GUARDING THE GOSPEL
Editorial
July, 1974
Volume 9, Number 3
We hope that every minister in the Church of the Brethren will be challenged
by the article in this Witness. This includes all of us,
for every born again Christian is a minister and ambassador of Jesus Christ.
But the Scripture also establishes the set-apart ministry, which functions
under a special calling as the shepherd of the flock, Acts 14:23 and 1
Peter 5:2.
For this "set-apart" ministry the Bible establishes the highest of moral
and ethical standards. The Word teaches that such should be examples to
the flock (1 Peter 1:3). "These pastors must be men
of blameless lives because they are God's ministers" (Titus
1:7 L.B.). We grieve because of an apparent crumbling
of biblical morality among ministers in our denomination. How relevant
and startling are the words of Jeremiah, "Do you really think that you
can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie .. and then come here and stand
before me in my Temple and chant,'We are saved!' -- only to go right back
to all these evil things again" (Jeremiah 7:9-20 L.B.).
God's answer to such conduct is a resounding, No.
When preachers do not believe and teach the absolutes of the Word of
God, they usually become promoters of a so-called "new" morality and give
their agreement to situational ethics. This false philosophy of men often
boomerangs and makes the minister himself a victim of his own failure to
honor God's Word for what it says.
The real question that confronts us is this: Does the changing attitude
by many toward the ordained leadership reflect a better understanding of
God's Word, or does it indicate that the church, more and more is adopting
the pattern of the world? We believe that the latter is more nearly correct.
A query to this year's Annual Conference is seeking to declare the 1933
position of the church on divorce and remarriage obsolete. Since the 1933
decision was guided by the overall statements of Scripture, does this indicate
that the Bible is obsolete also!
--J.F.M.
Guarding the Gospel
by Donald E. Miller
Those who have money and other valuable items like to deposit them where
they are safely kept and properly guarded, protected from burglars and
fire, etc. The sign (FDIC) on the door of the bank or at other conspicuous
places, gives added comfort because it speaks of additional protection
and insurance. However, in this message we want to think about another
kind of deposit and another type of guarding.
The world had been shaken by the powerful Gospel which the Apostle Paul
had preached. After many years, the same zeal still burned within his soul,
but conditions had changed. In writing to Philemon, verse 9, he refers
to himself as "Paul the aged". To the Philippians he had suggested that
death was near. And then to Timothy he declared, "For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy
4:6). With this kind of an awareness and with a very deep concern
for the continuation of the Gospel, he further wrote, "Hold fast the form
of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by
the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us" (2 Timothy 1:13-24).
Without a doubt the message was addressed to Timothy in particular but
intended to be passed on, and to become our responsibility likewise today.
For in chapter two, verse two, of the same letter, Paul wrote, "And the
things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit
thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
THE PRECIOUS DEPOSIT
Paul spoke of "that good thing" which was consigned for faithful keeping.
In 2 Corinthians 4:7 he refers to it as "a treasure which we have in earthen
vessels." We have been entrusted with something of great value. What is
this precious deposit? It seems clear that Paul refers to the basic truths
underlying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By this we mean truths such as the
virgin birth, sinless life, the atoning values of Jesus Christ's sacrificial
death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His visible return for the
Church, and all related teachings that are given to help us understand
and share the Gospel.
The Gospel is not vain argument nor empty philosophy, nor false science,
nor powerless ritual, nor petty showmanship. It is a story to tell, a truth
to declare, Good News to proclaim, a Christ to exalt ". . . it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans
1:16).
The Gospel is a treasure, not discovered by the church, but deposited
in care of the church to be preached to the world. Some have said that
preaching is out of date. Some publications have discontinued Biblical
expositions and have turned to topics of social concern. These may have
their place, but must be treated very carefully, and in light of and in
relationship to, the Gospel.
Our deposit -- that with which we have been entrusted - - dare not be
altered to suit the whims and fads of human fancy. Our commission is not
to declare unto men what they want to hear, but rather what they need to
hear. Men want to hear dirty stories; they want to see obscene pictures;
they want to learn how to make more money; how to experience some new thrill.
They need to be told that man possesses a sinful nature as a result of
disobedience in the Garden of Eden. They need to be told that "when lust
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death" (James 1:15). They need to be told, "For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
THE POINT OF PROTECTION
Paul is not telling us to hoard the Gospel -- to keep it hid away, unwilling
to share -- but rather to protect it as one would protect clear, cool spring
water. Keep it free from dilution and pollution --as milk which when diluted
loses its strength and value, and as meat which to pass inspection must
be kept free from contamination.
This treasure, the Gospel, is endangered because we have it in earthen
vessels. We are so timid, so hesitant, and so easily corrupted by sin.
Because of this, the message has been marred, and many times rejected.
In many cases young people have concluded that the message is untrue, because
the messenger has been false. The ministry, and those engaged in teaching,
have a special responsibility in this area. Paul exhorted Timothy, "...
be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity,
in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).
It is very sad to observe that many set apart for the ordained ministry
have sealed their own lips an subjects such as divorce, and the remarriage
of divorced persons, by becoming involved with these evils themselves.
How can a minister lift up the Gospel standard effectively if he himself
is practicing a double standard, having an affair with a member of his
own congregation or with one from a neighboring congregation? And what
is equally as bad (or maybe even worse) is for those who hold responsible
positions of leadership in the district or brotherhood to have knowledge
of such conditions -- and then ignore, tolerate, try to justify, or even
hide the facts by transferring the preacher into other areas of service.
We are insisting that the message is contaminated when delivered by filthy
vessels, and people are being turned off. People became sick and tired
of seeing moral corruption prevalent among the ministry -- and then quietly
swept under the rug without public confession and proper discipline. 1
Corinthians 11:30 has a message for such situations. "For this cause many
are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
God will hold us accountable for our own personal standards, as well
as for the way we discharge the responsibilities we carry due to the position
we hold. Some have accepted position for personal recognition, and have
failed to give due consideration to the responsibility.
We want to say a word, at this paint, to young people. First, study
the Word of God carefully for yourself (asking the Holy Spirit to help
you understand its message) and then guide your life accordingly. Be assured
that it is pure and safe. Do not let the inconsistencies of older folks
destroy your appreciation for the Word of God. If you have ever asked yourself
the question, "Why don't older Christians trust us? Why are they so skeptical
and critical of us?'! -- may I suggest that it is because the deposit of
faith end biblical truth is so precious that the older saints fear you
might not recognize its value, and thus fail to love it enough to care
for and protect it. But those who are older must welcome youth, and with
them work for the Lord.
Sometimes we fear that unless others dot their "i's" and cross their
"t's" or use the same phraseology we do -- we write them off as unchristian,
undesirable, and unusable. There are young people who ;eve the Lord and
cherish the faith, and He has become precious to them. They will love the
truth more as they walk with Christ and know Him better. They are inexperienced,
but they can gain experience as we counsel with them and pray for them.
The :ask of guarding the faith must be a cooperative effort of both young
and old.
Remember to diligently attempt to keep the vessel free from hypocrisy.
Don't pretend to possess that which you do not have. Don't testify to that
which you have not received. God's kingdom cannot be established through
deception, exaggeration, or dishonesty.
This treasure must be guarded not only against human weakness and contamination, but also against the attacks of our vicious enemy. The world around about us is controlled by forces of evil. Ephesians 2:2 mentions the "prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience." Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our warfare is against "the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." In our day, generally speaking, politics has become corrupt, big
business is driven by greed, education has lost its purpose, entertainment
wallows in the filth of obscenity, modern literature is reduced to pornography,
immorality is popular, abortion is legalized, homosexuality is glamorized,
and personal honesty is laughed at. The church must be careful that these
things so commonly accepted don't influence her position on the Word of
God. Holiness is still God's standard, and worldliness (in all its forms)
is still our enemy. Our Gospel must be pure if it is to be powerful.
THE PLEDGE OF VICTORY
There are problems associated with our guarding the faith, but we dare
not become discouraged and throw up our hands in despair. May we take courage
by referring to the teachings of Jesus and to the experiences and testimonies
of some of His followers.
Our victory does not lie in popularity, nor in applause, nor
in acceptability on the part of the world. Jesus said, "If the world hate
you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you" (John
15:18). "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you"
(1 John 3:13).
Our victory does not lie in comforts and luxuries of this life.
Paul claimed victory in the jaws of persecution and death.
Our victory does not depend upon the accumulation of material wealth.
Peter declared, "Silver and gold have I none .. ."
Our victory does not lie in numbers. Jesus, in speaking of the
strait and narrow way that leads unto life eternal, said, "Few there be
that find it."
Our victory lies in the fact that God is able, and that the gates
of hell shall not prevail against the church. Christ did not call us to
convert the world, but to preach the Gospel to the world. It is His purpose
to call cut a people from among the nations for His name, and this is being
done wherever the Gospel is kept and presented in its original purity.
Regardless of the apostasy in christendom, we can rest assured that in
every age there have been people called out who bear His name.
This is not the first time that Satan has despised the church. This
is not the first generation in which he has opposed the Gospel. Through
it all, God has always had His people. There are still those who have not
bowed their knees to Baal. Across this nation we have men on the front
lines battling against sin. They are dealing with corruption in every form,
same of which defies description. The power of the Gospel still avails.
Sins are being forgiven, lives are being transformed, souls are being saved
by the power of the Gospel.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is what the world needs:
The world seeks peace. The Gospel presents the Prince of Peace.
The world is crying for love. "Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John
15:13). "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
The world seeks to be free. "if the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).
The unconverted say they "want to live." "I am come that they
might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John
10:10b).
The world seeks to reform the corruption of humanity. "Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The world seeks a pure environment. "And I saw a new heaven and
a new earth ..." (Revelation 21:1a).
People are calling themselves the NOW generation. ".. Behold,
NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (2
Corinthians 6:2b).
What the world needs today is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's
guard its purity, for it is "the power of God unto salvation." It is our
responsibility to GUARD THE GOSPEL.
Donald E. Miller served on the BRF Committee for many years. He died in 1989.