____________________________________________________ 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" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 11, 1992 ____________________________________________________ Safe Sex by Keith Sharp When Ervin ``Magic'' Johnson announced he was infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, it created a national furor. Immediately ``safe sex'' became the national buzz word. How can one have ``safe sex''? Extramarital sex is becoming the accepted norm in our country. ``By the time people in this country marry, over half have already engaged in sexual intercourse. A 1986 Planned Parenthood poll of one thousand teenagers reveals that forty-six percent of the sixteen year olds have had sex'' (Jerry Fite, The Preceptor, April, 1990, p.9). 2.2 million American couples live together without being married. On TV and in the movies, sex between single people is portrayed as normal and healthy. ``Robert C. Sorenson's 1972 nationwide survey of adolescent behavior revealed that seventy-two percent did NOT believe that `two people should have to get married because they want to live together''' (ibid). This is not new. Jesus lived, and the New Testament was written, at a time when the Mediterranean world was dominated by Greek philosophy and Roman rule. To the Greeks of Jesus' day ``there had never been any shame in relationships before marriage or outside marriage....'' (William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit, p. 24). What about Romans? ``Chastity is simply a proof of ugliness'....'innocence,' says Seneca, `is not rare, it is nonexistent''' (ibid, p. 26). Even the Jews of the first century, who were committed to following the highest standard of sexual morality in the world (Ex. 20:14), were an ``evil and adulterous generation'' (Matt. 12:39). In this society devoid of sexual purity the spokesman for Christ revealed: ``Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge'' (Heb. 13:4). The term ``fornication'' includes ``every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse'' (W.F. Arndt & F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 699). The Lord demands that people abstain from sexual intercourse outside the scriptural marriage relationship (Jn. 8:3-10; 1 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-6; Rev. 21:8) and even forbids the lust that leads to fornication (Matt. 5:27-28; 2 Tim. 2:2). Fornication has always been unsafe for one's soul. ``Therefore put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience'' (Col. 3:5-6). Now, many who thought that biblical morality was outdated have found to their own sorrow that what is unsafe for the soul is often also unsafe for the body. Is the preservation of the body more important than the salvation of the soul? Why is there not national furor over the spiritual danger of ``unsafe sex''? ``For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?'' (Matt. 16:25-26) I am very sorry Magic Johnson is HIV positive. I am even sorrier for the millions who will die of AIDS. But my heart breaks for the billions who are dying in sin. Now we know. The only safe sex for the soul is also the only safe sex for the body--a faithful, life-long relationship between one man and one woman (Matt. 19:3-6). A young man once asked me, ``If sex is all right in marriage, why is it wrong outside marriage?'' I replied, ``Because God said so.'' ``Safe sex'' is not accomplished by amoral sex education or protection devices. The only sex safe for both the body and the soul is within the scriptural marriage relationship. ``Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul'' (1 Pet. 2:11). ___________________________________________ "Thou hast rejected all those who wander from Thy statues, for their deceitfulness is useless" (Psa. 119:118). ___________________________________________ WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER? by T. Doy Moyer Softball teams, chicken dinners, ice cream socials, psychologists, live bands, movies, sports, plays, etc. These are the things that many modern churches have to offer. They cater to the ``whole man'' and offer everything from sports and all kinds of entertainment to various kinds of counselors and self-esteem workshops. The modern concept of being a church has developed into a free-for-all-do-what-you-want-just-satisfy-my-every-whim debacle. The world thinks that the church exists just to care for social concerns--they shouldn't have ``religious'' or moral influence at all. If they want to feed the poor or help the homeless, that is fine, but if they want to preach God and moral values, they should keep it to themselves. Sadly, many modern churches have done just that. The Lord's church was never built to satisfy the whims of social man. Read the New Testament. Never do we find the church trying to feed all the poor in the world. Never do we find the church trying to ``make disciples'' of the nations (Matt. 28:19) by offering ball teams and ice cream. Never do we find the church pandering to the social whims of man. That's just not the work that the Lord gave the church to do. We may think of such work as ``nice'' and ``compassionate,'' but the Scriptures do not reveal that work for the church. I do not mean to sound unsympathetic to the social desires of mankind. Those things have a place, and as individuals we have obligations to our fellow men. But the point we must understand is this: we can feed the world, entertain the world, and play with the world, but such things do not save souls! And this brings us right back to our function as a church. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), a work infinitely more important than providing temporary shelter. He gave the same charge to His disciples (Mark 16:15-16; Matt. 28:18-20), who were to pass it on to the ones they taught (2 Tim. 2:2). Every local church is the pillar and support of the truth in their community (1 Tim. 3:15). This is our job. This is our work. What do we have to offer? Nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). We have no gimmicks, nor carnal appeal. We have only the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). That is enough to convert the lost. That is enough to satisfy the inner man (Matt. 5:6). We cannot compete with the churches of the world, nor do we wish to. We only want to hold out the cross of the Lord. It is by this that all will be drawn to Him (John 12:32). Let's be satisfied with that. ___________________________________________ SHORT BIBLE SERMONS It is not enough to own a Bible; we must read it. It is not enough to read it; we must let it speak to us. It is not enough to let it speak to us; we must believe it. It is not enough to believe it; we must live it (Selected). No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets its Author face to face (Everett Harris). Some seminaries offer a ``Dalmatian theology,'' one holding that the Bible is inspired only in spots (Paige Patterson). Preparing for a long trip, the young Christian said to his friend, ``I am just about packed. I only have to put in a guidebook, a lamp, a mirror, a microscope, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a few biographies, a package of old letters, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of books I have been studying.'' ``But,'' the friend objected, ``you can't get all that into your bag.'' ``Oh, yes,'' replied the young man, ``it doesn't take much room.'' He placed his Bible in the corner of the suitcase and closed the lid (Selected). There are many ways to read the Bible. Such reading may be an arduous duty or a pleasant exercise, or it may become a transforming experience (Selected). The Bible does not need to be re-written, but re-read (Selected). ___________________________________________ Must One Be Baptized Before Receiving Salvation? Jesus shows one must: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved...." (Mk. 16:16). Peter preaches one must: "Repent and be baptized...for the remission of sins...." (Acts 2:38). "Baptism...now saves you...." (1 Pet. 3:21). Ananias shows one must: "And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16). Through baptism one "calls" on His name (cf, 1 Pet. 3:21 NASV, RSV). Paul teaches one must (Rom. 6:3,4) in order to be buried into Christ's death and be raised to "walk in newness of life." He elsewhere refers to baptism again as that which puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26,27) and causes one to be raised up with the Lord (Col. 2:12). What do you conclude? Obviously, Jesus, Peter, Ananias, and Paul are not teaching the same kind of baptism that many religious people today teach. Whose will you accept? -- Tom ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________