Noteworthy News

(News of the day in the light of Scripture)

Assignments: Sunday, March 1, 1998

Announcements: Joe Price

Opening Prayer: Joe Price / Rusty McGrew

Closing Prayer: Loren Parker / Charles Fair

Song Leader: Rick Holt / Clarence Gardner

Scripture: Morris Bass / Philip Price

Lord’s Supper: Dan Head / Jason H. / Wesley H.

Bldg. Cleanup (Mar. 7): Ray & Cory Hollister

T HE SPIRIT’S SWORD

“And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17)

The Northside church of Christ

Meeting at the North Bellingham Grange Hall · 5201 Northwest Road · Bellingham, WA

Visit our Web Site on the Internet: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/northsidecofc

Volume II, No. 3 March 1, 1998

You Are Invited To A Gospel Meeting!

March 1-6, 1998

with

Ron Halbrook (Shepherdsville, KY)

Sunday: 9:30; 10:30 & 6:00 Mon.-Fri.: 7:00 p.m.

Bring your Bible and learn God's word on these topics:

Sunday 9:30: Giving God the Strength of Youth

Sunday 10:30: "Lovest Thou Me More Than These?"

Sunday 6:00: The Sufficient Grace of God

Monday: The Patience of God

Tuesday: The Blood of Christ and Baptism

Wednesday: On to Canaan or Back to Egypt?

Thursday: Trends Pointing Toward A New Apostasy

Friday: Differences Not Requiring Division

You will have an opportunity to ask Bible questions

and receive Bible answers (2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 3:15)!

Biblical Principles of Unity (Part 7):

The True Grace of God

Understanding God’s grace is vital as we apply God’s principles of unity. We have no right to extend or offer God’s grace where He has not done so, or to whom He has not done so. Neither do we have the right to define His grace in any other way that is done in the holy scriptures.

The scriptures teach us that “true grace of God” includes the commands of God. One such verse reads:

“By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.” (1 Peter 5:12)

So, Peter affirms that what he briefly wrote to the saints (that is, the epistle of 1 Peter) was the “true grace of God.” Therefore, by observing what the apostle wrote in his inspired epistle, we can determine what comprises the “true grace of God.”

A study of 1 Peter reveals that God’s grace includes obedience in holy living (1 Pet. 1:13-16); abstaining from fleshly lusts (1 Pet. 2:11-12); submitting to civil government (1 Pet. 2:13-17); husbandly and wifely responsibilities (1 Pet. 3:1-7); putting away worldliness (sexual immorality, social drinking, drunkenness, its associated riotous conduct, 1 Pet. 4:1-3); abstinence from idolatry (1 Pet. 4:3); hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9); and the autonomy of local churches and their oversight (1 Pet. 5:1-3). These are but some of the instructions God’s grace teaches us so that we may stand in the true grace of God (Tit. 2:11; 1 Pet. 5:12). We cannot violate “the word of His grace” and still abide in “the true grace of God"? (Acts 20:32; 1 Pet. 5:12) Any attempt to extend fellowship and unity beyond the boundaries of revealed truth, and then justifying it upon the basis of God’s grace, has failed to properly define the “true grace of God.” One cannot disobey the commands and instructions of the Lord and yet claim His grace. Nor

do we have God’s approval to have fellowship with those in such a condition (2 John 9-11; Eph. 5:8-11).

When we obey Jesus in faith, we do not establish a righteousness of our own. Noah did not do so when he obeyed and built the ark. Abraham did not do so when he prepared to offer Isaac in obedience to God’s command. (Heb. 11:17; Jas. 2:22-24) These men, and many others, obtained God’s grace because in faith they obeyed God’s word.

Now, for an application which is drawing a lot of attention these days, namely, marriage, divorce and remarriage. According to the principles of truth we noted above, the Christian who will not obey Christ’s teaching on marriage, divorce and remarriage has ceased to live by faith, and has thereby forfeited fellowship with Christ and the salvation found in Him (2 Jno. 9). He is not presently standing in the “true grace of God.” When we move away from obeying and teaching the revealed gospel of Christ, we remove ourselves from the grace of Christ (read Gal. 1:6-9). And, that includes our practice and teaching on marriage, divorce and remarriage (remember, Peter wrote about marriage in his discourse on the “true grace of God,” 1 Pet. 3:1-7). If not, why not? You see, standing in grace does not mean God will accept us in spite of our sin (1 Jno. 2:1-2, 1:9 applies here)! Can we “agree to disagree” with God and still be saved? No! (cf. Amos 3:3 on the inability of walking together where agreement does not exist.)

We stand in the “true grace of God” when we obey God’s commands in faith (cf. Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:1-2). This does not mean we are saved by our own righteousness (that would require sinless perfection, Rom. 4:1-5). We are unprofitable servants who have only done their duty before our Master (cf. Lk. 17:10). Like Abraham, we are sinners who are saved by grace through faith. Since we are commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” we cannot convince ourselves that regardless of what I know, believe and do, God’s grace will save me (2 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 6:1-2, 14-16; Tit. 2:11-12). Obtaining grace from God does not mean that He will accept us in spite of (or in) our sin!

Some brethren, in altering their view and application of God’s grace, charge that such a view of grace requires perfect knowledge and amounts to a self-defined righteousness. For instance, one brother wrote:

“your kind of righteousness.....says I may have sinned in the past and so I need grace for that, but I am so perfectly knowledgeable now that I don’t need it for my present life. Or at the very least it says that while I may need grace in the areas of my actions (i.e., to live up to that which I believe), I don't need any grace in the area of knowledge, for I am perfect in knowledge.”

This is a false charge which does not properly define grace. For instance, I don’t need grace in my life, why would Peter command me to grow in grace and in knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18)? The scriptures do not pit knowledge against grace, nor do we when we teach that grace is only obtained “through faith” - i.e., faithfully obeying God (Jas. 2:21-24; Rom. 4:1-5). The above argument is ineffective because it begs the question. The question is not whether grace and knowledge are opposed to each other, but whether God will overlook sin and error in our lives (teaching and conduct which is in violation of His revealed truth) and save us anyway. This is what the people in Matthew 7:21-23 pleaded for, but it is not what they received.

Are Christians sinless? Of course not, but we are to no longer allow sin to rule us (1 Jno. 1:8-10; 3:7-10; Rom. 6:5-14). The “true grace of God” must reach every part of our lives, (see again such passages as 1 Peter 5:12; 2 Peter 3:18; Titus 2:11-12; and Acts 20:32). God wants us to resist the devil and stand in His grace (Jas. 4:6-10). This demands that our faith be a working (obedient) faith (Jas. 2:24; Eph. 2:8-9).

Doctrinal and moral error (sin) forfeits one’s standing in the grace of Christ (Gal. 1:6-9). One does not stand in grace (accepted and approved by God) in spite of doctrinal and moral error. If a Christian is accepted in grace in spite of sin, why then would he ever have to confess his sins to God (1 Jno. 1:9)? There would be no need to do so! God would simply show Him grace and save him in spite of his error. Why would the Christian ever need to repent and pray if, as some assert, grace allows room for doctrinal and moral error (Acts 8:22)? But, since God does not accept those in doctrinal and moral error sin), He commands us not to, either (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Jno. 10-11; Rev. 2:2).

The scriptures teach that one’s own faith is accounted to him for righteousness (Rom. 4:3-8). Thus, the gospel reveals that when we live by faith we obtain God’s grace (Rom. 3:21-26). This is not a righteousness which is based upon one’s actions or knowledge (sinless perfection). It is righteousness “which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:9). Obeying Christ is never identified in the scriptures as obtaining “a righteousness of my own” (Phil. 3:9)! When we keep the commandments of God, we are not establishing our own righteousness, but conforming to the righteousness which is through faith in Christ! (1 Jno. 2:3-6; 2 Jno. 6)

Paul said: “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters” (1 Cor. 7:19). When Paul kept the commandments of God he was not establishing his own form of righteousness. Yet, when we advocate this truth and make a specific application to adultery, we are being charged with ignoring and perverting the grace of God (Gal. 1:6-10)! (Some are turning God’s grace into lasciviousness, Jude 3-4!) Since Paul was not establishing an alternate righteousness by advocating an obedient faith to God’s commands, neither are we when we follow his example (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17). By teaching people to obey Christ’s word on divorce and remarriage we are not establishing our own brand of righteousness. We are calling people to the righteousness of God which is according to faith (Rom. 1:16-17). We are calling upon them to stand in the “true grace of God.”