THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume IV
May 2009
Number 7
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
WHO IS AMENABLE
TO GOD’S LAWS?
The fact that I am a preacher of the
gospel has involved me in many discussions about various biblical issues. While
working with a particular congregation, I conducted a radio program designed to
allow callers to ask Bible questions. On one occasion, a caller questioned us
about a marriage situation involving divorce and re-marriage among
non-Christians. It seemed they were advocating that as long as the divorce and
remarriage occurred before one obeyed the gospel, they could have multiple
marriages and keep the present spouse once obeying the gospel.
This introduced the question, “Are
non-Christians amenable to God’s laws?” One should not think that such a
question would need to be asked, but when the emotions become involved in our
thinking, all logic ceases. As we did then, let us now consider this important
question, let us do so with a true desire to understand and know the Truth.
The first point to consider is whether or
not God has established laws to govern mankind in general. The answer is a
resounding, YES. In the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God had a law for
Adam and Eve. Don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
(Genesis
3:1-2). God then gave a written law to the Israelites through Moses
(Deuteronomy
4:44). Today, men are bound to keep the law of Christ (Galatians
6:2). The obvious point is that God has always had a law by which He
expected men to live.
Our second point is whether or not the
law of Christ applies to non-Christians. I can hear some saying, “Ah, yes, but
aren’t these laws given to those who follow God?” Surely, we all know that to
please God (and that is what righteous people want to do), one must live
according to His laws. However, to say that obedience to these laws is only
required of those who would follow God is not a true statement.
To understand this, we need only to
consider what it is that makes us sinners in the first place. A person becomes
a sinner by breaking one of God’s laws. Hear what John says, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning
also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” [1 John 3:4]. Men
become sinners when they transgress or break one of the laws of Christ. Men are
not born guilty of sin. Mankind is born innocent and pure in the sight of God.
Now, Paul tells us in Romans
4:15, “For the law brings
wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” If the
non-Christian is not amenable to the law of Christ, then the non-Christian
cannot be guilty of transgression or lawlessness. Therefore, being that sin is
lawlessness, the non-Christian cannot commit sin. Who can believe it, especially
when Paul says, “For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God,” [Romans 3:23]. The non-Christian has
sinned and he sinned because he transgressed or broke the law of Christ.
What makes lying wrong? Christ’s law.
What makes stealing wrong? Christ’s law. What makes murder wrong? Christ’s law.
What makes divorce and remarriage for any cause wrong? Christ’s law. If the law
of Christ doesn’t apply to the non-Christian, then he could lie, steal, murder,
or enter into a thousand marriages without committing sin.
Who believes this false doctrine? It is
those who don’t love the truth on divorce and re-marriage. It is those who are
trying to justify a bad marriage. It is those who are deceived and believe a
lie.
The Editor’s
Page
Observation reveals that it is extremely
difficult for men to leave the past in the past. Marriages become conditions of
confinement rather than loving relationships and all because either one or both
parties will not let go of the past. Churches are in constant turmoil without
any hope of growth because Christians revel in past sins and hurt feelings. The
only hope for either situation is found in what Jesus proclaimed. Hear his
words. “Jesus said to him, ‘No one who
puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’” (Luke
9:62).
It is true that we must learn from the
past or else be doomed to repeat its mistakes. However, to dwell in past
accomplishments, past failures, or past hurts at the hands of others, will
destroy the vitality of the present. Christians who are constantly thinking of
the past in the ways aforementioned are unfit for the
The hurts we suffer at the hands of
others are the hardest to put behind us. The emotions stirred by hurt [whether
real or imagined] progress from hurt to embarrassment, to anger, to hatred. All
such emotions do nothing but keep men unproductive in the present.
If any man had a past that could hinder
his present, Paul is the man. He had great achievements within the Jewish
religion (Philippians 3:4-6). Because he was a persecutor of the
church, Paul had much to live down (Acts 8:3; 22:19-20). His past shamed him. No matter how cumbersome the
baggage from his past, Paul would not allow it to compromise his work for the
Lord. “Brothers, I do not consider that I
have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
The following caught my eye. It is here
offered, to illustrate the biblical principle we are discussing. Please give it
due consideration in that context.
Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a
river. There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing
what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes.
Without more ado, one of the monks took her on his back, carried her across and
put her down on dry ground on the other side.
Then, the monks continued on their way. But the other
monk, after an hour, started complaining, “Surely it is not right to touch a
woman; it is against the commandments to have close contact with women. How
could you go against the rules for monks?”
The monk who had carried the girl walked along
silently, but finally he remarked, “I set her down by the river an hour ago,
why are you still carrying her?” Irmgard Schloegl, The Wisdom of Zen
Masters
As we walk life’s journey, we have two
choices. We can complain and moan over the past or we can put down the past at
the foot of Jesus’ cross. The Christian’s desire should be to use his or her
talents for furthering the cause of Christ. This is accomplished when the
Christian is willing to leave the past in the past. No Christian can live a
fruitful life for Jesus while carrying around a past of sin, or a past of
success, or a past of hurt.
Are you living in the present or do you
carry around that which you should have left at the cross a long time ago?
WORKING FOR THE
MASTER
INVENTORYING OURSELVES
At the end of a business cycle, a company
will take inventory to assess its abilities to continue operating. A discerning
management will weigh the quantity of goods and materials on hand with an
evaluation of abilities, assets, or resources before planning for the year
ahead.
Some may ask why? Why not just continue
to produce the same as in the past? The answers are simple. If a company over
produces, it spends capital it will not recover. If a company under produces,
it may loose business it will not recover. Whether in manufacturing or
marketing, if a business is to survive it must make the best use of its
resources.
In the scripture, it is called being good
stewards. The Christian does well to inventory his service to God. The
beginning of a year is a good time to evaluate or survey our abilities, assets,
or resources.
In Luke 12:42-48, Jesus described the
faithful and wise steward. He identified the faithful steward as the one who
does the master’s will. All will agree with this assessment of faithfulness.
However, not all have the same abilities, assets, or resources. How does this
affect each individual Christian?
Jesus answers this in verse forty-eight.
He says that those who have been given much in the way of abilities, assets, or
resources will have much required of them accordingly. Those who have committed
to them the greater abilities, assets, or resources are required to produce
more. When we stop and think about it, it makes perfect sense, the greater the
abilities, the greater the assets, the greater the resources when used
properly, the greater will be the accomplishment. Therefore, taking inventory
of our abilities, assets, or resources is of the utmost consequence.
The first step in inventorying our
Christian stewardship is to look back to the past year by asking some pertinent
questions. Have I grown in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter
3:18)? Have I presented my body a living sacrifice to the Lord (Romans
12:1-3)? Have I taken advantage of every opportunity provided me to
do good to all men (Galatians 6:10)? Have I taught
others the gospel by word and by deed (Acts 8:4)? If the answer is no to
these questions, you are an unfaithful steward. As an unfaithful steward, you
need to repent and pray for forgiveness. However, if you answered yes to the questions,
then proceed to the next step.
The second step in inventory is to assess
future potential. As each skill level is reached, one has obtained the
potential for obtaining a higher skill level. Remember, Jesus said to whom much
is given much is required. There is never a moment that the Christian is not
reaching out and growing. We all understand that when the physical body ceases
to grow, it dies. The physical body either grows continually, or it dies. The
same is true of the Christian’s spiritual life. The Christian who thinks he or
she can remain at a stagnant level of growth is deceived. Stagnant water is
good for nothing but to breed mosquitoes and filth. A stagnant spiritual life
breeds discontent, jealousy, strife, and the like.
The third step is to set reasonable
goals, and then be determined to accomplish those goals. When the time came for
His death, Jesus was determined to see it through to the end. He would not let
anything stand in His way. Hear Luke’s account of Jesus’ determination. “When the days drew near for him to be taken
up, he set his face to go to
The coming days, months, and years of our
life will either be a success or a failure, dependent upon the Christian’s
resolve. As Jesus set His face to go to
A note of warning should be sounded to
the Christian when he takes inventory. Do not fall into the trap of glorying
over past accomplishments. It is easy to think that one has done their part and
can now take it easy. One does not retire from their Christian stewardship. It
remains with us as long as we live. Remember, Jesus said to whom much is given
much is required. He did not place an age limit on stewardship. And besides all
this, we look for the eternal rest in Heaven. There is no rest here, for the
fields are white unto harvest.
THE LAST WORD
####################
WHAT MUST
I DO
Hear: Rom 10:17
Believe: Heb 11:6
Repent: Lk 13:5; Ac 17:30
Confess: Matt 10:32; Ac
8:36
Be Baptized: Ac 2:38;
22:16
TO BE
SAVED?
###################
FAMILY
MATTERS
AUDIO SERMONS & RADIO PROGRAM:
If you would
like to hear a sermon you can access our Audio Sermons page. Also on this page
is a place to access our radio program [WALKING BY FAITH]. Place your cursor
over the title, WALKING BY FAITH radio program and click. This will take you to
a page where you can download a program. The program is a weekly so there will
be a new program uploaded each week. We also keep the sermons updated as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pound church web site = www.poundchurchofchrist.org/
WALKING BY FAITH
9 AM
102.3 WDXC Radio
The Pound Proclaimer
is published monthly by the Pound
All articles by the editor unless
otherwise stated
Editor: Glen Young
Phone: 276-796-5767=Office
804-365-8694=Home
Time of Services
Sunday: Bible Classes—10 am
Assembly—11 am
Assembly—4 pm
Wednesday: Bible Classes—7 pm
E-mail: gyoung47@comcast.net
All questions or comments regarding the
content of this bulletin should be directed to the editor. He may be reached at
the e-mail given above or at
Our desire is to send The Pound Proclaimer to those who want to receive it.
If you received The Pound Proclaimer and do not want to receive it in the future, you
may unsubscribe by clicking here - ebulletin-unsubscribe@poundchurchofchrist.org
If you are not subscribed to The Pound Proclaimer and wish to subscribe click here - ebulletin-subscribe@poundchurchofchrist.org