Have you ever had someone tell you that the church they attend is such a loving church, as if to imply they are a faithful group? Oh, I don’t want to suggest that they are not loving. The problem is, a loving church is often viewed as faithful when they are not. Let me explain.

In Revelation chapter 3, we read where our Lord wrote a letter to the church at Ephesus because they lost their first love (vr. 4). Because of such they were commanded to repent (vr. 5). However, let’s take a close look at what they were commended for:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” (vr. 2-3).

Many of the “loving” churches that I am told about don’t respect Biblical authority and don’t test anyone with specific teaching. They keep it general so as to not offend anyone. They have become the religious stand for “political correctness.” This is done so as to not upset anyone and make them feel uncomfortable. You do that by living under the umbrella of “love.”

This article is not to belittle the importance of love. Let’s face it that it was a specific problem at Ephesus which was specifically addressed. To not heed that warning would cost them their salvation. The point of this article is to see that the Lord was not telling those brethren that “all you need is love.” No, they needed to love and they also needed to continue to do the other things they were commended for.

The reason this article was written to help us see the danger of going to extremes. A church without love is in sin. A church without standing and respecting Biblical authority is in sin. The church of Christ is to be the pillar and ground of truth (I Tim. 3:15). Why? Because it’s Christ’s!

Chuck

Jesus, during His sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7), preached many great lessons. One of which is found in chapter 5:38-42. This is where the Lord encourages His followers to resist the urge to be vindictive, to turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile. What we will do with this article is to examine the benefits of doing what the Lord is admonishing us to do.

It is what the Lord wants

Even though there are many good reasons to go the extra mile with someone, it really wouldn’t matter if we knew what they were. The truth is, if the Lord tells us to do it and we do, the greatest benefit is knowing it is what our Savior wants. For those who say they love Jesus, it ought to mean they want to keep His commandments (Jn. 14:15). It’s okay to think of, why does He want us to do it? But just the fact He tells us too is more than sufficient.

It is what the Lord did with us

Think about the time before we became a Christian, we were without strength, having no hope, walking in sin (Rom. 5:6-11). It was as though we were crucifying Christ anew not caring for Him at all (Heb. 6:6). Yet, Jesus didn’t give up on us. By His longsuffering and undying love, we who have obeyed the Gospel are so very grateful that Jesus didn’t turn His back on us. As we can see, our Lord has not asked us to do anything that He hasn’t already done. Christ has provided the perfect example for us to follow (I Pet. 2:21).

It is to let our light shine

Whenever saints let their light shine, the goal is to have them glorify God (Matt. 5:16). This good work might not impress most people, but the hope is that by going the extra mile people can witness your godliness and change themselves. Jesus made the point that if you just love those who love you, what is so great about that, even the tax collectors do the same (Matt. 5:46). As children of God, we are to be different and not conform to the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

It is to help Christians get stronger

There is nothing in the Lord’s admonition that insinuates that it is an easy task. After all, there wasn’t a clause that stated that you go the second mile when it is appreciated. James reminds us that we ought to count it all joy when we face all kinds of temptations because they help us become stronger when we overcome them (Jas. 1:2-4). It would be correct to say that Jesus tells us to do these things because He wants us to make it to heaven. The commands of our Lord, always and I mean always, have out best interest in heart.

It helps us accept our abilities

For Jesus to tell his people to do something that they couldn’t do, would make the Lord unjust. Christians are to do only what they are capable of doing and we are capable of going the second mile. That’s was the point of Christ’s lesson about the man who buried his talent (Matt. 25:24-26). We are not to bury our talent. To not do what we are commanded is to second guess our Savior. If we would see what our God sees in us, perhaps we would do much more for the Lord.

It will show just how much we care for others

Christ stated there are two laws that every other command hinges on and that is to love the Lord God and to love our fellow man (Matt. 22:34-40). There is no question that your love for others are clearly demonstrated when you go the second mile. Having learned all the benefits of doing what we are told, remember the Lord said to and that is more than enough.

Daniel

Over the years I have seen people get baptized in an animal’s water trough, in a swimming pool, in a lake, in a church baptistery and even in a household bathtub. Can any body of water really work for someone wanting to be baptized? Let’s take a closer look at this and learn some valuable lessons.

No power in the water

The first thing we need to talk about is the water itself. Throughout Biblical history, water has often been connected with powerful events.  In every case, the power is not in the water itself. Whether it be Moses turning the waters of Egypt into blood (Ex. 7:2), the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 1421), Naaman dipping seven times in the Jordan river to remove his leprosy (II Kings 5:14), Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:8-9) or people being baptized (Acts 2:41), there was no inherent power in any of those waters. The power was always God’s.

Does not matter where the water is

In Acts 8, the Ethiopian saw water and said “See here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (vr. 36). Was he looking at a pool, pond, river or lake? It does not matter. The emphasis was on the water, not where the water was located. Some think that because John baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, all baptisms need to be done in a river. Is this correct? No. Certain characteristics are required of the water used in a baptism, but there are no requirements placed on the location of the water (the geographic spread of even just the early church supports this).

More than a puddle

When we are talking about water, we are not talking about a small amount. When Peter asked “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47), he was not speaking about a cup of water to sprinkle them or pour on them. The word baptize means to immerse, to plunge. The water that is required must be enough for a person to be totally submerged in. 

Can a bathtub really work?

Just because someone uses a bathtub it does not mean they are taking a bath. That’s is the very point Peter was making about baptism. He said the baptism was not for removing the filth of the flesh but rather the answer of a good conscience (I Pet. 3:21). Obviously, the average bathtub is just not going to work for everyone. If a person cannot be totally immersed (covered by the water), than some other source of water must be used. It might seem like a mockery of God to use a bathtub or water trough, but please keep in mind the purpose and urgency of baptism.

Being baptized into Christ

I once baptized a man in the Ohio River. I was not baptizing him into the Ohio River, I was using the Ohio River to baptize him into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Jesus preached from boats and on mounts. Those places were used as a means to an end – to get the message out. Similarly, swimming pools, rivers and baptistries are just a means to an end. They can all be used to immerse people into Christ’s death for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 2:38; Rom. 6:4-7). If a person’s heart is not right, if they do not believe in Christ, do not confess Him and do not repent, then the person is just getting wet (Acts 8:36).

By turning baptisms into a ceremony with all the pomp and show, religious groups offer vain conversions. Many even think a special garment must be warn. Let’s beware of the danger of mishandling the words of truth.

Chuck

This past week I had a person inquire about the term “pastor.” I explained that the word is referring to elders (Eph. 4:11) and that to become an elder one must meet the qualifications found in Titus 1 and II Timothy 3. I also went on to tell her that Jesus condemned the use of titles (Matt. 23:7-9). The problem with elevating religious leaders is not new. The church at Corinth faced this, and Paul rebuked them sharply (I Cor. 1:12-15).

Her response was to ask “What do people call you – by your name?” Yes, that is exactly what people do. The Bible describes those who proclaim the gospel as being preachers, ministers or evangelists. I pointed out that I am “Chuck who preaches,” not Preacher Chuck. Unfortunately, many in the religious realm who claim to be teachers demand that they be called Pastor so and so.

This problem is so ingrained into the minds of people that they find it very hard to reject. Many editions of the Bible – some in print for hundreds of years – list the authors of the first four books of the New Testament as Saint Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The fact is, all Christians are saints (II Cor. 1:1). So again, I am to be a saint, but I am not Saint Chuck.

Here is the fundamental question – have religious leaders earned the right to have a designation that is different from the rest of the flock? Man was responsible for coming up with a clergy/laity distinction. It is not a Biblical concept. (This distinction is also why certain religious leaders feel compelled to wear a special garment to make them distinct from the rest of the congregation). These practices are contrary to the word of God but are accepted by many today.

I realize the use of the titles “Pastor”, “Reverend”, “Saint”, and the like are not going away. However, we do not have to follow this unauthorized path. Instead, let us give God the glory He is due by doing only what He has authorized. If you want to discuss religious titles further, please reach out.

Chuck

In line with the first article, I shall share something that happened. During the Bible class, I made a point in passing, as to what some people believe. I stated that there are many who teach that once you become a Christian you cannot fall away. In other words, you cannot so sin as to lose your salvation. After saying such, one said to me, “I was taught that, how is that wrong?”

This is what happens in Bible studies, people hear things contrary to what they might already believe to be the truth. We then proceed to study what the Bible teaches. In this case we went to James 5:19-20. In this text we are told, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”  From this we learn that if one does not return they will die spiritually not having taken care of their sins.

Paul spoke about those who had their faith shipwrecked (I Tim. 1:19). To believe that if someone falls away they were never a Christian in the first place, would be like saying a person suffered shipwreck without being on the ship! It is true someone might pretend to obey, but there are many passages that teach people leaving the faith. Remember, you can’t leave from a place you have never been (Heb. 3:12, etc.).

What was interesting about this was the fact that the person didn’t get angry for having (what they believed to be) the truth challenged. After all, I didn’t get upset when I was challenged to prove what I believe is right. I actually liked the fact that I was told to prove it. The last thing I would want is someone to believe just because I said it. Remember, the apostle commended those who searched the scriptures to see if what he was teaching was right (Acts 17:11).

We must acknowledge that there are many examples in the Bible where people thought they were right but were not (Acts 19:1-5; Acts 15:1; Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 2-3, etc.).

Chuck