The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
June 26, 2005
In
This Issue:
The
"Beat" Goes On
by
Steve Klein
"Faith
Only" -- The Picture of a Dead Man
by
Dwight McGee
The "Beat" Goes On
Religious differences are one of the main causes for the continuing violence in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. But violence in the name of religion occurs often in other places; in fact, it is a daily occurrence worldwide. As evidence, here are a handful of the numerous incidents reported from various news agencies just last week.
The following is part of a report in the June 22nd issue of the Bangkok Post (Thailand) Within a seven-day period starting June 14, ten people were killed, including a retired teacher and a Laotian couple who were beheaded. And on Tuesday, three Islamic religious teachers were shot dead in Pattani by unknown assailants&ldots;.Islamic insurgents have been blamed for perpetrating most of the violent incidents, the three recent beheadings included.
From Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Associated Press reported this: Roman Catholic hard liners assaulted police and Protestant marchers in a religiously polarized part of Belfast and about 30 people were injured, Northern Ireland police said yesterday. The violence flared as a parade by Protestants of the Orange Order brotherhood passed a crowd of hostile Catholics&ldots;. Hundreds of police in riot gear kept the two sides apart, but Catholic men and youths spent more than an hour hurling bottles, bricks and at least 10 gasoline bombs at the police lines. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said 18 officers were injured, but none seriously. The 11 injured civilians included a 14-year-old girl with a broken arm
Christianity Today carried a story this last week about the increasing violence against Protestants in Turkey. One congregation has been under attack with attempted arsons, thrown Molotov cocktails, and vandalism. Last month, the preacher of the church woke up to find a red swastika painted on his door, with a note warning that more harassment would come if he did not move within a month.
My question is, if there is so much religious violence all over the world, why is there comparatively so little of it here in the United States? Don't get me wrong; I am thankful that there is not a lot of religious violence here. I am not hoping for an increase of it in our country or suggesting that Christians should be causing violent confrontations. Any religion whose followers feel that it must be advanced or defended by violent force isn't worth much. If a religion cannot stand on its own merits because it blesses people's lives and gives them hope for the future, why would anyone even want to fight for it? The religion of Jesus Christ is not advanced by physical violence, but by a spiritual sword, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). In John 18:36, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." But the Bible also says that, "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). So why isn't there more violent persecution in America? Possible reasons are as follows:
-
Maybe no one is living a godly life. But I find this hard to believe. Granted, there aren't many striving to live godly, but a believe I know a few who are, and I imagine that you do too.
- Maybe material prosperity has caused a lack of zeal for spiritual things.
That is human nature, isn't it? The Bible has many descriptions
of people in this condition, notably the Laodiceans who were
"lukewarm" in their spirituality because they said, "I
am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' (Revelation 3:17).
The wise man of Proverbs 30 prayed that God would not give him
riches, lest he "be full" and deny the Lord. (Proverbs 30:8-9).
- Maybe the persecution in America is of a different kind.
Not all persecution involves physical violence. Jesus said,
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you,
and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's
sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is
great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the
prophets" (Luke 6:22-23). In our country, Christians and
their values are regularly demonized and denigrated in public forums.
This persecution is just as real as physical violence.
- Maybe God is answering prayer. The New Testament instructs us to pray for political leaders so "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). In America, godly people can indeed lead quiet and peaceable lives, suffering only the non-violent persecution mentioned earlier.
These are perhaps a few of the reasons for the lack of violent persecution in our land. In such a climate, we have little excuse for not striving to live godly lives, focused on the spiritual rather than the material. We may well suffer for it, but not necessarily in the violent way that many others in the world do. And let us thank God everyday that we live in a land where godly people can still live quiet and peaceable lives.
-- Steve Klein
"Faith Only" -- The Picture of a Dead Man, Motionless and Still
Would you compare "faith only" with a dead man? Would you use such a strong figure to describe "faith only"? Well, God would. Share with me from God's word: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 'Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled'; not withstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, o vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 1:14-26).
There you have it - a hard look at "faith only." Some say they believe that a person is saved by "faith only." Let's look at some arguments mentioned in the above scriptures that are against the doctrine of "Faith only."
The first biblical argument is to compare "faith only" with the cruelty of meeting someone who is hungry and telling them to be full, but not giving them anything to eat. Sounds like dead faith to me. A second argument is that faith is seen through works. Our faith is manifest in our obedience to the gospel through baptism and faithful keeping of the law of God. Thirdly, he mentioned that even devils believe; that does not leave "faith only" in very good company, does it? Next, we are pointed to Abraham, the great example of faith from the Old Testament. We are told that it was through works that he was justified and his faith shown. In the next argument, we find the only time the words "faith" and "only" are found together in the New Testament. We are simply told that we are not justified in this way. After being given the example of Rahab, we are finally told that just as a corpse is dead, so is faith without works.
There is no room for "faith only" in the life or doctrine of a true follower of God. May God help us with the proper understanding of His doctrine of salvation and with the proper practice of it so that we can be saved and live forever with our Father in heaven.
-- Dwight McGee,
Via Great Plainness of Speech, Riverbend church of Christ
May 1995