by David Watts Jr.

A popular religious doctrine says that when a person obeys the gospel, they can never fall away from salvation. While that is surely a comforting thought for many, when we examine what the Bible says, we find that this concept is false and is empty comfort. Let us consider that…

• Losing salvation was certainly a reality for Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).
• Losing salvation was certainly possible for Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:19-23).
• Losing salvation was certainly a reality for Hymenaeus and Alexander who suffered “shipwreck of faith” (1 Tim. 1:9).
• Losing salvation was certainly possible for the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 9:27).
• Losing salvation was certainly possible for the church at Sardis (Rev. 3:3).
• Losing salvation was certainly possible to some in Galatia (Gal. 5:2-4).

by David Watts Jr.

God

We learn that God foreordained that Christ would suffer and die on the cross (v. 23). We learn that God raised Christ up from the dead (v. 24). We learn that God added those who had obeyed the Gospel to the church (v. 47).

Christ

We learn that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord and Christ (v. 36). We learn that Christ was prophesied of by David in Psalm 16 (v. 25-28). We learn that it was not possible for death to hold Christ (v.24). We learn that Christ was behind the events of Pentecost (v. 33). We learn that Christ ascended into the heavens and sits at God’s right hand (vs. 34-35).

Believers

We learn that true believers recognize that salvation involves action on their part (v. 37). We learn that believers are not yet saved: they must repent and be baptized (v. 38). We learn that believers were baptized the same day (v. 41). We learn that believers continue to walk in right paths (v. 42).

The New Converts

We learn that the right thing to follow and continue in is the apostles’ teaching (v. 42). We learn that the Lord’s Supper and prayer is important (v. 42). We learn that the new converts showed love and benevolence to each other (v. 44-45). We learn that they met together in daily assemblies in the temple (v. 46). We learn that they also met privately in each others’ houses (v. 46).

by David Watts (deceased)

If you’ve seen the clever Mormon portrayals of their Book of Mormon as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” don’t be fooled. What Mormons call “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” is actually counterfeit scripture.

Mormons, of course, have long claimed Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates, and that his writings are “holy scripture comparable to the Bible.” In fact, they even put Smith’s book above the Bible. They claim it is “the most correct of any book on earth,” and that one gets nearer to God by following it than by following any other book.

Now, with a clever public relations television campaign, they are trying to  associate Smith’s book with the Bible by passing it off as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” Bible      students, however, shouldn’t be deceived.

The new message God promised in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-34) was the New Testament (cf. Hebrews 8:6-13), and there is no promise anywhere in the Bible of a “Third Testament” or a “New Bible.”

Furthermore, the revelation Jesus’ apostles received from the Holy Spirit completed God’s revelation to the world. In John 16:13 Jesus told his apostles, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…” Obviously,  since the Holy Spirit revealed “all truth” to Jesus’ apostles in the first century (John 16:13), what Joseph Smith claimed to reveal seventeen centuries later isn’t really truth.

Combined with the earlier Old Testament Scriptures, the New Testament Scriptures Jesus’ apostles delivered contain God’s completed written message to the world. Those   Scriptures reveal “all truth.” That is why it can be said the Bible contains everything necessary to make people spiritually complete (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

Yes, when Jesus’ apostles completed the Scriptures, people with the Old and New Testaments had everything pertaining to life and godliness (cf. 2 Peter 1:3). The world didn’t need to wait another seventeen centuries for Smith’s Book of   Mormon to give them fuller spiritual knowledge, and we shouldn’t be deceived by Mormon claims that we need “Another Testament” to supplement the Bible.

In view of the Mormon Church’s attempts to pass of their Book of Mormon as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” it is also noteworthy that the real Scriptures not only warn against later false gospels but specifically include “gospels” delivered by angels.

Galatians 1:8,9 says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other  gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be       accursed.”

Friends, don’t be mislead by what the Mormons are calling “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” or by anyone else’s   alleged latter-day revelations. They are counterfeit gospels and, according to the Bible, those who preach them will     answer to God.

by Dennis Abernathy

Does man have the ability to exercise free will regarding salvation? Is man wholly passive or does he have a part in his justification? Does justification “by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8-9), require effort and action on the part of man? Does man have such a “sinful nature” and is he so “totally depraved” through heredity, that he is unable to respond to God? If he is able to respond to God, is his response by his own free will or is it because God by His sovereign power enables him to respond? The Calvinistic teaching on total hereditary depravity and the inability of man regarding God’s grace, (that it is irresistible), permeates most Protestant (?) religions today to some degree. Any doctrine advocating man’s salvation by his own meritorious works of which he may boast is error. Also, any doctrine that advocates that man is passive regarding salvation is equally false. Both God and man have integral part to play in man’s salvation—grace on the part of God—and faith on the part of man—faith that incorporates obedience to God’s will.
God created man as a free moral agent with the power to choose the course in life he will pursue. People are what they are and in the condition they are in, in large part, because of the choices they make. But the philosophy of many today seems to be that one cannot really change their situation. They are what they are due to their genes, or their environment and up-bringing, and that is what they are destined to remain. We hear it all the time. “You can’t change human nature,” or “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” In religion we are told that “people are born sinners and they have no choice but to sin,” or people are destined to do what they do because of their “sinful nature.” Strict Calvinism says that man does not have a choice whether to sin or not to sin. Arthur W. Pink, in his little book, The Sovereignty Of God, p 249, said: “…to deny God’s foreknowledge is to deny His omniscience….But we must go further; not only…did His omniscient eye see Adam eating of the forbidden fruit, but He ’decreed’ beforehand that he ’should’ do so.” The truth is that people sin, not because God decreed that they should do so, but because they choose to do so. Their “nature” is sinful because it is acquired from their regular habitual practice of such, and not because they were born sinners. (Eph. 2:3). Human nature changes all of the time and you can teach an old dog new tricks and people do rise above their raising and people do sin because they choose to. They also refrain from sinning because they choose not to sin. (See Jas. 1:13-16).
From the very first sin man has tried to play the blame game to try and escape the consequences of his bad choices. When Adam was confronted by God about eating the forbidden fruit, he said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12). When God asked Eve: “What is this you have done?” she replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.“ i.e., “Don’t blame me, blame the serpent!” Adam said: “Don’t blame me, blame Eve, and anyway Lord, You must remember that it was You who gave her to me.”
So, man blames God, the devil, (Flip Wilson said “The devil made me do it.”), his fellowman, his circumstances, the way he was made—anybody or anything, for his sin, of which nobody or no thing is responsible but himself.
Companies spend billions of dollars in advertising because they know that man has the power of choice and they want to influence the choices they make. They seek to motivate people to buy their product. This, of course, involves the free-will of man—his power of choice. Likewise, God seeks to motivate people to accept Him and His will because it is for his good always. (See Deut. 6:24; 10:13).

IN THE BEGINNING

Consider briefly the temptation of Eve. I wonder if there is significance in the devil approaching Eve first? Satan offered three arguments to motivate and encourage her to be disobedient: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (Gen. 3:1-6). Satan was not like a lot of people—he knew that human beings could be persuaded with arguments. These are the same three arguments he always makes. These are the same three arguments he used when he tempted Jesus in Matthew the fourth chapter. These are the same three arguments he uses on you and me. (1 Jn. 2:15-16). Jesus resisted the devil with Scripture—”It is written,” and Satan left Him “for a season” or until a more opportune time. (Lk.4 : 13). We must resist him in the same way. (See Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).
What persuaded Eve to make the choice she did? It is obvious that her genes or heredity were not a factor. Her environment was not tainted since God’s estimate of it was that it was “very good.” (Gen.1: 31). Poverty did not play a part in her decision, since she had all that she needed. (Gen.1: 28-30). Yet, Eve “chose” to disobey the one simple command God had given her. Why? The serpent, (devil), deceived her through temptation. Behind every temptation to sin and behind every sin, the devil is lurking. That is how he works. It is easy to see that God gave humans the freedom to decide to obey Him or to disobey—sadly, Eve chose the latter. “She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Though Adam was not deceived, (1 Tim. 2:14), he made the same bad choice—but the point remains–they both chose to do what they did of their own free will!
But we are told that since that first sin “all of us have been born sinners by inheritance and we cannot help but sin.” So the Calvinist tells us that we sin because we must. We are born totally depraved and cannot do otherwise. We have absolutely no choice in the matter. Man is either doomed or saved by God and has no choice in the matter. Hear John Calvin himself:
“Now since the arrangement of all things is in the hand of God… He arranges.… that individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify Him by their destruction…” Institutes, Calvin.
If what Calvin says is true we have lost the free will Ggave to man initially. But if this explains man’s sin today, how does one explain Eve’s sin? Did she inherit a depraved nature from Adam when God created her from his rib? It is for sure that she sinned. Either she was created with a depraved nature or an inherited depraved nature does not answer the sin problem. The truth is that we commit sin for the same reason she did—and Adam did–and all other men did and do—we have a will and are free to choose, and like them, we sometimes make bad choices.
Further, if we were created or born with an inherited depraved nature, we could not be charged with sin because it really would not be our fault. We would have no choice, and thus would not be held accountable. Nowhere does the Scriptures tell us that man is in such total bondage to evil that he cannot respond obediently to God. Otherwise he could not be held accountable! To teach otherwise flies in the face of God’s justice. But in God’s face John Calvin flies and many in the denominational world are right behind him.
How dismal. Clearly, to punish one for failure to do what it is impossible to do, or for doing what one is forced to do, makes a mockery of justice. It certainly does not paint a picture of the God revealed in the Bible. He has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11). The God of the Bible is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9). The God of the Bible “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(1 Tim. 2:4).

CAIN AND ABEL

Did any of Adam and Eve’s children possess free will with the ability to make choices? Without doubt, all of them did, but we have the actual account of Cain and Abel. They both grew up in the same world, the same environment, and came from the same home. Abel chose to worship and honor God by faith, and Cain did not. (Gen. 4:1-15; Heb. 11:4). When God rejected Cain’s worship, he became angry. God reasoned with him thusly:

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Gen.4: 7).

Cain clearly had a choice–doing well or not doing well. If Cain did well his worship would be accepted by God. If he did not do what was right sin was crouching at his door and ready to spring upon him. Cain had a choice to make. Master his sin or let it master him. Behind every sin is our arch enemy the devil. He works through temptation toward evil and sin. His desire is to devour us. We have a choice—we can let our sin master us and make us slaves of the devil or we can submit to God and rule over our sin, thus, resisting the devil. The only way we will be able to do this is through a steadfast faith in the Word of God—”It is written.” Therein is the roadmap for our escape route. (See 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 10:13). Only when the devil is met head-on in the strength of the Lord will he retreat. The choice is ours.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The gospel is to be preached. (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 1:21). But the gospel message is predicated upon the fact that all people can freely respond to it and be whatever they choose to be. In other words, people can accept the good news or they can ignore and reject it. (See Acts 13:46). The gospel is God’s power to save. (Rom. 1:16). It contains the power to change lives if those hearing it will believe it. It will change no one who refuses to believe it. We hear people say: “He/she will never change.” Perhaps they are right, but it is not because they cannot change, but because they will not change! A despised tax collector became an apostle. A sorcerer believed the gospel and was baptized. Even the “chief of sinners” was converted and became an apostle. In fact, the most immoral can change. (See 1 Cor.6:9-11). It works the other way too. An apostle denied the Lord and another sold him out. Because they had too? No. Because they chose to do so! If I did not believe the gospel could motivate people to do right and to change their conduct and lives, I wouldn’t waste my time preaching it. Such would be an exercise in futility. People have and do change all the time.
The prophet Ezekiel champions the concept of free will and man’s ability and responsibility to make a choice. In 18:31, we read:

“Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live.”

In 33:7-17 the prophet warns that unless the wicked turn from their evil ways they will surely die. He also warns the righteous that they can turn from their righteousness to evil and if they do, they to shall surely die. He concludes in verses 18-19:

“If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so.”

It is obvious then, that change can occur in either direction—because of our free will that enables us to choose. We know this is so because we see it every day.
But some in the denominational world tell us that man cannot change because God has predestined him to whatever fate that pleases Him. Others tell us that man cannot change unless and until he is regenerated by the working of the Holy Spirit in some mysterious way or the other. They say salvation has nothing to do with whether or not a person believes the gospel. In fact, they don’t believe one can believe unto salvation without God regenerating and then producing the faith to believe in those He had already chosen. This they label as God’s irresistible grace.
Again, how dismal. Man is so depraved he cannot do anything good. So, when those who embrace the teachings of Calvinism speak of “total depravity,“ they really mean “total inability.“ If left to themselves, men not only do not seek God but they are totally unable to seek Him, much less to believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of their souls.
The truth is that no man will ever be regenerated until he chooses by his own free will to respond in obedience to the gospel. As usual, the denominational world has it backwards, or as we are prone to say, they have the cart before the horse. In the scriptures faith always precedes salvation or regeneration and not the other way around. Just as Eve, in the beginning, believed and obeyed a lie and was separated from God because of her sin, man today must believe and obey the truth in order to be reconciled to God. This is made possible because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for sin. That is what the gospel is all about. That is why it is good news.
Preaching the gospel is predicated upon man’s ability to change. If people cannot improve their condition by choosing the good over the evil, why then did Jesus die on the cross? Why go preach and try to convince people to do what they are incapable of doing? Why warn the righteous that they can fall from their righteousness? (1 Cor. 10:12; Heb. 2:1-4).
People quit smoking, using drugs, and using bad and foul language. People give up the homosexual lifestyle, and quit stealing and lying and a whole host of other things, because they choose to do so. They may be motivated by religious reasons or health reasons, or some other reason, but the fact is they exercise their free will. Calvinism and growth, change, and choice are foreign to one another. Calvinism stifles free will and sounds the death knell to choice and change. The gospel on the other hand encourages free will and change through making right choices.

CAN A SINNER, OF HIMSELF, OBEY THE GOSPEL AND BE SAVED?

Can a person with no real spiritual appetite develop one? Can he see the advantage of love, mercy and grace? Can he come to realize the enormity of his sin toward a Holy God and understand the hopelessness of his lost condition? Can he choose to obey the gospel when he sees the utter misery, despair, and degradation in the lives of those who practice sin? Can he appreciate the demonstration of God’s abundant love? (Rom. 5:8). Calvinism say No! Arthur W. Pink said: “The sinner, of himself, CANNOT repent and believe.” They say man “As a consequence of his fall into a state of sin, is unable, by any strength of his own, to turn himself to God, or even to prepare himself to turn to God.” Edwin H. Palmer-The Five Points Of Calvinism. p16. James H. White devotes an entire chapter entitled “The Inabilities Of Man”, in which he recites a long list of man’s sins, of his evil, of his depravity and explains that he is a “fallen creature, a slave to sin, spiritually dead, incapable of doing what is pleasing to God.” Do you grasp those statements? We are told that man has no ability, of himself, to exercise free will. He cannot turn to God or do anything pleasing to Him because he is incapable of doing so. The Bible says men fail to come to Christ, not because they CANNOT but because they WILL NOT!. Jesus said: “And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” (Jn. 5:40). Stubbornness of heart and not inability was the error of those the Lord addressed. The same is no less true today.
Repentance, (changing one’s will, outlook, habits, and thinking), requires change and is essential for anyone desiring salvation from sin. (Lk.13: 3). Repentance is a command, (Acts 17: 30; 2: 38), therefore choice is involved.
Confession is commanded of all who would come to God. (Rom. 10: 9-10; Acts 8: 37). But man can choose to confess the Lord or not confess Him. The Ethiopian eunuch chose to do so, but some of the Jewish religious rulers chose not to. (Jn.12: 42-43). You will notice that it says those rulers “would” or “did” not, and not “could” not.
Baptism is a command. (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 10:48). But again, Man has a choice. (See Lk. 7:29-30). Just as the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves by refusing to be baptized of John, so today, many reject the will of God for themselves by refusing to be baptized by the authority of Christ. (Matt. 28:19).
The life we are to live is to be in conformity with God’s will. This involves “renewing of our mind”, which involves using our free will to make a choice. (Rom. 12:1-2).

by Dennis Abernathy

Jeff Pollard, author of Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America, makes this observation regarding fashion:

“The fashion industry does not believe that the principle purpose of clothing is to cover the body; it believes that the principle purpose of clothing is sexual attraction.  This is the very opposite  of Christian modesty.”

For evidence, one needs to look no further than the windows and walls of many clothing stores displaying explicit displays. Victoria’s Secret, for example, leaves little to the imagination in marketing its “Very Sexy, Very Now” and “Fun & Flirty” fashions. Abercrombie and Fitch go even further in featuring barely clad college-age youth in their recent catalog. They aggressively use eroticism in marketing their product. They are beginning to be followed by other companies, and if they continue to push, with little public outcry, one can expect a deluge of pornography in the marketplace in the future.

We are living in a time of moral confusion, and our generation’s indifference to moral concerns is reflected in many of today’s styles. Christians should be concerned that many fashions, particularly for women, are harlot-like and amount to nothing more than public undress. In both cut and cloth they selectively expose and emphasize certain areas of the body. Whatever fashion statement the wearer intends to make, it certainly can’t be “I’ve got a secret.” Instead of being appreciated for her well-ordered taste and feminine beauty, her “adorning” will more likely arouse an unholy interest, even lust, in the minds of male onlookers.

Read the following quote, taken from The New American: “Kim Alexis is a top world super model. She has appeared on the covers of more than 500 magazines around the world. “My roles of wife and mother are way more important than my career,” she says. “They come first. I think of them before I accept my job.” Alexis encourages young people to resist the pop culture appeals to promiscuity and sensuality that promise fulfillment but only lead to tragedy and unhappiness. “My strong marriage, and my walk with the Lord, are the basis for my happiness,” she says. Abortion is always wrong in her book. “All life is valuable and a gift from God,” Alexis insists. The fashion world is inherently risky, she notes, because “you are constantly asked to compromise your moral standards.” Alexis regrets her own compromises. “There are pictures I look back on today and think, O, why did I let them talk me into that? I made some choices I’m not proud of.”

“Alexis then risks the wrath of the reigning cult of lust by extolling the forbidden “M” word—modesty. She warns that, “Many women are playing with fire in the way they dress.” She continues: “Dressing like a floozy tells the world: ‘Look at me, want me, lust after me. I’m easy and you can have me. Displaying intimate parts of the body is a form of advertising for sex—so if you dress to attract sexual attention, you can hardly blame anyone else if that kind of attention comes your way.’ Dressing modestly tells the world, ‘I respect myself and I insist on being treated with respect,’” says the mother of five. “It’s possible to be stylish and attractive without wearing something that is too short, low-cut, or see-through.”

She is right! Dressing to look sexy is an invitation to lust. Lust, of course is a sin which especially men are cautioned in Scripture to avoid. Is it not then a stumbling block for others when Christian women dress in revealing fashions? The way Christians dress should not scream: “Sex!” or “Pride!” or “Wealth!” One’s dress should rather testify to purity, humility and moderation.

Paul said: “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency (shamefacedness) and propriety (sobriety)…with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (1 Tim. 2:9-10). The word modest has the general meaning of “respectable” or “honorable.” The word shamefacedness denotes “a state of mind or attitude necessary for one to be concerned about modesty.” Sobriety has among its meaning the general one of “good judgment, moderation, self-control and habitual inner self-government.” Noah Webster said: “Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.” American Dictionary Of the English Language.

Modesty is not just an issue of how one dresses. It is more than the length of one’s skirt or the cut of one’s blouse. It is an issue of the heart! It is the inner self-government, rooted in a proper understanding of one’s self before God, that outwardly displays itself in humility and purity from a genuine love for the Lord. Webster again states, in defining modesty that it is “synonymous with chastity, or purity of manners. In other words, modesty results from purity of mind.”

True modesty is rooted in the heart and adorned with a “gentle and quiet spirit” and is displayed in a chaste and pure life (See 1 Pet. 3:2-4). The standard of the world is backward, as it often is, where the adornment of the body (the outward appearance) is valued and the heart is neglected. But God looks on the heart, which is very precious to Him, and so should we (See 1 Sam. 16:6-7).

Modesty is taught. Parents, it is your duty to guide your children to desire purity from the heart, because it is God’s way. If you will dress the heart of your child, then your child will then dress their body in a way that reflects the heart.

Young men, let it be known that you disapprove of suggestive clothing and that modesty in dress is your preferred choice—by far! Job said long ago: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31: 1).

You need to do the same.

by David Watts (deceased)

Though this is a common practice, there is no Bible justification for calling a preacher “Reverend.” Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day because “they make broad the phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments. And love… to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ” (Matt. 23:5-10). Notice that Jesus spoke of two ways by which these religious leaders distinguished themselves: their dress and their titles. Jesus condemned both! The principle of this passage certainly applies today. If men cannot be called “Rabbi” or “Master” or “Father” religiously, then they should not be called “Reverend.”

Furthermore, the only time the word “reverend” is found in the English Bible is once, and that in Psa. 111:9 where it refers to God by saying “holy and reverend is his name.” How presumptuous it is  for men to apply a title to themselves that is only given to God in the Bible!

The calling of men “Reverend” today is not only unscriptural in itself, but it promotes another unscriptural idea of the supposed existence in religion of a clergy-laity system. There is to be no such distinction in Christianity, for, as Jesus said, “all ye are brethren.” To promote the preacher above other Christians by calling him “Reverend” is displeasing before God, for it is a violation of the very words of Jesus, as well as the apostle Paul who said, “…for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Preachers would do well to remember this.

by David Watts (deceased)

The Bible says, God desires “all men… be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), and, “The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Because God desires the salvation of all, ALL are invited to accept the offer of salvation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). Furthermore, Jesus placed the matter of individual salvation upon the basis of individual reception of the Gospel, just before returning to Heaven: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). WHOSOEVER believes and obeys the Gospel thereby becomes a part of the elect.

The Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election is a FALSE doctrine disguised with Biblical terminology. Calvinists say, “By the decree of God… some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others are fore-ordained to everlasting death. These angels and men, thus predestinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that I cannot be either increased or diminished” (Westminister Confession of Faith, chapter 3). According to Calvinists, those who were lucky enough to have been arbitrarily selected by God for salvation before they were born, will be saved. But if one happens to be among the unfortunate “non-elect” he will be damned. This false doctrine supposes that salvation is UNconditional, and that every person’s eternal destiny has been decided and sealed from the beginning of the world.

The BIBLE teaches that God wants all to be saved, and will save all who accept the Gospel. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9, 11-12). The     Bible speaks of an election, but it is not an UNconditional election

by David Watts (deceased)

The Bible says, “… and the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent…” (Acts 17:30). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16). The Bible seems to be clear in its teaching as to what obedience is required of man in order to be saved.

We find nothing in the Bible to show that personal situations or unexpected happenings in men’s lives will alter God’s will toward them. We must recognize that most people on their “death beds” have had many opportunities to obey God previous to their impending death. The Lord gave a parable in Matt. 25 of five wise and foolish virgins. The five foolish ones were unprepared for the coming of the bridegroom because they took no oil with them for their lamps. It was too late for them to make preparation and, though they tried to go buy oil, the bridegroom went into the house and closed the door, and would not open to them when they knocked. Here the Lord is clearly teaching, the need for preparation—and the tragedy of the unprepared.

What each of us must do is make sure that we are saved ourselves. We must not deal in hypothetical situations or suppositions or contingencies. We must do what the Bible says. We do not find in the Bible any indication that God will save such a person as posed in the question—but if He chooses to do so, He has all power and  sovereignty and we will be satisfied with His will. But the Bible just does not indicate that such is His will, and we must go by what the Bible says.

In John 21 Jesus gave explicitly instruction to Peter, “Follow me” (v. 19). Peter then asked about John, “Lord, and what shall this man do?” Jesus answered, “if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” What we must make sure about is not the other fellow, but ourselves. We are not on our death bed, and we have opportunity to obey. Will we?

by David Watts (deceased)
The Bible says absolutely nothing about purgatory. It is as silent as the tomb. Purgatory does not exist, except in the mind and doctrine of men.

The idea of purgatory is that all men (except those who are perfect) must be purged by fire because of their sins. In general, it is held that the period of suffering in purgatory can be shortened by one’s relatives making gifts of money to secure prayers and masses by the priest. After enough (and no one can define “enough”) gifts, prayers, and masses are made, then God transports one’s relatives out of the fires of purgatory and into heaven.

The idea, however, is even inconsistent with other Catholic doctrine. It is difficult to understand how, at death, a priest is summoned to administer extreme unction, at which he pronounces absolution of all sins. Then, after death, one must be gotten out of purgatory—who went there, it is declared, because of his sins!

The Bible does not teach the doctrine of purgatory, nor any other doctrine of a second chance, involving a change of state after death. Rather, it teaches:

One cannot change his condition after death. “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment” (Heb. 9:27, ASV). According to some, this should read, “after this cometh purgatory.” (See also Luke 16:19-31, particularly verse 26, where Jesus taught that there can be no change of state after death.)
One will be judged by what he has done here on earth, not by what somebody does for him after he dies. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

It is regrettable that so many have been deceived into thinking that one can be purged from his sins after death, for they live in false hope. The Bible says nothing of the sort, but clearly denies such a notion.

by Jeff Henderson

There is a country music song that has as part of the lyrics, “You can never have too much fun”.  While I enjoy fun and recreation as much as the next person, I realize the old adage is true, “There is a time for work and a time for play.” Yet I wonder if we as Christians display more of the first attitude than the second in our worship to God. Do we place more emphasis on activities which have no spiritual benefit, than we do upon service to God?

The apostle Paul while describing to the Ephesians the walk of the child of God says in Ephesians 5:15, “Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise.” (NASB)  The Revised Standard Version (RSV) says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,” Paul is telling us that we need to be careful how we live our lives on this earth.  Certainly that would include the way we treat our neighbors, as well as how we treat the word of God.  But on the practical side, does it not speak to otherwise wholesome activities in which we can become entangled in as people living on earth?

For example, the Bible makes it clear that we are to work in order to support ourselves, as well as be able to give to others who are in need.  But what does God say to the individual who takes that too far and spends every waking hour at the office or on the phone and neglects his family responsibilities?  Or what does God say to the wife who concerns herself so much with the physical affairs of the family that she fails to give diligence to the word of God.  What does God say to the teenager who becomes so involved in school  either completing the research papers or soccer practice and games that they are never in attendance at the assembly of God’s people?  Can there be too much of a good thing?

Jesus speaks on this important subject in his Sermon on the Mount as recorded for us in Mathew 6:24-34.  It seems that Jesus describes individuals who consume themselves with clothing and food and houses that they are leaving out the search for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  Jesus not only condemns the problem of worry, but the problem of misplaced priorities.

The point is made that when we place God first in our lives, really put him first not just say that he is first, we will have no need to overly concern ourselves with the things of this life because God will take care of us.  Does that mean we may need to adjust our work schedule for the cause of the Lord? Does that mean we may need to adjust our eating or sleeping habits in order to put God first? Does that mean we may need to scale down some of our activities so that we can be diligent servants for God?  Yes indeed!

What congregation would hire a preacher who spends every other Sunday morning out on the lake fishing and on the golf course on Wednesday afternoons?  I know of no congregation that would hire such a man; however, how many congregations see nothing amiss when members frequently fail to attend bible study or worship services to God, because of their own desires and activities.

Is there too much of a good thing? Absolutely; especially when it interferes with our service to God and our walk as children of God.