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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" (Matthew 28:19,20).
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                          July 25, 1993
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             An Analogy Between Faith and Fearing God
                          by Tom Edwards

          This bulletin has often pointed out the prevalent 
     teaching of salvation by ``faith only'' as being a false 
     doctrine that cannot save anyone (James 2). Rather, the New 
     Testament shows that there are various other things one 
     must also do in order to be saved, such as repent of sins 
     (Acts 2:38), confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 
     8:36-38), be baptized in water for the remission of sins 
     (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet.  3:21), and remain faithful unto death 
     (Rev. 2:10). Often, however, the Bible sums up these other 
     prerequisites by using the term ``faith,'' ``believe,''--or one 
     of their related forms--as a synecdoche which implies the 
     need for these other actions as well, without their having 
     been specified in the verse.

          For example, many verses speak of the one who 
     ``believes'' in Jesus as being in a saved state, without any 
     specified mention of ``repentance'' or ``baptism.'' The only 
     way we know that repentance and baptism are also 
     necessary toward contacting the remission of sins--and thus 
     implied in these passages--is by what we have learned in 
     other verses, such as Acts 2:38. (Incidentally, this verse 
     doesn't even mention the need to believe, but who would 
     teach that believing would not be a precondition toward 
     salvation? From other verses, such as Acts 2:36, the need to 
     believe is set forth.)

          Should it not be inferred that the one who truly 
     believes in Jesus to the saving of the soul is also the one 
     who believes in what Jesus teaches and in what He 
     commands one must do in order to be saved--and not only 
     believe in His words, but also act upon them? Though 
     ignorance will not be an excuse in the Judgment Day, does 
     it not seem worse for one to know what the Lord commands 
     and not do it than to have never known? Is it not snubbing 
     or rejecting the Lord when one--though believing in 
     Christ's deity--refuses to repent, to be baptized, or to do 
     the other things Jesus commands? Without question, 
     believing in Jesus to the saving of the soul involves more 
     than a mere mental assent toward His deity; it also involves 
     one's obedience to the gospel.

          In the morning service, last Sunday, we considered 
     the blessings connected with having the proper fear of God. 
     Proverbs 14:26,27 states:

          ``In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, 
     and His children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a 
     fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.''

          Notice the four things this passage shows that 
     accompany the one who is characterized as having the fear 
     of God in his life: 1) strong confidence, 2) a refuge, 3) a 
     fountain of life, and 4) salvation from the snares of death.

          Could not the same be said about the one who truly 
     believes in God and acts in obedience toward the Scriptures 
     in view of that faith?  Surely, he, too, would have these 
     four blessings that Solomon speaks of.

          What, though, is the ``fear of God?'' Is it merely a 
     mental attitude or simply a passive emotion? In Exodus 
     20:20, Moses declared to his people, ''...Do not be afraid; for 
     God has come in order to test you, and in order that the 
     fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.'' 
     We can first note that the fear of God is not to be equated 
     with being fearful or terrorized. Jesus told His disciples in 
     Luke 12:32, ``Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father 
     has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.'' Secondly, 
     Exodus 20:20 teaches that the fear of God will keep one from 
     sinning; and sin is not only when one commits a wrong act 
     (a sin of commission), it is also when one fails to do what 
     one should (a sin of omission). As James warns, ``Therefore, 
     to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, 
     to him it is sin'' (James 4:17). From this we can infer that 
     the fear of God, which keeps one from sinning, is not a 
     mere passive emotion, but rather it directs our actions 
     toward living a godly life by abstaining from--AND BY 
     DOING--that which God has commanded. To fear the Lord, 
     therefore, is to keep His commandments (Deut. 6:2); and 
     where this fear does not exist, lives are often characterized 
     with unrighteousness, deceit, cursing, bitterness, and even 
     the guilt of murder (Rom. 3:10-18). But let us also bear in 
     mind that not every passage in the Bible that speaks of the 
     fear of God specifies what that fear will do, but to those 
     who are referred to as having the proper fear of the Lord, 
     we can infer that they were the ones who were abstaining 
     from evil and doing those things which were pleasing in 
     God's sight.

          Just as the fear of the Lord must be accompanied 
     with obedience, even so must one's faith, in order that that 
     faith will not be in vain or to no avail. Don't let others 
     deceive you with their false doctrine of salvation by ``faith 
     only.'' Read the Scriptures for yourself, and see exactly 
     what it is that God demands of you. Then, give yourself to 
     Him by your faith and obedience. In eternity, you'll be 
     especially glad you did--not to mention the joy you'll have 
     while in this earthly life.
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          "Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a 
     house full of feasting with strife" (Proverbs 17:1).
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            What Makes The Church of Christ Different?
                         by Billy Moore

          Question: ``You say the Church of Christ is not a 
     Protestant denomination, but I know you protest the Catholic 
     religion for I have read a lot of your writings, so what 
     makes you different from the other churches.  You look like 
     one of many churches to me.'' -- Missouri

          Yes, we have said that the church of Christ is not a 
     Protestant denomination, and we have said that for very 
     good reason. Christ established his church in the First 
     Century A.D., beginning in the city of Jerusalem (Matt. 
     16:18; Acts 2:47). ``The church...is his body'' (Eph. 1:22,23), 
     and ``there is one body'' (Eph. 4:4), therefore, Christ built 
     but one church.

          After the passing of the apostles there was an 
     apostasy--a falling away from the faith (Acts 20:29,30; 1 Tim. 
     4:1-4; 2 Tim. 4:1-4), which ultimately came to be known as 
     the Catholic Church, with doctrines and practices not 
     authorized by Christ and his apostles. In 606 A.D.  Boniface 
     III, Bishop of Rome, became the first ``universal Bishop,'' 
     later known as the Pope. In the Eleventh Century the 
     Catholic Church divided into two groups, Roman and Greek, 
     with the Roman Catholic becoming the greater of the two.

          Many were unhappy with the Catholic Church and 
     began to lift up their voices against it, and the ``sale of 
     indulgences'' (selling the right to sin without having to 
     make confession to the priest) was just too much, and open 
     protesting was strong. In 1517 Martin Luther, a Catholic 
     Priest, wrote his famous thesis pointing out 95 things he 
     thought to be wrong with the church, and was 
     excommunicated by the Pope and would have been put to 
     death, as so many others had been, but he had friends in 
     high places who helped him. Many shared the views of 
     Luther and within a few years there were many who had 
     joined with him, thus the first Protestant Church was 
     born--the Lutheran Church. (Although Luther pleaded with 
     them ``call not yourselves Lutheran...but Christians,'' none 
     the less the name stuck.) In the 1530's John Calvin left the 
     Catholic Church, starting the Presbyterian Church and in 
     the same decade King Henry the Eighth broke away starting 
     the Church of England.  These were the first three 
     Protestant Churches.

          This is the Sixteenth Century! The church of Christ 
     was established in the First Century A.D., 1500 years before 
     there was a ``Protestant Church,'' therefore I think I am 
     justified in saying that the church of Christ is not a 
     ``Protestant Church.'' Yes, the church does protest against 
     Catholicism, but it is not a Protestant Church. It is the 
     body of Christ to which saved people are added by the 
     Lord day by day.

             ``What Makes You Different From Others?''

          The church of Christ is different from the Protestant 
     Denominations in several points.

          1. We have no organization larger than the local 
     church. This in itself sets us apart from most Protestant 
     Churches, who have district, State, National and 
     international organizations. In the New Testament there was 
     no organization larger than the local church, with bishops, 
     deacons and saints (Phil. 1:1).

          2. We have no creed but Christ and his word--the 
     New Testament. There is no Manual, Discipline, Catechism, 
     etc. as is found in Protestant Churches. The early disciples 
     were taught not to add to or take from the inspired 
     scriptures (Rev. 22:18,19), or teach any other gospel (Gal. 
     1:6-9). We still follow this charge and have no other creed.

          3. The name that we wear makes us different. Look at 
     the Protestant Churches and see what they call themselves. 
     They wear names that give honor to the man who started 
     them, or to some particular practice.  By what name were 
     the early disciples called? They were called Christians (Acts 
     11:27) and were not to be ashamed to suffer as a Christian 
     (1 Pet. 4:16). That is the name we use today. As a 
     collectivity, the early disciples were called the ``church'' 
     (group of people), ``church of God'' (group of people that 
     belongs to God), ``churches of Christ'' (groups that belong 
     to Christ). There was no ``specific'' name for the local 
     churches. Today, we refer to the church in the same 
     manner.  But we do not wear some name that gives honor to 
     men or to practices.

          4. The worship we render to God is different. We eat 
     the Lord's supper ``upon the first day of the week'' (Acts 
     20:7), which necessarily infers a weekly observance. Most 
     Protestant Churches do not have the Lord's supper each 
     week. Our music in worship is a cappella, just as it was in 
     the New Testament (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). Most Protestant 
     Churches use instrumental music in worship.

          5. We teach the plan of salvation just as the apostles 
     taught it.  Believe in Christ as the Son of God, repent of 
     sins and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 
     8:36,37; Mark 16:16). Most Protestant Churches teach that 
     one is saved ``by faith only,'' before and without being 
     baptized.

          6. The concept we have of the church makes us 
     different, for we believe that church consists of those souls 
     who have been saved (Acts 2:47; Eph. 1:22,23). The 
     Protestant Churches teach that the church consists of all 
     the Protestant Churches, that each is a part (denomination) 
     of the body of Christ.

          These are some of the things that make us different 
     from Protestant Churches. The differences have to do with 
     faith and practice. We plead for ``speaking where the Bible 
     speaks and being silent where the Bible is silent.'' The 
     church of Christ of the New Testament was not a Protestant 
     Denomination. You do have a choice. You can be just a 
     Christian, a member of Christ's church.
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                    Selected Sentence Sermons

          Either the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will 
     keep you from the Bible.

          You can't build a church with stumbling blocks.

          If you don't live it, you don't believe it.

          An upright man can never be a downright failure.
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                            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
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