Jim Joyce - When I was 16, I decided to leave home and live on the street.  I thought real living was having fun and going after a thrill.  I became a regular user of drugs and alcohol. In my parents' home, God and spiritual things were most important. Just as I decided to leave the house, it occurred to me, “If I leave, I will leave behind the gospel. This will be my final decision to reject God.” It was as real as if I was opening a door and walking into hell. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to be lost. I wanted to be saved...

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Heidi McCandless - Procrastination.  Every one of us deals with this to some degree.  In some situations it doesn’t make much difference, in others, it can change the course of your life!  I almost missed the most important thing ever because I was too slow to realize how important it was.  I’m speaking of course of my own life – eternal life that is.

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The Moral Glories of Our Lord

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 Here's the Difference

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The Music of Glorybound

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Elton Fairfield - "I am a Christian."

"I didn't buy that status, nor did I work for it. I was not born into it, even though both my parents are devoted Christians. I am a Christian because there was a moment in my life when I accepted the fact that the death of Jesus Christ was for my sins."

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ADORNMENT

Do the exhortations in 1 Peter 3:3," TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 3:3, and 1 Timothy 2:9" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 2:9 refer to sisters only, or is it scriptural for a brother to adorn himself with a beautiful chain and badges, bracelet watch and gold rings?

One has heard it remarked, and that by way of warning, that we too often read the exhortations of the Bible for other people, rather than for ourselves. Thus parelts know all the Scriptures about the obedience of children, but there are exhortations to parents and specially to fathers. Likewise with masters and servants, let each study first in the fear of God their own special duties and then both will run more easily. Certainly, 1 Peter 3:3" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 3:3 does primarily apply to the wives—the exhortation running on, as is clear, from ver. I: “Likewise ye wives,” and I presume, then to women in general, but in verse 7 we read, “Likewise ye husbands”, and certain exhortations are then addressed to them which are very important.

So in 1 Timothy 2" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 2: “the men” (i.e. brethren) are to pray in every place—that is of course—lead in prayer—”holding up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” Then the apostle expresses the will of God to the women, and begins with the manner in which they should attire themselves. We might have said with our natural will and intelligence, that men needed the exhortation as much as women, but clearly the Holy Spirit judges otherwise. Some men may be effeminate and very vain, but there is clearly as a rule a stronger tendency in the female temperament, to adorn herself in the way forbidden, than in the opposite sex.

W.H.

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If overseers entrust deacon work to a person who is not "blameless," what can other believers do?

If a believer knows of something that disqualifies an individual from doing a work entrusted to him, tell the elders courteously. They may not be aware of what others have observed.

Elders are fallible humans, as is the individual who thinks they are mistaken. If that individual knows facts of which the elders are not aware, he should graciously inform them. He must also recognize that self-seeking may cloud his perception.

Otherwise, the examples of Saul and David help us. Samuel anointed Saul, an unprofitable leader. Saul reflected the condition of a people who wanted to imitate other nations and valued stature and strength above spirituality. Saul’s leadership was detrimental to Israel and to David personally. Psalm 12" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 12 expresses David’s sorrow due to such unrighteous rule. The response therefore of godly believers to perceived mistakes in recognizing elders is two-fold: self-searching (recognizing that everyone in an assembly shares some responsibility for its faulty spiritual condition)and supplication (God is their only recourse).

Every person who assumes leadership will answer to God for that responsibility. David did not rebel against Saul nor did he count it proper to harm or embarrass Saul. God will deal with the wrong man in leadership. Meanwhile, David trusted the Lord his God (1 Samuel 30: 6)" TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 30: 6) when the path of God’s purpose for him seemed hopelessly delayed (27:1). David was not the king until God united His people to make him king (2 Samuel 2:4)." TARGET="_blank">2 Samuel 2:4). Until that time, God was at work in David.

The biblical response in these circumstances is waiting on God and submitting to Him and to the individuals God holds accountable for leadership (Hebrews 13:17)." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 13:17).

Having fulfilled his responsibility regarding the overseers’ decision, the dissenting believer should further fulfill his responsibility to submit to his guides (Hebrews 13:8)." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 13:8).

D. Olive

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It is believed by some that Eternal Punishment is only for a certain period.

Is the doctrine of Eternal Punishment a tradition and not fundamental?

How should this be answered, and how should those in our assemblies who hold these views be treated?

The doctrine of eternal punishment is fundamental to the understanding of salvation. The test of a doctrine is not what the world thinks of it, or even the professing church, but what the Word of God declares. Judged by that test, I have not the slightest doubt that a condition of never-ending punishment awaits those who reject the grace of God in whatever form presented, and die in their sins and self-righteousness; and this has been the general belief of the church down the ages. That a committee of determined criminals or weak sentimentalists should decree the impossibility or injustice of life-sentences might be comprehensible, but would not affect the course of the law in any degree. Nor will the divine administration be affected in the slightest way by man’s opinions of His decrees.

When the opponents of never-ending punishment are asked, “What then will become of the wicked?” they cannot agree among themselves: one party say all will eventually be saved—they are the Universalists; another that all who refuse the grace of God will eventually cease to be—they are the teachers of what is known as “Conditional Immortality.” I believe both these theories are in conflict with the Scriptural teaching throughout, e.g., “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life (i.e. life in harmony with God, more than mere existence); and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life (which refutes universalism); but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36)." TARGET="_blank">John 3:36).

The wrath of God cannot abide on a nonentity, which refutes annihilationism. Space will not allow here any lengthy consideration of this tremendous theme. One or two points may, however, be raised. If we believe in the never-ending bliss of the redeemed, we must believe in the never-ending punishment of the wicked. The Lord’s own words make this plain, for He uses the same word in the same context of each: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life everlasting” (Matthew 25:46)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:46). Some again say that the devil and his angels will suffer eternally, but not human beings; but in this same chapter our Lord classes them together: “Depart ye cursed (He will say to wicked men) into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v. 41). That fearful punishment, here so plainly revealed by Him who was the embodiment of holy love, was not prepared for men, but for the devil and his angels, but those who deliberately choose to follow him will find themselves with him for ever. A great effort has been made to show that the word translated here “everlasting” or “eternal” only means “age-lasting.” That may be perfectly true by derivation, as is true indeed of our word “everlasting,” but what matters is the usage of the word. It is used of “God” (Romans 16:26);" TARGET="_blank">Romans 16:26); His “honour and power” (1 Timothy 6:16);" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 6:16); “covenant” (Hebrews 13:20);" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 13:20); “kingdom” (2 Peter 1:11);" TARGET="_blank">2 Peter 1:11); “gospel” (Revelation 14:6);" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 14:6); the “weight of glory” of the redeemed (2 Corinthians 4:17);" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:17); the unseen world (2 Corinthians 4:18);" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:18); the glorified body (2 Corinthians 5:1);" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:1); “glory” (2 Timothy 2:10);" TARGET="_blank">2 Timothy 2:10); “salvation” (Hebrews 5:9);" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 5:9); “Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14)," TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 9:14), etc., etc., on the one hand, and on the other, of future punishment, as above (Matthew 25:46);" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:46); “fire” (Matthew 18:8);" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:8); “damnation” (Mark 3:29);" TARGET="_blank">Mark 3:29); “destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)." TARGET="_blank">2 Thessalonians 1:9).

‘What honest believer, subject to the Word, but must admit that the never-endingness of God, His Spirit, salvation, redemption, and the consolation and the inheritance of the redeemed, stands or falls, with the never-endingness of the future punishment of the finally impenitent! Is it not strange that men, instead of repenting of their sins and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, should rather spend their time in trying to disprove what the Saviour so clearly taught (none more clearly than He)—the fearful future of those who refuse Him, whom God has provided in His infinite love as a Saviour from “the wrath to come!” As for the second part of the question, we must “make a difference” between those who may be for the moment perplexed over a doctrine and those who doubt it as part of their fixed belief. It is noticeable that among “the principles of the doctrine of Christ,” in Hebrews 6:1-2," TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 6:1-2, which are clearly considered as fundamental (“not laying again the foundation,” etc.), the doctrine of “eternal judgment” closes the list.

This, therefore, is a fundamental question, and those who deny it have so far departed from the faith, and deny the clear and unmistakable words of Christ. How can such then claim a place among the people of God? Their denial of God’s truth raises the solemn question whether they have ever truly known His grace. May God in His infinite mercy preserve the feet, both of writer and readers, from straying from His Word, on this or any other truth!

W.H.

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