The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
July 22, 2001
In
This Issue:
"Who
Selects Your Ties?"
By
James Adams
"Considering
the Outcome"
By
Bill Hall
Several years ago, A British magazine, Tailor and Cutter, suggested the following guide to be used in tie-buying so as to match the tie to the personality of the wearer:
"Neat patterns are chosen by men modest and careful in thought and action. Stripes are selected by men overwhelmingly conscious of fashion, decisive in action and reluctant to take 'no' for an answer. A single motif is chosen by those who are studious, attentive to detail and efficient. Knitted ties are for the flamboyant, with an eye to color. A plain or single color indicates one who is upright, conservative and careful with money. The bow tie is for the extrovert. However, when women buy the ties instead of men, you can throw out the guide. Women are more likely to buy something that appeals to them regardless of the personality of the man who is going to wear the tie. If someone else picks out ties for you, the ties may not reflect your personality at all. Worse than that, they may misrepresent you."
When I read this, it occurred to me that there is an important analogy that is suggested by it. The pattern of the lives of some does not always represent what they really are. Their pattern of life (called today, "Lifestyle") often misrepresents them. The reason for this: they allow the views of others to determine their choices in life. Faith and conscience, in the eyes of God, are intimately personal things. The faith of another will not suffice for me. My faith must represent my personal conviction relative to that which is true and right. The conscience of another person cannot be substituted for my conscience, even though there are many fanatical brethren who seem to think that their consciences should be the consciences of every member of the congregation in which they hold membership. Even "public consciences" - the norm of behavior that is the consensus of society in general - sometimes called, "social conscience," will not do. Conscience must be based upon absolute personal conviction concerning which is right and what is wrong.
All of us like to please our peers; hence we often allow peer pressure to determine the course of our lives. In other words, we are letting somebody else select our spiritual ties. Therefore, our actions do not truly represent our basic convictions. This is a species of hypocrisy in reverse, and it emanates from cowardice. Christians must "dare to be different." They must make their own choices. They must stand on their own convictions. No other course will meet the approval of God. Paul says, "whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). The faith to which he refers is one's personal faith in the rightness or wrongness of any act the Christian performs. A life lived in conformity to what one honestly believes to be wrong will damn his soul whether it is wrong or not. The following poem well expresses what the Christian should do in life:
Paddle Your Own Canoe
Voyager upon life's sea, to yourself be true;
And where'er your lot may be, paddle your own canoe.
Would you crush the tyrant, Wrong, in the world's fierce fight?
With a spirit brave and strong, battle for the Right;
And to break the chains that bind the many to the few -
To enfranchise the slavish mind,
Paddle your own canoe. -- Sarah K. Bolton
Represent yourself as you are. Select your own ties!
by James Adams
We have no sympathy for those who at every funeral "preach the dead right on into heaven," who ignore the obvious failure on the part of the deceased to serve the Lord, who try to think that all will somehow get to heaven in spite of their disobedience. There is a hell, and the many of this earth (in contrast to the few) are going there (Matthew 7:13-14).
But we must not allow one extreme to beget another. While the majority will be lost, there are those in this world whose single purpose in life is to serve the Lord and go to heaven when they die; who devote themselves daily to studying God's word and living by its precepts. When such people die, it is right to speak of their good life and faithfulness to the Lord; it is right to commend their example of faithfulness and perseverance to those who may be discouraged; it is right to speak of their eternal reward.
The Hebrew writer stated it this way: "Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7 - NASV). Three things are implied in this verse: (1) There had been men in their midst who had served the Lord faithfully unto death; (2) The Hebrew Christians were to be confident that the outcome of the lives of those men was a happy one; (3) Considering this, they were to imitate their faith.
We, like the Hebrews, have had the good fortune of knowing many who have lived godly lives and have now passed on to their reward. Some were elders; some were preachers; some were Bible class teachers; others were just good, faithful, dependable disciples of the Lord who placed His kingdom first in their lives. We are not speaking of the lukewarm and indifferent. We are not speaking of those who claim to be Christians, but were lacking in the fruits of Christianity. We are speaking of the truly dedicated ones who constantly reflected the character of their Father and their Lord Jesus Christ. Their influence on our lives was tremendous. They were men and women of whom this world was not worthy. And the list grows with each passing year.
Every one of these had to overcome serious obstacles to be faithful to the Lord. The Devil challenged each one of them, but he failed. They gained the victory through Christ. Now they are eternally happy because they persevered. Could we ask any one of them, "Was it worth it," his reply immediately would be, "It was a thousand times worth it!" Not one of them regrets a single moment he spent in the Lord's service.
We thank God for such people. We rejoice in their salvation. We look on their passing not as those "who have no hope." And "considering the result of their conduct," we dedicate ourselves to imitating their faith.
By Bill Hall