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Partiality By
Caleb Wayne Shipley Over
the years that I have been a member of the Lord’s Church, there have been
several occasions upon which I have heard it said that a certain person, based
upon religious background, cultural background, or other bias, “could never be
converted,” and therefore are a waste of time when it comes to teaching the
Gospel to them. However, God, through the inspired writers, took a quite
different approach to this matter. James
begins the second chapter of his epistle with the command for us to not hold the
faith of Christ with partiality. He uses the example of two men, one clothed in
fine apparel and one in dirty apparel, to illustrate the fact that one cannot
judge the heart based upon physical appearance. When we do this, James says that
we become “judges with evil thoughts.”
Instead, he implies that both men should be treated equally in the assembly, and
in fact reminds the reader (James 2:5) that the poor of this world would be
heirs to the Christ
himself also emphasized the fact that the poor of this world are to be shown
compassion and are to be taught the Gospel as well. In the parable of the rich
man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-30, Christ shows that a man’s riches will not
save him after his death, in the final judgment. Later, in Luke 18:25, Christ
makes the comment that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the As
Christians, we must remember that Christ died for all men (1 Corinthians 15:3;
Romans 5:6-8), not just the wealthy or those in positions of power. We must also
remember that all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that all of us need
Christ’s blood to save us (1 Peter 1:18-19). Because of this, we are all equal
in the sight of God, and should therefore be considered equal in the assembly.
John, in his third epistle, publicly condemned Diotrephes who was violating this
rule by usurping the power in the congregation, and by forcing brethren from the
church (3 John 9). John assured the reader that this man would be held
accountable for his actions and love of power and position in the assembly (3
John 10). We cannot condone the actions of those who are similar to this man,
but instead must show humility and acceptance to all in the assembly. When
Christ gave the great commission to His apostles in Mark 16:15-16, He did not
place a social status requirement, wealth requirement, or any other kind of
physical prerequisite to having the Gospel preached to an individual. Instead,
He simply said that the Gospel should be preached to every living creature. This
is something we, as Christians, must remember as we try to teach the word of God
to others. Every single human being in the world needs the good news of the
Gospel of Christ, regardless of their physical condition, and we have an
obligation, as Christians, to fulfill that need.
&
(via
the internet) “A
Crown of Glory” By
R.J. Evans “The
silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of
righteousness” (Prov.
16:31). Several
months ago, as I was standing in my spot at the backdoor in the foyer “shaking
everybody out,” someone said to me, “Your white hair shines when you are in
the pulpit.” I was amused and said something to the effect, “Yes, that must
be my crown.” (We had a good laugh.) In a sense, though, it is a crown “if
it is found in the way of righteousness.” Down
through the years, there have always been illustrious figures who, in their
seventies and eighties, have accomplished great feats. Some have written famous
literature, others have discovered cures for diseases, etc. However, seldom do
you ever find someone who is really looking forward to “old age.” There
is so much emphasis on youth today and on ways to try to stay young. Some have a
genuine distaste for old age and often resent such designations as “senior
citizens”. But when you stop and think about it, that is not a bad designation
for older people. First, he or she is a citizen in the sense of what all the
word “citizen” embraces. Also, to all our aging friends, relatives, or
brethren, they are more than just “statistics;” they are more than a
“has-been;” they are still alive and are citizens of this country. Secondly,
the word “senior” speaks of years. Why not? Are we ashamed of years? The
only other alternative for not becoming a “senior” is an early death. We
should all be eternally grateful for all the times and opportunities those years
of life have provided. Life is a gift. We should be thankful for every day that
we have. I like the way the Psalmist approached each day of his life: “This is
the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa.
118:24). As
we reflect on our text, the inspired writer gives a way to adequately and
appropriately dignify old age when it has been a life of “righteousness.”
That kind of “silver-head” involves a mind that is pure and free of guilt.
It reflects a life that is free of business dishonesty and shady deals. It
indicates a life that has been a source of joy and encouragement to many people
down through the years. Their hair is silver, gray, or white, but their body has
not been defiled by pursuits of immorality, or their brain pickled by alcohol,
or other bad habits. May
we ever be thankful for those who fit the category of our text. Think of older
preachers with all their knowledge, ability, and wisdom they have acquired over
the years. Each week, while in the pulpit, they share this wealth of knowledge
with so many people. There would not be those who are qualified to serve as
elders in the Lord’s church, if it were not for men with years of faithfulness
and service. Also, think of all the many wonderful lessons by word or example
that the older women have taught the younger women. Hence, we are talking about
lives that have been committed to righteousness and walking by faith in their
service to God. Surely
when one accepts each day as a gift from God, it is viewed with an abundance of
joy and opportunities to render service unto God and others. By daily continuing
down “the way of righteousness,” great dignity and respect is found in the
beauty of the “silver-haired head”
for it is truly “a
crown of glory.” & Identifying
the Holy Spirit By
Bob Myhan Perhaps
as much is said and as little is known of the being, character and work of the
Holy Spirit as any Bible subject that challenges our attention. Indefinite
and unscriptural concepts, regarding the Holy Spirit and His work, result from a
lack of proper study. When controversies arise over such hazy, ill-defined
ideas, our thinking is challenged and we are forced to re-examine our concepts
in the light of what is taught in the Bible. A
lot of conflicting ideas and controversial views have developed over the work of
the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. It is fitting, therefore, that we
examine anew that which is revealed in the word of God concerning the Holy
Spirit. First
and foremost it should be said that the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead.
"Godhead," is a form of the word, "Godhood." It is defined
as "Divinity, deity; the divine nature or essence." It denotes the
"quality or state of being God; the sum total of the attributes and
characteristics that are common to deity" (e.g. manhood, angelhood,
childhood). The
term "Godhead" is found in three verses in the KJV. (Acts 17:29; Rom.
1:20; Col. 2:9) Frequently
the term "God" is used in the sense of the "Godhead" or
deity. Things attributed to "God" are often meant in the general sense
as unto deity rather than to a particular personality of the Godhead. The
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all persons of Godhood. (Matt. 3:16-17; Eph.
4:4-6). Jesus and the Holy Spirit are identified as God in Scripture (Heb.
1:7-8; Acts 5:3-4). These
three are united in nature, agreement, purpose and action (1 John 5:7). On the
night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed that believers “may be one” (John
17:20-23). The
Holy Spirit is usually referred to as the third person in the Godhead because He
came from the Father (John 14:26), bore witness about the Son (John 15:26) and
did not speak on His own authority but relayed to the apostles the words of
Jesus. (John 16:13) & |