Author: Cox, Stan

Technology is neither inherently good nor bad, but it can certainly be useful. Just an hour ago one of the elders here at West Side indicated to me that he believed the purchase of the projector was one of the best things we have done for the worship in recent memory. I said in reference to the substantial cost, “Well, I’m glad because I felt a bit of trepidation in suggesting we buy it.” He answered, “Well, I’m glad too, because I felt a bit of trepidation in agreeing to it!”

The church needs to address the needs of man, and be an agency of change to benefit mankind. And it can and will do so as long as it fulfills the call of God to preach the Word. The power is the gospel, and it alone is “relevant” to the eternal needs of sinful man.

We do not want to send our young people to a college run by brethren if we can’t trust that they will be taught the truth while there. We don’t want to send our children to summer camps run by brethren if an appeal to emotionalism is the rule. We don’t want to have our children attend youth retreats and lectureships if they get the idea that fun and frolic is the work of the church. While we want our children to know how very precious their souls are, we do not want them to think that the work of the church is to cater to their whims.

With this issue of Watchman Magazine, we begin a new feature intended to help Christians (especially preachers) to both utilize the tremendous opportunities that technology supplies in preaching the gospel of Christ, and avoid the pitfalls that are associated with the same.

We are thankful for the opportunity to edit Watchman now and in the forseeable future. If the Lord tarries, we will continue in the work. There is no religious significance to the year 2000, but as the new millenium begins we excitedly look forward to our time together in a study of God’s word.

Brethren, more and more we will find ourselves on an “island” in our appeal to truth. However, we should heed the apostle Paul, and diligently strive to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.”

The beautiful city of Caesarea was a very important place during New Testament times. The city stood on a busy caravan trade route between Tyre and Egypt. Though the city had no natural harbor, it nevertheless was a center for maritime trade as well. Herod the Great, when he constructed the city, built a remarkable “artificial” harbor to protect boats from stormy seas. The elaborate structure was built with materials that call to mind the concrete of our day.

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the crowds in Jerusalem, you can stand at the Northern Palace Villa atop Massada, look out at the miles of desolate Wilderness, and visualize the loneliness and suffering of our Lord as His great war with the Devil was fought and won. “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Any child of God would do well to take advantage of any opportunity he or she might have to visit the land of Jesus.

God demands that we respond to the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We must accept the facts of the gospel (believe), we must repent of our sins (turn away), we must confess Jesus as the Son of God, and we must be baptized to have our sins washed away. That is the part man plays in God’s Scheme of Redemption for man. God has done his part. All that remains is for each of us to do our part, that we might one day meet our Lord in the air, and ever be with him. If you have not yet obeyed the gospel, we invite you to do so today.

Repentance is not a small thing. It is a complete change of direction in the life of the penitent. Some want to come to God on their own terms, and this simply cannot be done. When we tell individuals that they need to be baptized into Christ, and that they will not need to change much in their lives, we do them a disservice. To please God there must be a fundamental and pervasive change. Self must die. All thoughts must be brought into subjection to Christ. There must be sorrow for sins committed against God, and that sorrow must lead to the determination to serve God acceptably.

It is our desire that all who read this article will obtain the redemption of their soul. In order to do this you must believe in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God sent His son to die for our sins. Jesus led a life of perfection, and submitted willingly to the cross. His blood purchased for us the forgiveness of sins. His resurrection enabled us to hope for eternal life. This eternal reward can be yours. Will you believe?

The power of the gospel is persuasive. It can only produce repentance when it is heard by honest hearts seeking the truth. Stephen’s tormentors were not interested in the truth, they simply wanted to protect their precious conventions (cf. Acts 7). The Jews on Pentecost however were sincerely seeking forgiveness, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

We affirm that our salvation is made available through the freely given and unmerited favor of God. He sent his Son to earth not because we deserved such treatment, but because He loved us. We have access to His eternal presence only because of His good grace. However, it is clear from scripture that not all gain access to the blood of Christ. God demands that conditions be met before man can enjoy the privilege of remission of sins. In affirming this we do not claim that man earns his salvation. The debt is too great and our efforts too imperfect to accomplish such a feat. We do, however, have to submit to God’s will in order to be saved.

The following material in this month’s Watchman Magazine is intended to give an overview of the sublime plan of Redemption. It is our intention to both document the great expression of God’s grace in sending His Son to die in our stead, and the divine requirements mandated by God that we might receive the benefits of such a gift. No study of Redemption is sufficient that does not explain both God’s part, and man’s part in securing that safety.

I dare say that no one in our fellowship would deny that Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus had a love for the souls of men. And yet, their manner was often confrontational, always uncompromising, and sometimes even derisive toward those who would make shipwreck of our faith. The common criticism of those defending truth as having improper motives and a lack of love often speaks more to the mindset of the one offended by such criticism rather than the one delivering the rebuke.

Christian families often place membership in a congregation not because of the potential good they can do in that fellowship, but rather based upon how many “young couples” there are, or how socially minded they might be, or what the group has “to offer” them. It seems that we too have been taken in by glamour and glitz, and are more concerned with how attractive and pleasant is the package surrounding the message, than we are in the message itself.

We have heard it so many times, in so many ways. Brother so-and-so is a faithful man. He has preached for so many years. No one has ever doubted his integrity or his stand for truth. All of that may be so. (And by the way, it is wrong to equate the exposure of false doctrine with an attack on an individual’s integrity). The question is, is he standing for truth, or teaching error? The discussion must be on the issue of truth, not on the integrity of any man. Note what the Lord said in Ezekiel 18:24, “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”

The concept of “necessity outweighs precept” is shown to be absurd in its application. It ultimately makes righteousness based on one’s perception of what is “necessary”, rather than on a precept of God. God’s absolute standard becomes a joke. His commandments are reduced to mere suggestions, and anarchy and confusion reign. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” Jesus did not teach situation ethics in Matthew 12. His defense of the disciples stands as a testament to His sovereignty, and His complete accord with and regard for His Father’s will.

The Lord’s church today needs devoted disciples! The truthfulness of this statement is self-evident. The purpose of this article, and one of the reasons for this special issue of Watchman, is the recognition that there are many challenges besetting the church as we near a new century. In order for God’s institution to be able to fulfill His mission for it, Christians must do their work.