XMAS XTREMES

This time of year people are generally the happiest, friendliest, most hospitable, and most benevolent. I suppose this behavior might be attributed to the “Christmas spirit.” What a better world this would be if this spirit “ran loose” each day of the year, and indeed, this is what the Lord wills (Ephesians 4:31–32). Along with all the good things this season brings, I have observed some who have extreme positions toward “Xmas.”

I was once asked if Christians should decorate a tree and give gifts at this season of the year. This question reflects an extreme concept, namely, that it is wrong to practice such innocent customs as adorning a tree, exchanging gifts and cards, and such like. Some religious groups take this position and among individuals, I have also known of brethren at various places who did so. I responded to the question, “If it is wrong to give gifts on December 25, it is wrong also on any other occasion. If it is not wrong on any other occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) then it is not wrong on December 25. There is nothing more wrong with decorating a tree with ornaments as a mere seasonal custom than with raising a flag on Veterans’ Day or eating turkey on “Thanksgiving” day.

Another extreme is represented by the oft-heard cliché, “Put Christ back into Christmas.” I was once harshly criticized for writing Xmas, instead of Christmas,thereby “removing Christ from Christmas.” Truth be told, Christ never was in Christmas until men put him there! “In the 5th century the Western church [Roman Catholic, DM] ordered the feast to be celebrated on the day of the Mithraic rites of the birth of the sun and at the close of Saturnalia, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed” (Encyclopedia Americana, 6:622).

This statement clearly demonstrates the fact that God was not very concerned about His Son's birth’s being celebrated. The event that God considered important for us to “celebrate” was His death, and we are thus to keep it in sacred commemoration each Lord's day. It is not by the birth of Christ that we are saved, but by His death and resurrection. Thus when one sings, “Remember Christ Our Saviour Was Born on Christmas Day,” he knows not what he sings. God has made it impossible for us to attach—with His authority—any sacred significance to one day as the birthday of Christ by allowing that date to totally disappear from secular history. For this reason faithful churches of Christ have no special religious observances at this season of the year. The silence of Scripture forbids any such religious observance. A practice that began four centuries after Messianic and apostolic times and that gathered all of its ingredients from Paganism must be rejected as a religious practice by those interested in New Testament Christianity.

Consider another extreme related to Christmas: While such things as the non-religious practice of adorning a tree and exchanging gifts in late December are innocent practices, these are often carried to an extreme. We should not become enslaved by our freedom. Sometimes the church’s contribution figure decreases sharply at the close of the year and into the new year. Perhaps the income of some decreases, but it may also be because some went to an extreme with their gift-buying, decorating, and traveling. Through the years, I have known some brethren who spent more on gifts during this one season than they gave to the Lord all year, in effect making the Lord pay for their festivities.

We should never allow this custom (or anything else within our control) to interfere with our worship and Bible class attendance, our giving, or other Christian duties. May we avoid these “Xmas Xtremes.”

Dub McClish

Why Some People Quit

Ever since the church began, some who have obeyed the Gospel, thus being added by the Lord to the church, have failed to remain faithful. They, like the Ephesians, “have left their first love” (Revelation 2:4). Likely, there are some motivations for departures with which I am not familiar, but some are very apparent. Some apostatize because they cease to value Truth and become ensnared in false doctrines and practices (II Thessalonians 2:10–12; I Timothy 1:19–20; 4:1; II Timothy 4:3–4; et al.). Others hear the siren-call of fleshly lusts and, unlike Moses, choose to enjoy the “pleasures of sin for a season,” forgetting the inevitable day of recompense (Hebrews 11:25–26; I Corinthians 5:1–5; II Corinthians 12:21; II Timothy 3:1–6; Jude 4; et al.).

Others who drop out do not do so because of such drastic factors. They depart for what one might refer to as more “personal” or “subjective” reasons, several of which I have heard over the years. In hopes that discussion of some of these might prevent someone from backsliding and losing his soul, consider the following:

1.  Guilt: When one knows he is not living as Christ teaches us to live during the week, he should feel guilty and ashamed when he comes into his Bible class or into the worship assembly. His guilt and shame leave him with two choices: He can confess and repent of his sin, or he can continue in it. One who continues in sin will not long faithfully assemble where Biblical preaching and teaching remind him of his guilt. If he is unwilling to abandon his sin, he will abandon the church by making no pretense at being religious or he will “shop at being religious or he will “shop around” for a “feel-good church” with a “feel-good at being religious or he will “shop gospel” (joining a “guilt-free church” that allows people to maintain membership and hold on to their sins is merely another way of abandoning the Truth—and the church). Unwillingness to give up sin (and the resulting guilt) has caused many to “quit the church.”
2. Personal dislike for someone in the congregation: Often it is the preacher, an elder, or a teacher—usually someone in a leadership role—who stirs such disfavor. We all have enough faults to be unlikable to someone else at times (e.g., I do not like the behavior of those who quit because they do not “like” someone). Guess what? You do not have to like every member of the church to be a faithful Christian (nor does everyone in the congregation have to like you). God must often dislike the behavior of even the best of us, but He still loves us and desires our salvation. Likewise, it is not necessarily wrong for us to dislike and irritate one another at times in matters of opinion and personal choice, as long as we still love one another enough to seek the good of each other. “Quitting the church,” thereby losing one’s soul, is a high price to pay because “I do not like someone.”
3.  The claim of “too many hypocrites” in the church: Perhaps all Christians (including preachers and elders) have at least been inconsistent, if not hypocritical at times. Even the best find it impossible to live flawlessly the flawless message we preach. I dare say that the one who charges, “There are too many hypocrites,” is himself hypocritical once in a while. There is no defense for hypocrisy, but which is worse—to continue to faithfully assemble and work with other imperfect saints, knowing that one’s own life is not perfect, or to drop out and lose one’s soul? Besides, the presence of one or one hundred hypocrites has nothing to do with one’s relationship with God unless he allows it to do so. Hell will be the eternal abode of impenitent hypocrites (Matthew 24:51). The one who so despises them here that he departs from the Lord rather than associate with them will condemn himself to inescapable association with them in eternity.

Many other “reasons” for quitting are observable, but they all stem from uncontrolled selfishness (Romans 15:1–3; II Corinthians 5:15; Philippians 2:4, 21; II Timothy 3:2). The quitter will return only when he gets selfishness under control.

Dub McClish

Why Some People Quit

Ever since the church began, some who have obeyed the Gospel, thus being added by the Lord to the church, have failed to remain faithful. They, like the Ephesians, “have left their first love” (Revelation. 2:4). Likely, there are some motivations for departures with which I am not familiar, but some are very apparent. Some apostatize because they cease to value Truth and become ensnared in false doctrines and practices (II Thessalonians 2:10–12; I Timothy 1:19–20; 4:1; II Timothy 4:3–4; et al.). Others hear the siren-call of fleshly lusts and, unlike Moses, choose to enjoy the “pleasures of sin for a season,” forgetting the inevitable day of recompense (Hebrews 11:25–26; I Corinthians 5:1–5; II Corinthians 12:21; II Timothy 3:1–6; Jude 4; et al.).

Others who drop out do not do so because of such drastic factors. They depart for what one might refer to as more “personal” or “subjective” reasons, several of which I have heard over the years. In hopes that discussion of some of these might prevent someone from backsliding and losing his soul, consider the following:

1. Guilt: When one knows he is not living as Christ teaches us to live during the week, he should feel guilty and ashamed when he comes into his Bible class or into the worship assembly. His guilt and shame leave him with two choices: He can confess and repent of his sin, or he can continue in it. One who continues in sin will not long faithfully assemble where Biblical preaching and teaching remind him of his guilt. If he is unwilling to abandon his sin, he will abandon the church by making no pretense. If he is unwilling to abandon his sin, he will abandon the church by making no pretense at being religious or he will “shop at being religious or he will “shoparound” for a “feel-good church” with a “feel-good at being religious or he will “shop gospel” (joining a “guilt-free church” that allows people to maintain membership and hold on to their sins is merely another way of abandoning the Truth—and the church). Unwillingness to give up sin (and the resulting guilt) has caused many to “quit the church.”
2. Personal dislike for someone in the congregation:  Often it is the preacher, an elder, or a teacher—usually someone in a leadership role—who stirs such disfavor. We all have enough faults to be unlikable to someone else at times (e.g., I do not like the behavior of those who quit because they do not “like” someone). Guess what? You do not have to like every member of the church to be a faithful Christian (nor does everyone in the congregation have to like you). God must often dislike the behavior of even the best of us, but He still loves us and desires our salvation. Likewise, it is not necessarily wrong for us to dislike and irritate one another at times in matters of opinion and personal choice, as long as we still love one another enough to seek the good of each other. “Quitting the church,” thereby losing one’s soul, is a high price to pay because “I do not like someone.”
3. The claim of “too many hypocrites” in the church: perhaps all Christians (including preachers and elders) have at least been inconsistent, if not hypocritical at times. Even the best find it impossible to live flawlessly the flawless message we preach. I dare say that the one who charges, “There are too many hypocrites,” is himself hypocritical once in a while. There is no defense for hypocrisy, but which is worse—to continue to faithfully assemble and work with other imperfect saints, knowing that one’s own life is not perfect, or to drop out and lose one’s soul?

Besides, the presence of one or one hundred hypocrites has nothing to do with one’s relationship with God unless he allows it to do so. Hell will be the eternal abode of impenitent hypocrites (Matthew 24:51). The one who so despises them here that he departs from the Lord rather than associate with them will condemn himself to inescapable association with them in eternity.

Many other “reasons” for quitting are observable, but they all stem from uncontrolled selfishness (Romans 15:1–3; II Corinthians 5:15; Philippians 2:4, 21; II Timothy 3:2). The quitter will return only when he gets selfishness under control

Dub McClish

The Basis of Acceptable Worship

“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:22–24)

Truth is essential for all acceptable worship. God said is the basis of the Truth that must direct all acceptable worship (John 17:17). If one cannot know God without revelation (and he cannot), then it also follows that one cannot worship God acceptably without the Truth that comes by revelation. The Samaritans worshiped God, but it was not acceptable, because it was based on partial revelation. One’s worship must be spiritual, from man’s own spirit, and it must be as the Truth of the Gospel directs. God said is the basis of all acceptable worship. Some brethren today need to reconsider this fundamental Truth. This will stop some of the foolish and hurtful things that are taking place in worship today.

The Basis of All Acceptable Religious Experience

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Jude speaks of “contending for the faith”—that is, objective faith,written revelation, upon which one’s faith must rest. Any “religious experience” not based upon what God has said is false. One’s religious experience must be tested by what “God said,” not by what one thinks God says through a religious experience. Testing what God says by one’s religious experience today is the basis of false religion. Abraham had a religious experience, but it was based upon what “God said” (Genesis 22:1–13). Salvation is a religious experience, but it must be based upon what “God said.” Worship is a religious experience, but it must be based upon what “God said” (Acts 17). The Athenians were having a religious experience, but it was not acceptable unto God, because it was not based upon revelation. One can find people gathered everywhere in worship going through some kind of experience, but this does not mean that that experience is acceptable to God. Every religious experience one has must be in harmony with what the Bible teaches and must rest upon what “God said.”

When one has some kind of experience unknown to the Bible, that experience is false and deceptive and not accepted by God. It is time for men to turn back to the Bible and to find out what it teaches and then act upon it. The action then will be an experience, which harmonizes with what “God said.” This will be acceptable unto God. Nothing else is or can be.

Franklin Camp

Personal Relationships

The hue and cry throughout many pulpits is to “develop personal relationships” and to have a “personal encounter with Jesus.” This sounds lofty and noble, but what it often boils down to is simply to deemphasize the Bible and elevate man. The idea of teaching and accepting propositional truths from God’s Word is ignored for the sake of relationships. That is the reason so many brethren would rather attend a “fellowship dinner” than a Gospel meeting or lectureship. The idea of studying to refute religious error is unthinkable in most city churches.

More of us who know the truth would not disparage good influence or proper relationships, yet this can never replace helping men to see the truth as taught by Jesus in the Bible, or making them aware of the error they have espoused.

We all should be as kind and personable as uphold-ing the truth will allow, but this is a far cry from what is being advocated. Truth is being put down and neglected by many who advocate friendship, people, and relation-ships above the Lord. It is still “the truth” that makes man free (John 8:32), and all personal relationships must be subjugated to the Lord and His truth (Matthew 10:34-37).

This very attitude concerning “personal relationships” has destroyed controversy and the desire to defend the faith (Jude 3; I Peter 3:15). We become such loving people we cannot chance hurting our relationships by exposing people’s sins or errors. Neighbor, that is not true, biblical love. This religious philosophy is humanism, pure and simple, rather than a love for truth and Christ. Brethren, we need to wake up and see this as yet an-other ploy of Satan in our congregations today.

Andrew M. Connally

Voices from the past…

“Unless we have a distinctive plea we have no right to exist. The day we become like the denominations around us, that day ends our right to exist as a distinct religious people. If we have a distinctive plea, in that consists our strength. I believe that our distinctive principles are made less prominent in our pulpit now than formerly. I do not mean that our preachers should be always on what is called ‘first principles.’ Very far from it. But I do mean that all our members should be deeply indoctrinated in the things that distinguish us from other religious peoples. The people should understand why they occupy the position they do. The better this is understood the more it will be appreciated, and the more firm and consistent will be the Christian life. When people are led to believe that sectarianism is about as good as New Testament Christianity their influence for the cause we plead is positively hurtful. Whenever we begin to curry favor with the sects and fawn upon them for recognition, we are certain to say but little about a plea that lays the axe at the root of the whole denominational tree. Whenever we begin to curry favor with the world, we are certain to fall in with the world’s notions, and adjust ourselves to the world’s ways. Hence much of that in which churches now indulge in the way of worldly amusements, carnal methods of raising money, the spirit of mere entertainment in the worship, etc., is due to the fact that they copy the sects, rather than the New Testament churches; and are filled with the spirit of the world, instead of the spirit of Christ.”

F. G. Allen (1926)

UNITY — Can It Be Had In the Modern Religious World?

Yes, if we respect the wishes of Christ. He prayed for unity: John 17:20-21.

Yes, if we believe there is one God. The Ephesians were told to keep unity on the basis of this truth: Ephesians 4:3-6.

Yes, if we realize the dangers of division. Paul taught against religious division: I Corinthians 1: 10- 13.

Yes, if we are willing to yield human opinions to the authority of God’s Word.  Jeremiah urged that man’s wisdom is not a safe guide: Jeremiah 10:23.

But unity does not now exist! The modem religious world is divided into several hundred denominations who war over names, creeds, practices, organizations, worship and ritual.

Unity can be had when creeds are discarded in favor of the Bible. The world can have the blessings of unity when all people accept the Holy Scriptures as the sole authority in religion. The Bible only makes Christians only! If all are just Christians, nothing more and nothing less, all will be united!

William S. Cline