PLUMBLINE -- Editor, Wayne Coats

Volume 3 Number 5                   December 1998



How To Pick A Preacher


I am not writing this article based upon a lot of preacher picking experience, in fact, I have never been faced with the serious task of picking a located preacher. I sometimes think the situation might be comparable to selecting a good watermelon out of a large field of melons. One dear old brother remarked, "I've never preached a sermon but I've read the Bible and heard enough preachers to know when a man is preaching the Bible."

I believe if I attempted to pick a preacher to locate with a congregation, I would demand as my number one qualification that a preacher have an unusual amount of common sense. Brethren with common sense can determine if a preacher has any common sense. But someone may object that a knowledge of the Bible should be the first priority. If a man is to preach and work with a congregation, common sense would demand that one would study to know the Book. If one knew ever so much Scripture and had no common sense, I would not be interested in supporting him. Common sense is a marvelous quality which is not always so common. Sometimes we may refer to a brother as having a lot of horse sense which has been defined as stable thinking. Isaiah said, "The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people do not consider" (Isa. 1:3).

> Back during the thirties, my dad had several mules and mares, and one old donkey. Old John was not the most intelligent animal on the farm but he knew his specific stable or crib. He knew where he belonged. Even a dumb ass knows that much, which is not true of some preachers. A gospel preacher needs to know where he belongs. He needs to have enough common sense to work within his sphere. We are not born with common sense. One big dummy in a congregation can ruin most everything.

> At the Divinity School the curriculum was arranged in order to assist denominational pastors to become Administrators, if that was what they wanted. It is amazing how many youthful Administrators we have who virtually sit at the controls while elders grin. So many of the youth ministers are nothing more than social service Administrators. Honesty demands that we admit this.

> A second qualification which I would require if I picked a preacher would be to find a man who studies very hard. It seems strange that all the brethren in secular work need to arise early and punch the clock for an eight-hour work day but the preacher can still be in bed snoozing the time away. I know there are brethren who stay up late to do their studying. God bless them, but there are others who are nothing more than sleeping goof-balls. One brother was asked when he studied and his reply was, "I did my studying fifty years ago." It was pretty obvious. Brother N. B. Hardeman used to compare such men to green watermelons, i.e. they got pulled too green. The very height of pleasure for me is to take my trusted Bible in hand or a good sound, sensible book written by a faithful brother, and let the hours flow by. It is difficult to preach on themes where ignorance is so prevalent. I know! There have been subjects assigned for me to deal with in Lectureships concerning which I was totally ignorant. Give me a couple of months to prepare and I promise that by diligent study I can dig out that which I need to present. No preacher should ever get up before an audience and begin to apologize. If he is stupid, dumb or ignorant, the brethren will realize it without having to be told. If a preacher isn't ready, he needs to get ready or not try to preach. Apologetic excuses will not help the situation. Begging for sympathy will not solve the problem of being unprepared.

> I would pick a preacher who knows how to be temperate in all things. Titus was to teach the aged men to be temperate (Titus 2:2). The bishop was to be temperate in all things (Titus 1:8). It isn't necessary in this article to deal with every area wherein temperance is to be practiced but we must know that temperance is a part of the beautiful cluster described in the Bible as the fruit of the spirit of God (Gal. 5:23).

> I was assigned the subject of temperance to be discussed during a lectureship. I will never forget the feeling of self-condemnation which became a part of my life as I prepared by lecture and studied the Bible, which I held across my fat belly. My clothes were getting too small and my breathing was out of control. I could do a fairly good job preaching to the brethren and sisters about what they should and should not do. They needed to practice self-control but did I not need to do the same?

> A lengthy spell of illness has helped me to practice temperance and self-control which is a real problem, but such is my duty as a Christian. The food which I relish so much must be rejected and I can do it. I am doing it.

> One occasion was a Gospel Meeting and the other was a home-coming service when I was invited to return and speak where I had formerly preached. On both occasions a bountiful lunch had been prepared by the good sisters. When the closing "amen" was said, people moved out into the area when lunch was being served. At both of those congregations I tried to act as if I had a bit of manners and stood greeting the people as they moved out of the auditorium. At one of the congregations, a good lady who had been the wife of a deceased elder came and asked me to come along to lunch. When she and I entered the lunch room I saw the local preacher all bent over a plate filled with food and shoveling it in somewhat like a hog eating out of a trough. The two occasions mentioned above where almost identical. To surmise that I wanted special treatment is sheer nonsense. One thing which is sickening, nauseating and downright disgusting is to see preachers who have no manners or self-control and who feel justified in ignoring those Scriptures which tell us to be temperate. It doesn't take much sense for a normal human to learn a few decent manners and if such are not learned, please spare me the thrill of having to be around such people.

> In picking a preacher, let me refuse the temptation to lobby for my close friend and demand that all the others kow-tow to my whims. There is no kind of politics as dirty as church politics. If you have not seen this, live a little longer. Diotrephes will pay a visit by and by (3 John 9). One dear sister described her husband by saying, "All he does is attend a business meeting and run off his mouth." She hit the nail on the head. Self-willed people can be a pain in the neck.

There are some other characteristics which I deem to be important in picking a preacher but I do not have time to write an entire book on this. Pity the people who have picked the wrong preacher! Getting rid of the wrong preacher can be like getting rid of the seven-year itch. There will usually be a lot of clawing and scratching -- which God hates (Prov. 6:16).

> I believe if I was engaged in picking a preacher, it would be of tremendous value to pick one that could also be "unpicked" if need be. Some preachers just do not blend. The mix isn't right. Why rip a congregation to pieces over purely personal desires? I shudder to think of the sorry mess which has developed over picking the wrong preacher. The same is true in trying to change preachers, in some places.

If I picked a preacher I would earnestly pray for one who was constrained to preach the Gospel. I mean the preacher like Paul who had some deep convictions about preaching! The dear brother with all his trials declared, "woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16).

The phone rang and the brother who called wanted to know if I knew of a place needing a preacher. He said he used to preach but quit and went into secular work but he just couldn't make a living in secular jobs so he decided he would try preaching again. Well, er, ugh, I don't know about no church who needs that kind of preacher. I like the man who can say -- "woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!"

Incidentally, no congregation has invited me to pick a preacher for the group and I am not anticipating that any will. It sounds fairly cranky I know, but if I should ever be saddled with the awesome task of picking a preacher, I would really want to view two places. I would want to look at the seat of his britches to see how slick his pants were (from sitting around), and I would also want to look at the soles of his shoes to see how thin they were from moving about. I read somewhere about "making full proof of thy ministry." This did not say, "make a fool of thy ministry."

> --Wayne Coats, Editor




SEND US YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS WHEN YOU MOVE


 

A Critique Of An Article By Dan Owen #1

"Things I Have Learned From Our Religious Neighbors!"

Article Reviewed By Earl Gieseke


Brother Dan Owen is listed as the Evangelist on the Broadway Church of Christ Bulletin. This is the congregation here in Paducah which is building a gymnasium [pardon me, A Family Life Center, but after all, I am negative on occasion]. They are "sucking" members from about every congregation in the area, including here at Heath where I preach. They use the book called, the New International Version [I hate to call it a Bible] in the congregation. I don't know how long he has been preaching at Broadway, but the liberalism did not suddenly start when he arrived. He simply joined in and continued to help propagate liberalism. On a local access channel, he joins "clergy" from the Catholic Church as well as those from Protestant Churches for a chitchat on various religious topics. It appears he is in full fellowship with them.

> In this critique, I have numbered the paragraphs in brother Owen's article so that I may discuss it in smaller sections.

This article appeared in the Paducah Sun, November 4, 1998.

> Before someone asks me if I have gone to brother Owen personally, the answer is, NO I did not. It is not necessary under these conditions. Anything said or written publicly requires no personal approach. Those who misapply Matthew 18:15-18 are taking the text out of its context. It is a sin to misapply a passage in a deliberate attempt to make it teach something different than it was written to teach, whether done so due to indifference or ignorance. This passage applies to an offense between two people that is not generally known. Brother Owen has gone before thousands of readers in an area of several counties in Western Kentucky, so it is not a private matter between the two of us.

> I do not know about Dan Owen but I never knew about the church of Christ while growing up, but was reared in the midst of denominations, some of which are mentioned in the article as "teaching" brother Owen over the past twenty-five years. My mother was a Baptist, and I attended the Baptist Church many times over a period of years as a teen. A number of my friends and teachers also did so. Earlier in my life when there was not a Baptist Church near where we lived as tenant farmers, my mother sent us to the nearest religious group whose members would pick us up and take us.

>My mother did not take us to church services. She and I, along with brother Owen, learned about grace from the Baptists. They teach that once a person is saved, they cannot be lost. It is commonly called, "Once in grace, always in grace;" or, "The Perseverance of the Saints." It is another of the false doctrines of Calvinism.

> As a result of being "sent" to church services, I also attended the Methodist and Presbyterian churches. My older brother is a member of a Pentecostal group, so while living with him temporarily, and also visiting with him, I attended a number of their worship services. I have never attended a Catholic Church. I have attended an Episcopal Church one time for a funeral. I have also done a great deal of reading concerning the basic doctrines upheld by these groups, as well as many other religious groups.

Based on personal experience, plus studying on my own, I know I have not learned anything from any denomination that is true that cannot be learned from the Bible itself. So why would "an evangelist" even want to go to false religious groups to learn anything?

> I would not wish to be harsh nor crude in language, but if I may use terms I heard while in the military, it seems to me that brother Owen is "sucking-up" to, or "brown nosing" these false religious groups. What other purpose would he have for writing such putrid palaver publicly? He may make a good impression on false teachers in manmade churches; but, he is not going to make a favorable impression upon sound brethren who stand only upon the Bible. My Bible teaches (Eph. 5:11): "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." One would surely have to have some fellowship with those who teach error in order to learn from those who teach it!

> More to follow --






A Skewed Morality

Jeremy Light

As is readily seen on the news today, much attention is given to the situation in Kosovo. We are constantly besieged by the chivalric musings of the President as to the moral necessity of becoming involved in a civil war. Other than the obviously flawed military judgment, there is also the matter of the twisted morality that supposedly backs this action. This blatant political maneuvering offers a deeper insight into the present stance of spirituality and morality in the country. The country seems to have a selective morality switch that it turns on and off, depending on the prevailing winds of the time. Such a furor is raised on this action, but not even a questioning finger is raised at the enormous number of abortions taking place in the country today. God's Word is very plain as to the position of murderers. Such will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Gal. 5:21). Many people will answer for their part in the continual slaughter of innocents. An entire country has allowed itself to be subtly manipulated by political charlatans who make and break policy, unsympathetic as to who gets hurt or killed in the process. God has prepared a place for those who have killed and those who have turned a blind eye to it. That is a truth that even the most skilled bricoleur cannot spin his way out of. Ecclesiastes 12:14 makes it plainly known, "For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

"If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end." --Daniel Webster

P.O. Box 557

Ben Wheeler, TX 75754








Evangelistic Terrorism

Danny Bennett

Evangelism, the means by which we reach those lost in sin, is no longer directed toward those in the various denominations/religions. They are accepted as brethren (Unity-In-Diversity) because it is believed that there are "devout Christians in all denominations" (contrary to scripture). Evangelism is commanded in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47); divinely linked with preaching the gospel; and an integral part of any viable congregation. Evangelistic terrorists have introduced a mutant form of evangelism within the church that is being accepted and put into practice. There was a time when the church was "set for the defence of the gospel" (Phil. 1:17), vigorously exposed error, and the Bible was held in high esteem. Sadly, this is no longer true. The agenda is to subjugate the Bible to unscriptural Methodology and effectively suppress the Bible to the point it is neither the "fountain of the water of life" (Rev. 21:6) nor sufficient/valid to evangelize the community or the world! This Methodology is aggressively invading: 1) the worship service under the disguise of Evangelistic Worship and 2) evangelistic programs of the church and referred to as Friendship/Servant/Out-Reach Evangelism. These "devices" and "wiles" of Satan are borrowed from the denominational world, incubated in our so-called Christian universities, and executed by the change-agents among us. This is a classic case of "another doctrine" (Gal. 1:6-7). Jesus got to the heart of the matter regarding aberrant evangelism methodology when he said to the Jews, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves" (Matt. 23:15).

> Evangelistic Worship involves personal emotional stories told by men or women during worship service. Tommy King advocated this type worship in his presentation at Abilene Christian University,

"outside the teaching and the preaching process, is the sharing of peoples stories as testimonials... to have someone get up and tell his or her story is powerful, that is faith formational, that is faith shaping and you don't have to universalize it, people will do that when you hear someone's story... when you hit those, those are really powerful in your life... in developing your worship order... there are ways you can tell the story... in use of your music and in the scriptures that you choose ... those who plan worship and who are teaching and preaching must be aware that the most powerful tool we have is the story and be careful with that in that we don't detract from the story by always explaining it away or going off and doing, majoring in propositional truth... but propositional truth is not faith shaping... story is ... propositional truth is an educational activity... but spiritual immature spiritual people aren't ready for education, they need formation... By the way, discussion of doctrine is an adult activity, it's not even an adolescent activity...if we have gotten off track somewhere along the way, we tend to think we begin by teaching someone doctrine and that's not true" (Tommy King, "Worship Evangelism," tape #227, February 23, 3:30 PM, Abilene Christian University, "Behold He Comes!", 81st Annual Lectureship, February 21-24, 1999).

Friendship, Servant/Out-Reach Evangelism is heavily weighted with "acceptance," "toleration", and "entertainment" appealing to one's physical "felt-needs" (car clinics, theatrical productions, alcohol/substance abuse and divorce recovery workshops, grief support, athletics, etc). These programs are referred to as "low risk and high grace" because they are designed to be non-judgmental. Additionally, they are directed toward the "unchurched"; i.e., those who do not attend any church. The goal is to increase attendance/growth in any manner. Many of these programs are administered through Small Group/Life Group Worship; i.e., small groups meeting in private homes and rapidly replacing Sunday/Wednesday evening services which violate Hebrews 10:24,25.

> Those who participate with Satan in evangelistic terrorism are like those whom Paul described in Romans 1:25, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever."

6205 Wall Triana

Madison, AL 35757








What Must I Preach To Be Saved?

Steve Miller

In the religious world, there are many teachings pertaining to salvation that lack Bible authority. When we compare these teachings with the Bible we notice a stark contrast between the two. Is there a pattern or a blueprint for what I must preach to be saved?

Jeremiah wrote by inspiration that God's people must continue in the "old paths" in order to be pleasing to God (Jer. 6:16). Jesus continued this teaching in His ministry when he spoke of a strait and narrow way compared to a broad way (Matt. 7:13-14). If we desire to continue on the right way that Jesus has planned, we must do so with divine authority for everything we practice (Col. 3:17).

>Gospel preachers are given the divine charge to "preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2). We must declare as Paul, "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). While we must expound the Bible to a lost and sinful world, there are areas where we must never cease to preach and teach.

It is very evident that plain Gospel preaching has taken a back-seat to a soft, compromising, humorous approach to spreading the message of Christ. Take heed, not everyone in Zion has given over to this modernistic method of preaching. We are thankful for the many faithful brethren around the world who are still on the firing line for our Lord and Savior.

Let us return to Bible preaching and teaching. May we preach and live the following points.

> 1. We must preach the Word of God. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2). The Word is the Gospel and its teaching. We are not to preach what the Pope, Calvin, Wesley, Campbell, Graham, Roberts, or any other man teaches. Only that which is found in the Bible is pleasing to God.

> We must preach what Jesus and the apostles proclaimed (Eph. 2:19-20). The Bible brings the message of salvation, not confessions of faith, manuals, or creeds. The Bible furnishes us unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We must use what God has given us; the Scriptures, and nothing else!

> 2. We must preach Jesus. Paul was faithful in preaching Jesus, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).

> The apostles faithfully preached Jesus Christ. "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ ... Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ" (Acts 5:42; 17:3). Gospel preaches such as Philip have always preached Christ (Acts 8:5,35).

> Why did these early preachers preach Christ? The blood of Christ was shed for all (Rom. 5:8; Heb. 2:9). "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28).

> 3. We must preach righteous living. We must make sure the message by our word and our lives is righteous living, and not riotous living. People in the world, and too many in the church, are very slack in their attempt to live pure lives for Christ. Those outside of Christ, side with Satan. The devil's way is more popular than Christ's way. Drinking, dancing, swearing, adultery, drugs, sexual immorality, lying, and stealing, are just a few of the many works of the flesh and sinful ways in which many engage everyday. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7-8).

4. We must preach the church of Christ. The church of Christ was established and bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). The Bible declares that Jesus is head of that body, which is the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Since the church of Christ is the body of Christ, of which Jesus is head, and for which he shed his blood, then there is only one church (Matt. 16:15-18).

> How many churches did Jesus say he would build? One! Upon the foundation truth that He is the Son of God. Is it a denomination? No! A denomination is a division, party, sect, or part of the whole. The church of Jesus Christ is no fraction or part of anything, it is the whole, the one, true body of Christ.

> 5. We must preach the Gospel plan of salvation. While many ridicule the five step plan of salvation, it is still found in the New Testament. The Bible still reveals that we must hear the Word (Rom. 10:17), develop a working faith (Heb. 11:6), repent of our sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as the only begotten Son of God (Rom. 10:10), and be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21).

> By obeying the Gospel plan of salvation, we become members of the church of Christ (Acts 2:47). The saying is true that states, the Bible makes Christians only, and the only Christians. The old plan of salvation is the one that still saves today.

> We must preach the Bible boldly, forcefully, and lovingly. Our message must be Biblical, simple, and to the point. Let us not be ashamed of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ to the world.

May we always preach the Word of God, Jesus Christ, righteous living, the church of Christ, and the Gospel plan of salvation.

316 4th Street

Paintsville, KY 41240












Villages Church of Christ

436 Belinda Parkway

Mount Juliet, Tennessee 37122


Announces a Series of Special Studies on

"The Scriptures Teach"


Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, 1999


SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1999

8:30am Coffee and Doughnuts

9:00am Curtis Cates -- "The Scriptures Teach That the New Testament is the Supreme Authority in Christian Religion"

10:00am Keith Mosher -- "The Scriptures Teach That Miracles, Signs and Wonders as Recorded in the New Testament Are No Longer in the Church Today"

11:00am to 1:30pm LUNCH WILL BE SERVED AT THE BUILDING

1:30pm David Brown -- "The Scriptures Teach That There Is A Supreme Being"

2:30pm Garland Elkins -- "The Scriptures Teach That A Child of God Can So Sin as to be Finally Lost"

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 1999

9:00am Lester B. Coats -- "The Scriptures Teach That the First Day of the Week as the Day of Worship is Enjoined Upon God's People in This Age of the World"

10:00am David Brown -- "The Scriptures Teach That Baptism Is For (In Order To) the Pardon of One's Past Sins"

11:00am to 1:30pm LUNCH WILL BE SERVED AT THE BUILDING

1:30pm J. E. Choate -- "The Scriptures Teach -- Versus the Modernists"

2:30pm Gary Colley -- "The Scriptures Teach That the Religious Order in Earth Today Called by Name, 'Church of Christ,' is the Exclusive New Testament Church Originating on the First Pentecost After the Death of Christ"

7:30pm David Brown -- "The Scriptures Teach That There Are Three Distinct and Separate Persons in the One Godhead: The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit"

 

 
 
 

People, Places, Things

I get so distressed over the rancid liberalism which is coming out of the Universities. It is just sick. One could line up a half acre of wooden stumps interspersed with these modernists and liberals and one would do as much good talking to the wooden blocks as to the wooden-headed professors. Why sensible people will continue to support the liberals just boggles my mind! "Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth" (Gal. 4:16)?

------------------------------

Word has arrived that a congregation in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has hired a youth minister from the Christian Church. About 150 members left the congregation, which is pretty much the pattern. Brethren who have any sense will not put up with the liberals and their thievery so rather than declare physical warfare with clubs and axe handles, they leave which is what the liberals want. That is the way they operated long ago and also presently.

------------------------------

For those who keep up with international politics, the fleeing of those pathetic pilgrims in Kosovo are victims of a beastly, ruthless, inhumane, despicable, dictator. I have just as much respect for the Serb animals as I do these two-legged liberals who treat brethren worse than dogs. If you resent my remarks, get out of your shell of duplicity and see what is happening. Please consider the number of faithful saints who have been run off by the sweet liberals. The Serbian rebels are about as low as the liberal devils. Open your eyes brethren.

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A bit of mail comes from Harding University addressed to the Youth Minister of the church. We have several youth ministers who worship with the Villages Church of Christ with their youth. Every mother and daddy is a minister or servant charged with the responsibility of taking care of their children. We have not become so obtuse as to need some fellow still wet behind the ears to be THE minister of our youth.

> The advertisement invited the youth to come to Harding and hear JAMES DOBSON. If you are like me, no longer will you be surprised at the foolishness which the schools sponsor. What in heavens name would a Nazarene preacher spit out that would be of spiritual help to young people? Have we lost our senses?

------------------------------

My deepest thanks to the brethren who continue to remember me in their prayers. It is a struggle to try to work when pain becomes so aggravated. I am desperately trying to catch up with the Plumbline issues. There are so many faithful soldiers of Christ who have so many worthwhile lessons, ideas, principles of truth and wonderful helps which could be disseminated -- IF...

I can probably gather enough strength to catch up on all the issues of the Plumbline which are in arrears, but I sincerely believe good brethren would profit more if a variety of articles were published from sound brethren. Moreover, a stack of good short articles would help me no little as I struggle to keep the Plumbline published. So many days, I simply do not work due to pain.

>It is just not practical to publish articles which are filled with so many crass mistakes. Yes, we do stumble and fumble with the Kings English but not every sentence is full of blunders. Keep us in your daily prayers.

------------------------------

I have just finished reading a most interesting book titled, "Sometimes I Hurt." I explained to my wife that I could write a book titled, "Sometimes I Don't Hurt." There are so many people out there who are sick, hurting, infirmed, and helpless. My heart aches for these dear people. The mental and emotional stress is too much at times. When I was taking chemotherapy, there were three others from our neighborhood who were being treated. Many others were victims but I did not know them. Oh, but it troubles one to see all the misery and anguish written all over the faces of dying people. The three people mentioned above have been dead for some few weeks. I guess I feel impelled to write this in view of a coming judgment. Please! Let us serve our Lord faithfully in all situations.

The peerless apostles were troubled in so many ways. There was, "...trouble on every side" (2 Cor. 7:5; 4:8). Paul mentions the "...thorn in the flesh..." (2 Cor. 12:7). The humble servant prayed for deliverance but the thorn was not removed. Why the perplexing, painful thorns continue with us cannot be answered. After suffering so much, will it not be a relief to read where there will "...be no more pain" (Rev. 21:4)?

------------------------------

There is no excuse for the colossal ignorance being spread about with respect to the matter of God's grace. One babble opines, "we don't know grace." Another asserts that in our preaching we have neglected grace. Still another shows his ignorance by chirping that, "we are saved by grace alone." When the devil can conjure up a few more lies, there will be plenty of clowns to repeat them and a super-abundance of empty headed characters who will support such lies. How anyone can look at Bible words and deny what is plainly stated, is a very serious matter.

We are giving an outline prepared by the beloved brother Gus Nichols which he had printed back in April 1940. "Things By Which We Are Saved" was taught by brother Nichols some fifty eight years ago. The outline was found in a 1940 issue of the Gospel Advocate. The truth was taught by brother Nichols in 1940 and no man could refute it. The same truth is evident today. Faithful preachers need to explain to their hearers that the liberal rot is conjured up in hell and spewed forth by the devil's advocates. It not only is false but it borders upon duplicity to accept the idea that man is saved by grace alone. Such would be as fool-hearty as to assert that man is saved by works alone.

THINGS BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED

Gus Nichols

I. Introduction

> 1. Not saved by any one thing to the exclusion of all else (Matt. 4:4).

> 2. Anything declared necessary to salvation in certain passages must be implied in all passages mentioning only some other item.

> 3. Honest persons love and accept all God says on all subjects. Arraying Scripture against Scripture is infidelity.

II. We are saved by God. (Tit. 3:4).

1. By his love and grace. (Eph. 2:4,5.)

> 2. By sending his Son. (John 3:16,17.)

III. We are saved by Christ. (Matt. 1:21; Heb. 5:9.)

> 1. By his blood. (Matt. 26:28.)

2. Death and resurrection. (Rom. 5:10; 4:25.)

> 3. By his name or authority. (Acts 4:12.)

IV. We are saved by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:11;

John 3:5,6.)

1. By words of the Spirit. (2 Sam. 23:2; Acts 11:14.)

> 2. By law of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:2; Ps. 19:7.)

3. By gospel revealed by the Spirit. (2 Cor. 2:13; 15:2; Rom. 1:16; 2 Pet. 1:12.)

V. We are saved by other people. (James 5:19,20;

1 Cor. 9:21.)

> 1. By preaching. (1 Cor. 1:21; 1 Tim. 4:16.)

2. Christian influence. (Matt. 5:13; 1 Cor. 7:14-16.)

VI. We save ourselves. (Acts 2:40; 1 Tim. 4:16.)

1. By believing. (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8.)

> 2. Repenting. (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30.)

3. Confessing Christ. (Rom. 10:9,10.)

> 4. By being baptized. (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21; note Acts 2:40 with verse 38.)

> 5. By obeying. (Rom. 6:17,18; 16:26; Heb. 5:9.)

VII. We work out final salvation. (Phil. 2:12.)

> 1. By enduring to the end. (Matt. 24:13.)

2. By adding graces. (2 Pet. 1:5-11.)

>3. By hope. (Rom. 8:24; Col 1:23.)



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6/3/99