No. 44, August 2000

 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE ONE WORD MAKES!

 

        Through Him we have access by one Spirit to the Father.  Eph. 2: 18

 

            There is a word left out of that line. But even without that word it sets forth a great truth. The ‘Trinity" is even there – Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And in just a few words it expresses the essence of the Christian faith: Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross brings us into the presence of God, and this by the Spirit.

 

            We have a way of getting along without the key word in the statement, BOTH. Paul is not just saying that "we" (the Jews) have access to God through Christ, but "we both" (Jews and Greeks) have that access.

 

            What a difference that one little word makes! The hostility between Jews and Gentiles was so profound that they were hopelessly divided. But by Christ’s love "the middle wall of separation" was removed and "the enmity" between them was abolished. And so ‘Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

 

            It is to our shame and deprivation that we manage without the both. Each sect or denomination can affirm confidently, "Through Christ we have access by one Spirit to the Father." We make our Christian faith an "each" – it is our church, our own fellowship – instead of "both," a term that is inclusive by definition.

 

            The recent peace talks at Camp David between the Israelis and Palestinians illustrate the dimension of what Paul is saying. The wisest diplomats could not remove the enmity that separates them. Not even the intervention of an American president. The talks failed because they recognized no transcendent power "to make both one."

 

            The wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s day was no less impregnable. God did not send a better law or a better system to remove the barrier. He did not send a clever diplomat. He rather showed his love by the sacrifice of his Son upon the Cross. Is this not the only power that will unite that which is divided?

 

            Both! It calls for responsibility. We remember it well at our wedding when the minister said, "I charge you both … ." It is a word that keeps life in focus: I’m not in this alone!

 

            The apostle Paul uses it again and again to make his point: "

 

            He himself is our peace, who has made both one" (Eph.2:14).

 

            "That He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Eph. 2:16).

 

            ‘Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2: 18).

 

            "Both" means unity. It is the Spirit’s gift to the church. "Both" is inclusive, embracing all whom God includes. "Both" takes us beyond our selfish, narrow, parochial view of the church to a world-wide view. When God "makes both one" he gives them one heart and soul, united in love, even while they are still different in other ways.

 

            It is indeed another way of expressing unity in diversity.

 

            We meet the call for "both" in most all of life:

 

            Both male and female.

 

            Both husband and wife.

 

            Both black and white.

 

            Both East and West.

 

            Both rich and poor.

 

            Both young and old.

 

            Both labor and management.

 

            Both Democrats and Republicans.

 

            Both bond and free.

 

            Both liberal and conservative.

 

            Both friend and enemy.

 

            A U.S. army chaplain who was in a Nazi prison camp tells a moving story relative to serving Communion to his fellow prisoners. The German soldier who was guarding them appeared to be a believer also. He drew closer to listen to the prayers and hymns. As Communion was passed the American soldier nearest him first hesitated, then passed the bread and wine to the Nazi guard.

 

            The chaplain was pleased. In that moment "the wall of hostility" was removed and "both American and German" were one in a common faith even amidst a dreadful war. Only the power of the gospel can melt such hostility.

 

            What wonders can be wrought in our own lives if we will let this little word come alive! No more "us" and "them." No more taking sides. No more cruel criticism, as if we were not in this together. Both! That is what the apostle was getting at in that great mandate in Ro. 15:7: "Therefore, receive one another, even as Christ has received you, to the glory of God."

 

            If it is both Christ and I, then it must be both my brother and I. When it is that way, it is to the glory of God, not the glory of a party. Even when we differ, and we will always differ, maybe even when we seriously differ.

 

            "Both" is oneness but not sameness. We are "living stones built into a spiritual house" as 1 Pet. 2:5 puts it. Stones, not bricks! Unity, not conformity! Some stones are smooth, some rough; some round, some oblong. A notice in a Normal, Illinois newspaper read "Normal boy marries Oblong girl."

 

            That’s who we are in the family of God – living stones, not matching bricks! Some are normal, some oblong. It’s both. Let’s go for it! – Leroy

 

 

 

THE OTHER INVITATION

 

            Behold, I stand at the door and knock – Rev. 3:20

 

            It is an amazing picture that dramatically depicts what is unique to the Christian religion. No other religion shows God seeking people, especially with such eagerness as to knock at the door of their heart. It is enough with other world religions if God is there for them when they seek him.

 

            The picture here is of an imploring Christ, a pleading Christ, seeking a deeper relationship with his own church. Holman Hunt, the artist inspired by this scene to paint the famous ‘The Light of the World," discerningly paints the door with no handle on the outside. The door can be opened only from the inside.

 

            Jesus is always the consummate gentleman. He never imposes himself upon others. He gently knocks, even imploringly knocks, but he doesn’t barge in uninvited. Each of us, who is sovereign over his or her own heart, must respond to the invitation.

 

            It makes a strong case for the freedom of the will and human responsibility. It is hardly a proof text for Calvinism’s "irresistible grace." The knock at the door can be ignored, even callously rejected. Jesus goes on to say to that church, "If anyone will open unto me, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me." What a glorious promise! But the If cannot be ignored.

 

            In this picture we can see grace at the door, and grace is there unconditionally. It isn’t merited and it can’t be bought; and it is not there because of any goodness on our part or any work that we have done. Unconditional grace! But the enjoyment of the grace is conditional. . . If anyone will open the door. He does not come in if the door is not opened!

 

            I’m calling this "the other invitation." The first invitation, where Jesus invites us to come to him ("Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" ~ Mt. II :29), is extended to all human kind. It is when we accept this invitation that we become his disciples or Christians.

 

            In the other invitation we are inviting Christ to come to us. It is a remarkable distinction. The first invitation is to become a Christian, the second invitation is be a Christian at a deeper level.

 

            This other invitation raises a question: Do we really know Christ? There are likely many who read these lines who have done "church work" all their lives but have never invited Jesus into their hearts. One might teach Sunday school for years without really knowing Jesus. And how many preachers and elders are there who have sincerely ministered to others in the name of Christ who have never themselves opened the door of their hearts to Jesus for a more intimate relationship?

 

            Singer Pat Boone used to put it this way: "I knew a lot about Jesus, but I didn’t know him." He illustrated the difference this way: "It is one thing to check in at the Hilton, but something quite different to be invited to dine with Mr. Hilton in his private penthouse."

 

            There is a touch of judgment in this scene of Jesus knocking at the door. He seeks entrance into his own church! In this letter the Laodicean church is rebuked for its pride, its smugness, its self-sufficiency, its lukewarmness. The Lord threatens to "spew you out of my mouth" because of their lukewarmness. They are even described as "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked." But they think they are rich and in need of nothing.

 

            It is at the door of such a congregation that Jesus stands and knocks. His knock is an invitation to repent, to change their ways ~ "to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich."

 

            If this is judgment, it comes with good news, personally good news. The church doesn’t have to respond in mass or as a congregation. The preacher or the elders do not have to open the door. "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in." That is a Wow!

 

            This is my answer to those who feel caught in a dead or legalistic church and suppose they must leave. Maybe not. If there is but one person who will hear the Lord’s voice and open the door, he will come in. And he will dine in intimate fellow-ship with that one person. And what might happen through that one person in a church that is "wretched" and doesn’t know it?

 

            If we "dine with Christ" (the Greek word indicates the main, leisurely meal of the day) it means that we can sense his presence, that we can draw upon his strength, that we can talk with him. If we are discouraged, we can talk to him about it. If secret sins haunt us, he is there to nurture and to forgive. If we’re going through a heartbreaking divorce or a health crisis, he will provide love and strength. He is there for us when we grow old and feel alone and neglected.

 

            Lord Jesus, thank you for knocking at the door of my heart. I open the door and invite you in. Dare we venture such a prayer? When one responds to the first invitation and comes to Jesus he becomes a Christian. When she opens the door of her heart and invites Jesus in, she becomes a Christian who really knows Jesus.

 

            It is not so much a question of whether we have life, but whether we have it abundantly. – Leroy

 

 

 

OBEDIENCE IS NOT LEGALISM

 

                        Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name – Rom. 1:5

 

            That remarkable phrase, "obedience to the faith," has special significance since it is part of the apostle Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith. "Faith alone," one might say, as Luther did, once faith is understood to imply obedience. ‘The faith that saves is the faith that obeys," though not a biblical phrase, seems to fit what Paul is saying in Romans.

 

            In our efforts to get away from our legalistic past – if indeed we have such a past – we are not to confuse legalism with obedience. Obedience to God’s commands is not legalism! Legalism is an effort to be made right with God by one’s own merit, by law keeping, or by one’s own goodness.

 

            Paul puts it this way in Rom. 3:27: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith". He has no problem thinking of faith as a law – probably law in the sense of principle. The principle of faith excludes any self-boasting in reference to salvation. God saves us; we do not save ourselves.

 

            So, in Romans we have the law of faith and the obedience of faith. That is, the law of faith is that faith must obey. This means that while works is excluded in Paul’s doctrine of salvation, obedience isn’t. This is because obedience is not a work. It is faith’s response to what God has enjoined.

 

            This is why baptism, an act of obedience, is elsewhere referred to by Paul as "the working of God" (Co!. 2: 12). We do nothing in baptism; something is done to us. Verse 11 spells it out: "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ." He goes on to show that this occurs when we are "buried with him in baptism" (v. 12). Obedience!

 

            This conforms to the way Jesus joined faith with obedience.

 

            "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life" (In. 3:36).

 

            "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Mt. 7 :21).

 

            "Whoever hears these words of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Mt. 7:24).

 

            "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Lk. 9:23).

 

            "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (Jn. 14:15).

 

            Our Lord himself "learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Heb. 5:8). Following Christ in obedience is not legalism.

 

            It is right that we should emphasize that we are saved "by grace through faith," as Eph. 2:8 points out, and, yes, that salvation "is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast," as it goes on to say. This has to mean that works and grace are incompatible. But obedience and grace are not incompatible!

 

            We must avoid an easy believism and a cheap grace. Believing in Christ means to follow him as Lord; and grace, while it is a free gift and unconditional, depends on obedience for its enjoyment.

 

            The obedience of the nations! That is the purpose of the gospel, and that says what I want to say. The nations (all people) are not simply to believe. They are also to obey. And that is salvation by grace! – Leroy

 

Between Us . . .

 

            Ouida and I were impressed by Nashville Jubilee 2000. Some 4,000 registered and they wore the new face of Churches of Christ. A new day has come and our people are moving in new directions. The old debilitating sectarianism is gone, and in its place is a joyous hope and a Christ-centered faith. There is a more responsible biblical interpretation. I spoke three times on our Restoration heritage. The classes were well-attended and there was good interest.

 

            It was equally thrilling to spend a Lord’s day with the Allen Church of Christ, north of Dallas, a church that is growing along with the population explosion in that area. They are also growing spiritually, and they have a new vision of what the Churches of Christ can be. I talked to them about their rich heritage in the Restoration Movement, noting that when we see our heritage at its best it is like going back to the future. As we drove home I told Ouida that the Allen congregation is the kind of Church of Christ I’ve been hoping and working for all these years. She is pleased that I have lived to see all this. It touches my heart when they take my hand and thank me for hanging in for them all these years.

 

            Another of our more open Churches of Christ in the Dallas area, the Plymouth Park congregation in Irving, suffered the loss of their lovely facility in a fierce fire. A total loss, arson suspected. Knowing this church as I do, they are sure to press on with renewed hope.

 

            The Quail Springs Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, where Mark Henderson ministers, joined the Quail Springs Baptist Church in a July 4th "freedom and faith festival." It received a four-column, pictorial spread in The Daily Oklahoman. The two churches had no problem in sharing fun, food, and fellowship. And yet they were not unaware of their differences. The paper even featured a box detailing the differences and similarities between the two churches. It was an impressive testimonial that believers can be up-front about their differences and yet find fellowship in their common devotion to Christ.

 

            Sometime back the Vandelia Church of Christ and the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, along with the Raintree Christian Church, joined some 28 other churches in town in a full-page spread in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in a public confession of sin. The confession was that "we have failed to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ toward one another in ways in which our community has been able to see." They promised the city that they would henceforth work and pray together "for an atmosphere of revival for our city," and they invited the citizens to watch and see if they do not show the love of Christ toward each other. Most denominations were represented in those who signed the document.

 

            Over Labor Day weekend we will be with the Troy, Michigan Church of Christ. Call Joseph Jones at 248-642-6943 for info.

 

            Those in the Ft. Worth area are invited to join us in a study with the Westworth Church of Christ, 5728 White Settlement Rd., Sept. 16-17. Call 817-738-7536 for details.

 

            It is not too early to tell you that the 18th Annual Restoration Forum is to be held at Bethany College, Oct. 22-24. I am to be on the program along with James North, Mark Henderson, Mark Moore, Monroe Hawley, Chris DeWelt, and Charles Gresham. The purpose is to bring together estranged heirs of the Stone-Campbell Movement to discuss differences, find common ground, and worship and study together. An ideal time to get in that visit you’ve wanted to make to historic Bethany. For info and a conference package: robart_s@acu.edu or call 915-674-2180.

 

            Do we really want to be a restoration movement today’) What should we restore’) What really matters? These questions are addressed in a new book by one of our more seminal thinkers. Tim Woodroof, a third generation preacher in Churches of Christ, is the author of A Church That Flies: A New Call to Restoration in the Churches of Christ. $16 postpaid.

 

            We have had good responses to Communings in the Sanctuary by Robert Richardson, introduced and edited by C. Leonard Allen. These are Communion meditations by one of our Restoration pioneers, a physician gifted in spirituality. $14 postpaid.

 

            Some say Dallas Willard’s Divine Conspiracy is the best book they’ve ever read. To say the least, it challenges one’s thinking as to the true nature of the Christian faith. $23 postpaid.

 

            We highly recommended two books by Bill Bennett, The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass. They are companion volumes that bring together some of the best moral stories in all English literature. Ideal for family reading or for a gift. They run over 800 pages each, so the price is right at $30 each or both for $55, postpaid.

 

            Discovering Our Roots: The Ancestry of’ Churches of’ Christ by Leonard Allen and Richard Hughes is highly worth the reading if one has even modest interest in Restoration history. $13 postpaid.

 

            Mac Lucado’s Just Like Jesus (1998) is one of his better books and gets to the heart of what it means to be a Christian. $20 postpaid.

 

            K.C. Moser was a pioneer in Churches of Christ in making grace central. We can still supply his The Gist of Romans and The Way of Salvation at $9 each. They are a delight to read.

 

            While they last we are selling old issues of Restoration Review at 25 different issues, selected at random over many years, for $10. Leroy Garrett’s The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement is still available at $25 postpaid.

 

            A good dictionary of the Bible is vital to an effective study of the Scriptures. We recommend “the most complete, up-to-date, and reliable one-volume Bible dictionary available,” the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Nearly 600 scholars have contributed to its 5,000 articles. It details the latest archaeological discoveries; there are 16 pages of color maps; many charts. All biblical books and subjects treated. Hardcover; its 1,417 pages make it a great buy at $45. A library in one volume!