The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
February 11, 2007
In
This Issue:
The
Behind-the-Back Pass
by
Steve Klein
Do
You Count Other Christians Your Partners?
by
Carrol Sutton
The Behind-the-Back Pass
Basketball fans know about the behind-the-back pass. A player comes dribbling the ball down the court, with a defender guarding him closely. The player with the ball moves one direction as a teammate moves to get open near the goal. Then it happens. Without looking, the player with the ball whips the ball behind his back in the direction of his teammate, who catches it, and hopefully finds himself in the open for an easy basket. The amazing thing about the behind-the- back pass is that, while he is passing, the passer usually sees neither his teammate nor the ball. He's blind to both (and usually, so is the defender).
We just don't see what we throw behind our backs.
The Scriptures use this metaphor in a couple of interesting ways. In 1 Kings 14:9 the Lord told wicked King Jeroboam, "but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back." The Lord issues a similar condemnation to the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 23:35: "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, Therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry.'" In both of these cases, individuals became so focused on their own worldly ambitions and pleasures that they threw God behind their backs. When they did so, they lost sight of Him. And when He was out of their sight, He was out of their minds and their lives.
How often do modern men and women do the same? We become so focused on our day to day wants and desires that we forget about God! Covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), prevents us from seeing and serving the God who lives!
The second way this "behind-the-back" metaphor is used in Scripture is found in Isaiah 38:17. Here, good King Hezekiah recalls how God had recently restored his health and blessed his life. He says, "Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back." When God throws our sins behind His back, they are out of His sight. They are forgiven!
Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of candor during a television interview, Marghanita Laski, a well known atheist and secular humanist, said, "What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me."
We are so blessed to have a God who throws our sins behind His back -- putting them out of His mind, and if we will accept it, out of ours as well.
--Steve Klein
Titus was Paul's partner. In II Corinthians 8:23, Paul said: "Whether any enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you&ldots;"
In writing to Philemon concerning Onesimus, Paul stated: "If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account. I Paul have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou oweth unto me even thine own self besides. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say" (Philemon 17-21). NOTE: In the above verses, Paul spoke of Titus and Philemon as his partners. FURTHER NOTE: Comrade, friend, associate, companion, and joint participant are some synonyms of partner.
HOW DO YOU COUNT OTHER CHRISTIANS?
1. How do you count other Christians? Do you count them as partners in the Lord's work? Or do you relegate them to a place of unimportance? Although we may have different roles to fill, we need to keep in mind that none of us are Masters, but we are all "brethren" as Christ taught in Matthew 23:8-10.
Do you participate with other Christians as comrades in the service of the Lord's Kingdom? You should, since you and true Christians are fellow citizens with the saints in the kingdom of God. No true saint is a stranger or foreigner, but is a fellow citizen and is in the household of God. (Read Ephesians 2:19).
Do you share with other Christians as associates and companions? Do you share your possessions when there is a need? (See Matthew 5:16; Colossians 1:10; II Thessalonians 2:17; II Timothy 2:21; Titus 2:14.) In worship in the public assemblies of the saints? (See Hebrews 10:24-25.)
Do you participate with other Christians as friends by sharing your time, kindness and love? (See Ecclesiastes 3:1; Mark 6:31; Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 4:31-31; Romans 12:10; I Corinthians 13:4; I Peter 1:22-25; I Thessalonians 3:12; Romans 12:9; etc.).
2. Do you count other Christians your partners to rejoice with when they rejoice and to weep with when they weep? You should! (See Romans 12:15; I Corinthians 12:25-26.)
-- Carrol R. Sutton Via The Instructor, Vol. 43, No. 2, February 2006