Bible Thoughts July 22, 2001
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be
perfect, go sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me”(Matthew 19:21).
The Lord is answering a question asked by the rich man. The inquiry, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”(Matthew 19:16). A commendable question indeed. The Lord responded by outlining the commandments of Moses which the rich man was to respect and obey. When Jesus enumerated the commands, the young man responded, “All these things have I observed: what lack I yet?” Knowing the heart of the young man, Jesus realized that the one thing that stood in his way of being acceptable to God was his affection for his wealth. When he realized the cost that must be paid to follow the Lord, he would not pay the price. Sad, indeed, for “he went away sorrowful.”
Every thinking person wants to go to heaven. But not every “thinking” person is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to please the God of Heaven. The rich man will not part with his wealth; the worldly man will not separate from his ungodliness; the indifferent person will not separate from his lack of interest. There are multiple excuses that men offer in not accepting and obeying the truth from God due to the sacrifice(s) that would be involved in faithfulness.
Men fail to respond to the words of Christ because of their involvement with their own interests and concerns. What one likes(and loves) becomes foremost in one’s mind. All other matters are placed below what the individual desires to pursue. Whether it be some sport, an occupation, a physical relationship, the possessions of this life, etcetera, such stands in the way of the person devoting his interest to the ways of the Lord.
Men fail to respond to the words of Christ because they want to accept the commands of men rather than the commands of God. The doctrines of men exist because men like to follow them. They weigh what God expects, not by the Bible, but by their own likes and dislikes. For example: to many the doctrine of “faith only” is very comforting. One has to only believe and do nothing else. They become satisfied in that they are pleasing the Lordbecause they have believed. The Word of God is very plain: “Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith”(James 2:24).
Men fail to respond to the words of Christ due to the relationships in which they are involved. An unscriptural relationship during the days of Christ led to the death of John the Baptist. When John pointed out that it was “not lawful for thee to have her”(his brother’s wife), the dancing daughter, influenced by her mother, asked for the head of John. In a world that ignores the commands of Christ in regard to marriage and a ton of other matters, most would rather “take their chances” and continue in bondage to the ways of the world rather than giving up sinful relationships. Such is not only found in the area of marriage, but involvement in human societies and organizations that violate the commands of God as well. It is appropriate for Christians to take a look at those organizations which they support. It is proper to ask: Am I being influenced in such a way by my association therein that it erodes my spirituality?
Men fail to respond to the words of Christ due to affections for the traditions they hold. Jesus said, “And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition”(Matthew 15:6). The Pharisees and theSadduccees were tradition bound to their own ideas. The religious teachers elevated their traditions to the extent that they “made void the word of God.” The Lord’s people should do nothing because it is “our tradition.” Have you heard it said, “Why, we have always done it that way”? If what one is doing can be found in the scriptures, such is acceptable. If what one is doing is being practiced because one’s ancestors did it, or because they refuse change, or they like it better than anything else, or other human standards, it is tradition--pure and simple. It is even possible for one to follow(?) the truth out of tradition. Simply going through the motions in worship because it has always been done that way is tradition.
Let each of us realize that the pattern
we follow in worshipping God, living the life of a Christian, and
following the directions of the New Testament is not merely
traditional, but demonstrates a desire to please the God who made us
in everything that we believe, teach, and practice. Human traditions
corrupt the service of God; divineguidance can be found only in the
New Testament of Jesus Christ. We must have the courage to stand up
for the truths expressed therein and follow only that which is
acceptable to the Lord. Let each of us stand firm in the principles
of righteousness and refuse to turn away from God’s order. It will
please God today and save us in eternity.
Out of the Past: There is one church, the body; it is the church, not
a church; it is the church of God, for he is the Father of it; it is
the kingdom of heaven, because of origin; it is the church of Christ,
because he purchased it; it is the bride, because married to the Son
of God; it is the house of God, because he built it. This church had
no existence on earth until the apostolic age; it has no earthly
organization beyond the local congregation; it is one in faith and
hope, wearing a divine name, making known a divine message, and
following a divine pattern--in faith and practice, in infancy and
growth, in worship and work...No one claims the church in and of
itself will save the soul; but truth decrees the church a divine
agency in the plan of salvation. Christ is the Savior of the body;
God adds the saved to the church; and it cannot but follow that all
the saved are in the Lord’s family. We grant one human institution
is as good as another, and that one does not have to be a member of a
denomination to be saved; but common sense, as well as the
Scriptures, successfully contends that the divine institution is
better than any human society.-L. O. Sanderson, Gospel Advocate,
April 26, 1951, page 1.