3 The Spirit's Sword

May 4, 1997 Northside church of Christ · 5201 NW RD · Bellingham, WA Volume 1.12

The Spirit's Sword

Abby & Gossip Problem

_Gossip and Slander has always been a problem among brethren. In 1 Tim. 5:13, Paul talked about some who "learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." Many congregations have been hurt, hindered and even split over gossip. We need to remember we will all have to answer for our "idle" words.

DEAR ABBY: I am a sheriff's deputy. I love my job. A couple of years ago my husband got fired because of some ugly rumors that were not true. This was very hard on both of us. Around the time this happened you had a poem in your column titled "gossip." It fit my husband's situation to a "T". I took that poem to work and it disappeared. The sergeant who was working that day told me that the officer who had wrongly accused my husband took it! I guess that poem must have hit home. Would you please run it again? HURT BY GOSSIP. DEAR HURT: Here's the poem. It first appeared as a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal:

NOBODY'S FRIEND My name is gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted the more I am believed. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name or face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple

governments and wreck marriages. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches and indigestion. I make innocent people cry in their pillows. Even my name hisses. I am called GOSSIP.

-Robert Wayne LaCoste

Assignments: Sunday, May 4

Announcements: Ed DeWispelaere

Opening Prayer: Ed D. / TBA

Closing Prayer: Loren Parker / W. Golightly

Song Leader: TBA / Rusty McGrew

Scripture: Shane Bass / Jason Holt

Lord’s Supper: C. Gardner/J. Bass/A. Bass

Building Cleanup (May 10): DeWis. & Parker

Quotable Quotes........

True freedom is freedom from the power of Satan, sin and error. (John 8:32)

Truth is stubborn. It never apologized to anybody.

To know the author of the Bible, read His book.

A person who lords it over people isn't humble before the Lord.

SERVICE SCHEDULE

Sunday: 9:30 & 10:30 AM; 6:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:00 PM

Name Calling

Nobody I know enjoys being called a name. It is a vehicle of reproach, ridicule, and the demeaning of the person who is its recipi­ent. Children learn this device early (I wonder who they learned it from?!). Some carry this verbally abusive treatment of others with them for a lifetime. Jesus tells us that Christians will, on occasion, be the target of such name calling -- or worse (Mt. 5:11). Jesus was the object of verbal ridicule on many occasions (cf. Mt. 11:18-19; 27:12, 39-44). We must be ready and willing to suffer this and other reproaches for wearing the name of Christ (1 Pet. 4:14-16).

Another type of "name calling" that occurs to me is one which, at times, Christians must do. This has to do with identification. This type of "name calling" falls into two categories. First, we are told to "mark" those who set forth worthy examples to follow (Phil. 3:17). And, Paul called names of people in this way (Phil. 2:19-30; 2 Tim. 1:16-18; 3 Jn. 12). There is nothing wrong with commending those worthy of commen­da­tion. In this way we can "mark" the examples we ought to follow.

We are also called upon by God to identify those who, through sin and error, cause strife and division (Phil. 3:18-19; Rom. 16:17-18). At times it becomes necessary to specifically identify (call the name of) the person(s) from whom we should "turn away" (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Tim. 2: 17-18; 3 Jn. 9-10). False teachers contribute to division and the lose of souls (read those last scriptures again!). To avoid encouraging error and to escape its deceptive clutches, Christians must have accurate information! While it is not always necessary to "name names" where error is involved (1 Cor. 15:12), neither can we divorce the error from the person who teaches it. Men influence others through their actions and their words. We must not shy away from properly identifying false teachers. Some were offended when Jesus used such a straightfor­ward approach to error (Mt. 15:3-12), and some are offended today. But, God's people must never be! -jrp

USING THE OLD TESTAMENT TODAY

The Bible is a collection of inspired writings which, taken as a whole, constitute God's complete revelation to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 3; et al.). The Old Testament is the collection of Hebrew scriptures which God inspired and gave to His ancient people Israel in order to guide them to the Messiah (2 Tim. 3:15; Lk. 24:44-47). These facts are hardly in dispute by the religious community.

However, when it comes to how we can and should use the Old Testa­ment scriptures in our lives today, a great deal of disagree­ment and confusion exists. The Seventh-Day Adventists and others adamantly maintain that the sabbath (7th) day must be kept holy today (Ex. 20:8-11). Many religious folks turn to the Psalms to establish their use of instrumental music in worship. The speculators and prognosticators of our day believe in the Old Testament prophets they have found ways to calculate the end of the world. And the list goes on and on.

It is not as if the scriptures do not teach us how the Old Testa­ment may be used today. They do. The first thing to understand is that the Old Testament is not our authoritative source to sanction religious practic­es today. At one time it authorized the religious, ceremonial, moral and civil conduct of the nation of Israel. But Galatians 3:18-19, 23-25 makes it clear that the O. T. law was given for a specific period of time, namely, "till the seed (Christ) should come" (v. 19). The Old Testament law (which was only given to Israel, Deut. 5:2-3) was a tutor to bring men to Christ. Now that Christ has established justification by faith, men are no longer under this "tutor" (read vss. 23-25 close­ly). To go back to the Old Testament in an effort to approve of religious practices today amounts to appealing to an outdated law. Americans cannot appeal to British laws to authorize their behavior, although the American colonies were at one time under British rule. Simi­larly, we cannot appeal to Hebrew law as our authority for what we do today in service to Christ.

Many other passages in the New Testament inform us that man is no longer obligated to the Old Testament law as a binding code of conduct. Romans 7:4 teaches that men are "dead to the law" (of Moses) that they may be "joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead" (Christ). So, as long as one adheres to the Old Testament as his authority, it is impossible for him to be joined to Christ! Romans 7:6 continues to reinforce this thought by noting that men have been "discharged from the law." It is no longer to be viewed as the final authority in one's spiritual life. I suggest that you study Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:11-18; 2 Corinthians 3:1-14 and Hebrews 8:6-13 for additional teaching on this extremely important concept.

It becomes clear as one studies these passages that, for instance, the fact that God commanded Israel to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8) is no guarantee that He wants us to observe the seventh day of the week. We must hear what Christ says on the matter (Matt. 17:5; Acts 3:22-23). His gospel teaches us that the first day of the week is now the day of spiritual significance (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16: 2). And so it goes with every spiritual, moral and religious obliga­tion. We must find our authorization in Christ and His gospel, not the law of Moses (Acts 3:22-23; Col. 3:17).

Does this mean that we do not believe the Old Testament, or that we have no use for it today? Certainly not! Consider the following benefits we can (should) derive from the Old Testament today.

1. It provides learning, patience, comfort and hope - Romans 15:4.

2. It reveals evidences that Jesus is the Son of God - John 5:39; 1:45. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies which are fulfilled in Jesus (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15; Acts 17:2-3). We should use the Old Testament to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ.

3. The Old Testament can teach us many principles for righteous living. From its pages we can learn of:

a. Faith (cf. the "Old Testament worthies" - Hebrews 11).

b. Patience (Job).

c. Moral courage (David and Goliath 1 Sam. 17; Elijah at Mt. Carmel, 1 Kgs. 18).

d. The nature of obedience (King Saul and the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15).

e. Wisdom for daily living (The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes).

f. Dating and love (The Song of Solomon).

g. God's character and His dealings with man.

The Old Testament is provided for our learning (Rom. 15:4). The gospel of Christ is given for our salvation (Rom. 1:16). Be careful to appro­priately use each one. -Joe Price