial of His sacrifice and the admonition to reflect upon the eternal nature of the feasts. Sadly, early in the church’s infancy, the Lord’s Supper had become a common meal with little or no regard for the worship of remembrance.

One of the strongest languages used about the importance of the Lord’s Supper is found in the Corinthian letter. The church had not come together for the good but the worse. They should have been ashamed of their conduct, but they were not. After reminding them of the pattern of the institution, Paul makes very clear the consequence of their rebellion. Taking the communion in an unworthy manner brings guilt before the throne of God. Paul does not suggest any man is worthy of the sacrifice of Christ in the eternal sense. No one can stand worthy of God’s love. His point about worthiness is the attitude of heart that accompanies the communion. The Lord does not look on the outside but on the heart of a man. Taking the supper of the Lord is a matter of the spiritual yearning for the blessing of God.

There is a need to open the heart and examine one’s life when the supper of Christ is given. This moment in the worship of God’s people is central to the purpose and design of salvation. The Feast of the Passover was not a time for the Hebrews to eat some bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and drink the fruit of the vine. It was a time of contemplation on the memory of what it cost to deliver the people from bondage. The Egyptians suffered terrible losses with the death of every firstborn among men and cattle. Untold thousands of lives were sacrificed that night to atone the deliverance of God’s people. During the Feast of the Passover, God wanted the Hebrews to remember the price paid by the Egyptians to free them. The sacrifice of the Egyptians is nothing compared to the cost of God’s only begotten Son being offered as a sacrifice for the sins of every man. Jesus was the sinless Son of God who gave His blood to redeem every man.

One of the New Testament church pillars is to remember what it cost God to save mankind. He demands His people assemble together on the first day of the week and remember the Father’s love in giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin. Taking the Lord’s Supper in a frivolous, uncaring, and unloving way brings shame upon the name of Jesus Christ, counts the blood of the covenant by which all men are set apart as common and unholy, and insults and disdains the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to all men. The warning of Paul reminds those who gather for the communion to be very aware of what they are doing. This was not the case at Corinth, and it was sinful.

A final observation about the warning by Paul is that he challenges the Corinthians to consider themselves and examine themselves when they take of the supper. It has always been a problem in the church of the Lord for some of God’s people to take a casual view about assembling with the saints. There are untold reasons people decide to miss “church services” for work, recreation, laziness, and lack of faith. The problem comes from the misguided notion that church attendance is not required on Sunday. That is incorrect. What is required is for the child of God to assemble with the body of saints to take of the Lord’s Supper (among other things). It should also be noted the Lord’s Supper is the only worship that specifically has penalties attached to it by abusing the supper. There are suggested penalties attached to the other but nothing as clear as the supper. If a man is challenged when present to the manner he takes of the supper, what kind of view does God have of those who are unwilling to assemble with the saints? The Lord’s Supper is something that requires coming together. It cannot be done through a proxy. It requires assembling.  When a man does not take of the supper in a worthy manner, he is guilty of the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. If a man chooses not to assemble with the saints, will his guilt not be greater?

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:20-22)

If You Believe Jesus Is Real

In a recent poll titled the “American Worldview Inventory 2020” by Dr. George Barna, Director of Research for the Cultural Research Center, research has revealed a “razor-thin 51% majority of Americans believe in a biblical view of God – this is down from 73% thirty years ago. This research adds to the mounting evidence that Americans are both redefining – and rejecting – God. Americans are almost evenly divided on the nature of Jesus Christ. Overall, 44% agreed that ‘when He lived on earth, Jesus Christ was fully divine and also fully human, and therefore committed sins, like other people.’ Slightly fewer (41%) viewed Jesus as fully divine and fully human, and sinless while on earth.” (Dr. Craig von Buseck; https://inspiration.org)

There is a great irony suggesting that Jesus was a real person and that He lived on the earth and yet disbelieved He was what He claimed to be, the Son of God. Studies have examined the texts of the gospels, trying to determine if the stories are true, with conclusions often returning that much of what is written about Jesus is a fabrication of human philosophy. There is an uneasy calm between wanting to believe that a man called Jesus lived in Nazareth two thousand years ago and accepting Him as a divine being. The great ploy of Satan is to allow men to accept that Jesus was a real person but then reject that He was anything more than a good man who went about doing good things.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John paint a very different picture of Jesus because they are the only ones whose writings are preserved to tell His story. The man Jesus is hinted at by many sources as a real person, but only the gospel writers detail the life of Jesus in His teachings and miracles. John claims that what he wrote should convince the reader that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Luke tells the story of Jesus asking His disciples who the crowds say that He was. There were many different opinions of people of what to make of the man from Nazareth. It was hard for some to see Jesus as divine because they could only see Him as a carpenter’s son. Peter spoke up and said that Jesus was the Christ of God. Jesus tells His disciples that He must suffer many things from the Jewish leaders, and they will kill him. The elders, chief priests, and scribes will reject Jesus as the Christ and have him killed through the authority of the Roman government.

On more than one occasion, Jesus says that when He is killed, He will rise from the dead. That is a remarkable claim. No man has made such a claim and proven its fulfillment. During the early days of the church, more than five hundred people claimed to have seen Jesus after His death. The New Testament church was established upon the faith of thousands of people willing to die for a risen Savior. Outside Jerusalem, an empty tomb stood as testimony to the proof of the resurrection. A dead man was put in the tomb, sealed with a huge stone, and guarded by the elite of the Roman army. The only way Jesus could have been taken out of the tomb was by the power of God. Jesus said He would rise from the dead, and He did.

The challenge to believe in Jesus is whether a person accepts the word of Jesus or to admit Jesus was the greatest con man in history and a prolific liar. It is contradictory to hear a man say he believes Jesus is a real person and then turn around and deny what Jesus said. Jesus claimed to be God, He claimed to have the power to forgive sins, He showed miraculous powers even the Jewish leaders never denied, and everything about the life of Jesus shows Him to be divine. The philosophies of men are contradictory to accept Jesus as real and then turn away from what He said. Either the story of Jesus is true, or it is a lie. If Jesus is a liar, then He is not a good man. Gandhi was a good man, but he never claimed to be the Son of God and promise he would rise from the dead. Jesus said He would be killed and raised the third day. He died on a Roman cross, buried in a new tomb guarded by Roman soldiers, and raised the third day by the power of God. If you believe Jesus is real, you have no choice but to accept the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of the living God.

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore, he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor. Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much spoil. Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them. They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 14:2-15)

Defeating An Army Of One Million Men

The largest army in the present-day world is China, boasting an army of 1.6 million troops. India has the second-largest military with a population of 1.2 million, followed by the United States with a combined number of active-duty, reserve, and National Guard members at one million. A little over eight hundred years before Christ, Ethiopia came against Asa, king of Judah, with an army numbering one million men. When Asa heard of the approaching army of Ethiopia, his heart must have felt an overwhelming crush of fear at fighting against a seemingly impossible foe. The army of Judah only numbered 300,000 men who carried shields and spears, with an additional army of 280,000 from Benjamin. The odds were 2-1 at best, to say nothing of the three hundred chariots of the Ethiopians.

Asa did not flinch, and he did not cower inside Jerusalem. The king of Judah took his army into the Valley of Zephathath at Mareshah and set his troops in battle array. The Ethiopian king came with a million soldiers, and Asa came with the Lord God Almighty. Asa’s prayer is a powerful declaration of faith and trust in the power of the Lord to do the impossible. The king knew that God would help His people. History was filled with the victories of the Israelites over incredible odds, including the defeat of Egypt many generations before with Moses. Asa knew that God had not forsaken His people. As a godly king, Asa had sought to turn the remaining remnant of Israel back to serving the one true God. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and observe the law and the commandment. Asa trusted in the power of God to over a million-man army.

God had the power to win a battle with an army of 580,000 men or one young man in the Valley of Elah. The Lord had shown through King David that one man standing alone with God could defeat all the Goliaths of the world. When the Ethiopians came against Asa, he was the David and Ethiopia the Goliath. Asa knew that God could defeat any army, whether with many or those with no power. His faith is remarkable. There was no doubt or fear in the heart of Asa. He stood before the Ethiopian army with full assurance that victory would be given. The prayer of Asa put all confidence in the power of God. Godly people rest their faith on the will of the Lord and in His name. With a shout of defiance against the million-man army of Ethiopia, Asa cried out, “O Lord, You are our God: do not let man prevail against You.” And it was done. The Ethiopians were completely defeated, overthrown, and they could not recover.

There is a greater foe standing before the child of God. Paul describes the enemy beyond the terms of one million men when he writes about the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places that defy the will of God. Satan leads the charge against the people of the Lord. One child of God who kneels in prayer can defeat the vast army of the devil. A life filled with the word of God can destroy the influence of the hosts of wickedness. Death is no longer feared by the people of God through Christ, who overcame death and gave the victory to His disciples. Every Christian should pray the prayer of Asa, who believed in the overwhelming power of God to win the victory against insurmountable odds. One man standing alone with God is the greatest army in the world. Bring it on, Satan.

Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ “—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Mark 11:27-33)

Without Authority Is Without God

The conflict of good and evil has always been fought on the battlefield of authority. This was true before the world was created as God prepared a plan to destroy Satan and his spiritual hosts of wickedness. The authority of the Divine Godhead versus the rebellion of the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness is where the deciding moment of truth is found. Satan challenged the authority of God when he deceived Eve in the garden. The destruction of the world in the days of Noah came about because all but eight souls followed the word of the evil one. Israel was a great nation created to show the glory of the Lord, but when they rejected the authority of the word of God, they were destroyed. Jesus faced harsh criticism from the Jewish leaders who tried vainly to trap Him in His speech, dismiss His powers, and sway the multitudes to turn away from Him.

There came a day when the chief priests, scribes, and elders realized that to undermine the teachings of Jesus, they would need to attack His authority. Ironically, by their attack on Jesus, they declared the essential elements of divine truth. Everything in the world requires authority, and authority must be given by someone who has the power to exercise that authority. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus two questions. First, by what authority does Jesus act. Second, the leaders wanted to know who gave the carpenter’s son from Nazareth His authority. Unknowingly, the question was the proof of who Jesus was and why He had come. The priests, scribes, and elders recognized authority was needed, and the transference of that power must be given by one who has the right to carry out that authority. That is the basis of religion or the foundation of the purpose of man and the will of God.

Jesus answered with a question to the Jewish leaders about the baptism of John. Was it from heaven or from men? The Lord reminds His critics that all authority on earth comes from the human wisdom or the will of God. There is no third choice. Everything man does will come from the mind of God or the mind of man. God ordains governments, but the laws of men are established according to their own will. The relationship of eternal matters can only be settled by the authority of God. Within the structure of a government, men have the right to exercise dominion in whatever fashion they choose. They have this right according to the dominion of human wisdom upon the earth. Eternal matters can only be settled in heaven, and God is the only one who establishes what is right and wrong. All authority on earth will end, but the authority of the eternal nature of God will not. Man is created in the image of God, which requires him to subject himself to the authority of God. Eternal life comes from the law of God, which determines who will be saved and who will be lost.

The key to understanding authority comes from the reality of what happens after death. Authority on earth will end when God destroys the universe on the last day. Whatever laws created through the generations of men will be extinct. Only the word of God will remain, and by it, all souls will be judged. The submission to God’s authority must be foremost in the lives of those who believe in God and desire eternal life. Accepting the existence of God is not enough. Salvation comes by obeying the will of the Lord and submitting to His authority. Without authority, a man is without God. Going beyond the word or subtracting from the word will bring consequences to those who refuse to accept authority from the Lord. Everything must be done in accordance with the authority of God.

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:6-8)

Old Wives Fables

Man’s imagination has created wonderful stories of childhood that fill the mind with fantasy, creativity, and inspiration. Walter E. Disney took a mouse and built an empire on the whimsical tales of heroines and villains that remain a culture of its own. Stories handed down from generation to generation created legacies of family treasures of gnomes, fairies, and leprechauns. All of these stories are vivid creations of the mind given by God to entertain and amuse and, for the most part, harmless. There is a danger when myths become part of the standard of belief in the will of God where men have more faith in the legends than in the word of God. The purity of the word of God has always been under attack by the philosophical renderings of Satan’s whimsical allurement to change what God has said. It seems innocuous at first, but then it takes a life of its own.

An example of this is found in the story of a fifth-century missionary by the name of Patrick. He was known as the “apostle of Ireland.” One legend said when Patrick died, his friends refused to bury his body. After four days, the “body swelled up, burst, and emitted profusely the most marvelous perfume men had ever smelled” (James Burton Coffman). The legend of the shamrock is from a story that Patrick used the flower to describe the Godhead. Other legends about Patrick include banishing all snakes from Ireland, his walking stick grew into a living tree, and he spoke with ancient ancestors. St. Patrick’s Day was established by the Roman Catholic Church in the 17^th Century.

Paul warned Timothy of how the imagination of men would creep into the church and fill the hearts of the weak and unsuspecting of godless ideas and tales told by old women. These were irreverent and silly myths that took on more importance than the word of God. The danger is going beyond what the Bible says and believe in stories that are not true. Christmas is a classic example of an old wives fable when people believe the wise men visited Jesus at His birth and a star hovered above the manger of the newborn. Nothing is further from the truth but trying to convince people is nearly impossible. Sadly, more faith is put in fables and myths than the clearly written word of God. When men begin to follow myths more than the word, they are led astray to their own destruction.

Combatting the error of old wives’ fables is done by staying in the word. God has delivered His will in written form so that everyone can read and understand the knowledge of the Divine. Traditions are often more powerful than truth. Practices are followed because that has been the way things have been done for generations. The failure of studying the scriptures has led to many doctrines being followed that were never in the original pattern of the New Testament church. Most churches use instrumental music as if it were part of the early church; not realizing it is a modern innovation. There is never a record of the saints using an instrument of music. Salvation by faith alone is an old wives fable. In other words, it is a myth, an untrue, a made-up story from the imagination of human philosophy.

The Athenians were known as people who loved to hear and discuss some new things. A new thing can be an old thing. The Holy Spirit warns about following deceptions of men that lead men away from the one trustworthy source of divine will. Godliness is a character that expresses sole dependence on the word of God and His word alone. It is necessary to reject all false doctrines as fables. Little children enjoy a tall tale because they don’t know any better. Serious children of God must know the difference and know what to reject.

The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. (Psalm 111:2)

Pondering The Deeds Of God

There is little doubt the universe is a wonder to behold. The night sky is filled with so many stars, human wisdom can’t count them. With all the technology and advancement of science, no computer can calculate the numerical tally of the heavenly hosts with precise clarity. This knowledge is hampered by the reality that much more lies beyond when a man reaches the limits of space. The oceans teem with life that still reveals secrets never known the man. It is hard to believe that 80% of the earth’s oceans have yet to be explored and mapped by humankind. Every year, new species of aquatic life are found. The world abounds with new discoveries and places on earth that are unknown, both terrestrial and subterrestrial. Science continues to open doors never imagined by human wisdom before. The study of DNA has changed the face of medical science, including the field of forensic science. Medicines have evolved to complex treatments of targeted cancers and diseases, helping to save countless lives.

Looking at all the incredible wonders of the world, a man can fill his mind with such knowledge that it is too vast for him to comprehend. The mistake in human wisdom is to attribute such knowledge to an evolutionary series of millennial mistakes forming a union of design to create life. The world is a science lab of divine discovery for the man who believes in an eternal God. One thousand years before Christ, the psalmist sees the world as the work of God, and he takes pleasure in peering into the unfolding elements of his universe. He sees the hand of God in everything. The world shows the glory of the Creator. Through the word of God, the psalmist understands the power of the Divine works. The knowledge of God assures the psalmist that all the Lord does is just and good, and all the commands of God are trustworthy.

The awe of the psalmist comes from examining the works of God. He is astounded by the creative majesty of the universe and the incredible wisdom of the word of God. His life is spent studying the world and spending countless hours meditating on the will of the Father. There is nothing he ponders he cannot find from his search of the mind of God. He learns where he came from, why he walks on the earth, and what lies on the other side of the river of death. All of his questions are answered in his faith in the Divine, and he is humbled by such knowledge. The focus of his life is directed by one cause, and that is God.

Knowledge is given to all men to come to know the Lord and to find redemption in the Son of God. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to all men so that no one will be found lacking. Creation declares the glory of God, and the word of God determines the counsel of God. Both are necessary to understand the life that now is and that which is to come. Human wisdom will always fail, but God’s word endures. It took the psalmist only 162 words to declare the simple truth of God’s works and the wonder of His hands for generations. His words remain, and the truth of God’s faithfulness and justice continues. There is reason to praise the Lord, and the psalmist does so with his full heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. Look around you. Praise God.

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:19-23)

Not Ashamed To Die

The apostle Paul was languishing in a Roman prison when he wrote his letter to the saints in Philippi. He was not despondent or downtrodden by his experience, as evidence by the amount of joy and rejoicing sprinkled throughout the book. There was much Paul was thankful for. He had a positive view of his circumstance, a hopeful expectation of the Philippian church, and a powerful understanding of life and death. It was not clear how the imprisonment would turn out for the apostle. Would he suffer death at the hands of the Romans or be released to preach the gospel? The latter became his future but only for a short time. Paul would be arrested again, and the blade of a Roman sword set his soul free to see his Lord face to face. Death was a familiar companion to Paul. He knew of many Christians who suffered death because they served the King of Kings. His place of honorable death would not come with a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Paul faced death without fear and shame. He knew if he was delivered from prison, there was much work to be done. However, if he suffered death, he knew it would be for the glory of Christ. There would come a day when Paul would be arrested and not delivered from death. Understanding the reality of death was vital to his service as a Christian. Paul could only imagine how much work had to be done to teach people, encourage the saints, establish churches, and further the cause of Christ. But God had not entrusted that work totally to the life of the apostle. As with all men, Paul would die, and others would take up the work. There was a fire burning in Paul that wanted to save lost souls until the coming of the Lord. His time was limited, and it was short. To live was Christ. There was a need to stay and preach. The glory of God would be magnified in the body of Paul. That was not the plan of God. Death will come to everyone regardless of how busy they are in the kingdom of God. Paul’s time was complete, and he joined the hosts of heavenly redeemed.

The way a person views life and death will measure how they face the trials of life. There is a misguided view living is “better than the alternative.” Many things hold the heart captive in this life. Family, friends, magnificent earth, the desire to see life blossom, and the joy of this mortal world. Death is feared with great anxiety. It is viewed with dread and doom. This should not be the case for the Christian. The world is filled with suffering, sadness, pain, misery, and hopelessness. Nothing in this world can be compared to what waits for the child of God. For the person who is not redeemed, there is much to fear. Sadly, Satan has put this same fear in God’s children. If a person is a child of God, there is nothing to fear about dying. Paul looked at death with both eyes and said he would be glad to die. Death was a “gain” for the apostle. Great faith comes from understanding the value of death. The reality of death is inevitable and why people try to deny death is remarkable. It will happen to everyone. The difference is how a person views death.

Paul suffered death by a Roman sword, but the cruelty of the moment was the blessing death afforded the weary apostle. Did Paul remember the faith of Stephen as he was dying at the hands of the mob Paul was a part of? Were the words of Stephen filling the mind of Paul as he himself said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and do not charge them with this sin?” Christians have faced death from persecution, famine, sword, disease, pestilence, and tragedy for two thousand years. Is there no joy in the death of God’s saints? A man faces death with courage from a cancer that has ravaged his body because he knows the love of God. He will miss his wife and children, but they know how much he loves God. Sorrow experienced in death is but for a short time. There are many unanswered questions about why people die. Even in the COVID world of a virus that has taken so many of God’s people, questions are asked about why. The answer remains the same for the child of God. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul was not ashamed to die. He knew its ultimate blessing. There is heartbreak in the loss of our dear brethren, but oh, the joy they experience in death when angels carry them to the bosom of Abraham. Are you hard-pressed between the two – having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better? Find the peace of God in knowing the death is but a “sleep.” And then we awake. Praise God.