We will attempt to journey through several subjects contained in the Holy Scriptures to unveil some of the ugly masks that extremism puts forth.  Apologies will be made in advance for not putting forth the proper length of space that many of these subjects deserve, but our goal and aim is not to fully exegete these most God-honouring subjects but rather to show the proper application (division) of them without landing on the left or right ditch.  This effort is broken up into doctrinal and practical extremism that men have historically fallen into to various degrees. 

As a subject text for this effort, Paul addressed the Philippians thusly in 4:5, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.  The Lord is at hand.”  While sinful activity (such as fornication) cannot be engaged in moderately, Paul is addressing God’s saints to be moderate in their approach to handling things and viewing different principles.  Many times, dogmatic statements of opinion gender strife instead of Christian fellowship, and the right principle ceases to be correct in application as the brother and his theology have landed in the muddy ditch.   

Then, other good-minded brethren see this event, and they fall backwards into the opposite ditch to not be seen in the original erring brother’s association.  Many times, the devil sends errors into our lives in pairs of opposites (extremes), and his goal is to get us to hate one of them enough to be drawn into the other.  May God help us to avoid these contrivances that lead us away from His fellowship and the joy of the whole earth: Mount Zion.

Doctrinal Extremism

1.  Predestination

Predestination is certainly a subject that is God-honouring and man-humbling.  It places man where he ought to be: undeserving, and God exactly as He is: merciful and powerful.  This doctrine, in its unadulterated beauty, is not seen and rejoiced in by the majority of the children of God.  The problem that many of them have with it is that it interferes with the pride of our human, fallen, Adamic flesh.  Works salvation is easy to sell, for it appeals to something that every human creature possesses when he comes into this world (pride). 

Predestination means to foreordain or determine beforehand.  It comes from the Greek word “proorizo.”  Literally translated, it means, “before the horizon.”  When we think of a horizon, we cannot see anything until it passes over the horizon and comes into view.  However, our God can see beyond the horizon, and He did something long before the horizon of this globe was set in motion.  His predestination, like His purpose, is sure.  In the 46^th chapter of Isaiah, He declares that “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”  For His counsel to fail or His pleasure to be thwarted, there must be a power greater than He to cause Him to forbear.  However, there is none like our God, and He does not give or share His glory with another. (Isaiah 42:8) 

Now, the first ditch or extreme to the doctrine of predestination is the denial of it entirely.  Many people will respond to the question of election or predestination thusly, “I don’t believe in it.”  After some gentle prodding, they add, “I deny such as actual fact or existence.”  This extreme viewpoint is easily destroyed by Scripture.  For, the easiest, logical counter is, “Something must be believed about it, for the terms appear in the Bible.”  While the word predestination does not appear, the words predestinate and predestinated do.

 Romans 8:28-31, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us?”

 Ephesians 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” 

Therefore, an opinion must be formed to address, at a minimum, the terms contained therein.  After this “revelation,” they will answer, “Well, what that really means is that God looked down and knew who would accept Him and who wouldn’t.  Therefore, He elected and predestinated those that would accept Him and live righteously.”  Well, that would be all right if it was not almost completely all wrong.

 The Psalmist declared in the 14^th and 53^rd divisions that God looked down upon the children of men.  He looked to see if there were any that did understand or seek after God.  What did He find?  He found that there was “none that doeth good, no, not one.”  Therefore, God could not have predestinated anyone or chose anyone based upon their good merits, for they had none.  So, this extreme notion on predestination will not hold up to Scriptural examination.  So, what is the other ditch or extreme?

 Some will lay claim to the belief that God predestinated all things that are happening in this low ground of sin and sorrow.  This belief is commonly referred to as “absolutism” or “fatalism.”  This belief has problems at every juncture, for it takes all responsibility off man for all of his erroneous ways.  Sometimes, when a person is caught doing something they should not, they say, “The devil made me do it.”  Or, they might say something infinitely worse, “God made me do it.”  Both of these statements are made to get one’s self off the hook.  However, we are responsible for our wayward steps.  We suffer just consequences for our foolish actions.

 James declares, by Divine inspiration, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13-14) We cannot lay our guilt and blame at God’s doorstep, nor can we blame the devil for our shortcomings.  Indeed, he is the great tempter, and he has been doing so from the beginning in the Garden of Eden.  But, God held man responsible then for transgressing His holy law, and He is still the same today.  He has not changed one iota. (Hebrews 13:8)

 So, if we cannot charge God with our temptation, logically, we cannot charge Him with folly or sin in any respect.  He is not the author of confusion, and Romans 5:12 tells us that man brought sin into the world.  God did not create Adam to fall, but He made Him able to stand and still able to fall.  While He knew that He would fall, He did not create Adam with a lack of ability to keep the law.  Adam had the ability to keep God’s law, for God’s laws and commandments are not grievous. (I John 5:3) But, man is at fault for bringing sin into the world.  Therefore, our pains of death are our just wages for the sin that we possess. (Romans 6:23)

 When man goes astray, God did not predestinate that to happen.  Man might say, “Did God know?”  Certainly He knew, but knowledge is much different than causative motion.  God even gave two comments to the “weeping prophet” Jeremiah about actions that He never desired that man do. 

Jeremiah 7:31, “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.”

 Jeremiah 19:5, “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire, for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:”

 The Lord declares plainly that it was not His desire that Israel engage in such abominable, idolatrous activity.  His mind and heart was never given to those heinous sins, and they brought down His arrows of displeasure for their disobedience.  When God punishes His children, He does it for their own good, but if He predestinated them to do it, how could He punish them?  My earthly father had an example for this point that went like this, “If I believed in the doctrine of absolute predestination of all things, that would make as much sense as me throwing my son through the window and then spanking him for breaking it.”

 So, these two extremes on the doctrine of predestination will not stand, and we will briefly mention what is embraced in this lovely theme.  God predestinated people (not events) based on His will, grace, and love.  The love that our Lord has for us stretches beyond the chronology of time, and reaches into the hidden portals of eternity.  It draws us with lovingkindness (Jeremiah 31:3), and knows no end.  Our Lord predestinated His people to live with Him in heaven some sweet day before the earth or man ever existed.

 When we were but a thought in the mind and purpose of God, He loved us, chose us in Christ, and predestinated us unto the adoption of children.  We were placed in His family by covenant relationship before the foundation of the world.  We have already discussed that it was not by our merits or esteem, but solely by His mercy and grace and according to the good pleasure of His will. 
 

Not only did He predestinate us to live in heaven, but He predestinated the image we would enjoy.  We will all look like our Elder Brother.  He is the firstborn among many brethren in His Father’s house.  We are His brethren and friends for whom He came and died, and some sweet day, we will awake with His likeness and be satisfied. (Psalm 17:15) This is not an ugly doctrine, beloved, as these extremes would have us to believe, but without this truth of God’s love, we would all be lost.  Is there unrighteousness with God?  Perhaps the second topic will answer that.

 2.  Sovereignty of God

The word sovereignty applies to persons in authority and power.  It denotes their strength and unalterable state.  We think of the wind as sovereign because it blows and moves where it listeth.  We cannot say, “Wind, go there or come here.”  However, there is One (who is the ultimate Sovereign) that can say, “Peace be still,” and there be an immediate calm from the boisterous wind and waves.

 The doctrine of the Sovereignty of God declares first and foremost that He is the King of kings.  Paul tells the young minister Timothy, “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.  Amen.” (I Timothy 6:14-16) 

The first notion or extreme on God’s sovereignty is that He is actively dictating every action.  This extreme viewpoint is very similar to the one mentioned above in regard to the absolute predestination of all things.  While God does providentially care for us on a regular, daily, continual basis, He is not actively controlling every event in our lives, for that again would make Him the author of our sin.  Does this mean that we act outside of His control?  Have we wielded more power than He?  No in no wise!

 Since this universe is created by Him and all things are created by Him and for Him, let us think of it this way.  If the heavens are but the working of His fingers (Psalm 8:3), then it is reasonable to assume that God can hold this sphere (earth) in the palm of His hand.  He has complete control of this world within His fist.  However, if He lifts His fingers for a moment from around us, we immediately stumble and fall.  What happened to David (a man after God’s own heart) when his providential hedge was removed?  We find him in gross adultery coupled with murder.  What happens to the Apostle Peter (who was blessed by the Father to have Jesus Christ revealed unto him) when met with a little maiden?  He denied his Lord.  Are these exceptions to the rule?  Nay, but they are descriptive of all of us, that our dependence on the Lord is constant, and without Him but for a moment, our lives are in jeopardy with actions steeped in and fraught with transgressions. 

Therefore, the simple statement, “God is in complete control, but He is not completely controlling” should clear up the misconception about any limitation of God’s power.  His power and ability are always far greater than the bounds of His will.  Had He willed to do so, He could have immediately burned up the universe at the moment of Adam’s transgression and made a new one.  Had He so desired, He could have set forth a hedge to keep man from falling.  Had He never purposed to come and die for His people, certainly that fell within the realm of His ability, power, and might.  However, His will is on a different plane than these feats of His power.

 Now, the fact that God still suffers us to be tempted and fall does not make Him any less God.  Many times, we wonder, “Why does the Lord let bad things happen to good people?”  Paul wrote, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20)  Instead of asking why bad things happen to good people, we should instead inquire, “Lord, why art Thou so good to us?”  We are not deserving of the least of His blessings, and it is according to His Divine mercy that He blesses us when we are without strength.  After vital union, we have the ability to reach up in discipleship, but before we had any spiritual ability or life, He reached down to rescue us from our deplorable condition in the miry clay.  Truly, grace is a wonderful and gracious theme in the person of Jesus Christ!

 So, God’s sovereign will is to do the things that please Him, and our course should not be in question but seeking to know more about Him.  The other extreme in relation to God’s sovereignty is that old Arminian statement, “God will do _______, if you let Him.”  Now, God cannot be sovereign if I have to let Him do something.  Rather the Psalmist puts it this way:

 “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” (Psalm 115:3) How does this statement correspond with “letting” our God do something?  Christ told Nicodemus that when the new birth occurs in a child of grace, it is sovereign and compared to wind. (John 3:8) We may see evidence of it, but we do not actually see it or cause it to be so.  No man can truly say, “I am sovereign and have done whatsoever I have pleased.”  Try picking a fight with 50 people at once, and you will not get your way or do what you please by the end of it.  Another’s will is going to be enforced without question of agreement or desire.

 Therefore, our God is in the heavens doing as He sees fit, and He is not the frail 98 pound weakling preached out in the world.  Our God does not sit on a cloud wringing His hands in anguish saying, “I wonder who will make it to be here with me?”  Such a god would not be God.  Such a saviour is no Saviour.  Such a lord the Bible does not teach.  He did not seek your desire or mine.  He works His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no power in heaven, earth, or under the earth can stay His hand or say, “What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35) 

So, the extreme viewpoints on predestination and sovereignty are linked inextricably.  On the one hand, they say that God is an absolute being that causes all things seen and unseen just as they occur.  This “robot theory” gives extraordinary license for sin like no other.  To hide behind God’s sovereignty in this regard is a total lack of reverence and awe for the Majestic Creator and Redeemer.

 The other extreme viewpoint has God as a clock-maker.  He sort of wound the universe up at the dawn of time like a great big clock and now has a “hands-off” approach.  Currently, it is steadily tick-tocking away until the last day when the buzzer on the clock goes off.  Then, the Lord will appear.  This notion puts man in charge to the fulfilling and satisfying of his sinful pride and flesh.  Since God does not do anything, we must humanistically better ourselves through our own wisdom and prudence.  Such folly is devoid of all spiritual logic.  Clearly, these two viewpoints feed the flesh, and limit God and His authority (in our fallen minds).

 3.  Union of Divinity and Humanity

When dealing with the person of Jesus Christ, the extremes are fairly easy to see and determine.  The union of Divinity and Humanity in one Being brings questions to our minds that easily lead to extreme viewpoints if not rightly divided or kept in check.  Some declare that the Son of God was not a man at all.  Others say that the man called Jesus was simply a good teacher or moral man without Divine attributes.  However, the Holy Scriptures bear out that these two schools of thought have not the wisdom that comes from above.  Still, all discussions about the Person of Jesus Christ must begin with some basic groundwork.

 I Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

 It must be understood at the outset that this union is a mystery to finite creatures such as we are.  This side of heaven and immortal glory, we will never fully understand how a Supreme Being could be a Man too.  This is something that true disciples do not even fuss and fight about, for it is beyond the scope of our understanding.  However, the old Gnostic argument, “Well that cannot be true, for I don’t understand it,” is clearly invalid.  There are many things in this world that I am not intimately familiar with.  I do not understand the nature of rocket science.  However, I am not compelled by my lack of understanding to dispel all belief in the efforts some have made in that field.  I do not fully understand how a grain can go (dead) into the earth and bring forth multitudes more living fruit after its kind.  However, that does not keep me from eating at mealtimes.

 The first school of error or extreme is the thinking that a Holy God could not be a man as well.  One man told me, “It is impossible for God to be man, for then He would have the same weaknesses as I do.  He would be guilty of transgression the same as me.”  However, the fact that God became a man does not imply that He became a sinful man.  Paul declares in Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” 

Christ (the Son of God) came in the flesh, but it was without sin.  His nature was not that of angels, but it was not that of depraved man either.  To exact this, it requires that He have no earthly father.  Sin is always mentioned in the Bible as being passed down through paternal paths.  Our sin is not traced back to Eve (even though she had part in the transgression), but our fall took place in Adam.  He is our representative, and our nature comes in that regard.  However, Jesus had no earthly father, as Mary was a virgin (but not without sin) when she conceived the humanity of our Lord and Saviour.  Those that deny the fact of her virginity will be forced to admit that Christ had the sin curse within His veins (due to paternal heritage).  Of necessity, His only Father is the Holy One that dwells in the eternal portals. 

Also, it was needful that He assume human flesh.  Hebrews 2:9 states, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour: that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”  Without Him being Incarnate, He could not have paid the sin debt through the shedding of His own precious blood.  Without being the firstborn among many brethren and being the firstfruits of them that slept, we would have no hope or consolation to flee for refuge. (Hebrews 6:16-18)

 However, Christ’s body did experience natural (not wicked) things as we do.  He still hungred, slept, and became physically tired.  Eating is not wicked, but gluttony certainly is.  Sleeping is not folly, but laziness is certainly sinful.  Being physically tired is not a sign of imperfection, but giving up is without excuse.  Therefore, Christ’s natural habits of eating, sleeping, and resting were within natural bounds without being tainted with the stain of sin in the least regard. 

The other end of the spectrum in this discussion is far more rampant than the first.  The eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ is attacked as much as the doctrine of the creation.  These two principles are called into question more than any other that is found in God’s written word as they are the foundation blocks for true theology.  Man questions the Divinity of Christ, and he denies the Scriptural account of the creation as he is led more and more into the humanistic thinking of scientific logic.  However, if logic is so necessary, let us consider the logic of Jesus just being a good moral man.

 If I were guilty of committing numerous lies on a continual, consistent basis, I daresay that even the most charitable soul would consider me both immoral and unrighteous.  Likewise, Jesus Christ declared plainly on numerous occasions exactly who He is and the specifics of His nature.

 In John 8:58, Jesus declared to His accusers the specifics of His Divinity.  He told them that their father Abraham rejoiced to see His day and was glad.  They deemed this an impossibility seeing that He was not even yet 50 years old.  However, He declares, “Before Abraham was, I am.”  He plainly teaches on this occasion that He is the same One that appeared to Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:14.  The very first name that God gave to His servant Moses was that beautiful, eternal expression I AM.  Jesus declares that He is worthy to take that name, for it was Him on that occasion.  The Pharisees and wicked Jews knew exactly what He was talking about, for they took up stones to stone Him for what they conceived as blasphemy.

 So, we have Christ plainly declaring that He was the One in Moses and Abraham’s day that appeared to them.  We can go back even further to see that He had part in the creation.  John begins his gospel account thusly, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him: and without him was not anything made that was made.”  He speaks of the Son of God creating the universe in which we now dwell.  He leaves no doubt who the Word under consideration is.

 John 1:14-17, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” 

The same Word that was Divine in the creation was made flesh.  While that does not make Him any less Divine than before, He became in addition that which He was not heretofore.  The language states that He was made flesh (not created flesh).  Paul begins his address to the Roman brethren in 1:4 by stating that Jesus Christ was made of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, but declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead.  While the flesh was made, the Divinity was declared as it already existed and was manifested by the resurrection of His human body over death, hell, and the grave.

 The language of the prophet Isaiah in 9:6 is that a child would indeed be born.  However, the Son was given, as He pre-existed the birth by the virgin.  To deny the eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ is plainly in error, with a slippery road that leads to perdition.  Of necessity, He must be Divine or else salvation is not of the Lord, and He must be human to have a kinship with those that He was to redeem.  Both must be true all at once, and they remain that way forever.

 The reason for the necessity of both a Divine and human nature is that it took both to procure redemption and atonement.  Job looked for a Daysman that could lay His hand upon God and himself. (Job 9:33) The Daysman was his only hope of being just with God (that he knew had to be so of a truth).  The particular qualities of a Daysman are unique.  He brings peace to parties that are at odds with each other.  If two families are feuding and fighting, a proper Daysman must have a mutual interest or relation to both parties. 

God and man are at enmity with each other.  Man has offended the Thrice Holy God, by transgressing His commandment.  Therefore, for peace to be brought, One must come that is intimately acquainted with the offender (man) and the offended (God).  For that to be, this One must be both God and man.  He must be a man to lay His hand upon His brethren, and He must be God to lay His hand upon the Divine Judge and Sovereign Ruler.

 Jesus Christ is the only One that ever fit this bill (or ever will).  He was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God.  However, He still made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:6-7) And, at this present time, He still remains the only One that can mediate between God and men.  No preacher, woman (even if she was blessed to bear our Saviour), or angel can bring our requests and intercessions up into the heavenly throneroom to the ears of our Heavenly Father. (I Timothy 2:5)

 Therefore, we see that the extremes are steeped in error, and while both sides have partial knowledge, it takes the full picture to bring about the beauty that was housed in that one body.  In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)  

4.  Suffering of Christ

Many times, men engage in philosophies with good intentions, but these intentions, if not coupled with truth, are still plainly wrong.  In recent years, men have discussed the details of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with great scrutiny.  Two extreme viewpoints have arisen as to what person’s hands Christ suffered at while paying for our crimes.  Some say that He suffered only at the hands of man, while others say He suffered only at the hands of His Father.  However, the error lies in the fact that they believe only one portion.

 It is plainly evident from Scriptures that wicked, mortal men did indeed “do their worst” in the torture and mutilation of the body of our Darling Saviour.  We read of Him being beaten in the judgment hall of Pilate.  They arrayed Him with a royal robe, mocked Him by smiting Him with the palms of their hands, placed a crown of thorns upon His brow, drove nails through His hands and feet, and placed Him on display as they would a common criminal. (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19)

 During this awful scene, man’s utter depravity is in full display.  There were even those there that were His children committing these terrible deeds, for He says, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  He has never prayed for a goat (nor will He ever), and therefore, a reasonable spiritual mind will conclude that children of God were present there pouring forth the intents of their outward, fallen nature.

 While hanging upon the cruel cross of Calvary, they begin to torture Him in other ways.  They spit upon Him, and taunt Him mercilessly.  They even state that they will believe on Him if He comes down from His cross.  It is the humble opinion of the writer that had He come down, they still would not have believed, but they would have attributed the event to Beelzebub or some other wicked imagination.  Even those crucified with Him taunted Him and cast the same insults into His teeth.

 However, it would be extreme thinking to conceive that this was the only thing that occurred at this place.  Indeed, man’s actions here are dreadful and heinous.  However, this was not the full extent of the suffering that He endured.  For, man could not have given Him the bitter cup of Divine Justice that forever blotted out all the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. (Colossians 2:14) For that to come forth, a Divine Agent had to execute it in force. 

Isaiah 53 gives us great insight into the suffering that Christ endured at the hands of God.  We are told that God smote Him, and it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.  God was not pleased with the torture that man enacted, for He blessed His ministers to plainly scorn it during the days of the early church.  He eventually destroyed Jerusalem with total annihilation in AD 70 for the murder of His Son.  Therefore, their cruel torture was sinful, but His actions (as always) were not.  He poured forth the wrath of righteous indignation against sin upon His fellow. (Zechariah 13:7) 

When the Father poured out His wrath upon the Son, this was a time like no other in history.  At this moment, our Redeemer felt to be a worm and no man.  For, all the sins of all the elect were borne in His body for the space of 6 horrific hours.  While hanging upon the cross, He swallowed up an eternity of eternal punishment.  It is incomprehensible to our minds how an eternity is borne about in a finite timeframe.  We could not bear a single one of our wrongs, but He bore them all to bring that peace between God and men.  We are given insight to the intense suffering that He endured by His cry at the 9^th hour, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”  Every other instance of intercourse or discussion from the Son to the Father has the expression “Father.”  This instance only is different as He addresses the Father as “God.”  At this moment, He did not feel to be the Darling and Beloved.  He felt the sharp arrows of the Almighty in payment for our penalty.

 Finally, it must be noted that the cup of wrath was drunk down to the bitter dregs.  He did not drink part of it, and leave some for us to taste.  He tasted it so that we would be spared.  When trying to imagine the intense suffering, it is beyond our bravest thoughts.  Indeed, how could one look upon this scene and then proclaim that all for whom Christ died will not see the blissful pastures of .  Brethren, these things ought not so to be!  He has not suffered in vain.  His death was not in vain.  He did these things for the joy that was set before Him, and He endured the bitter pain for His ransomed possession.  We were the unfaithful bride, but He took our cup from us and drank it.  Therefore, our thigh will never swell or our belly rot. (Numbers 5)  We will forever be with Him in the mansions that He has prepared for us.

 5.  Death of Christ

After endeavoring to look into the suffering of our Lord, we must then unravel the extreme nonsense that man has conjured about His death.  Some will declare that man killed the Lord of Glory.  Others will say that He laid down His life.  However, like His suffering, neither one of these thoughts can stand alone without being an extreme viewpoint.  The full picture is seen with both thoughts, as they are both upheld by the written word.

It is plainly evident that man is guilty of killing Christ.  The earliest sermons in Acts are replete with examples of the Lord’s ministers declaring such.  Peter told the group gathered on the day of Pentecost, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” (Acts 2:23) Peter did not leave them guiltless for their actions.  They were indeed guilty of murder, and there was not a one gathered at the foot of the cross that desired His death that thought anything else other than they had accomplished their aim and goal when He breathed out His last breath.  When He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, they were confident that they had put away the One whose teachings condemned them for their behaviour and thoughts.

 However, it is evident from Peter’s preaching that some of these that desired such were indeed children of God.  For, Peter’s sermon stirred them down into the heart that was pricked to cry out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  They were regenerate children of God that felt the guilt of the crimes that they had committed.  Much like the thief on the cross, the heart was changed to receive the things of God.  The one thief never had this change (that we are told of).  He cast scorning into Christ’s teeth until the end.  However, the other thief began with the same course, but he was given grace to beseech Christ and say, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”  Christ’s words of comfort declare to us that this thief was in that very day and continues to the present.

Still, this preaching will not bring the same reaction in all people.  Stephen uttered similar words to Peter’s with vastly different results.  “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?  and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.” (Acts 7:51-52)

 These similar words instead of bringing tearful confession to the lips of the hearers instead cut them right down to the hard and stony heart within their chests.  They had not the regenerate spirit to receive the things of God.  Therefore, these words brought them to such a fury that they gnashed upon him with their teeth.  They then led him out and stoned him to death while he prayed for it not to be laid to their charge.  Indeed, these two accounts again bear out that elect and non-elect persons were present and responsible for the death of Christ.  They are justly charged with murder, and man is guilty for the death of our Lord.

 This one side of the equation is still just that.  It is but one side, and those that put forth this as the only causative work in His death are extreme thinkers.  For, just as plainly evident from Holy Writ that man is guilty for Christ’s death, it is just as plainly evident that the Prince of Life laid down His life of His own accord.  He speaks in that great sheep sermon in John 10 these words:

 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:17-18)

 No man can rightly take the life of the One who is the giver of all life.  For Him to allow death through the door, requires that He be causatively acting in this regard.  He knew the precise moment that justice had been served and Scripture fulfilled.  At that precise moment, He could then declare, “It is finished.”  After finishing the work that the Father gave Him to do, He then bowed His head and laid down His life.  While death awaited this moment, it could only engage at the moment when the Master willed.

 Just as erroneous as the thinking that Christ only suffered from either God or man, it is just as silly to give all credence to either side of this picture.  When considering the extent of suffering (by measure of time) that most criminals endured by crucifixion, rarely would a man only be crucified for just hours.  Some of them hung there for days and weeks.  When a man expired in hours, it was generally due to some weak physical condition that hurried the moment of death.  However, there was no weakness in our Saviour, as He is powerful even in suffering.  What other power could have endured the intense anguish as Him?

 Therefore, clear thinking must conclude that something outside the ordinary occurred on this occasion for Him to die after 6 hours of crucifixion.  When Pilate heard that Christ had died, he marveled that he was already dead.  The two thieves had to have their legs broken to speed the process of death along.  The Jews did not want the bodies hanging there during the Passover, and beseeched Pilate to hurry things up.  However, not a single bone of the body of our Lord was broken as His life had already expired. 

 Just as sin and justice are on the scene at Calvary, sacrifice and murder are there as well.  All of man’s actions toward Christ on this occasion are sinful.  All of God the Father’s actions on this occasion are just.  All of Christ’s actions at Golgotha are in sacrifice, but man is bound by the consequence of the cruelties of murder on the hill.  Without the shedding of blood (death), there is no remission of sins, and our Lord’s sacrifice was without spot (perfect) and accepted by God for our atonement and redemption. (Hebrews 9:13-14)

 6.  Regeneration

Now that we have addressed some of the extreme viewpoints that arise from the covenant and legal aspects of the doctrines of grace, let us proceed to the extreme viewpoints that can rear up from the vital aspect.  Through God’s sovereignty, election, and predestination, we are kept by covenant through His grace.  The legal work of salvation took place at Calvary.  These works touch the child of God somewhere between conception and the grave, and that is called regeneration or the new birth.  Like the covenant and legal aspect, we are completely passive in the equation of the vital as well. 

The extreme viewpoints we will attempt to look into are in regard to the effect of regeneration.  When it comes to the nature of regeneration, there are but two choices.  Either it is of God or it is of man, and the Bible plainly declares that the new birth or regeneration is all of God (John 3, 5:25-28, and Ezekiel 16), and man cannot seek after God in any form or fashion until the moment that He purposes to apply the blood of Christ to our soul and spirit.  Without this common ground, we cannot discuss the effects properly. 

As alluded to earlier, Christ told Nicodemus that the “wind bloweth where it listeth.” (John 3:8) We are unable to do anything that would produce a causative effect on the actions of the wind.  We do not even see the wind.  All we can detect are the effects that it has (though not in all cases).  Christ concludes the verse by declaring the new birth just like the wind, “so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”  We are not left to doubt if there is any difference in the saving grace of the Almighty.  The method and manner in which the first child of grace is saved is identical to all members throughout all time. 

So, what exactly are extreme notions to the effects of regeneration?  The first extreme is that after regeneration all who see the new-born child of God will KNOW that they are children of God by their righteous behaviour.  They leave no wiggle room for backsliding.  Some will even say, “If someone backslides, that is proof that they were never a child of God to begin with.  His righteous behaviour was simply a vain show and not with a contrite heart.”  While we may make positive declarations based on “fruit inspection,” Scripture demands that the final word and authority is His territory. 

II Timothy 2:19 declares that the Lord knoweth them that are His.  He is fully and intimately aware of who is a sheep and who is a goat.  At times, He has left us record of these things.  We know without a shadow of a doubt that Jacob is a beloved sheep of God, while Esau is a hated goat by the Almighty. (Romans 9:13)  However, an observer of Jacob’s life during its execution would not have seen righteous behaviour at times.  He lied, cheated, and reaped the consequences of those actions.   

King David is mentioned all the way back in I Samuel 16 by the Lord as being one with a heart that had been tendered by the Mighty God.  His heart was suitable for the one that would be the anointed of the Lord to rule over His people Israel.   However, many years later, we find that David has erred greatly in his pride and lust.  His abominable behaviour of adultery and murder cost him greatly (4 sons).  His indiscretion to number Israel and put his reliance in man and not God cost 70,000 men of Israel their lives for another’s wrongdoing.  Are these actions an effect of a hard and stony heart?  Certainly not, but they are atrocious weakenings and giving in to the old man and body of this death. 

Since we have Old Testament examples of God’s children that engaged in folly after the Lord endowed them with His Spirit, let us now consider for a moment the exhortations that we are given in the New Testament.  If someone accepts the premise that the new birth is completely and totally an act of God and also believes that the effect of regeneration is complete in the “whole man” combined with his behaviour, why would we be given any exhortation to live Godly?  Again, this idea goes back to absolute predestination of all things (events).  If one is quickened, then they need never be exhorted to good works as they would be automatic by this theology. 

Paul exhorts the Galatian brethren on this wise, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) We also read Paul’s admonition to the Colossian brethren in 3:5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” 

These two examples will suffice to make the point that the new dispensation is replete with admonition, exhortation, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  If someone is unregenerate, these things have no effect.  If someone is a regenerate according to this “whole man” theology, then they are unnecessary.  Therefore, Scriptural authority dictates that this “effect” of regeneration is a false one. 

The other extreme viewpoint on the effect of regeneration is that there is no effect upon the individual.  They may live their entire life with the Spirit of God dwelling in them without ever feeling the pangs of their sins or having any motivation to do what is righteous.  Again, this swing of the pendulum is too far in ideology.   

When considering the most miserable child of God in this life that the Scriptures bear record of, there is not a more deplorable character than Lot.  Without the New Testament, we would not have the plain declaration that he is loved of the Lord.  But we read these words, 

“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (II Peter 2:6-8) 

While on the outside looking in, we mortal men could not discern from the account in Genesis that Lot felt the pains and suffering for his situation.  His actions are made out of greed, lust, and eventually drunkenness.  The last state of his life in Biblical record is very ungodly and not pleasant to consider.  However, the writer will allow all curious minds that are unaware to see for themselves in Genesis 19. 

A “hollow log” thinker may declare that Lot’s case proves their point precisely, but in fact, Lot’s case can be used to destroy both the “hollow log” and “whole man” theories.  Lot appeared by all Old Testament accounts to be ungodly in behaviour and nature.  But, we know he is loved of the Lord.  The fact that we are unable to discern the state of his heart by the Genesis account is irrelevant.  As mentioned earlier in II Timothy 2:19, the Lord’s discernment is the only relevant factor. 

Consider another passage, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:12-13) 

The matter of knowing a child of grace and a child of damnation is the Lord’s business.  The effect of regeneration is profound but not complete.  Regeneration changes two parts of the whole (soul and spirit), but the body is left in its corruptible state.  Therefore, as Paul very eloquently lays out in Romans 7, regeneration is the beginning of the struggle in our person that continues until the release of death.  When we desire to do good, we still do evil.  When we want to refrain from evil, it still plagues us.  Therefore, even if an outward display of discipleship is lacking, the regenerate child of God will be weighed down in conscience by their transgressions and iniquities. 

Oh, but the body of this death will be changed!  At that change, the whole man will appear in the presence of God forever at the resurrection and beginning of that eternal day.  However, until that time, we have a warfare; we have a struggle.  So, let us keep the main thing the main thing.  Jesus Christ and Him crucified is our only hope and consolation in this world.  Let us therefore keep our minds on Him, and not wonder and devote our time and attention to deciding who is His and who is not.  Peter wondered even about the ministerial life of John in John 21.  But, our Lord tells him what is also relevant to us today, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” 

Practical Extremism

1.  Support of the Gospel Ministry

When considering the work that the gospel minister has upon him to do, there is no difference in example for this service than any other service in Christian discipleship.  Jesus Christ is our example to follow, and His words are our only rule of faith and practice in all things.  Therefore, let us look to Him to dispel the extreme measures in practical things as has been our intention in doctrinal things. 

The first extreme notion that arises on this topic is that gospel ministers need to be fully financially supported by the fields in which they tend.  However, this notion is neither logical nor scriptural.  For, as mentioned at the outset of the writing, blanket applications are rarely the proper course to follow.  Was the Lord or the Apostles of the early church fully financially supported?  What was their thinking upon the matter? 

We find that our Lord on many occasions was poor in earthly goods while walking this earth.  He and the apostles had a common bag that ministered to their needs. (John 12:6) But, it would be an unscriptural statement to say that they received all that was put in the bag by their followers ministering unto them.  For, their followers were not those that paid the taxes due to Caesar from Jesus or the twelve. 

Matthew 17:24-27, “And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?  He saith, Yes.  And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers.  Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” 

On this occasion, our Lord does not command his minister to go preach a sermon in the temple on giving.  Rather, He instructs him to go out in his natural occupation to pay his lawful taxes.  Now, one might say, “But this was a miraculous circumstance!”  Indeed it is, but the lesson of natural, secular working still applies.  Whether there was money in the fish’s mouth, or Peter had sold the fish at the market for tax payment, it still remains that the Lord used this secular occupation of one of His ministers on this occasion for natural things. 

Another account may be used to show forth that the Lord’s ministers are engaged in secular occupations for the ministering of their natural needs.  In Acts 18:1-3, Paul lodges with Aquilla and Priscilla for a space of time engaging in his natural craft of making tents (which he had in common with this couple).  After this space of time, Paul again makes a ministerial voyage to various churches.  It can be easily implied that this space in tentmaking was for use to a certain degree in his natural needs along the journey. 

The idea has been espoused that Paul regretted this decision in his epistle to the Corinthian brethren.  He begged forgiveness for a wrong in not being burdensome to them.  The idea is put forth that Paul was in error for making tents, when he should have been laying his needs at the door of the church to fulfill.  However, some context will clear up this misconception. 

II Corinthians 11:8, “I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to do you service.” 

II Corinthians 12:13, “For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.” 

It seems that the context of the epistle bears out that the wrong Paul committed was not in making tents but robbing churches.  Paul spoke many times of the different church’s liberality in regards to the support of her ministers, but here, certain churches suffered for the sake of another church.  This robbing from other churches was what Paul regretted to the Corinthian brethren, for the field that he was tending (Corinthians) had obligations that were not fulfilled.  This obligation was what needed rectifying and forgiveness. 

So, Paul called it robbing.  Therefore, it is seen that he was requiring payment from other churches (robbing) to do the Corinthians service.  Why was this?  The Corinthians were in gross error in many different regards (as shown by Paul’s admonitions in the 1^st epistle to them).  So, he never discussed the church’s responsibility in this regard.  He did not allow them to tend to him, and this attitude cost the Corinthians and other churches for Paul’s neglect. 

So, we have two examples of the Lord’s earliest ministers that engaged in natural occupations for at least partial help in their natural needs.  We also read that Luke was a physician, James and John were fishermen, Matthew was a tax collector, and no place in Scriptures is it ever recorded that they ceased completely from their secular occupations.  Paul even wrote the Thessalonian brethren that a man should not eat if he did not work. (II Thessalonians 3:10) While the ministers are “working” in a labour of love while preaching, they are ensamples to the flock.  Therefore, should it be thought a great thing for their ensample of godly living to extend to showing forth a good work ethic in natural matters? 

Now, that we have established the Scriptural grounds for this conclusion against the extreme viewpoint, let us look at it logically for a moment.  If a church has a membership of 150 or 200 people, they may be able to fully support their pastor in his financial needs.  However, I currently pastor a church with 16 members.  It is illogical, unwise, and even foolishly sinful for me to require them to provide me a living.  Therefore, if a church is able to financially support their pastor in all natural things, praise be to the Lord!  However, if a church is not, let not others look down their noses at them as being “less righteous saints.”

 When considering the “traditions” of the church, most churches sing for 30 minutes, some shorter, others longer.  However, the Scriptural precedent is not clearly defined.  What is defined is that we sing praises to our Maker and Redeemer (Ephesians 5:19), and the period of time is left to the discretion of each local body.  Therefore, a church should not look down their noses at another that does it differently, as long as they are within the bounds of Scripture.  Likewise, the support of the church’s ministers varies from church to church.  Some are able to give much (due to larger membership), and others are not.  However, each is acceptable so long as the spirit of it is proper (as we will endeavour to discuss in a moment).  Each is correct, and neither should be enforced. 

So, what is the other end of this discussion?  Some go so far as to say, “We should not give the preacher anything, for that might puff him up too much.”  One man even said, “We need to keep our preachers poor and humble.  The Lord will keep him humble, and we’ll keep him poor.”  What a truly sad mentality in regard to a man that has the greatest calling and burden that one could be called to bear! 

While the Scriptures above teach that ministers should not be throwing themselves at the churches in every regard for support, the churches are not left duty-less in this regard either.  Paul taught that a man was to reap carnal things from the churches. (I Corinthians 9:11) Ministers are indeed fed from the fields in which they tend, and their mindset should be to be thankful for what things are set before them and be content in whatsoever state they are in.  Preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ requires a sacrifice of time, effort, and labour.  Therefore, the church is obligated to give to the ones that God calls to tend the flock.

The labourer should be thankful for what is given, but that is not the reason for which he comes.  The minister that comes to make a gain is no minister of the gospel of our Dear Saviour!  A minister must be one that is not greedy for filthy lucre, and the ministry is not a field to make a man rich.  While some God-called ministers are naturally wealthy, many so-called ministers are rich (naturally) that claim to tend these fields, but they are deceivers and deceived themselves. 

The church should not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. (I Corinthians 9:9) The Bible abundantly teaches that we are to sow in hope as the minister is plowing in hope.  When the fellowship of the saints is hindered by filthy lucre (to one extreme or the other), we have missed the mark.  If one is truly following the example of Christ, receiving money is the last thing on his mind as a minister and parting with his precious earned cash grudgingly is the farthest thing from his mind as a hearer. 

Therefore, now that we have established the fact that churches should give to their ministers, the question always arises, “Well, how much do we give?”  Mortal creatures are always trying to attach figures to things.  We want to know how much or how little.  Businesses are run with this mentality at the forefront of every action.  However, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth is not so. 

II Corinthians 9:6-7, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 

There is not a percentage amount stipulated.  One might think then that it is an easy commandment, but such is deceived.  The fact that the fiscal amount is not specified makes it that much harder (when struggling against the flesh).  We are commanded to be cheerful about it.  The man that is a cheerful giver always desires to give more than he is able to.  Consider the Old Testament law service. 

The Old Testament law service was designed around things that are seen.  The tabernacle, sacrifices, etc were all done in a manner that was detectible to the natural eye.  Their amount to give was also seen.  They gave tithes (10%) of that which they possessed.  Therefore, they knew exactly what the amount was, but after centuries of this, they were possessed by it.  Christ even condemned those in Mark 7 that focused on material things (letter of the law) and not things of faith (spirit of the law).  The rulers of the day told folks that a present given to their parents was sufficient to fulfill the commandment to honour one’s father and mother. 

The spirit of the law was that they care for the ones that raised them when they were without strength.  The parents kept their children safe from harm and danger, fed them, clothed them, taught them, etc.  So, what great thing was it for the children to care for the parents when they grew old?  What great thing was it for the children to show due respect and place to their parents who occupy chairs of authority over them?  Indeed, the spirit of the matter was far more than buying them a present every once in a while. 

In the Lord’s house, giving Him of our time, service, and money is far more than a specified amount.  The state of a cheerful heart that is acceptable in the sight of God is far greater in value than a set target.  If a man gives $100 to the Lord’s house and ministers out of a spiteful and grudging heart while another man gives $20 cheerfully (desiring that he had the means to do more), it is the humble opinion of the writer that the second man did the duty of the Master’s bidding. 

When I consider the charitableness of the Lord’s people that I have traveled among, they are more free with their natural things than any other group of people that I have been around.  They desire above all else to house you with them when you come.  They feed you the finest food they have in the house.  When meeting time comes, they drive you themselves to save your gas money.  When you depart, these poor people may only be able to give $10 or $20 to help you in your journey.  Have they supported you as they should?  The opinion of the writer is that they have done exceedingly more than any tither could ever preach.   

The point of the support of the gospel ministry is not the amount given or the percentage of his natural living fulfilled.  The point of this subject as with all that Christ taught while on this earth is that we should show forth charity one to another.  I would much rather be around charitable sheep of the Lord’s pasture that could give me very little in the way of fiscal support than to be around the richest wolves of the world that gave me multiple millions of their filthy lucre out of an ungrateful heart. 

Much more could certainly be said about this subject, but a quote by a wise elder now deceased should suffice to conclude this topic.  “It is the church’s responsibility to give of her time, energy, and money to the Lord’s house and overseer.  However, it is not her duty to provide him a living, especially if unable to reasonably do so.  However, the giving to the Lord’s house goes far deeper than the pockets.  He requires us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.  By fulfilling that, the money issue becomes no issue.” 

2.  Actions Regarding a Heretick

Unfortunately, this world is not a utopia, nor will it ever be.  It would be ideal if we did not have to deal with men that go astray in their thinking regarding the doctrine and practice of the church, but alas!  We are told that they will come, and we are not left without instruction about dealing with this matter.  However, this matter can be handled in extreme fashion to the harm and detriment of the saints.  Truly the peace of Zion is to be regarded in high esteem, and therefore, our matters must be handled decently and in order. (I Corinthians 14:40) 

A heretick is someone that errs in the doctrine and/or practice handed down from our Lord, through the Holy Scriptures that holy men were inspired to pen by Divine Inspiration.  The 66 books of the Bible constitute the written word of God just as He intended it to be down to the very last jot and tittle.  Heresies arise when someone espouses a concept that the word of God will not support.  So, how does one become extreme to the handling of such a one? 

The first ditch to be found is by turning loose of a brother too quickly.  When a brother goes astray, we are commanded to admonish him.  We are commanded to exhort him.  The principle is found in many places, but two should suffice to make the point. 

II Thessalonians 3:14-15, “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet count him not as an enemy, but exhort him as a brother.” 

James 5:19-20, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins.” 

It is an extreme error in judgment to think that if someone goes astray that we immediately put up bars of fellowship against him.  We all get foggy-headed notions from time to time, and we need sound counsel from good brethren to help keep our paths and thoughts where they should be. (Proverbs 11:14) By cutting off a brother without labouring with him, we may perhaps lose the fellowship that could have been restored.  It is not guaranteed that he will heed the exhortation and instruction, but it is certainly Biblical that such does happen. 

If a brother hears our instruction, then his soul is spared from the destruction that comes from erring from the truth.  There were two brethren that Paul wrote Timothy about (I Timothy 1:20 and II Timothy 2:17) that Paul had to withdraw from.  He termed this delivering them to Satan to teach them a lesson (by the destruction of their flesh).  They had blasphemed the holy name of God, and their pride needed some stripping away much like the fornicator in I Corinthians 5.  When a man engages in heresy, it is feeding his flesh.  Every heresy that has ever arisen can be traced back to giving man too much credit, giving the Lord too little credit, or both. 

Invariably, the question then comes up, “Well, when do we pursue this course?  When do we withdraw?”  The best answer is found in Titus 3:10.  We are to give an erring brother and heretick two admonitions.  If he will not hear these, then we are commanded to reject him and not before.  This verse has been sorely ignored or abused in regards to this matter, when it plainly should be one of the first when addressing these matters.   

To give a brother two admonitions is difficult.  First of all, an admonition must be done personally, as second-hand information is not sufficient to constitute a proper admonition.  Paul had to withstand Peter to the face, for he was to be blamed in a certain matter. (Galatians 2:11) It is far easier to talk about someone behind their back than it is to confront them to their face.  Then, it gets even more difficult to admonish them again if the first proves unsuccessful.  To approach the second time takes great courage that can only come from the Lord. 

One might ask, “Have you ever personally had to go through this?”  Unfortunately, I have had to reject a heretick after giving two very difficult admonitions.  However, there are others that I may consider steeped in error that I cannot reject as I have not had opportunity to approach them about the matter.  Therefore, I cannot Scripturally give proper grounds for withdrawing as there has not been a fulfilling of Titus 3:10. 

The other extreme is by forbearing too long.  If a brother does not heed two admonitions, then he will not heed 1000 (short of the grace of God).  When brethren are overly forbearing and longsuffering, there are dangers to the flock.  Whereas the first extreme endangered losing a brother’s fellowship, the second extreme endangers the clear, sound mind of the brethren to which we serve. 

If a brother will not hear our exhortations for his error and we continue to fellowship him anyway, the little lambs of the flock can be led astray with his rotten, cankerous doctrine.  The two that Paul warned Timothy about had already overturned the faith of some.  Given time and fellowship, they could have snared many more sheep in their desire for blood and lust.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon the overseers of the flock to keep the wolves out once they have been proven wolves. 

We are given this exhortation in Jude 3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”  How can we earnestly contend for the faith if we are a partaker of another man’s evil deeds?  Indeed, our duty is clear in standing fast for the truth as it is taught in God’s word.  We are not at liberty to go with what we feel or our opinion about the matter.  The answer is clear that a withdrawing must take place for the sake of Zion.  Without such, there will be unrest and troubled waters, which are impossible for the flock to drink from. 

Therefore, we do not go sounding the horn and blowing the bugle when we see a brother go astray.  After admonishing him, we still do not do this.  Too many times, men like to think of themselves as the “high sheriff” of God’s people.  However, Paul gives clear instruction on our conduct after we have gone through the process in Romans 16:17.  Once the admonitions are given and refused, may we just seek to avoid them, and try to keep our paths from theirs.  As the writer has tried to stress throughout and especially in sections like this one, charity must abound in all things for the profit and edification of the saints and the ultimate glory of God.  Therefore, we are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal if we have not charity in our actions. (I Corinthians 13:1)   

I Corinthians 16:13-14, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  Let all your things be done with charity.” 

Oh how easy one verse is without the other!  We could easily be charitable and never have the courage to stand fast like a man.  On the other hand, we could easily stand fast and be strong (to the glory of the flesh) and not have charity.  But, the two coupled together in a godly fashion lead to the proper course in handling the matters that trouble the city of holiness.  May we be found so doing in the occupying of the Master’s vineyard. 

3.  Peace

When it comes to the subject of peace, certainly the extremes are found beyond the realms of the Lord’s house.  However, we will try to regulate our comments to this vicinity even though the reader will easily see this application throughout the world in which we live.  The term peace in the world is bantered about as much as the term love.  However, the more the discussion, the more the world proves that they do not understand the term. 

The first extreme on the subject of peace is that we desire it at all costs.  Peace is not something desired at all costs, for there is a time mentioned by the Preacher that is not peace.  Ecclesiastes 3:8, “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace.”  There are indeed times when peace is not in session.  However, for peace to abound, we cannot drive toward it like a monument without any regard for the objects along the way. 

There are two essentials for proper worship of our God.  They are spirit and truth. (John 4:24) Without either of these things, we cannot properly worship our Everlasting Father.  So, peace cannot be desired at the expense of either of these essentials.  If we become cold-hearted (spirit) to keep from appearing overly-zealous to others, we have lost true peace that comes from within.  If we ignore Scriptural precepts and principles (truth) for the inclusion of other’s fellowship, then our “peace” is headed for cyclonic disaster. 

The Lord tells Isaiah in 56:10, “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.”  When a minister is more concerned with the sleep of what he thinks is “peace” in the Lord’s house, there is not real peace.  He is a blind, lazy dog that refuses to stand up for the truth of the Lamb of God.  When we cower down and knuckle under to the darkness of the world to have peace, we are truly lazy servants.  While we are to live peaceably with all men, we are not to give in a single step for what is right.  If a civil magistrate operates within the bounds of God’s laws, we should do our best to be at peace with him.  But, if he defies the statutes of God, we are not at liberty to make our abode with him to keep peace and not “rock the boat.” 

Isaiah again declares, “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” (Isaiah 62:1) We are described as soldiers with equipment that the Lord provides.  Our weapons are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of strongholds.  Therefore, peace at all costs will not afford us peace.  Men may even from time to time cry, “Peace, peace” when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14) 

However, the other extreme is never seeking peace.  When a soldier goes out to the battle, he knows that it is his duty to the country in which he dwells to conduct himself as a faithful soldier in the performance of his duties.  But, there is not a thing he prays for more than eventual peace.  A never-ending war leads to perpetual destruction.  While our personal warfare is finally laid to rest at the release of death, we do experience seasons of peaceful sereneness in the mountain of our God.  He blesses us to have solemn quietness at times in peaceful communion with Him. 

When we are communing one with another and the love of God is flowing from breast to breast and faith to faith, we feel a common bond like no other.  We feel the peace of God which passeth all understanding being lifted up together in Him. (Philippians 4:7) As there is a time of war, there is also a time of peace.  While we cannot have peace at all times, certainly the Lord blesses us not to be at war constantly.  Things creep in from time to time, but if there is nothing to fight about, let us not make something out of nothing. 

Certainly our Lord is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He alone can bless us with the peace of Zion that we so prayerfully seek.  So, let us not rob a blessing from each other by biting and devouring one another without a cause.  We must war in the world, for it is not a friend to God.  But, may we find rest for our troubled souls in His kingdom. (II Thessalonians 1:7)

4.  Living In, Of, or Out of the World

When it comes to living in this present timely world, many times, our conduct is unbecoming of a Christian soldier that is pressing toward the mark of the high calling of Jesus Christ our Lord.  We err too far in our daily walk one way or the other to the point of being off the path set for our example in our Redeemer.  So, how do God’s children err in their daily walk? 

The first extreme ditch that creeps into the child of God’s behaviour is that they start living “of” this world.  They begin to run in circles with those that they ought not to associate with.  When it comes to being one of Christ’s disciples, we need to live in a way that is not conformable with the things of this world.  Here are a couple of passages that deal with not acting like those of the world that are around us. 

Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” 

I Peter 4:1-5, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” 

These two passages clearly show that our conduct should not be like those of the world.  When someone looks at our behaviour, they should be able to see a difference from our previous actions.  If we are the children of the day, then we should walk as such and not as the children of the night. (I Thessalonians 5:5-6) We are commanded to let our light so shine that others may see our works and glorify our Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:17) 

Using this principle, we can see that children of God should not be found engaged in riotous activity like our associates here on earth.  They will even think that it is completely strange if you do not these things also.  They will persecute the “do-gooder” for his actions to try to hide the condemnation of their own.  So, if a child of God is tempted and drawn away of his own lust and enticed, he will die to the joy of the fellowship of his Lord when the sin is finished.   

Paul commanded us not to be “unequally yoked with unbelievers.”  Therefore, our conduct should not be “of” the world.  By being of the world, we are conformed to it and not transformed from it.  A conforming is what happens in the new birth when our soul and spirit are conformed to the very image of Jesus Christ the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) However, that conformation looks radically different than the world’s conformation does.  It is transformed from the appearance of the world, and we should endeavor to make the outside as clean as the inside already is by God’s grace. 

One might then query, “Well, if we are to live differently from the world, then how could there be an extreme to this view?”  The extreme to the first view is living “out” of the world.  We can take the notion to not live “of” the world to the point that we want to have no association whatsoever with any of the world’s deeds, actions, or efforts.  However, this thinking is neither Scriptural nor logical. 

Jesus Christ prayed to His Father in John 17:15, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”  Our desire should not be to be taken out of the world, but that the Lord would deliver us from wicked and unreasonable men.  The very words of our Saviour show forth that complete isolation is folly.  However, let us logically examine this premise for a moment. 

If logically our goal and aim was to be completely separate from the world with no association whatsoever, then why are we given so many admonitions on how to behave ourselves around others?  Paul gave numerous examples of how we are to respond to people and suffer reproach and shame.  Jesus Christ gave us sermon after sermon on our conduct with those of this world.  These admonitions are hard to follow, but certainly they are not hard to understand.  If they are not hard to understand, then why should we assume that we are to disengage entirely from the world? 

Some will point to the admonition of Paul to young Timothy in II Timothy 2:4, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”  However, this verse is not declaring a complete dissolution from the world, but it is showing forth a mode of personal non-involvement or support of worldly actions.  While we are commanded not to run to other’s excess of riot, we cannot avoid their company altogether. 

At work, we must co-exist with others of all walks and forms of life.  It is our solemn duty to behave ourselves honestly in the sight of all men, even when we may not even approve of our supervisor’s behaviour.  At one time, my former supervisor was living in a gross state of sin, but I still had to respect my superior in my employ for the office held without regard to the character of the person.  Certainly, I had to refrain from fellowshipping with them on non-company time as I did not condone their living arrangement or social habits.  

As well as employment, we also must engage with people of all walks of life in our communities in which we live and schools that our children attend.  Our neighbors may enjoy doing the things of the world and sleeping in on Sunday morning, but we should not switch neighborhoods because of such if they are keeping a peaceful demeanor in the community.  Our children may hear unsound things from the classroom, but it is the parent’s job to instruct them more perfectly.   

In the past few years, people of similar viewpoint have formed “compounds” where they exist all on their own separated from everyone else.  They think that this isolation is a cure for what they are experiencing in the world, but it is just an extension of the disease that the world contains: sin.  Many of these compounds end up biting and devouring each other by the edge of the sword. 

One time, a wise Old Baptist elder was told, “Wouldn’t it be nice if the Primitive Baptists could petition to have a single state in the Union?  We could all move there, and no one else would be allowed to come in.  Then, all our problems would be gone.”  The elder responded, “Brother, I think that we would still have the same problems that we have now.  But, they would be worse because our anger would not be at those of the world, but they would be at our brethren.  Also, consider that at one time there was a family of four that were the only ones on this earth.  Eventually, one of them murdered another.  How much better would we be on our own?” 

Living “out” of the world is not the answer, beloved.  We should not look like the world, and neither should we separate ourselves entirely from it.  We are compelled to earn a living for our necessities by going into the world to work.  We are told that we will have tribulation in this world.  It is not a might but a certainty.  Therefore, since we should not live “of” or “out” of the world, the answer lies in the fact that we must live “in” the world. 

To live “in” the world and not “of” or “out” of the world is difficult.  When trying to interact with those not of like precious faith, our row to hoe seems unbearable at times.  David even envied the wicked for their prosperity and wealth in the world.  Job of old tells us that the wicked are not plagued like the righteous.  Indeed, our lives in the world are hard for the trouble and persecution that arises, but it is even more difficult to watch the wicked prosper. 

However, our affection needs to be set on things above and not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2) Our conversation needs to be in heaven looking for and hastening unto the coming of our Lord and Saviour.  We need to always be speaking of the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. (Philippians 4:8) But, that does not mean that earthly things never require our attention from time to time, but they should never garner our affection or conversation according to these verses. 

The Lord commanded us to seek His kingdom and righteousness first.  However, first is not synonymous with only.  We do not seek it only, for that would require us to neglect our families and loved-ones.  They do need time and attention, but our Author and Finisher of our faith requires our first priority to be Him in all things.  This is living in the world with our mind, thoughts, and devotion centered on Jesus Christ. 

May we ever seek to look to Him in our trying and difficult hours while in this present evil world.  He has promised to be with us, and may we work out what He has worked in to the glory of His name.  James said, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18) We cannot live of the world and show forth these good works, but we must not live out of the world if others are going to see the exercise of our faith through our works either. 

5.  Anger

When it comes to human emotion, people generally err in one ditch or another about the application of it.  Is happiness good or bad?  Is sorrow profitable or not?  Is anger a sin in all cases?  Indeed, the answer to all of these questions is not a straightforward yes or no many times.  So, the subject of anger will be examined to show actual fact and point of reference as to the nature and application of it. 

The first extreme notion is that anger itself is a sin.  People think that Christians are supposed to be pacifists in all things.  However, a pacifist is someone that opposes warfare, but Christians are compared to soldiers, so I fail to see the correctness of that analogy.  It would indeed be silly to suppose that Christians are never supposed to be angry at all.  Anger itself is not a sin (not found anywhere in Scriptures as a sin intrinsically). 

Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” 

Paul here exhorts the Ephesian brethren to be angry without sinning.  From the very language we can easily see that anger itself is not a sin, and therefore, an idea that man should never be angry is extreme.  What is the downside of never being angry and upset?  The negative to this side of the equation is that one becomes complacent and lackadaisical as a result of this mentality and attitude. 

If we were never supposed to get angry, seeing the abortion numbers skyrocket would not bother us.  We would not be upset when we see crime on the upswing, a surge in teenage pregnancies, rampant idolatry (of one form or the other), blatant homosexuality, and open corruption in government.  These things would not anger us when perceiving their existence.  Is this mentality healthy?  Certainly not!  For, this leads to a lazy attitude in the Lord’s house as well.  Soon, the piano creeps through the door, apparel gets lax, parents play “deaf and dumb” to their children, women begin to usurp authority over the men, and finally, the doctrine of the finished work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ flies right out the window as a result of our sleepy attitude. 

But, our anger that we have for these events should not lead us into the paths of sin as well.  Seeing abortion numbers skyrocket is not an excuse to commit murder by blowing up an abortion clinic.  Assassination is not the answer to solve corruption in politics.  And the Lord’s house needs not any raging lunaticks to stem the tide of surging liberalist activities in the church of the living God.  Rather, charity needs to be exercised while earnestly contending for the faith in God’s house. (Jude 3) In the community, our citizenship requires us to beseech those in authority over us to keep from these unlawful deeds, and in the church we need to seek the face of the Lord for our actions and behaviour. 

Anger is not a license to walk ungodly, but neither is a lack of anger a good reason to engage our lazy, sleepy behaviour.  We need to be angry with those that hate the Lord.  David hated them with a perfect hatred for their total denial or disrespect for Him with whom we have to do. (Psalm 139:21-22) Let us also be found earnestly endeavoring that the Lord would keep us from sinning, but also having our senses sharpened enough to know when we ought to be angered with righteous zeal.  Our Lord on at least two occasions was found whipping the moneychangers in the temple.  His zeal for the house of God was beyond any of the disciple’s wildest imaginations. 

However, the other extreme is being angry all the time.  The emotion of anger is for our benefit (physically as well as spiritually).  When someone becomes angry, the body is purged from that feeling of helplessness of things around them.  However, too much anger is detrimental (physically as well as spiritually).  Too much anger leads to bodily functions being harmed physically and the senses being dulled spiritually.  When someone is angry all the time (without a cause), they are never at rest or peace in Zion.  Their anger has controlled them to the point of a curse. 

In the passage from Ephesians quoted above, Paul commanded not to let the sun go down on our wrath.  While we see things in this world that trouble us and upset us, let us take them to the Lord and leave them with Him.  Let us not carry them with us to disturb our thoughts and meditations while on our pillow or our much needed rest while in our beds.  It is important that young and old married couples heed these words of wisdom.  For, when two people must share the same bed, it is imperative for the health of that relationship that they do not go to bed angry with one another.  If they do, then one may not occupy the same bed that night, and the morning light will only deepen the wound which has not been healed.  But, when they are blessed by God to lay it at His feet, resolve their feelings, and renew their warm fellowship the healing is heightened by being able to share each other’s company through the twilight hours. 

Our Lord declared, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:22) If we are angry all the time, eventually (even if we did not start in this condition) we will be angry at our brother without a cause.  This sin is on par with killing our brother (as shown in the context).  So, the thoughts and intents that our heart has when hating our brother without a cause are akin to actually killing him in physical act.  Surely, this is a sad deplorable state for a child of God to be in! 

Therefore, we should take great effort to ensure that if someone has done something worthy of being angry about that we know for sure that they did it.  It is much harder to take back unprovoked anger than it is to sniff out falsehood.  Getting to the heart of the matter takes time and effort, but repairing bridges burned by anger takes time, effort, reconstruction, healing, and forgiveness.  So, may our actions be honest, upright, and without iniquity if we are angry with our brother. 

It is seen, then, that anger is not in and of itself a sin.  Anger is a natural emotion that we have for our benefit, but not for extreme application.  Going too far with our anger or not showing it at all are extreme lifestyles that lead to either vengeful or lazy patterns.  We are commanded to be neither.  So, let us always have our anger controlled and evident.  When one does not know that their conduct may anger us, then how are they to examine their actions to seek remedy?  And, if one sees us in a constant state of turmoil, anger, and rage, why would they seek or desire company and fellowship with us? 

6.  Judgment

This present world in which we dwell has developed strange notions in the realm of the subject of judgment.  In these days and times, men have developed overly loose or overly critical views on the subject that lead to great error in thinking with applications that are headed to disaster.  So, let us consider the ramifications of judgment. 

The first erroneous concept on the subject is by those that are overly loose on the subject.  They like to claim that all judgment is wrong and that no person on earth has the right to judge in any matter.  However, their argument is stemmed from only reading half-way (or not at all) into what the Scriptures have to say on the subject. 

The text that they like to pull out is Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  However, they fail to read the rest of the passage.  Is judgment in and of itself wrong and sinful?  To all logically minded people (even without a spiritual mind), this concept will not stand.  Judgment is something that we are required to do constantly.  The very definition of the word means “to discern.”  We discern on a regular, daily basis about a great many things that are important to our well-being and those that we love and care about. 

When a parent must discern what is safe for their family, they are judging a matter concerning the well-being of those involved.  We judge small things (such as driving down the highway at certain rates of speed) to keep ourselves from danger.  We must judge that on a slippery surface (such as ice or water) that driving the speed limit (while lawful) may not be expedient for the time.  Solomon wrote about a time and purpose to every thing under heaven.  There is a time for different things, and it takes wise judgment to discern when to do which.  Therefore, what does Matthew 7:1 really mean? 

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5) 

The point of this lesson is not to refrain from judging.  The point of the lesson is the manner in which we judge.  For us to claim that all judgment is wrong, then it would be impossible to enforce the laws against heinous crimes in the land.  It would be very difficult for us to be able to maintain decency and order in the household of faith for those that bring a reproach upon Zion.  Judgment is not pleasant, but it is very necessary for edification and peace.

The point that our Lord is driving at is that we need to judge according to a righteous standard.  We (as the household of faith) should not judge our members based on our feelings and opinions, for we are not perfect ourselves.  We may have a beam in our own eye that needs dealing with before we can even address something like a mote in someone else’s eye.  But, a church has been given authority to judge her members based on the standard of the word of the Lord that is perfect in every way.  It supplies us with all things that we need for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. (II Timothy 3:16-17) 

Paul even admonished the Corinthian brethren to put away one from their midst that was engaged in gross fornication. (I Corinthians 5) It behooves the church to judge in matters pertaining to discipline from the word of the Lord for she is the pillar and ground of the truth, and if we neglect our duty to do such, then we have left the truth and our first love.  It is difficult to cut off a member that is engaged in death, but like gangrene to the appendages, it will slowly kill the rest of the body if not dealt with in a proper fashion. 

In the land that we dwell in, we have laws that govern the citizens that take up residence here.  These laws judge those that go astray in matters pertaining to civil liberty and freedom.  The ones that we have appointed to carry out the judgment in such matters are similar to the church in this fashion that they do not pronounce edicts based on the goodness of their own lives (although they are required to have unblemished records in the eyes of the law), but rather they are passing judgments and edicts based on the standard of the law.  This is not done in malice or pride, but it is needful for the prosperity of the society to put such that cannot live peaceably with all men out of their midst. 

Let us consider another Biblical example briefly that is used in fortification of this extremist argument.  It is found in John 8.  The Pharisees bring a woman to Christ that has been caught in the very act of adultery.  They declare that Moses and the law state that such should be stoned to death, but they ask Christ what His judgment is.  He makes the famous statement, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) 

Now, what Christ is not saying is that He disagrees with Moses, the law, or the prophets.  He came not to destroy such things, but rather His coming fulfilled those things.  What Christ is saying is that THEY were not following Moses, the law, or the prophets.  What did Moses command?  “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10) 

The problem in this situation is NOT that the woman did not deserve to die, but she had been brought up in judgment unlawfully.  If they had taken her in the very act, then the man should have been brought as well to be put to death.  Our Lord did not contradict Moses (here or ever), but the very rulers (claiming to be Moses’ disciples) were breaking these things in an effort to bring a railing accusation against the Lord of Glory.  So, judgment is not wrong, but the application of it can be.   

So, let us keep our judgment regulated to what “Thus saith the Lord” declares and leave the rest behind.  Judgment is not unlawful, but our standard can be.  Now that we have shown the ridiculous concept of overly loose application of judgment, let us draw our sights on the other ditch momentarily.  What is the other extreme? 

The other extreme has been touched on briefly above in regard to those that are abusive of judgment to the point of judging where they ought not.  They judge in all matters great and small without any regard for charity, longsuffering, or declaration of the state of the matter.  Such brash, impulsive behaviour is tailor-made for the road to destruction. 

The proponents of this mentality hide behind the cloak of religion many times.  They say that because they are “the church” then their decisions stand in all things and all circumstances.  However, such is vain exercise for we are fallible, fallen creatures.  Any judge that has ever been appointed to the courts has judged improperly on one occasion or another (in matters maybe great, small, or both).  Sometimes these are oversights and other times they are blatant disregard for the standard that they are supposed to honour and adorn. 

When Christ walked this earth during the days of His ministry, there were those in power (religiously) that claimed infallible understanding of Moses and the Old Testament.  They were the ones that held the keys of understanding for the “dumb masses” or “laity.”  However, their mindset led them to such a state of blindness in their pride that they were unable to rejoice in someone being delivered from an infirmity if the act of miraculous healing was performed on the sabbath day. 

In John 9 (and many other places) Christ healed on the sabbath day.  In this passage, He healed a man that had been born blind.  When the Pharisees judged the situation, they claimed that Christ could not have come from God, for He then would not have broken the law.  However, Christ plainly declares that man was not made for the sabbath, but the sabbath was made for man.  Therefore, it is for our benefit (in the spirit of the law), and the vain keeping of the letter bred a spirit of uncharitable religion that denied the power of God. 

Christ even “chews it a little finer” when He tells them that even they release their dumb beasts on the sabbath, and one that is a child of Abraham that is loosed from an infirmity is a case for rejoicing no matter what day the act had occurred. (Luke 13:15-16) This Pharisaical judgment was unsound, for it was borne out of a prideful heart, and not in true keeping with proper judgment that seeks the truth of the situation.  They were more concerned with trapping Christ than discerning the truth of the matter. 

Now, seeing that falling into the ditch of overly harsh judgment (or improper application) is total folly, let us mind the teachings of Christ in matters pertaining to judgment.  In matters of spiritual things, we are told, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:15-16) 

In matters of the spirit, we need to be mindful to discern things as we ought as true Christian soldiers.  We have the mind of Christ (He bestowed it), and we need to choose the good and refrain from the evil.  Our decisions need to be abundant with the wisdom from above that He may guide us into all truth.  If we have been shown the things of the spirit from God, then may our judgment be both sound and correctly applied.  It is not enough to know the correct principle, but we must know the proper application of that principle. 

We are told later in the Corinthian letter that we shall judge the world, and should not be thought unworthy to judge the smallest matters. (I Corinthians 6:2) Therefore, let us not give ground by those that claim Christians should never judge (for that is our duty), but may we never be found as those Pharisees that judged and poked and pried into matters that they ought not with no regard for the mind of Christ. 

One final thought on judgment is this.  Our Lord upholds and condones both capital punishment and other methods upon the criminals of the land.  So, while it is an unpleasant duty that we carry out, may we never shirk from the matters that pertain to the health and benefit of our churches, families, country, and community.  We are called upon to discern, and may His wisdom govern and direct our thoughts wholly upon things of Him and by Him.

Summary

This writing has been as thorough and brief as the writer could muster to bring those two concepts together.  While each and every one of these topics could have decidedly more space devoted to its exegesis, perhaps we have stirred your pure minds by way of remembrance to go and search these things to see the fulness and beauty of each subject and lesson.  Indeed, the subject of extremism could have engaged many more and different subjects that we have chosen to write about here, but we trust that the Lord has guided the matter in which subjects were chosen and what was written about each. 

We can easily see that each subject that we encountered has two very deep ditches that lead to destruction running with the road.  This error (extremism) is so pervasive that it not only invades our church life, but it also creeps into home life, work life, thoughts, actions, and decisions.  Our lives (and thoughts) are many times like pendulums.  We are creatures given to extreme thinking about different things, and our ship needs to be righted in its course from time to time from good sound counsellors and above all the Lord Himself. 

May we ever search the Scriptures daily, and study to show ourselves approved unto God.  We need to know how to seek the correction that we need, and the only place that the writer knows to find it is in the pages of God’s Word, on bended knee in prayer, and meeting together with the Lord’s saints in His service.  So, may we be found so doing at His coming, and whether we are in the city, in the desert, on the mountain, or in the valley, may our worship of the true and living God be in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) Indeed, one without the other is extreme, but both together is proper and fitting like a stone that has been wisely polished showing forth the brilliance of its Maker and Creator. 

Philip N. Conley

Written: June 25, 2006

Revised: June 27, 2006

Revised: July 21, 2006