The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
June 24, 2007
In
This Issue:
Ignorant
is as Ignorant Does
by
Steve Klein
The
Narrow Door
by
Curtis E. Flat
Ignorant is as Ignorant Does
Forrest Gump's mother told him that, "Stupid is as stupid does." Behavior flows from the intellect, or in some cases, from the lack thereof. Those who are ignorant of important facts will behave as if they are ignorant of important facts.
Worldly behavior is the result of ignorance. Listen to the apostle Paul: "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, {18} having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; {19} who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." (Ephesians 4:17-19).
The reason that those in the world have given themselves over to lewdness is that they are willfully ignorant. They do not know or care that their actions are wrong and that they will suffer eternal consequences for them. They also do not seem to be aware that lewd and lust-provoking behavior will eventually bring grief in this life as well.
Ignorance is as ignorance does. That fact explains why we see so many TV commercials glorifying beer-drinking and revelry, why there are so many music videos with vulgar sex-charged lyrics and dancing, and why so many teenage girls idolize Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. It should not surprise us that the world finds it perfectly acceptable for virtually nude young people to swamp the beaches of the Gulf Coast during Spring Break. The world is ignorant! Few in the world even batted an eye when they learned of high school graduates from Birmingham, Alabama taking a trip to Aruba that involved evenings of hopping from one nightclub to another - of course everyone seemed shocked when Natalie Holloway disappeared. Ignorance!
Christians should know better than to behave like the world. God wants "obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance." (1 Peter 1:14). Lewd behavior is behavior that promotes lust. Behaviors such as drinking, dressing immodestly, and vulgar dancing are ignorant behaviors because they are lewd. The same could be said of actions that lead to premarital sex, such as extended "make-out" sessions.
Christians have no excuse for ignorant behavior. Christ has shown us how to live. Don't be ignorant, "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16).
--
Steve Klein
In a scene found in Luke 13:22-24, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. From one village to another he went. He taught as he went. The people listened. One responded to his teaching by saying: "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" The reply of Jesus was: "Strive to enter in by the narrow door." Here the kingdom of God - the church of the Bible - is thought of as a building with an entry that is called a narrow door. The question had to do with those being saved. Jesus an-swered as if the one asking the question knew the kingdom would be made up of the saved. Later we find that the church is actually made up of the saved people (Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23).
But Jesus did not stop at this point. He added: "For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Jesus did not explic-itly say "when" this seeking and rejection would be done, but the verses which follow certainly in-dicate that this will be at the time when entry is not possible.
Consider The Door
Since so much revolves about the door, let us consider this door. Jesus was surely saying that this door into the kingdom was a door of escape. It is the means of es-caping the domain of darkness at the same time there is entrance into the kingdom. Consider Colossians 1:13: "For he delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us into the king-dom of his beloved Son." Of course, Christ is that door of entry. (John 10:9) Inside the door the blessings are to be found in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
Consider The Narrow Door
Jesus said that the door is nar-row. It is narrow in the sense that it excludes so many. It is for those who "strive." This door is too narrow for the self-righteous. "For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). It is too narrow for those who have to have their own way in religion. Paul said of his people in Romans 10:3: "For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject them-selves to the righteousness of God." This door is too narrow for the immoral people. In Galatians 5:19-21, the apostle said that such cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. It is also too narrow for those morally good people who are outside of Christ. The good Gentile of Acts 10:1-3 certainly shows that to be so. It is also too narrow for any others who do not obey the gospel. According to 2 Thessalonians 1:8 and 9 when Jesus comes, he will be: "Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." INDEED, THE DOOR IS NARROW!
The Shut Door
After describing the door as being narrow, Jesus went on to show that the time will be when it is shut to some. Jesus continued: "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open the door to us,' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and you taught in our streets' and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being cast out." (Luke 13:25-25) How sad! This may be at death. (Heb. 9:27) This may be at the judgment. (Matt. 25:1 - 13) The shut door depicts hopeless exclusion. Still, to be on the inside when the door is shut will mean everlasting safety.
STRIVE TO ENTER THE DOOR!
-- Curtis E. Flat
Via Gospel Guide, Volume XXVI, No. 3, March 1994