|
| |||||
|
|
The True
Standard In this world today there are many standards by
which people are judged good or bad, right or wrong. The creeds,
teachings and doctrines of men are held up as a standard for
people to measure to. The world today is cursed with creedism;
cursed with human traditions, dogmas, and man-made religions.
The religion of the Bible is divine. Its power and life come
from God. Our motto is, The truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth. Therefore the creeds, teachings and doctrines of
men we no longer recognize as the standard; nothing but the
Bible.
"The word I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the
last day." John 12:48. This written, revealed Word of God
is the true standard. It will be the only standard in the day of
judgment. the traditions of men will not count in that great
day. People may measure up to the doctrines of men, but if they
fail to measure to the Word of God, they will be condemned in
the judgment-day. Any creed larger than the bible is too large,
just as any creed smaller than the Bible is too small. We have
positively no right to enact any rules or regulations or to
enjoin upon our fellow Christians and the Church of God any past
traditions or new observances not clearly based on Bible
principles. To do so is to fall into the rut of creedism, and to
depart from what is a fundamental truth; namely, that the
written Word of God is our only standard. Past reformations
wrecked upon the rock of traditionalism, and we shall do well to
steer clear of this. In the New Testament will be found the true
standard of life and experience. To go outside of this is to
resort to man-made rules and traditions. Tradition's law once
imbibed and fully established in the mind and conscience, become
as sacred to the one practicing it as divine law, and is no easy
thing to shake off.
In the revealed Word, God said what He meant, and meant all
He said. In the New Testament will be found God's standard of
repentance, justification, sanctification, and unity, and the
every-day life and practice of a Christian; just what God
requires. I ask then, "What is the use of anything else?
Why ad to the Bible, or take from it? Why not take it as it
is?" On every fundamental, God's ministers and Church see
alike. There is no difference no division. It is only when we
drift away from the clear teachings of Scripture and try to
enforce tradition and our own ideas that questions arise and
differences come in. The standard is the Word of God. It is not
what some folks taught one hundred years ago or fifty years ago
or thirty years ago that is to be accepted as the standard; but
what the Word teaches. What was taught thirty years ago can be
accepted as the standard only wherein it perfectly harmonizes
with the written Word. The standard is not merely some revered
teaching of the past; it is the Word of God. So many folks talk
about going back to the "old paths," meaning the
teachings and practices of the church thirty years ago. They say
that must be the standard. But to go only thirty years back
would be to follow in the rut of the sects about us. We go back
to Christ and the apostles, to the days of pure, primitive
Christianity, to the inspired Word of Truth. That is getting
back to the true standard. We go back to the fountainhead. If we
measure to that truth, we shall not be afraid of the
lightning-flash and the thunder peal of final judgment.
I shall now call attention to another law. I read from I Cor.
10:23, 25, 27, 29: "All things are lawful for me, but all
things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all
things edify not." "Whatsoever is sold in the
shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience
sake." "If any of them that believe not bid you to a
feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you,
eat, asking no question for conscience sake."
"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for
why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?"
Conscience is regulated largely by what men believe. In proof, I
call attention to Romans 14:1-3. "Him that is weak in faith
receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth
that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not for God hath
received him." One man esteemeth one day above another:
another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth
it unto the Lord: and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord
he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for
he giveth God thanks: and he that eateth not, to the Lord he
eateth not, and giveth God thanks." (Verses 5, 6)
Here is laid down a principle that is worthy of our careful
study. In Paul's time there were those who believed they could
eat all things. They gave God thanks and ate what was set before
them, asking no questions for conscience sake. Their consciences
approved of what they did because they believed it to be all
right. At the same time there were some in the Church who had
conscientious scruples regarding what they ate. These were
called "weak". They ate herbs and abstained from
meats, doing this, as they supposed, "to the Lord",
and also gave God thanks. You see, the conscience in this thing
was regulated by what one believed. The same was true with
respect to the observance of days. "One man esteemeth one
day above another." "He regardeth the day unto the
Lord." He acted in this way because he believed it to be
right, and his conscience approved of his action. Had he done
otherwise, his conscience would have condemned him. At the same
time his brother in the Church "esteemed every day
alike." He too was conscientious, and "to the Lord, he
did not regard it." Both these men were accepted of God,
though they differed widely in matters of conscience. This
proves conclusively that the law of conscience is the law of the
individual, and also that in conscience matters people may
widely differ, and yet be accepted of God and stand united upon
the general principles of truth. There is no evading this fact
so clearly taught in these Scriptures.
Allow me to press this point. Conscience is regulated by
belief. Take the Saturday-keepers for an example. As soon as the
sun sets Friday evening, they lay aside their work and with a
feeling of reverence begin keeping Sabbath. They are educated to
believe that this is right. To work on that day would bring them
under the condemnation of their own conscience. Here is a man in
our time who "esteemeth one day above another." Others
of us, who are better informed regarding the sacredness of days,
would not feel condemned in the least were we to perform the
same work. It confirms my thought, that conscience is regulated
by what we believe. Listen! "I know, and am persuaded by
the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to
him who esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is
unclean." Romans 14:14. This text is conclusive.
Let not man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in
respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath
days: which are a shadow of things to come." Col. 2:16, 17.
We have no right to judge one another in matter of conscience.
It was with direct reference to this very thing that Paul said,
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set
at naught thy brother?" "Who art thou that judgeth
another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth."
"Let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for
God hath received him." "But with me it is a very
small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's
judgment...he that judgeth me is the Lord." O brethren,
when we make our own conscience the standard for the whole
Church of God, we do wrong. When we judge our brethren wrongly
and condemn them by the standard of our conscience, we violate
the principles of divine truth. "Let us not judge one
another any more." In external things which involve no
moral principle and on which the Scriptures are silent, Paul
says, "Let no man judge you." Do you grasp the
principle of truth contained in these texts? I pray God to
enlighten us in these things. Nothing would please the devil
better than to make a great hubbub over some trivial matter, and
split the Church of God. Shall we then make an issue over some
little thing in which no moral principle is involved, something
on which the Bible is silent, something which belongs to matters
of conscience, and separate from each other?
Let this be our motto: "Endeavoring to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace." "Follow after the
things that make for peace."
We must keep our conscience inside of the truths and the
principles of the Bible because if you allow your conscience to
become so lax that it will stretch beyond the Word of God, you
will get into trouble. But many things come up in life on which
the Bible does not speak; and the reason is, no moral principle
is involved. Such things are positively matter of conscience. I
will mention a few examples.
Building insurance: One brother says, "My conscience
will not allow me to get my buildings insured." Another,
who is just ;as spiritual, says, "I have mine insured, and
my conscience doesn't bother my at all." It would be wrong
for these brethren to condemn each other over this matter. The
Bible says nothing about it, so let each have his liberty in the
matter. The one must be careful not to bring his liberty of
conscience and the other his conscientious scruple to meeting
and try to bind them upon their brethren. "Hast thou faith,
have it to thyself." "Happy is the man who condemneth
not himself in the thing which he alloweth."
Another says, "My conscience will not allow me to go to
the polls and vote. I don't think it would be right at
all." At the same time his brother in the Church, who has
as good an experience as he, and lives a holy, godly life, see
differently. He says: "I am a citizen of this country, and
am subject to our government. I pray for governors and
presidents. Governments are ordained of God. I have studied the
questions of the day somewhat, and they concern the welfare of
my family and of the community. As I help support the government
and live under it, I feel that I have a right to a voice in its
affairs. I feel it my duty to vote. The Bible says nothing about
voting; consequently, both these brethren have a perfect right
to do as they feel in the matter. "Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind" in such matters. The law of
conscience belongs to the individual; consequently, when it is
made the law of the Church in general, it always causes trouble
and brings division.
On the subject of dress the Bible lays down some general
principles. It enjoins "modest apparel," that is
becoming to "women professing godliness", and condemns
"costly array", and gold and pearls worn for
"outward adornment". In none of the Gospels or the
Epistles is a uniform pattern of dress described. This matter
must be left to the individual's own judgment and conscience,
governed by this principle, "Do all to the glory of
God." Keep clear from the pride of the world, and at the
same time live in the freedom of the Spirit.
Perfectly to obey every command in the written Word is the
delight of every Christian. A truly devoted Christian life is
one of freedom in the Spirit. But to try to live to somebody
else's conscientious scruples will rob you of you God-given
liberty and bring you into slavish bondage. "Where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". II Cor. 3:17.
God's Word positively forbids people to bind the law of
conscience upon each other. Two persons sit in meeting and the
one condemns the other over matter of conscience. God judges
both by the standard of His Word, and accepts them both. Do you
see the wrong in this? How applicable are the words of the
apostle, "Let us not judge one another any more!" When
you begin to look at the faults and the mistakes of others, you
become blinded to your own., About the time you think the whole
Church is drifting and going to ruin, you are near the brink
yourself. Don't say like Peter, "What shall this man
do?" but "Follow thou me." One rule will apply to
us all: Everybody live with an eye single to the glory of God.
If we do this, division will never come into the Church of God.
Let us love as brethren. Let us respect each other and be
courteous. For the cause of Christ and for our own souls' sake,
let us rebuke every spirit of division and strife, and stand for
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth which is
the Word of God - the true standard.
| ||||
