The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
February 2, 2003
In
This Issue:
Four
Views of Faith
By
Austin Mobley
The
Worst Idea of the 20th Century
By
Steve Klein
Four Views Of Faith
Faith in God, and all involved in it, is indispensable to pleasing him (Heb. 11:6). Its importance can be seen in the fact that it is the means by which the grace of God is appropriated (Eph. 2:8-9); it is the principle by which the Christian lives (Gal. 2:20); it governs the man-ner of our daily walk in life (2 Cor. 5:17); and it is an integral part of the armor of the Christian (Eph. 6:16).
There is much confusion among religions as to what faith is and how it is obtained. Many think faith comes through feelings, some unusual emotional experience, or even a dream. Others have the false concept that faith comes through prayer. At least four views of faith are much in evidence today.
First is the rationalistic view of faith - the assent of the mind to a demonstrated truth. "The practice of guiding one's opinions and actions solely by what is considered reasonable" (Webster). This false view of faith demands that a thing be demonstrated before accepted. If it is not "reasonable" to the human mind, then it must be rejected. The rationalist would reject every miracle because he has not seen one. True faith cannot be put into a test tube; it has to do with "unseen things" (Heb. 11:1,3).
Second is the legalistic view of faith. This conceives a system of good works devised by man, which induces God to supply the faith that is lacking. "Conforming to a code of deeds and observances as a means of justification (Webster). The reasoning is this: if I just do the best I can, -God will make up the difference. This false concept has resulted in the counting of beads, offering human sacrifice, forbidding to marry, abstaining from meats, etc. At the judgment, Jesus will say to those who devise their own works, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (without law or faith) (Matt. 7:21-23).
Third is the fatalistic view of faith. This false view regards faith as a grace imparted by God and, if faith is withheld, it is not the fault of the sinner who refuses to believe. The fatalist leaves faith entirely up to the Lord who either bestows or denies it. There is no individual responsibility involved, but all events are determined by fate.
Fourth is the realistic view of faith. Webster defines reality as, " the character of being true to life or to fact; someone or something real; an actual person, event, situation, or the like." The realist believes that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). He believes that God has presented in His word the record concerning His Son, and men must believe that record. He places the most favorable construction upon what the Bible teaches and anticipates the best possible outcome if he accepts and obeys (Mk. 16:15-16; Rev. 2:10). His faith is real!
What is your view of faith?
--Austin Mobley,
via Guardian of Truth,
January 16, 1986
What was the worst idea of the 20th century? For 21 months Time Magazine conducted on online poll to answer that question. What would you have answered?
Personally, I think that legalizing abortion wins hands down. Here's an activity that takes the lives of 1.3 million innocent babies per year in the United States alone. Yet, it has been successfully defended in our courts with some of the most lame-brained reasoning ever generated by the human mind: namely, that abortion just involves a woman's right to choose her method of birth control. The truth is that 999 times out of 1,000, the woman in question has already chosen of her own free will to have sexual relations and conceive the child. According to the logic that supports the idea of legalized abortion, the unborn child has no right to choose to live. A father has no right to choose to see his own flesh and blood alive. Grandparents have no right to choose to love and cherish grandchildren. But a woman has a right to choose to snuff out a human life that she's already chosen to create. It's as bad an idea as ever there has been.
But, it was not the number one worst idea of the 20th century according to the poll. No, coming in first in the poll, behind such brilliant concepts as the designated hitter and Geraldo Rivera's opening of Al Capone's vault, was Prohibition. That's right, making it illegal to manufacture and sell alcoholic beverages is the idea most commonly regarded as the worst of the past century.
I've heard it said all my life that the noble experiment of prohibition failed. It's supposedly proof that "you can't legislate morality." Prohibition, we're told, presented an unbearable temptation to the average citizen to break the law, encouraged the development of organized crime and created corruption in law-enforcement. What's not generally admitted is that prohibition actually did curtail alcohol consumption. The following is from researchers at Ohio State University:
The best evidence available to historians shows that consumption of beverage alcohol declined dramatically under prohibition. In the early 1920s, consumption of beverage alcohol was about thirty per cent of the pre-prohibition level. Consumption grew somewhat in the last years of prohibition, as illegal supplies of liquor increased and as a new generation of Americans disregarded the law and rejected the attitude of self-sacrifice that was part of the bedrock of the prohibition movement. Nevertheless, it was a long time after repeal before consumption rates rose to their pre-prohibition levels. In that sense, prohibition "worked." (Austin Kerr, Ohio State University)
Not bad for a bad idea.
Satan is such a deceiver. Many in our society really believe that a better idea than prohibition is having a world filled with drunk driving, alcoholism, and hedonists whose intellectual discussions rise no higher than "tastes great, less filling." "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
My point is not that our nation needs to go back to prohibition, but that, as Christians, we should be very careful about buying into the world's concepts of good and bad. Remember, "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). The worst ideas of men are those which enslave him in sin and degradation and lead him to eternal destruction. Be not deceived my beloved brethren.
-- Steve Klein