The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
November 16, 2003
In
This Issue:
Those
We Love
by
Gilbert Alexander
Is
God Mad at You?
by
Steve Klein
Those We Love
Our greatest desire for those we love should be that they might be saved eternally. Paul said of his people, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved" (Rom. 10:1). He even said, "For I could wish myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). With that kind of fervent desire, Paul lived in such a manner as to try to accomplish their salvation. He reasoned with them, he besought them, he tried to stir them up to a kind of jealousy that would move them to receive Christ in obedience and be saved (Rom. 11:4). His own manner of life was ever before them as an example of unpretended devotion to Christ. This is sensible behavior, not only because it is essential to one's own salvation, but also because it is the proper way to convert others. It is an example that we should imitate.
Sometimes emotions can cause us to act irrationally regarding those we love. Sometimes we may pretend that all is well with their souls even though they are not obedient to God. Sometimes people quit serving the Lord aright because their obedience condemns the manner of life of someone they love. Such people don't consider that losing their own soul is not going to lead the lost to salvation. It is natural to want to be with those we love, but we cannot let immediate desires overcome the most important desire of all - salvation. It is far better to be estranged for a time in order to be with them eternally in heaven than to be with them in their lost condition now and to be together with them in eternal punishment. Do we not sometimes inflict pain of punishment upon our children in order to bring goodness and happiness to their lives? "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous, nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Heb. 12:11).
What can we do for those we love? We want to do them the greatest good that we can - what is best for them. First, we can be what we ought to be in obedience to God, for without this, other efforts lose their strength. Then we can treat them with loving-kindness. We can talk to them about the will of God and the importance of eternal things. We can encourage them to become children of God. We can help them to correct misconceptions concerning the Scriptures. If they stumble, we can help them to recover. If they go astray, we can turn them to the Lord again. If they stubbornly persist in wrongdoing, we can rebuke them firmly. If they continue to resist the truth, we can distance ourselves from them (have no company with them) to the end that they may be ashamed. We can pray earnestly for them that they may see their error and turn again in repentance. If they repent, we can receive them again in brotherly love and rejoicing. We can keep company with them once again and work together and study together and pray together. We can look forward together to the eternal hope of glory. We can worship God together, rejoicing in our mutual salvation as we place our hope and trust in God.
By Gilbert Alexander
Driving through Huntsville, Alabama one evening this past week, I noticed a large lighted sign in front of what I assume is some sort of evangelical church building. The sign identified the place as IMPACT -- an odd and unscriptural name for a church, but no stranger than many others I've seen. But the thing that really caught my eye was the phrase emblazoned in large letters across the bottom of the sign. It said, "God is not mad at you...no matter what." Hmmm. You know, it would have been good if someone had opened a Bible before deciding what to put on that sign.
The well-known story of the Israelites' wilderness wanderings ought to be enough to convince anyone that God does get angry with people who do wrong. The Lord "was angry" when the people refused to go take the land of Canaan because they believed the report of the spies (Deuteronomy 1:34). The Lord "was also angry" with Moses because of his disobedience, and so refused to allow him to enter the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:37; 4:31). At Horeb, the Lord was angry enough with the Israelites for their idolatry to have destroyed them (Deuteronomy 9:8). He was "very angry with Aaron" for fashioning the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:20). Summarizing all of this in Hebrews 3:17, the inspired writer says, "Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?" Oh yes, God was plenty angry with the Israelites over what they had done. And the point of the Hebrew writer is that God will be just as angry with us for failing to believe and obey. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience" (Hebrews 4:11).
The idea that "God is not mad at you, no matter what" is just an awful, nearly blasphemous description of the character of God Almighty. The Scriptures plainly teach that "God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day" (Psalm 7:11).
To teach otherwise is to deceive people with empty words. "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:5-6). We need to understand that our sins make God mad -- mad enough to vent His wrath upon us for all eternity.
But as deep as God's anger is toward sinners, His love and grace are deeper. His love, seen in the blood of His Son, can cleanse us from all sin, and allow us to stand pure and pleasing before Him. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:8-9).
Is God mad at you? If you are living a life of sin in rebellion to His will, yes, He is. Can something be done to turn God's wrath away and allow you to be at peace with God? Something already has been done. Jesus died. Accept His grace. "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).
by Steve Klein