Moses was the leader chosen by God to lead the people of God out of Egyptian bondage. His role as God’s servant was significant as it was through Moses that God gave the Words of the Covenant, namely the Ten Commandments (Exod 34:28). In fact, when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, besides the prophet Elijah, Moses appeared alongside Jesus (Matt 17).  In remembering Moses, one should not forget the role of his mother. The Bible records for us in Ex 1:12 that the children of Israel who lived in Egypt (having been invited there by Joseph and the Pharaoh) grew and multiplied greatly so much so that the Egyptians were in dread of them, and the new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph (Ex 1:8) then commanded in Ex 1:22 that “every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

It was during that terrible time that Moses was born and the Bible tells us that the mother of Moses “hid him for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.”(Ex 2:1-4) Her love for her child was so great that she chose to disobey the edict of the Pharaoh. Moses was not abandoned as his sister was watching nearby to see what would happen to him. As it turned out, the daughter of Pharaoh came by and saw the lovely baby and adopted him as her own – and the mother of Moses was able to nurse him because the sister of Moses “said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.” (Ex 2:7-10)

The mother’s love for Moses was a great blessing to the nation of Israel, the people of God.  In Heb 11:23-29, the Bible tells us that it was by faith that Moses was kept alive by his parents. It was referring to the faith exercised by the parents of Moses when they chose not to be afraid of the Pharaoh’s command and kept him alive for three months. The great story of Moses would not have occurred if his mother and father did not exercise faith in God by doing the right thing for their newborn son. It is not likely that his parents could have foreseen the important role of Moses in the deliverance of the nation of Israel. But they walked by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).

We should never underestimate the role of parents in bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Isn’t it interesting that the fourth commandment in the Ten Commandments as delivered through Moses, states as follows?

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”(Deut 5:16).

Although the Words of the Ten Commandments were given by the Lord, it does not in any way, take away the fact that Moses deeply appreciated what his parents had done for him, and he knew the importance of honouring father and mother. It was because his parents exercised their faith in God that Moses became the pivotal leader of his time. Do we realize that who we are is due to what our parents had done for us?

That’s why the Bible commands as follows:-

1. “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father” (Lev 19:3);

2. “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.” (Lev 19:32)

3. “Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.”(Deut 27:16)

4. “Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” (Prov 23:22)

King Solomon demonstrated his great respect for his mother, Bathsheba, as follows:-

“Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.” (1 Kings 2:19-20)

Even though he was king, he “rose up to meet her and bowed down to her” and also set a throne for her at his right hand” What a tremendous show of respect for his mother!

But the Bible also warns against the failure to show proper honour to our father and mother. God said that the respect that we ought to show to our parents, we ought also to show to Him as He is the father of us all:-

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? says the LORD of hosts. To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ 7 “You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’  8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 1:6-8)

It is not just what we do for our father and mother but HOW and WHAT we do for them. Do we give them the leftovers of our time, money and resources?

In Matt 15:3-7, Jesus pointed out the failure of the Pharisees in showing proper respect to their fathers and mothers:-

“He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’  5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”– 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites!”

The religious leaders of the day tried to reason themselves out of their obligation to honour their parents.  They were finding excuses not to give due honour to their parents. Jesus called them “hypocrites”!

The fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments was emphasized in Eph 6:1-3:-

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

In his letter to the young preacher Timothy who himself had also experienced the great faith shared by his mother and grandmother: “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also”( 2 Tim 1:5), the apostle Paul wrote thus:-

1. “children or grandchildren should first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God” (I Tim 5:4) and he concluded thus:

2. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”(1Tim 5:8).

We ought to honour our fathers and mothers at all times – and not only on so-called mother’s day or father’s day! May we glorify God by showing proper respect and honour to our fathers and mothers – “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” – and when this life is over, a much place better awaits us (John 14:1-6).

The Bible describes the relationship between believers as one of unity and harmony as they were bonded together in love:-

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.” (Act 2:44 -47)

In his letter to the brethren at Philippi, the apostle Paul encouraged them to strive/work together, united in one spirit with one soul:-

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel” (Phil 1:27)

At the same time, the congregations of the Lord in the first century also cooperated or worked closely together in the work of evangelism as well as in benevolence:-

Cooperating in Benevolence (i.e. helping brethren in physical needs):-

“At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.” (Rom 15:25-27, ESV)

Cooperating in Evangelistic Work (via support for preachers):-

“And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.” (Phil 4:15 -16)

“I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.”(2 Cor 11:8-9)

Cooperating in Doctrinal matters:-

“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question… When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders… Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. (Act 15:1 -2, 4a, 22-23, ESV)

The afore-stated example does not imply that the Jerusalem church was exercising authority over the Antioch church. It merely illustrated that the early Christians and congregations worked closely to resolve doctrinal challenges that were faced by them. The truth that the Law of Moses was no longer binding and that circumcision was not a required step for salvation had already been clearly established but some Jewish believers were teaching otherwise and thereby confusing the believers: “But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”(Acts 15:5)     The discussion among the Jersualem brethren confirmed what the Antioch church had already believed.

Although the brethren cooperated or worked closely with one another, it was also evident that no church was above the other congregations, or that one group of leaders or elders had oversight over more than one congregation. Indeed elders were appointed in every church; “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23, ESV).

Elders were exhorted to take care of the respective flocks over which they have been made elders: “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.”(Acts 20:28); “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight” (1 Pet 5:2)

The autonomy of each congregation under its respective elders is evident. There was no one person, example the Pope, who exercises oversight over all the churches. Neither was there a Board or Committee exercising authority over all the churches. Each congregation cooperated with one another but no congregation was under the oversight/authority of another congregation.

So, it is good to witness the close cooperation of brethren/congregations during the recent Klang Valley Campaign for Christ, as well as the recent Evangelism seminar. Indeed we affirm the Bible’s declaration: “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psa 133:1). However, we need to be careful to avoid any effort that may fail to respect the principle of congregational autonomy.

God has spoken to man and yet many are either ignorant that He has spoken or doubt that He has indeed spoken. God is the Creator of the Universe and our Maker.

1. We can know that God exists although we have not seen Him.

a. The Bible says in Rom 1:19-20 that man is without excuse for not knowing He exists:- “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…”

b. Psalms 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” The wonderful way in which this world is constructed so that life on earth can be sustained and the incredible design of man himself for life are clear and unequivocal testimonies to the existence of God the Designer/Creator. This universe and our own existence cannot possibly be products of accidents! It cries out to the fact that an Intelligent Being, God, designed man and this Universe.

c. Indeed, the Bible says, only a fool will say that there is no God: Psalms 14:1

2. God has not remained silent; He, indeed, has spoken to man. Heb 1:1-2: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”

3. Jesus Christ, His Son, has passed on His Word to His apostles: John 17:8: “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me”.

4. The Holy Spirit ensured that all truth is revealed to the apostles. After His ascension to the Father, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help the apostles remember all that Jesus had said to them: John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”; and also to guide the apostles into all truth: John 16:12-13: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”

5. So, the Apostles went everywhere preaching the Word of God: Mark 16:20: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs.” “

6. God’s Word has been authenticated or confirmed as true, by the signs performed by the apostles: “And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place…” (2 Peter 1:19).

7. Today, we need to pay attention to God’s Word: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb 2:1-4)

8. God’s confirmation of the fact that Jesus Christ is His Son as well as God’s confirmation of the authenticity of the Word preached by the apostles via the signs performed by the apostles, have now been written down so that subsequent generations will be able to read, know and understand God’s Word:-

a. John 20:30-31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

b. Eph 3:1-5: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles– if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…”

The truth was revealed to His holy apostles– and that’s why when the apostles wrote their epistles or letters to the churches, their words were regarded as the Word of God itself:-

i. 1 Cor 14:37: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

ii. 1 Thess 2:13: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

9. With the passing of the Apostles, there’s no more revelation from the Holy Spirit other than what has been revealed through the Apostles and that have been written down for our learning:-

a. Gal 1:8: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

b. 1 John 4:1, 6: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world…We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

c. Rev 22:18: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;”

10. Today, we need to preach the Word of God boldly so that people will know that God has spoken and that they will know God’s love for them as well as accept His offer of salvation :-

a.  2 Tim 4:1-5: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

b. Rom 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

c. John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

d. Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

How do we live our everyday lives? Are our lives influenced by what everyone else is doing in the community?  Do we just go with the flow? Everyone goes to work and so, likewise we do the same. Everyone goes to school or colleges, and so we do likewise. Everyone finds a partner and settles down and so we do the same. Everyone grows old and so will we, and before long, we wonder what we have accomplished with our lives. Have we ever stopped to think of what we really ought to be doing with our lives? How do we make the decisions of our lives? What should guide us in our everyday living?

The Bible provides a brief guide for us in Prov 3:1-10 which we will do well to consider:-

“My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first-fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

The most important decision we must make early in our lives is “not to forget God’s law, and to resolve to keep His commandments”. If we keep this all-important principle of life, then “peace” will be added to our lives. The emphasis is on both remembering God’s law as well as observing them. It is sad that some do not have God in their minds (Rom 1:28). The Bible says in Psa 1:2-3: “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

We must always possess the attributes of “mercy and truth” – they must be worn around our neck as constant guides and embedded deep within our hearts. Luke 6:36: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” We must not be judgemental and overly critical of others; rather we must exhibit God-desired mercy. Consider James 2:13: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” The legalistic Pharisees were very judgemental and devoid of mercy: recall the attitude and prayer of the self-righteous Pharisee and that of the penitent tax-collector in Luke 18:9-14.

A close companion of “mercy” is that of “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). The Bible says in Eph 4:25: “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.” The Bible exhorts us 1 Peter 1:22: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,” and in 1 Peter 2:1, we must “lay aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.”  Hypocrisy, lying and deception should not characterise the Christian.

Another important practice of life is to “trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6). We must learn to trust God – 2 Cor 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” – fully & not half-heartedly – “for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:6-8). The Bible says “in ALL our ways” we are to acknowledge Him – in other words, God should be central to all our decision-making process. He should be consulted, His wisdom, guidance, blessings and will sought at all times – then He shall guide our paths. Do we seek God to guide us in all our paths?

Watch out for the danger of “being wise in your own eyes” instead of remembering to “fear the LORD and depart from evil so that it will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” There is perhaps no greater tragedy than for one to be so bloated up in his ego so as to think that he is the wisest! Prov 16:18 warns that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” In 1 Sam 13:11-14, we read the tragic account of King Saul who acted foolishly in Gilgal when he “felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering to God” and thereby failed to keep the commandment of God.  If such an incident were to occur today, some of our “wise” brethren would have contended that King Saul’s action was not wrong – after-all his heart was sincere as he wanted to seek supplication from God, and Samuel was late in coming, and he was offering to God and not to some other gods!! We must show proper respect to God at all times and in all that we do. Prov 30:6: “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

Always remember to “honor the LORD with your possessions and with the first-fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty” (Prov 3:9-10). All that we have are from God. James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” What do we mean by honouring the Lord with our possessions? “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.”(Ex 23:19).  In Matt 15:1-7, in the discussion concerning honouring your parents, it is evident that the failure to give financially to our parents constitutes a failure to honour our parents. So, likewise, a failure on our part to give to God of all that we possess as well as from the increase of our possessions, constitutes a failure to honour our Lord. 1 Cor 16:2: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” We must remember that we need to give our best as well as the first portion of all our increase.

We are not perfect and there will be times when the Lord will chasten or discipline us: Prov 3:11-12: “11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” When we are disciplined by God, we should not get all upset or become disappointed with God. We need to realize that God does it because of His love for us. Instead, we need to learn from such situations and resolve to be more faithful and to trust Him more.

Brethren, we will do well to examine our lives and resolve to put on these attributes in our lives so that we will glorify God in all that we do. Are we aware of God’s law? Are we following His commandments? Do we exhibit mercy and truth? Do we trust God in all that we do? Do we pray continually to Him for His blessings and guidance? Are we constantly on the look out against our ego and pride? Have we honoured God with all that we have and with all of our increase? Have we learned to accept God’s discipline with the right attitude? We need God to be our guide in this life and also, when we cross over to the other side. If we do not learn to walk closely with Him in this life, how comfortable will we be to walk with Him when we cross over to the other side of life?

Those of us who have grown up in the church have heard from our youth up that a parable is ―an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The word parable literally means, ―to throw beside,but it does indeed apply to  when a spiritual truth is taught by a common, everyday occurrence. In essence, a parable is when a story is thrown alongside a spiritual truth so effectively that when you understand the story you understand the truth. Our Lord ―spake many things… in parables (Matthew 13:3). Have you ever stopped and asked why?

The disciples once wondered that very same thing. On one occasion they asked Jesus, ―Why speakest thou unto them in parables? (13:10). The answer is given, ―Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Luke’s account records a different question, but a similar answer that I find interesting: ―Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand (Luke 8:10).

It’s clear that Jesus taught in parables because it revealed the truth to those who wanted to know it and yet kept it from those who did not. However, it also seems that a quality Jesus expected to find in His disciples was the ability to discern the spiritual truth from the parables he taught. Luke’s account makes it seem as though Jesus is saying, ―If you want to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, you have to be able to see beyond the earthly story to the spiritual application. That’s what separates you (my disciples) from the world. In fact, in Mark’s account Jesus almost seems to be rebuking His disciples for not understanding when they ask about the parable of the sower (Mark 4:13).

Spiritual truths abound in the world around us and one of the best things that we can do for our spiritual lives is to develop the ability to think parabolicly (and yes, for you spell checkers, I am coining a term here; if there already is an ad-verbial form of the word parable, I am not aware of it). What this means is that rather than simply see the world for what it is, we would do well to look for the hidden messages in the stories we hear via screen or print, as well as in what happens in the tapestry of stories that make up our everyday lives. Not only will this insulate us against error (as Satan is quite effective in teaching through parables as well), it will also help us to understand the Bible and to be able to convey Bible truths to others.

If we can master the ability to see the heavenly meaning in the earthly stories we encounter and if we can apply the truth we find with God’s word as our guide, we can be sure of our part in the kingdom of heaven. What have you learned today?

When the early Christians were scattered abroad, the apostle Peter wrote a letter to them addressing them as “pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). That letter contained words of comfort and encouragement to the Christians. It is also a source of great comfort to us today as well. Let’s consider his words of encouragement as found in his opening statements in verses 3 to 8:-

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love.”

1. “According to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope.”

It is God who initiated the effort to give us such a great blessing. Peter declared that it was because of His abundant mercy that He has begotten us. John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Recalled that Jesus had said that unless one is born again of water and of the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:5).

In 1 Peter 1:23, Peter explained that Christians “have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” When the seed which is the Word of God is planted in our hearts (Luke 8:11; 1 Cor 3:5-8), those who embraced the truth that is sown in their hearts so as to be saved (2 Thess 2:10) are “born again” when they are baptized into Christ, thereby putting on Christ (Gal 3:27) as they are raised to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4) and have become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Through that process, God has caused us to be born again or anew.

God has done more than just enabling us to born again and having our past sins forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Most importantly, He has given us a living hope. What is that one hope (Eph 4:4)? In his defence before Governor Felix in Acts 24:15, the apostle Paul explained the hope as follows: “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” The Hope of the Resurrection from the Dead (both of the just and unjust) is the one Hope that Paul declared in his preaching here as well as everywhere (Acts 26:6) as also in Acts 26:7-8 before King Agrippa: “To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?”

This is the Hope that should comfort all Christians – especially when we lose our loved ones. 1 Thess 4:13-18: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Although there are aspects of His Coming that may not be clear to us today, the apostle John nonetheless made this important observation in 1 John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Let’s not lose this hope.

2. “A living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

Our Hope is a Living Hope because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, then our hope would be a dead one! But because He lives, we have a living hope: 1 Cor 15:13-19: “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up–if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Our hope is premised on the fact/reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Christ was not raised then our faith would be in vain and our hope is misplaced – and we are of all men most to be pitied indeed.

In John 6:39, Jesus declared thus: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” In John 10:17-18, He said: “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

So, when Jesus was raised from the dead, He demonstrated that He was indeed the Son of God and He had overcome death and therefore His promise that He will raise us up in the last day gives us a living hope! Heb 2:14: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,…” Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power by His Resurrection: Rom 1:3-4: “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

3. “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you”

Beyond just forgiving us of our past sins and giving us the hope of the resurrection (victory over death), our Lord has also prepared an inheritance that far exceeds any that one can possibly wish for – an inheritance that is “incorruptible, undefiled, does not fade away” and the Holy Spirit used the word “reserved” in heaven for us. It’s ready and awaits our arrival. No wonder Jesus said in John 14:1-3: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” In this place where God dwells, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”(Rev 21:4). No wonder the apostle Paul wrote in Phil 1:21-23: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.”

4. “who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

God has not just made us these promises and then left us to our own devices to make our way there. The apostle Peter informed us that we are “kept by the power of God”. God is using His Power to actively help us “to keep on keeping on” so that we can reach the shores of heaven safely. Rom 8:31-32: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Rom 8:37: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Heb 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 2 Cor 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

But very importantly, inasmuch as nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39), we must still keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21). We are kept by God’s Power “through faith”. We must keep our faith and trust in God. If we lose our faith, then we will not be kept by God’s power for salvation.  Heb 3:12-13: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

5.“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials”

In John 16:33, Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In this world we will have “tribulation”, trials and troubles of all sorts. But the Bible assures us that all these tribulation and trials are a “little while” and that they are not comparable to the glory that awaits us: Rom 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

So, because we have received such wonderful blessings from God (born again into God’s family, given a living hope and promised an inheritance in heaven that will never fade), we should rejoice greatly even though in this life we are grieved by various trials. The Bible assures us that such grief would be “for a little while”. So, we ought not to allow feelings of grief to deprive us from the joy that awaits us. In all these trials, we must remember the assurance of God: 1 Cor 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Heb 2:18: “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Phil 4:4-7: “Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The apostle Paul wrote thus in 2 Cor 7:1: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” and in Heb 12:1-2: “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” May we not lose heart but keep on keeping on (Gal 6:9)

The “high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel” (Acts 5:21); they “called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (Acts 5:40). The response of the apostles to the persecution of the Jewish authorities as recorded in Acts 5:41-42 is indeed most encouraging: “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

The attitude of the apostles towards persecution was one of rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. They did not “rally the multitude and try to forcibly overthrow the Jewish authorities” or “fight for justice” or “freedom of expression”! They just rejoice that they were suffering for believing in the truth and doing what was right.

They refused to be silent as regards the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”  They preached daily and openly in the temple as well as in every house.

The Bible records the effect of their commitment in preaching the Word in Acts 6:1: “Now in those days … the number of the disciples was multiplying…” Growth in disciples will only occur “when the Word is preached in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2). The seed which is the Word of God (Lk 8:11) has to be sown in the hearts of men so that there will be opportunity for God to give the increase (1 Cor 3:6). Until that is done, there can be no growth. Are we doing all we can, to preach the Word? Or, have we grown weary in sowing the seed (Gal 6:7-10).

However, the Bible also tells us in Acts 6:1 that the church was faced with a problem that needed to be addressed: “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.”  Even though God was powerfully working in their midst, it’s no guarantee that all will be well. When there is growth in disciples, there will also be problems among disciples.

It is instructive for continued church growth, to note how the apostles resolved this problem among the disciples which had the potential of derailing the explosive growth of the church.

1. They did not ignore the problem and pretend that it did not exist. They did not scold or lecture those who were murmuring – that they were being unchristian – and asked them to be long-suffering – why are they causing trouble in the church? They didn’t say that it was an unimportant problem as it relates to physical needs – the church should only be taking care of spiritual needs. Consider how the church today would have taken care of this problem.

2. At the same time, they were not prepared to be distracted from their primary work of preaching the Word and in Prayers and they expressed that concern to the brethren in Acts 6:2: “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.”  In many instances, the work of preaching the Word and the practice of Prayers are neglected because preachers are distracted into doing everything that is needed in the church. So, who is left to preach the Word in the church? No wonder the church does not grow because it is too pre-occupied with meeting internal needs (instead of eternal need).

3. So, they called the multitude of believers together and told them to select seven men that they may appoint to take care of serving tables in an equitable manner. But they did not leave it to them to choose whoever to serve. Neither did they ask who would volunteer to do the work.  Listen to what they said in Acts 6:3-4: “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Those who are entrusted to serve in leading capacities in the church are not simply volunteers but those who meet the criteria of “good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”. Do we wonder why oftentimes, our suggested solutions actually compound the problems that we are trying to resolve? Because we entrust to “anyone who is willing” without regard to whether they are “of good reputation”, spiritual and wise.

4. The suggestion by the apostles was well received by the believers: Acts 6:5: “And the saying pleased the whole multitude.”  Today, some have challenged and criticised the authority of elders by bringing up examples of instances where the elders decided on everything and the members of the congregation had no say whatsoever in these decisions. In order to avoid such problems, they re-interpret the scriptures and contend that elders do not have any authority over the flock over which they are charged to oversee. They are in error. The apostles in Acts 6 had the inherent power to go ahead and select 7 men to serve tables. But they didn’t do that. Instead they proposed the idea of selecting seven men to serve tables, and they also entrusted them with the task of selecting the seven men who met their stated requirements. The apostles did not act in a dictatorial manner; they did not invalidate the idea of every member functioning as a body or the universal priesthood of believers. They sought and received the involvement of all the members of the congregation. Their suggestion pleased the multitude of the believers; they appreciated their wisdom and counsel.

5. The apostles retained the responsibility and authority of appointing the seven selected men to serve tables. Acts 6:5-6: “And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.” The apostles endorsed their selection and they committed them to the service of God in this area by praying to Him.  The apostles did not abdicate their responsibility towards the congregation. They did not treat the matter of serving tables as unimportant. But brethren, in all matters of the church, not just in spiritual matters, only suitable brethren may be selected to serve or lead in serving.  Not just anyone who volunteers may serve in the leading capacities of the church. We will do well to take heed of how the apostles resolved the problem in Acts 6.

In Acts 6:7, the Holy Spirit inspired scriptures testified thus: “then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” When we resolve church problems in the way God intends, then the church will grow. The word “then” explained how the word of God was able to spread and the number of disciples multiplied greatly.

Brethren, church growth – God’s way – not man’s way – is to keep on preaching the Word of God no matter what may befall us. Nothing should prevent the Preaching of the Word and the Practise of Prayers. However, while we preach and pray, we must also seek to resolve problems that may arise in the church in a way that please the brethren (although this does not mean compromising the truth or being men-pleasers only) and which involves the participation of all the brethren as functioning members of the body of Christ and always consistent with God’s standards and values. In Acts 2:47, the Bible records thus about the early church: “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” May we grow the church – God’s way!

In John 17:20-22, Jesus prayed for the unity of believers: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:” One-ness as desired by our Lord is characterised by all speaking the same thing, having the same mind and the same judgement.

Jesus taught the same things as given to Him by the Father: “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”(John 12:49, 50) Similarly, the apostle Paul urged believers to do the same: 1 Cor 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Unfortunately, the reality is that some will not speak the same thing as revealed in the inspired Word of God. Hence, the apostle wrote in Gal 1:6-7: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

In view of the danger of some perverting the gospel, we would need to ensure that brethren with whom we wish to work together are doctrinally in sync with the Scriptures and therefore with us on various matters even as we all seek to follow Christ ( I Cor 11:1).

In our present time and in this part of the world, some have been teaching doctrines contrary to what the Bible teaches and it is important that we do not encourage such erroneous teachings by supporting those who teach these erroneous doctrines (either by our silence or by our association with them – 2 John 9-11). The teachings listed hereunder is not to be viewed as a comprehensive body of distinctive doctrines of the church of Christ as it only lists doctrines which some are teaching falsely in our region and in our time for which we need to be aware of:-

1. The Bible teaches that all must obey the gospel by believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God (John 8:24), repent of one’s sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38), confess Jesus as Son of God (Matt 10:32; Rom 10:9,10) and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). By implication, those who have not obeyed any of the afore-stated terms and conditions would not have obeyed the truth so as to be saved. In particular, those who have not been baptized for the forgiveness of sins have not obeyed the terms of the gospel as specified by our Lord in Mark 16:16.

2. It would be wrong for anyone to teach that those who have believed but have not been baptized may yet be saved. These brethren have in the past challenged the established doctrine by asking whether one really believes that some very good people who have not been baptized will actually be lost. We should be reminded that Cornelius was a godly man and yet he was required by God to be baptized in order to be saved (Acts 10; Acts 11:14: “Peter will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” Acts 10:48: “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord”).

3. The Bible teaches that churches of Christ today (Rom 16:16: “The churches of Christ greet you”) have the same origin as the churches in the New Testament (i.e. those who obey the gospel are added to the church that Jesus died to purchase – Acts 20:28) and that churches of Christ are not a product of the so-called American Restoration Movement – although the latter Movement could be credited with initiating the significant effort to call for all believers to go back to the Bible for all that we do and teach – but the teachings of the leaders of the Restoration Movement such as Alexander Campbell, etc. are not the bases for our teachings in the churches of Christ. We do not appeal to the teachings of the leaders of the American Restoration Movement as our authority for our teachings and practice – we appeal to the Scriptures – and to the extent that these leaders of the Restoration Movement follow the Bible then we are in sync with them as well (I Cor 11:1).

4. It would be wrong to teach that churches of Christ today are merely the product of the American Restoration Movement just as the Protestant churches are the product of the Reformation Movement and to say that they are all from the same stream and that the church of Christ is not really any different from the Protestant churches.

5. The Bible teaches that churches of Christ are not another denomination; we are the church that Jesus died to purchase (Matt 16:18; Acts 20:28; I Cor 1:10-13).

It would be wrong to teach that churches of Christ are not any different from all the denominations in the world who claim to follow Jesus – arguing that since none of the churches of Christ are perfect then they are no different from the denominations as they too are not perfect – and thereby implying that we are all man-made and of equal standing – and that therefore all denominations can similarly claim to be part of the church that Jesus established with his blood.

There are significant differences between the church of Christ and denominations. One significant difference is that Churches of Christ comprise of members who have obeyed the gospel of Christ (as discussed in #1 above) while members of denominations have not obeyed the gospel in that many of them have not been baptized for the remission of their sins. Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” The Bible teaches that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Those who were being saved and who were subsequently added to the Lord’s church were those who had been baptized: Acts 2:41: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Hence, if a believer has not been baptized for the forgiveness of sins, he cannot expect the Lord to add him to His church. On the other hand, if a man has obeyed the gospel by believing in Jesus and have been baptized for the forgiveness of sins, then he can expect the Lord to add him to His church – and not to any man-made denominations! Man-made denominations did not exist in the first century; none of them are mentioned in the New Testament.

If some teach otherwise and contend that one can possibly be saved without having been baptized for the forgiveness of sins, then how can we work together as we differ on such a material doctrine?

6. The Bible teaches that the worship of the church as described in the New Testament comprise of adherence “to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship (contributing to the needs of the church – I Cor 16:2), to the breaking of bread (Lord’s Supper – Acts 20:7), prayers and praising God (singing)” (Acts 2:42, 47). The worship of the church is also described by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 11:26ff – the partaking of the Lord’s Supper; I Cor 14:15-17 – singing and praying; I Cor 14:16 – teaching for edification; and collection for the saints – I Cor 16:1,2).

It would be wrong to teach that everything one does in life is worship – thereby implying that there are no specified acts of worship and therefore anything may be introduced into worship so long as it is done for the glory of God (I Cor 10:31)

7. The Bible teaches that the organisation of the church as clearly revealed in the New Testament is that of qualified men (I Tim 3:1ff; Titus 1:5ff) being appointed as elders who are responsible to “take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood”(Acts 20:28); and they are to be assisted by qualified men who are appointed as deacons or servants of the church ( I Tim 3:8-13). However, all brethren functioning as members of the body of Christ ( I Cor 12:12ff; Rom 12:4-5; Eph 4:11-16), are to love one another (John 13:34-35), serve one another in love (Gal 5:13), confess our sins to one another, pray for one another (James 5:16) and to observe all the “one another” obligations as taught in the New Testament.

It would be wrong to teach that elders as overseers do not have any authority over the church over which they are to exercise the oversight and it would similarly be wrong to teach that members need not submit themselves to the elders (1 Thess 5:12-13; I Tim 5:17; Heb 13:17; I Pet 5:2-3). The contention that we are all equal at the foot of the cross and therefore no one is above the other in the church contradicts the instruction for brethren to “obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls.”(Heb 13:17). Indeed, we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28) but Christ our Chief Shepherd has appointed elders to rule over the flock (Heb 13:17) and to shepherd/feed His flock (I Pet 5:1-4). The Lord cautioned that the elders are to be exemplary and not to lord over the flock of God. This means that the elders are not to be dictatorial or autocratic or power-crazy.

8. The Bible teaches in Eph 5:19 that we are to “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord”. In that way we are to “continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Heb 13:15).

The Bible does not authorize the use of mechanical instrumental music in worship. It is also a historical fact that the early church did not use mechanical instrumental music in their worship although they were familiar with stringed instruments as that had been used in worship during the period of the Old Testament. They had left out these instruments as the worship of the New Testament is declared to be different from that of the Old Testament. Jesus had declared in John 4:24 that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God has specified that we are to “speak and sing”, and “make melody in our hearts to the Lord”. He has not included playing mechanical instrumental music in our singing of praise to the Lord – and we should not add something that God has not required or permitted. In the Old Testament, when Nadab and Abihu offered fire to God from an unspecified place, fire from heaven consumed them for their disobedience: Lev 10:1-3: “when they offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them… So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” The lack of permission or authority from God to offer “unauthorized fire” (the NIV translates the action of Nadab and Abihu in Lev 10:1 as “they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD”) was what caused them to be consumed by fire from heaven. Since God has specifically authorized “speaking and singing”, we should not take the liberty to add or vary His command and offer something unauthorized by Him.

There are some today who declare that they do not use mechanical instrumental music in their worship only because “that is what we have been taught and it is a tradition of the churches of Christ” – and not because it is wrong to do so from the perspective of the Scriptures. If they insist in continuing with that line of reasoning, it would not be possible for us to work together with them.

9. The Bible teaches expressly that just as Jesus was raised from the dead (it is a fact that He was physically raised and the empty tomb testifies to that fact), Christians can also expect to be similarly raised when Christ comes again. John 5:28-30: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth–those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” This was reaffirmed by the apostle Paul in Acts 24:15: “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” 1 Thess 4:14-17: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Cor 15:51-53: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 John 3:2-3: ”Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

There are some who teach that the resurrection has already occurred and Christ has already come in AD70 and that Christians today should not expect Christ to come again and that Christians today cannot expect to be raised in the same manner as Jesus was raised. This changed the hope of the Christian   that   John  wrote   about  in    I John 3:3 of being like Jesus when He is revealed. Those who teach this doctrine is described in 2 Tim 2:17-18: “And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.” It is not possible to work together if we have different hopes because the Bible teaches that there is one hope (Eph 4:4).

10. The Bible teaches in Matt 19:9 that “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Matt 5:31-32: “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

Notwithstanding what Jesus taught in Matt 19:9 and Matt 5:31-32 some are now teaching that one may also divorce his wife for the various reasons that Moses gave them permission to do so in the Old Testament, and not just because of adultery. In other words, one may divorce his wife for reasons other than adultery. They claimed that Jesus did not do away with the law on Marriage Divorce & Remarriage (MDR) as taught by Moses.

Such a teaching clearly contradicts the plain teaching of the Lord Jesus as stated in Matt 5:31-32 and Matt 19:9. The only exception to marriage as a lifelong partnership is that of adultery and the death of one of the partners (Rom 7:1-3; I Cor 7:39).

There are also some who teach that one may divorce his spouse for any reason whatsoever and remarry freely so long as one repents from his sin of divorcing his spouse for reasons other than adultery – in other words, the sin of divorce is just like any other sin and one may just simply repent by feeling or saying sorry – but there’s no need to discontinue one’s subsequent marriage although one had divorced one’s partner earlier for reasons other than adultery.

If brethren differ on such basic and clear teachings of the Lord as pertaining to MDR, then it would not be possible for us to work together with them.

Brethren, it is our sincere desire to be united with all believers and to work hand in hand with all believers. Psa 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” We should endeavour to unite brethren at every opportunity. However, until and unless they cease from teaching or from tacitly supporting (through their silence or failure to speak out against) the various errors as enumerated above, it is nigh impossible to be united with them. As Amos the prophet wrote: “Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?” Amos 3:3. In fact the apostle Paul wrote thus in Rom 16:17: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.” We need to avoid those who teach doctrines contrary to what we have learned from the Scriptures. Sadly, there can be no unity with such people.

In 2 Peter 1:12-13, the apostle Peter wrote thus: “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,…” and he echoed the same concern expressed by the apostle Paul in Gal 1:6-7: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Even though one may be established in the present truth the apostle Peter felt that he would nonetheless be negligent if he does not remind the brethren of the truth concerning our hope and various matters pertaining thereto. The need for constant reminder is due in part to the warning that there will always be some who will “trouble the brethren and want to pervert the gospel of Christ”.

With that in mind, it is perhaps helpful to review some teachings that we may come across from time to time, to ensure that we are indeed established in the present truth and have not moved there-from.

1. Does God still talk to us today through visions and dreams?

In times past God did speak to His people through the intermediary of the prophets by visions and dreams: “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.”(Num 12:6).

However, according to Heb 1:1-2, there is a change in the intermediary (i.e. mediator or go-between: Jesus is the only mediator – 1 Tim 2:5) through which God speaks to man today: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,…” Note that the Scriptures explicitly state the contrast and change in the intermediary through whom God spoke. “In time past”, God spoke to the fathers “by the prophets” (but) “in these last days” God has “spoken to us by His Son”.

Christ came to give us God’s Word and Jesus gave God’s Word to the Apostles (John 17:8); and God’s Word was then preached by the apostles (Mark 16:20). Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into all truth as well as to bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had spoken to them (John 14:26;16:13) so that today we have the once for all delivered faith or truth (Jude 3).

The Bible tells us that God bore witness of the truth preached by the apostles by confirming the Word with signs. Consider Mark 16:20: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs.” This was further emphasized in Heb 2:3-4: “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed…”(2 Peter 1:19).

God’s confirmed Word has now been written down so that we can read and understand what God had revealed to his apostles (John 20:30, 31; Eph 3:3-5). And so, we have the inspired Scriptures to guide us today so that we can be furnished for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Miracles and signs were temporal as they were meant to confirm the Word preached by the apostles. Hence, when the perfect (i.e. the complete revealed Word of God) had come (i.e. delivered), then there was no further need for the signs of miraculous powers, tongues and prophetic knowledge, and they ceased when the last apostle completed preaching the revealed Word (I Cor 13:8-10).

Through the years, many have claimed that God speaks to them in visions and dreams. The problem with their claims is that the Bible reveals that in the last days (i.e. the New Testament era) God no longer speaks through the prophets but through His Son (who empowered His apostles to continue the revelation).

Some such as Joseph Smith have claimed that God spoke directly to them in visions and dreams but their new revelations contradict what the Bible teaches. Would you rather believe such people, or the teachings of the Bible? From long ago, the apostle Paul had warned in Gal 1:9: “if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

How do you know that God actually spoke to these men today who so claimed? Indeed much false teachings and practices have arisen because of those who claimed that God spoke directly to them in dreams and visions. We will do well to go back to the Bible and test those who make such claims (I John 4:1, 6) – do they speak what the Bible speaks – as the oracles of God, 1 Pet 4:11?

2. Should we address our prayers to the Holy Spirit since He is Deity and is a member of the Godhead (Col 2:9), comprising the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19; I John 5:7)?

In Luke 11:1-2, the Bible records that Jesus taught His disciples to address their prayers to the Father in heaven: “One of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven,”

In Phil 4:6, we are instructed to pray to God: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”

According to John 16:13-15, the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority (even though He is a member of the Godhead) and that He will glorify the Son: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

The afore-stated Scripture revealed to us that although the three comprises the Godhead, they have different roles. Hence, one should respect their different roles and not mixed them up anyhow one may wish.

Indeed in John 16:23 Jesus said that one should ask the Father in His name and there is no command or example that one should pray to the Spirit or in the name of the Spirit: “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” Although Rom 8:26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf, it says nothing about us having to pray to or through the Spirit.

The Bible clearly teaches us to pray to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son –and we will be well-advised to follow its explicit instruction. Col 3:17: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” As advised in Prov 3:5, we need to “trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;”

3. Does the Holy Spirit bring to our remembrance scripture verses even today?

In John 14:26, Jesus assured the apostles that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance “all things that Jesus had said to them” while He was with them: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

This verse should not be lifted out of its context and made applicable to all believers because Jesus was specifically addressing the apostles in that context as they were to be His eye-witnesses (Acts 1:8) and the ones to whom He has given the Word of God so that they could preach the revealed Word far and wide (John 17:8; Mark 16:20).

4. Does the Holy Spirit illuminate one’s understanding when one is reading the scriptures?

The account of the conversion of the Ethiopian nobleman in Acts 8:26-40 reveals to us that the Ethiopian nobleman was reading the writings of the prophet Isaiah without understanding what it says.

If the Holy Spirit’s role is to illuminate the understanding when one reads the Scriptures then why didn’t the Spirit simply illuminate the understanding of the Ethiopian nobleman without having to inconvenience Philip the evangelist to come all the way from Samaria to the desert road leading to Gaza?

Similarly if one fails to have the correct understanding of the Scriptures could one place the blame on the Spirit for failing to illuminate one’s understanding of the Scriptures?

The Bible says in Psa 119:130 that indeed “the entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” God’s Word provides the light for our understanding.

5. Is one committing the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when one allegedly restrains the work of the Holy Spirit today?

In Matt 12:31-32, Jesus spoke about the blasphemy against the Spirit: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

This sin of rejecting the testimony of the Spirit is clarified in Heb 10:26-30: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”

When one rejects the truth as testified by the Spirit through the various signs and miracles, then one stands condemned as there would be no new provision of sacrifice for sins – the sacrifice of Jesus is the one and only sacrifice for sin that can set one free from sin.

Those who reject the truth as testified by the Spirit is described thus in Heb 6:4-7: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

In none of these passages is there any mention of restraining the work of the Spirit. The only people who restrain the Spirit are those who reject the gospel: Acts 7:51: “You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

Is one restraining the work of the Spirit when one follows the teachings of the Spirit that are revealed in the Spirit-inspired Word of God (Eph 6:17)? Certainly not. One can see that the Holy Spirit revealed to us in Acts 8:26-40 that it is not His role to illuminate the understanding of the student of the Word – that’s the role of the teacher or the evangelist. That was what the prophet Ezra did many years ago as recorded in Neh 8:8: “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” It was not the Spirit’s role to illuminate the mind. So that would not constitute restraining the work of the Spirit.

6. Is it true that we need to change our perception of the Holy Spirit because the sheer mention of the Spirit has become a taboo in our church?

Such a charge is without foundation. The churches of Christ teach the work of the Spirit as revealed by the Spirit-inspired Word of God. The Bible teaches us to walk/live in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:19), to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), to be born of the water and of the Spirit (John 3:5), and to receive the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38). There is no taboo to teach such Spirit-related matters.

On the other hand, it would be wrong to teach that the Holy Spirit illuminates one’s understanding as that would be teaching an idea that is inconsistent with what is revealed by the Spirit-inspired Word of God (Eph 3:3-5; Acts 8:26-40).

It would similarly be wrong to teach that the Spirit somehow directly operates on the heart of a sinner and makes him respond to the gospel – as that would put the onus or responsibility of a sinner’s response onto the Spirit – and that would necessarily lead to the Calvinistic concept of predestination that God arbitrarily chooses some to be saved (i.e. those that the Spirit cause to respond to the gospel) and others to be lost (i.e. those that the Spirit decides not to cause to respond to the gospel). Yet, the Bible declares that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). 1 Tim 2:3-4: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

7. Is it true the lack of Holy Spirit’s influence in our midst has resulted in many not being spiritual and therefore many are turned off from coming to our church?

It is not clear what is meant by the lack of Spirit’s influence. The Bible teaches in 1 Peter 2:1-3 that the lack of spiritual growth is due to a failure to feed on the Word of God: “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

The Bible declares in Heb 5:12-14 that the many are mere spiritual babes and not spiritually strong because they have failed to become skilled in the Word of righteousness: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

In 1 Cor 3:1-4, the apostle Paul observed that the brethren at Corinth were mere spiritual babes because they were carnal minded: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” These Christians failed to transform their lives as they were still behaving like mere man instead of following the Word of God given by the Spirit.

Similarly in Rom 12:1-2, the apostle Paul exhorted thus: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

In none of the above Scriptures is there any mention of the direct influence of the Spirit in the lives of the believers.

It is very convenient to put the blame for one’s lack of spirituality on to the absence of the direct influence of the Spirit. But the Spirit-inspired Word of God teaches otherwise.

Under what conditions will non-believers be moved to worship God in our assemblies? According to 1 Cor 14:24-25, “if all prophesy (i.e. speak forth the Word of God in a known language as opposed to an unknown tongue), and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” Thus the Spirit-inspired Scriptures reveals that we need to speak forth the Word of God clearly and convincingly so that unbelievers will be convicted by what they hear – not by the direct operation of the Spirit in their hearts!!

Brethren, we need to again be established in the present truth lest we be led astray by teachings that are introduced by those who do not love the truth so as to be saved (2 Thess 2:10). Listen to 2 Peter 2:1-2: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”

Brethren who accuse the churches of Christ of being “without the Spirit” (just because we may not use the word, “Spirit”, as often or as frequently as the denominations) or of being unwilling to embrace the teachings of the denominations on the direct operation of the Spirit in illuminating the minds of the bible students or the Spirit making the sinner respond to the gospel, are causing the way of the truth to be blasphemed or evil spoken of. The Bible teaches that God gives the increase when the Word of God is preached but that is not the same as teaching that the Spirit is the one that needs to make the sinner respond to the gospel. Let us be careful to speak as the oracles of God (I Pet 4:11).

This past weekend we have been teaching many concerning the gospel in compliance with the Great Commission of our Lord as stated in Matt 28:18-20. It is important to know that the Great Commission requires more than just getting people baptized into Christ. Let’s consider what is stated in Matt 28:18-20: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” (NKJV). In the KJV in place of the phrase “make disciples” it is rendered, “teach all nations.”

The primary task is to “teach all nations”, that is, “make disciples” of all the nations. Clearly the work involves more than baptizing believers. As the apostle Paul puts it in 1 Cor 1:17: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” The people must be taught the gospel and not just simply be persuaded to be baptized.

Let’s consider one case of how an early Christian made disciple. In Acts 8:35-38, we read of the evangelistic effort of Philip as he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to Gaza: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.”

Philip taught the eunuch concerning Jesus and His gospel which then led the eunuch to ask whether he could be baptized. Upon the eunuch’s confession of his faith in Jesus as the Son of God, Philip then baptized him. So, he was taught why he should be a disciple of Christ, and then only because he believed (and therefore implied that he wanted to be a disciple of Christ), he was then baptized.

What does our Lord expect of His disciple?

1. According to Matt 10:25, a disciple of Jesus is expected to be like his teacher. 1 Peter 2:21: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” 1 Cor 11:1: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” KJV
2. In Luke 14:26-27, 33, a disciple of Jesus is expected to forsake all that he has, bear his cross and come after Him: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple….So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
3. One need to abide in the teachings of Jesus if one seeks to be a true disciple of Jesus: John 8:31-32: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Some profess to love Jesus but are reluctant to keep His commandments. Yet Jesus said in John 14:15: “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments”. ASV
4. The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 13:35 that the love that disciples have for one another will declare to the world that they are indeed disciples of Jesus: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
5. In John 15:8, Jesus said: “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” NASB

The Lord expects His disciples to be like Him, to put Him first before all things, to abide in His Word, to truly love one another and to bear much fruit and thereby glorify His Father in heaven. In order to be faithful and fruitful disciple of Christ, we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Pet 3:18.

In Matt 7:21-23, Jesus warned of the danger of missing out on the kingdom of heaven when we fail to do the will of the Father in heaven: “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me.”

Mere claims by so-called disciples of Christ, regardless of how incredible the supposed demonstration of power over demons, …may appear to be, do not guarantee or assure one of a place in heaven. In order to be assured of one’s place in heaven, Jesus has clearly said, one must actually do the will of the Father in heaven.

So, as disciples of Jesus, are we doing the will of the Father in heaven? The Bible reminds us in James 1:22, 25: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” The emphasis is on actually doing the Word of God and not merely the hearing of the Word of God. This truth is clearly illustrated by the parable of the wise and foolish house builders in Matt 7:24-27.

May we make it our aim to make disciples of Christ by teaching them the gospel, baptizing them, and then continuing to teach them to observe all things whatsoever our Lord has commanded us (Matt 28;18-20).