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The Gospel Observer

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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May 13, 1990
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Contents:

1) Miraculous Gifts (Part Four) (Tom Edwards)
2) Just Active or Actively Just? (Tom Edwards)
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Miraculous Gifts (Part Four)
by Tom Edwards

Did the Gifts Produce Spiritual Maturity?

Many people are of the opinion today that spiritual gifts make a church more mature and greater spiritually, but is this what the Bible suggests? 

When I think of churches in the New Testament that abounded in spiritual gifts, the church in Corinth is the first one that comes to my mind.  However, it must be also pointed out that this church had problems galore and truly lacked in spiritual development: in chapter one, division existed among them; chapter five shows that they even allowed one of their members to be guilty of incest, without using discipline or showing even the slightest compunction toward the fornicator; chapter six, they weren't even wise enough to settle their own matters, but were taking each other to court to be judged by unbelievers; 1 Corinthians 4:7 seems to imply that they were puffed up over their miraculous gifts and acted as if they were naturally born with them and did not give God the credit as being the bestower; they had corrupted the Lord's supper in chapter 11 by making a common meal out of it; notice especially 1 Corinthians 3:1-3: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?" This makes it evident that just because one had miraculous gifts, does not necessarily indicate that he would also be spiritually mature. This is because, though one was inspired by the Spirit of God, one still had no more power to obey that message than you or I have. Paul was well-gifted. The things he taught he learned not from men, but rather from God Himself. Yet he still realized that even he could be lost if he did not obey that message (1 Cor. 9:26,27). What served to make God's people spiritual, mature and complete was not the gifts themselves, but what many of the gifts could produce -- the word of God! This is all that people need today in order to "grow in the grace and knowledge" (2 Pet.  3:18) of Jesus Christ. The young Christian is exhorted in 1 Peter 2:2 to "long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." Pulpit commentary makes the following remark:               

The Greater Gifts

"Sometimes we are prone to regret that what we call the `extraordinary gifts' of the Church have ceased (v. 8); but if instead of losing these we had lost the others, how infinitely impoverished we should have become! Faith, hope, love: these are sufficient for all our present needs. Miraculous gifts ceased because it was best for them to cease.  They were suited to the infancy of the Church; but the necessity for them having passed away, they have disappeared. The...gifts of faith, hope, and love abide evermore with the Church in this world."

These are the gifts that we must strive to develop -- faith, hope, love, and all the wonderful fruit of the Spirit. Today, it is possible to accomplish this as we make God's word a part of our lives, allowing its teachings to mold us into being more like God's perfect Son, Jesus Christ.
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Just Active or Actively Just?
by Tom Edwards

John Henry Fabre, a French naturalist, once conducted an experiment with Processionary caterpillars. In this test, these little, oblong creatures were carefully placed upon the rim of a flowerpot so that the leading caterpillar was right behind the last one. In the center of the flowerpot was an ample supply of pine needles, which happens to be food for these slow-moving creatures. But, ironically, for seven days and nights they continued to follow each other, around and around, until they finally died of starvation and exhaustion; and, all the while, food had been merely inches away.

There are probably quite a few lessons we could learn from the Processionary caterpillars. Firstly, we must be sure that as we trek upon our journey toward heaven, we are following the proper leader; and not merely someone who is just following another man, who is following another man, who is following another man, etc. It is Jesus whom we must set our eyes upon (Heb. 12:2) and follow after. The Lord states in John 8:12, "...I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." Men can often take wrong turns that lead to paths of darkness, but Jesus has already blazed the trail that leads to God's eternal glory; and not only that, He also is that true and living way (John 14:6).

Another lesson to be inferred is that simply being active does not necessarily equate success. Seemingly, the caterpillars had confused activity with accomplishment; and, similarly, many people are doing the same today. Often times a variety of man-made projects are carried out by the church, thinking that these efforts will make their work more successful. The building of basketball courts, installing Ping-Pong tables, providing family life centers, and other recreational and social activities are often sponsored by various churches today; but this is all without the authority of God's word. By so doing, man violates the use of the Lord's money and, consequently, becomes guilty -- regardless of all the activity in which he has engaged.

It is good to be active in the service of God, and one must be; but it needs to be activities based on the word of the Lord. Paul speaks of the time prior to his conversion when he had been a Pharisee, as to his keeping of the Law; a persecutor of the church, which manifested his zeal; and blameless, when it came to his righteousness based on the law (Phil. 3:5,6). Yet, with all this energy that he expended in his service to God, he was still an unsaved man until he believed in Jesus Christ and obeyed His life-giving commands.

Paul also spoke of his lost Jewish kinsmen in Romans 10:1-3 who had a great zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. They were truly active in their service; but, unfortunately, their involvements were without the knowledge of God's righteous plan. Therefore, they did what they thought best; but, as a result, fell short of the glory of God.

Even the Lord's church can drift away from a state of true spiritual activity. The church in Sardis had a name that they were alive; but, in actuality, they were dead (Rev. 3:1). We must never confuse activity with real spiritual accomplishment.

May we not be as the processionary caterpillars who simply spent their remaining days going in circles, but rather base our activities on the will of God so that our lives will be heading on that straight course that leads to God's eternal abode.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17;  John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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First published for the Tri-state church of Christ in Ashland, Kentucky, at 713 13th Street.

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards
tedwards1109@gmail.com
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