Standing Up For Your Belief

Standing Up For Your Belief
by Simon Akl (16)

In today’s world, numerous detractions and sins surround us. In school, we are constantly submitted to the famous false notion of evolution. Teachers are always trying to brainwash us, by forcing this common deception upon us. But as many of us know, this theory has no truth to it (compare, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults?”). In this corrupt world we need to be willing to stand up for our beliefs, even if we are facing attack and persecution. How far are we willing to go to state the truth?

Last year in my “Theory of Knowledge” class, I had the chance to give a speech on Creation vs. Evolution. At first I thought that since this was such a controversial subject, I would try to just give an informative speech, rather than becoming “argumentative.” I was a little afraid of taking the creationists’ side because we had previous debates on this subject in my class, and they, apart from myself, were all believing in evolution. I had even gone to the teacher to ask his permission to see if I could just state both sides’ arguments, and he had agreed. But after much thought and prayer, as well as consultation with friends from church, I came to the conclusion that we cannot compromise when it comes to God and His Word. I realized that in life we will always be faced with obstacles concerning our beliefs, and so we should not be afraid or back down, but instead stand up strong for the truth.

Our class speeches were supposed to take half an hour, but I ended up speaking for a whole hour. We had a lengthy debate after the presentation. All of my classmates were shooting at me, one after another, with numerous questions. Everyone tried to prove to me that evolution was not just a theory but the real truth. I was left all alone on my little island fighting off these hungry sharks. But I stood my ground and continued to state my position. Once the class had finished, the teacher congratulated me on my “outstanding performance.” As I left the classroom, my classmates approached me, one by one, and also–surprisingly–congratulated me. They explained that they respected what I had done, and understood that it was hard debating everyone by myself. Although we had different opinions, they all accepted the fact that I had stood up strong for my belief.

While I had been preparing for my presentation, there was always a little fear to go against everyone. But afterwards, the feeling of standing my ground felt great. I realized that God had answered my prayers and helped me. I also realized that we should never compromise when it comes to God, and that we should never be afraid. Fighting small obstacles, such as these, help us develop our character, and it will allow us to fight off greater challenges in the future. This is why “standing up for your belief” is so important.

Why do people die prematurely, even though they honor their parents? Doesn't this contradict God's promise of long life in Exodus 20:12?

It is indeed correct that God promises long life to those who honor their parents. We must understand, however, the correct meaning of this promise.

Exodus 20:12 states: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 adds: “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long [AV: PROLONGED], and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”

This commandment is specifically repeated, as binding on the church, in Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.'”

The Nelson Study Bible comments: “The benefits of respecting one’s parents would be long life and success.” Similarly the New Bible Commentary: Revised: “Long life is promised as an incentive to obedience (cf. Eph. 6:2). Honour to parents is limited by the honour due to God, who is supreme. Both allegiances are perfectly combined in Christ (Matthew 10:37; 19:29; Luke 2:49, 51; John 19:26, 27).”

But we must note that Jesus Christ did not live a long physical life. He died when He was only 33 years old.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary tries to get around this obvious problem, by trying to limit God’s promise to the people living in Canaan at that time: “[God] mentions his bringing them into Canaan. A long life IN THAT GOOD LAND is promised particularly to obedient children.” However, Paul later quoted this Old Testament passage in Ephesians 6:1-3, without limiting it to the land of Canaan (As the New King James Bible and most translations render the passage in Ephesians 6:3, Paul speaks about children living long on the EARTH). Further, Isaiah stated, while still in the Promised Land: “The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness” (Isaiah 57:1-2).

Again, we find that a righteous person [who honors his parents] sometimes dies prematurely, to be taken away from evil.

To properly understand God’s promise of a long life to respectful children who honor their parents, we need to consider three different possibilities:

(1) Even though some may appear to live righteously and to keep the Fifth Commandment, they really don’t–in God’s eyes. As the Nelson Study Bible explains: “Care of one’s elderly parent was a basic element of social responsibility and godly piety in Israel… People who were faithless to God in disregarding their parents would not last long in the new Promised Land.” The New Testament makes clear that a believing man or woman should look after and take care of their parents (1 Timothy 5:4, 16; compare Mark 7:10-13).

In addition, some who die, without having enjoyed long lives, might have kept the Fifth Commandment, in a general way, but they might have violated other commandments of God. But God’s law is a package, and can’t be looked upon in an isolated fashion. James tells us that when we violate one of God’s commandments, even though we keep the rest, we have still violated God’s entire law (James 2:8-13). When we do that, we cannot expect God’s protection in dangerous situations, or His intervention to save us from premature death.

The same is true in respect to God’s promise in Malachi 3:10. God promises us physical blessings if we pay His tithe to His Church. We cannot expect being physically blessed by God, if we refuse to obey His commandment to tithe (verse 9). In other words, one is under a curse who refuses to pay God’s tithe to God’s Church, and decides to either not tithe at all, or to deposit God’s tithe in a personal private savings account. But, even if a person tithes diligently–like the Pharisees did in Christ’s time–he still can’t expect that God will bless him financially, if he violates other laws of God. These could be laws regulating sound financial principles, as well as spiritual laws.

Again, we must emphasize that God’s laws, statutes and judgments are a package, to be kept in their entirety. This is not to say that we will keep them perfectly–we will slip and fall, but we can obtain God’s forgiveness upon our repentance, and move on (1 John 1:8-9). The righteous may fall seven times, but he will rise up again every time (Proverbs 24:16).

On the other hand, somebody who flagrantly disobeys God’s laws–who practices a wrong way of life–can’t expect to be blessed by God, if he “keeps” one of his laws (such as the Fifth Commandment or the Tithing Law). Since he is intentionally violating the rest of God’s laws, his heart is not right with God. However, we read in Acts 17:30 that God may overlook the time of IGNORANCE; and that He therefore may bless someone who comes to the understanding of the knowledge of the truth regarding ONE commandment, and responds to God by obeying it.

(2) As mentioned before, in properly understanding Exodus 20:12, we must realize that God may decide to override His general promise of long physical life, under certain circumstances. It was preordained that Christ’s life on earth would be short–even though He kept all of God’s laws perfectly. Also, God may sometimes decide to let a righteous person die, to save him from the evil to come, as the righteous will be resurrected to eternal life within the next second of his consciousness (compare 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

(3) The fact that the righteous will inherit ETERNAL life provides a third way of looking at God’s promise in Exodus 20:12. When God resurrects a righteous person to eternal life, He will give him the land or the earth to possess forever (compare Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:11; Isaiah 57:13; 60:21). Please note that both in the Hebrew and in the Greek, the words for “land” and “earth” are the same; i.e., “erets” in Hebrew and “ge” in Greek. When we read in Exodus 20:12 that the one who honors his parents will be living long in the land, it can also be understood to mean that he will live long on the earth–as an immortal spirit being. The implication is, of course, that if we refuse to keep God’s commandments, and especially the one enjoining us to honor our parents, we will not obtain eternal life–we won’t live long on the earth or in the land which God has promised to Abraham and his spiritual descendants (compare Romans 4:13-25; Galatians 3:29).

God has indeed promised long life to those who obey Him. A special blessing is expressed for those who honor their parents. It is not an unconditional promise in the physical realm, as God may deem fit to override His promise for special, individual reasons. Barring this, we can rely on God’s promise of long life in this flesh–and, more importantly, life everlasting in the Kingdom of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

True Christian Virtue

On September 17, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “True Christian Virtue.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Good News About Gospels

by

Most Christians have read the Bible, heard homilies preached from it and have studied topics contained therein. They have put an incredible amount of time into poring over the Scriptures of the Bible and have proved it to be the true Word of God. But have they considered all the other religious tomes of the world? Have they gone through the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Analects of Confucius, the Bhagavad-Gita or any one of the other texts that religions around the world hold sacred? Have they validated the authenticity of these works? Have they given each writing due diligence?

If we did do this, we would not have time to do anything else. So what is the answer? Well, there is a shortcut that can be used to figure out whether we need to give credence to Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or Xxxxxism. This also applies to the many different -isms of “Christianity,” as well as any followers of the Bible. It is found in Galatians 1:8-9, which states:

“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. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

This is the simple and straightforward answer. If ANYONE brings ANYTHING other than the Gospel Christ delivered — reject them out of hand. Do they preach the Sabbath and Holy Days? If they don’t, you will virtually eliminate most all other “gospels.” Do they advocate transgressing God’s commandment against killing under any circumstances? Then we do not need to read their litany of literature. If they do not live by and teach every Word of God, they are not preaching the same Gospel, and there is no need to go any further.

If a group deviates, or their “sacred” digests add or take away from the good news that we know to be the Gospel, this is the different Gospel alluded to in Galatians 1:6–from which we need to turn away.

For more information about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, please read our booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Does Your Life Reflect Christ?

On September 10, 2005, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Does Your Life Reflect Christ?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

The Ants

by Aaron Hooper (20)

Imagine trying to explain to an ant that if they live a righteous life and, in the end, are counted ‘faithful in the small things,’ you will make them into a human after they die. Imagine trying to explain to them the value of being human, or what it is like, though they have no idea of what it is like to be that ‘big’ and probably cannot understand through their ‘puny’ little eyes, what humans are.

The truth is, ants are more inherently selfless than we humans are, and don’t need us to teach them how to live their life. Solomon even admonishes us to consider their ways, and to learn from them.

Surely, such is the relationship between God and man (and how difficult it is to understand the things of God!), though the scale of God is much greater than the difference between human and ant. In fact, we are not much bigger than the ants when placed next to the INFINITE God, much as a pebble and a grain of sand are similar in comparison to the earth.

We are, however, not ‘god’ to the ants, because (1) we cannot see them all at once (2) we cannot rightly judge their thoughts or actions (3) we cannot make them live, or resurrect them to life… and the list goes on. The analogy is simply to illustrate the AWESOME MAGNITUDE of God and how infinitesimal we are.

There is a lot to be learned from the “faith” of ants, how they take action (without forethought of the benefit to themselves) to aid the larger purpose about them, without knowing what that purpose is or how it works, and having no promise or reward after they die. We should all the more put our minds towards diligently working towards the awesome purpose and the perfect plan that God has designed for us.

Please explain what is meant by the word, "saint."

Actually, the Bible is very clear as to the meaning of this word. However, orthodox Christianity, and especially Catholicism, have distorted the meaning and have adopted a concept of a “saint,” which is in total opposition to the Biblical teaching.

The “Christian” world thinks that a saint is a very special kind of a Christian; usually one who has died, went to heaven, and who is now interceding before God on our behalf. The “Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine,” by Peter Geiermann, edited 1946, defines a “saint” as “one whose soul is in heaven” (page 111).

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” edited 1994, states under No. 828: “By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace, the [Catholic] church recognizes the power of the spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models AND INTERCESSORS.”

The “Concise Catholic Dictionary”, by Reynolds and Rosemary Ekstrom, edited 1988, states on pages 134-135:

“Early followers of Christ… sometimes referred to other Christians as saints, but eventually (!) the word saints applied only to those in heaven… The [Catholic] church teaches that the saints in heaven can intercede on behalf of those on earth (these saints are often prayed to for help)… The church has traditionally taught that everyone in heaven (!) is a saint–not just those who have been canonized”
(emphasis supplied).

Further, in order to be “officially recognized” as a “saint,” the Catholic Church “requires the authentication of miracles wrought by, or through the intercession of, the person whose virtues are under debate. [These miracles] must be established by testimony of the countrymen of the reputed saint” (“The Catholic Dictionary,” article, “Canonization,” page 115).

We should realize that the worship of saints is closely associated with the pagan belief of ancestor worship. The Catholic Dictionary points out in its article, “Canonization,” on page 114: “Roman citizens brought the images of their distinguished ancestors in their villas. In China the worship of ancestors is to this day the most living portion of this popular religion.”

The “New Question Box–Catholic Life for the Nineties,” by John Dietzen, ed. 1988, states on pages 495 and 496: “The saints, including our own relatives and friends who have died and are with God, are united in some mysterious way by God’s providence. Since they are with God, it is only natural and profoundly Christian that we ask their help and prayers for anything important to us.”

However, such practice is not “profoundly Christian,” but since it is associated with paganism, it is, therefore, “profoundly pagan.”

Before explaining the biblical concept of a saint, let us clarify what a saint is NOT: As we pointed out in the Q&A of Update #205, the Bible does not teach that a person, including a Christian, goes to heaven when he dies. Neither does the “soul” of the Christian “go to heaven,” as the Bible does not teach at all the concept of an “immortal soul.” Rather, the human being IS the soul, and when the person dies, the soul dies (compare Ezekiel 18:4). A dead person is without consciousness, until Christ gives LIFE to the dead person in a resurrection FROM the dead. The Bible likens “death” to a “dreamless “sleep.” (Compare, for Biblical proof, our free booklet, “Do We Have An Immortal Soul?”) In addition, one does not have to be able to perform miracles to be recognized in the Bible as a saint. For instance, John the Baptist “performed no sign” (John 10:41), but Christ said that “among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).

When the Bible speaks about saints, it addresses LIVING Christians. Paul wrote to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who ARE in Colosse” (Colossians 1:2). He also wrote to the “saints who ARE in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1), or to “ALL the saints in Christ Jesus who ARE in Philippi” (Philippians 1:1). He was not addressing Christians whom the church would “declare” to be “saints” after their death. He also wrote, in Romans 16:15: “Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who ARE with them.” In 1 Corinthians 16:1, he spoke about “the collection for the saints,” who were, at the time, in need of physical help. In Acts 26:10, Paul is quoted as saying: “This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison… and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.” (Compare, too, Acts 9:13.)

We also read, in Daniel 7:25, that a future false religious leader will “persecute the saints of the Most High.” But the system which he represents will be severely punished by God. We read that the “angel of the water” will say to God: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And you have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due” (Revelation 16:5-6).

Notice this! Christians are called saints in the Bible BEFORE they die. We are told, in Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the DEATH of His saints.”

According to the Bible, a saint is a person who is “holy” or “sanctified”; that is, he is set aside or set apart for a special purpose. Once a person is “sanctified,” he is “holy” — or a saint. The word “saint” refers to LIVING people–not dead ones. Notice Revelation 14:12, which addresses living Christians: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

W.E. Vine explains in “Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,” that the word “saint,” as used in the New Testament, is derived from the Greek word, “hagios,” meaning “holy.” He states that it is used for “believers… It designates all such and is not applied merely to persons of exceptional holiness, or to those who, having died, were characterized by exceptional acts of saintliness. See especially 2 Thess 1:10, where ‘His saints’ are also described as ‘them that believed,’ i.e., the whole number of the redeemed…”

A saint is an obedient Christian. He has been set aside, by God, to BECOME a born-again member in the very Family of God. He is a child of God, but in no way is he to be worshipped or prayed to (compare Acts 10:25-26; 14:8-18).

In summary, there are no “saints” in heaven. Psalm 16:3 tells us that the “saints… are on the earth.” Therefore, it is useless and wrong to pray to “saints,” as they are dead and in the grave, unable to hear our prayers, and unable to help us. They cannot “intercede” for us–there is only one intercessor or mediator between God and man–Jesus Christ (compare 1 Timothy 2:5-6; see our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”).

The Bible says that you are a saint, if you are a converted Christian. But it is not your destiny to go to heaven when you die. For more information about the REAL potential and future of a true Christian–a “saint”–please read, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

I Also Will Keep You

On September 3, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “I Also Will Keep You.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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