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"In Season, Out of Season, Positive or Negative?"
Steven J. Wallace
Some
brethren have elevated themselves and have become content with a position as
a "judge" of sermons, of doctrine and of the Scripture as being "positive"
or "negative." I have always been leery of those who think they have the
authority to judge the Word as something "negative." I sometimes ask
churches when I hold a meeting if there is anything negative about
"convince," "rebuke," "exhort." Usually someone will think that "convince"
and "rebuke" are more "negative" and "exhorting" is more "positive."
Regardless,
Paul told preachers to preach "the word" which includes the "whole counsel"
and to do so in season or out of season with longsuffering (2 Tim. 5:2; Acts
20:20, 26, 27). It is "out of season" to preach what men like to judge as
"negative." Such will always be the case when brethren get bold enough to
judge God's word as "negative." (I always thought that if a person could
show me how to escape hell that such was a pretty positive thing!)
When people
begin making themselves judges of the law they have sinned by making
themselves above the law rather than keeping their place "under" the law.
James tells us,
"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of
liberty" (Jas. 2:12).
And again he
stated,
". . .But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge"
(Jas. 4:11).
If I understand
James' point, we cannot be partial in God's law. We cannot set aside part of
God's law and choose to obey another part, or we make ourselves judges
rather than doers. If we violate any part, if we reject any part, if
we despise any part, we then despise it all for it all condemns us (Jas.
2:4, 10). The next time you are asked to judge God's word as "negative"
think about this admonishment:
". . .Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!"
(Jas. 5:9).
The irony
is, that while some may think they are judging the preaching of the word, it
is the word that is judging them, "For the word of God is living and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12)
http://www.sunnysidechurchofchrist.com/positive_negativepreaching.html
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Five Views of Baptism (What view do you hold?)
Steven J. Wallace
Jesus stated nearly 2000 years
ago, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16). To the simple, unbiased and
unprejudiced mind, Jesus’ statement is very clear and easy to understand. It
is as easy to understand a doctor’s statement, “He who eats his food and
digests it will live; but he who does not eat will die.” All of us would
easily understand that unless we eat and digest, we will die! However, for
those who have allied themselves with human creeds and have been depraved
with worldly wisdom, Jesus’ simple statement becomes confusing and
contradicting. Although the Bible ALWAYS places water baptism (in
Jesus’ name) before salvation, men have sought ways to undermine His
authority and confuse the simplicity of our Lord’s teaching.
ATHEIST'S VIEW
For example,
the Atheist would say, “He who believes and is baptized will
NOT
be saved.” He has
rejected the existence of God and the authority of the Bible. Unbelievers
believe there is no God, yet one would have to be “God” himself to prove
such a position. For one to know that there is no God, he would have had to
have been everywhere, seen everything at once and know all things! Yet Jesus
had him in mind when he said, “. . .he who believes not shall be
condemned,” and again, “. . .he who does not believe is condemned
already” (Jn. 3:18). Truly “the fool has said in his heart ‘There is
no God.’ ” (Ps. 14:1).
UNIVERSALIST'S VIEW
The Universalist
approaches the scripture with the bias that God is a God of only love and
therefore He can never condemn anyone. They say, “He who believes
NOT
and is NOT
baptized shall be saved.”
While such a faith accepts the actuality of God, it rejects His word and
leaves, nonetheless, a corrupt and misguided picture of Deity. Warning!
“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”
(Jn. 12:48).
CATHOLIC'S
VIEW
The Catholic
comes along and teaches, “He who believes
NOT
and is baptized shall be saved.”
I say this as a former Catholic who was sprinkled as a baby. Catholics
baptize babies because of the erroneous view of inherited sin (Ezek. 18:20);
however, Bible baptism was NEVER administered to babies. Jesus taught that
babies are safe (Lk. 18:15-17). Notwithstanding, subjects of Bible baptism
must have first believed (see again Mark 16:16), yet faith comes by hearing
the word of the Lord (Rom. 10:17). How can a baby believe when they cannot
understand the word of the Lord? Can they also confess with their mouth the
Lord Jesus (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9, 10; Acts 8:37)? False doctrine makes us
believe unbelievable things!
PROTESTANT'S
VIEW
Then the
Baptist comes and says, “He who believes and is
NOT
baptized shall be saved.”
Yet is this what Jesus said? Is it Deity’s view? No amount of human
manipulation will change the eternal truth of Mark 16:16. Beware all of
these “NOTS” are formulated by men in the devil’s
“tale”
to cheat your soul!
JESUS' VIEW
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned”
(Mk. 16:16)
http://www.sunnysidechurchofchrist.com/5viewsofmark16.html
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Shall we Run to the Thief's Cross or Christ's?
Steven J. Wallace
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). Yet we find
many who in one sentence, articulate allegiance with Jesus, but in another
breath deny his word. One clear example of this is found in the various
teaching regarding salvation.
Several are
speaking about the salvation of the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39-43. We
do not deny the thief’s salvation; however, we do deny the false teaching
that has been circulated regarding him. Some reason as such: Jesus was
baptizing people before his death (John 3:22-26); he saved the thief on the
cross without baptizing him; therefore, baptism is not essential for
salvation. If this reasoning holds water, why not reason as such: Jesus
went about saving people before he died and shed his blood (Luke 5:20, 21);
he saved the thief before he died; therefore, his death and shed blood are
not essential to salvation? Any honest person can see the point and the
absurdity of such reasoning.
We must
recognize that the thief died under the Old Testament law and that Jesus’
New Testament would only come into effect after he died. “For where
there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead. . .” (Heb.
9:16, 17). The thief died under the Old Testament but we live under the New
Testament today. Here is the point. To safeguard against flawed reasoning
we must consider everything the Bible says on a given subject.
The Bible’s
teaching on salvation is:
· Hear the gospel (Romans
10:14-17)
· Believe the gospel (John
3:16; Romans 10:11)
· Repent of sins (Luke
13:3; Acts 17:30).
· Confess Christ: “that
if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Note:
the thief on the cross could neither believe nor confess this verse!
· Be Baptized: “He who
believes and is baptized shall be saved. . .” (Mark 16:16; cf. Acts 22:16; 1
Peter 3:21).
· Remain faithful to the
Lord (Rev. 2:10).
http://www.sunnysidechurchofchrist.com/thief_on_the_cross.html
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