The Truth in Print Vol. 23 Issue 6, July 2017
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Too Strong ~ State the
Gospel in More General Terms
Here’s a request for the reader to consider. When writing on abortion
and referring to practitioners as committing murder it was requested of me that
terms like the "murdering of the unborn" be removed and I convey my
pro-life message in more general terms.
Is It Just A “Pro-Life Message” Or Is It God’s Word?
Consider some passages from the Bible:
Exo 21:22 “If
men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and
yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's
husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.”
Exo 21:23 “And
if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,”.
This presents the unborn as a living person. Understand that abortion purposely
kills i.e. murders the unborn. Compare Exo 21:12 “He that smiteth
a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.” ; Exo 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”
Read the following concerning things God hates and notice the point on
shedding innocent blood:
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate:
yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and
hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth
wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth
discord among brethren.
“Wicked imaginations” which means a plan or cunning work here certainly
fits the abortion industry — what else could decency call the ripping of a
child out of its mother’s body, often in pieces, and that for profit from its
body parts! Seeking to save at times one part or organ by tearing other parts
away from it to make a profit. The word “babe” in Lk. 1:41 with reference to
the baby in Elizabeth’s womb is the same word as the word “babe” in Lk. 2:16
outside the womb.
There needs to be an understanding of the value of human life. When Cain
murdered Able, God cursed him saying “the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Later the penalty for
murder enacted after the Flood was: Gen 9:6 “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man.” The thing noted specifically is that man is
not like the animal kingdom for he is in the image of God having an eternal
spirit or soul (Gen. 1:26; 2:7; Mat. 10:28).
In Ex. 20:13’s “Thou shalt not kill” the word “kill” is [ H7523 râtsach] - properly to dash in pieces, that is, kill
(a human being), ...to murder: - put to death, kill, (man-) slay (-er), murder (-er). It is not
talking against the death penalty for crimes worthy of that are repeatedly
listed in Ex. 21 where those guilty “shall be put to death.” (Are abortionists
guilty of “in pieces” as they tear and cut up the infant in the womb?) You will
find the New Testament says the same in Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:21; I Tim. 1:9; Ja. 2:11; I Jo. 3:5.
A Mistaken View
When one teaches the New Testament, the Gospel of Christ as revealed to
the apostles and prophets in the first century just what might the world view
it as being? It is not man’s wisdom and “the natural man” of the world i.e. the man
as presented in I Cor. 1:26-27 (the wise according to the flesh, the mighty and
powerful and capable, the noble or well born) being uninterested in God’s
revelation sees it as foolishness:
1Co 2:12 Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
This means to know the truths of God’s Word you must read and accept the
revealed word as His not man’s — thus “spiritually discerned.” The unspiritual
man is the one using the world’s wisdom and understanding — caught up in
standards men admire but not God.
Another Mistaken View
When preachers and teachers of the Gospel present truths that condemn
immoralities of all kinds (Works of the flesh, Gal. 5:19-21) they are not
presenting them because of their particular civil political party they might
choose to belong to. What the New Testament, the revealed Word in the first
century, has to say is neither Republican nor Democrat or even Independent
along that line of thinking if you will. Do not consent with the world’s
politicizing the truths of the gospel — being Christians we have to guard
against even that assumption. As things are today another’s politicizing your
belief in and statement of a truth of God’s Word in their mind is often, if
they agree with your statement, equal to their thinking both of you have equal
“standing” before Christ. This is a dangerous assumption carried out I believe
multiple times every day.
When the truths of New Testament are politicized there will always be
some upset, but more than that the world will always have disregard for God’s
Word just as the Lord said that they hated Him for the Word He spoke and they
will hate His disciples (Jo. 15:18, 16:33; Lk. 6:26). This relates to man’s
wisdom that is of the world that looks upon God’s revealed in the New Testament
as foolishness, and a great interference at times as it examines Sin in
the light of His word (Jo. 3:19-21; I
Pet. 4:1-6).
Partial “Agreements” Do
Not Save Souls
If for example I as a Christian have regard for human life and say that
abortion is indeed murder —— this is apt to be accepted more around Republicans
than Democrats. What if I say something about all of the works of the flesh?
What if I say something about Christ’s law on divorce and remarriage? What if I
say what He did that if one puts away their mate without the cause of their
having committed adultery and they marry again that they are in an adulterous
marriage they have no right to? What if I say people shacking up while
belonging to local churches is fornication and pollution? There is but one church that Christ built—
how about that?
The Art of Changing
Specifics to Something More General
How many kinds of “fornication” are there that one might just say are
sinful? There are several “kinds” including when it is adultery, when it is
heterosexual between opposite sexes and outside of a marriage, homosexual,
lesbian, and bestiality. So how will anyone ever be disciplined by
just being told not to sin? Young adults don’t even know, many of them, what
the word fornication means. Telling them to stay away from sin isn’t going to
solve the problem. That they can choose and the government allows it still
doesn’t change the fact that it is indeed Sin.
This is an art of Political Correctness and it is being enforced upon
using specifics used to explain exactly what sinful acts are (entail) and the
outcomes and effects they produce. Don’t make it plain and don’t tell others
exactly what some despicable sinful act is — convey the message in much more
general terms belies the false motives for desiring such — and now you are
right back to the “the natural man” of the world i.e. the man as presented in I
Cor. 1:26-27 (the wise according to the flesh, the mighty and powerful and
capable, the noble or well born) who being uninterested in God’s Revelation in
the scriptures sees it as foolishness, and depends upon human wisdom and
understand to advance himself and others.
The Truth that God gave to be preached to all the world is thus held
down, hindered or kept back by the irreligious and ungodly.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To learn more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com